Letters to the Editor
Uncle Fester
Published Letters: 1346 Editor's Choice: 12
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How I renounced Satan and found the Light
[Read the article: The dude vote]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This 'article' is so formuliac that it's funny.
It's the story of the sinner and his redemption, always a good marketing ploy. At first, the storyteller as sinner is mired in evil, oblivious to his degradation and suffering. But this is a good thing, because it allows the storyteller to say, once I was you. My thoughts were your thoughts, and boy are they evil. You are a sinner and you don't even know it! Wow is hell going to suck! Allow me to enumerate your sins and watch your guilt surge and grow. You don't even know how bad off you are, but everybody else does.
But all is not lost. I had an awakening and I was purged of evil. Now I am a superior man! I am the truth! And so can you. Just send $9.99 to Uncle Fester's Church of the Electric Lightbulb [an IRS approved 501(c)(3) non-profit enterprise] to receive your limited edition CD of the 'pathway to self-illumination'. Internet trolls are standing by.
What I find interesting, in contrast to this whack article, is that exit polls tell a more complex story. A story that I used to think was right up Salon's Alley.
There is certainly a segment of the male population that won't vote Hillary because of her sex, just as a certain segment of the female population (white, age 65+) is voting Hillary because of her sex. My mom, who despite her opposition to Hillary's positions and general lack of enthusiasm is voting Hillary in order to support the cause. A certain segment of white males, age 65+ won't vote Obama (like my girlfriend's dad). Are they more racist than sexist? Is this not overly reductionist?
And the younger votes (age <30) are voting Obama. Are they too young to realize the extent of the evil of their actions?
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Why? (AKA Smith, et al)
[Read the article: Is it really time to count Clinton out?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Hillary Clinton -- for all her problems -- has a better chance (just barely) of beating McCain
Wny do you think that? Last year at this time, I thought that Obama was a bit of a lightweight and thought it was likely that Hillary would crush him. Didn't happen, and now I have a lot more concerns about Hillary on her political ability (as opposed to her actual positions, upon which my viewpoint remains unchanged).
Hillary Cllinton would go down in a defeat of titanic proportions against John McCain.
I'm not sure of this either, though her campaign is definitely not inspiring confidence IM!HO. Still it might be easier her to compete against McCain.
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@libertyson
[Read the article: The dude vote]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I think you should say what you need to say. We're supposed to be into that freedom of expression thing here and welcome different viewpoints. I would agree that if we try to measure which individuals and which groups have been fucked over the most, not much will get done.
As far as what Barack Obama has done as an Illinois state legislator, some anon. "posters" here claim that he only worked for himself, not his "people". Wikipedia (not the gold standard, but a point of depature) sez:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama:
As a state legislator, Obama gained bipartisan support for legislation reforming ethics and health care laws.[38] He sponsored a law enhancing tax credits for low-income workers, negotiated welfare reform, and promoted increased subsidies for childcare.[39] Obama also led the passage of legislation mandating videotaping of homicide interrogations, and a law to monitor racial profiling by requiring police to record the race of drivers they stopped.[39]
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Victimhood (it wasn't her fault!)
[Read the article: The dude vote]
[Read more letters about this article: Here][...] They always find excuses. Her Iraq war vote (the one that wasn't a problem for Edwards). Her lack of Charisma. [...] NAFTA. Whatever -
Iraq War Vote: Edwards eventually said it was a mistake. It was a problem. He also isn't around anymore either. Hillary beat him out.
Lack of Charisma: Bill Richardson (who I liked) didn't have it either. He's gone.
NAFTA. Whatever: Yeah, when your local economy is devasted, you tend not to say whatever. That's why both sides are busy trying to "frame" the debate and each other in Ohio.
Hillary has beat out Richardson, Edwards, Dodd, Biden, Kucinch and Gravel. She may still beat out Obama.
Methinks the Victim mantra premature.
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@AKA Smith
[Read the article: Clinton camp continues Obama photo pushback]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]There are racists in the world. There are sexists in the world. There are fascists in the world.
Those of us who are none of those, we try to save the world. All any of us can do is the best that we can. Sometimes we succeed. Sometimes we fail. I am willing to give both of these candidates the benefit of the doubt. Each one believes they offer solutions to that problem. People with small egos don't run for president.
Well Said.
I'm crossing my fingers.
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@dustball: War
[Read the article: The dude vote]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I am saying that I don't know what her true feelings were on the war, if at all different from how she voted.
Yes, I believe that she felt a need to vote for the war to prove she was tough. I just won't pretend to know if she really did support the war.
Presidential tapes show that LBJ was deeply conflicted over Vietnam. But he still kept the war going and escalated it, partially because he needed to prove he was tough against Goldwater. History hasn't judged him kindly for it.
Granted that a lot of democratic senators voted to authorize force. I'm sure some of them believed in it and not all of them were craven. But Hillary is the only pro-Iraq war vote candidate still standing on the democratic side. That vote didn't help the other, white male candidates.
Let's assume that Hillary voted the will of the people to authorize force in Iraq in 2001. In 2007, public opinion was against the war in Iraq and against invading Iran. Yet Hillary voted for Kyle-Libermann, the Iranian "Terrorist" bill that many viewed as an initial pretext for military action against the state of Iran.
What do you think of that legislation?