Letters to the Editor
rtf100
Published Letters: 180 Editor's Choice: 8
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The 60's
[Read the article: Update: Michelle Obama disagrees with me]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Joan,
I am in your age bracket and I don't think Obama has to apologize for not being invested in the 60's for the same reason why you and I are not invested in the 30's or the Great Depression generation. It goes without saying that one's life experiences weigh more importantly than reading about them in a book or on TV. We should cut Obama some slack on this and move on.
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Hillary and Nixon
[Read the article: My sanest conversation on TV, ever]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I have said it before and I will say it again: Hillary is Nixon all over again in so many ways. Nixon had his southern strategy in 1968 and Hillary has her race baiting strategy in 2008. And Obama stepped right into the trap. Hillary knows that even though she lost SC she has now put Obama in a box where he is now viewed as the "black" candidate and that is exactly what Obama cannot afford leading into Woozy Toozday. Very clever, and reminds me, once again, of Nixon. I would not be surprised if Hillary has her "enemies list" all updated because there will be hell to pay once she gets the nomination. Even Karl Rove must be impressed.
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Digit lengths and homosexuality
[Read the article: Is your ring finger long enough for this job?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Tracy,
You failed to address the obvious: measuring relative digit lengths has been linked to homosexuality.
Your comments, please.
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Hold your nose and vote for HRC
[Read the article: Undecided '08: Should I vote for Clinton or Obama?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I think Obama is a great voice out there and has inspired millions of people but that may not be enough to clear the McCain hurdle. If Obama wins the nomination and faces McCain, having the oppty to vote AGAINST a black man will jazz up certain elements of society more so than the oppty to vote AGAINST Hillary. Obama will jack-up the Dem base but will they actually vote? HRC will also jack-up hordes of women and they may actually vote this time (for the first time). I am more inclinded to think HRC can get more women to vote than expect Obama to get more college kids to vote.
Aside from getting out the vote which the Dems always promise but never seem to do, a McCain vs. Obama matchup will require Obama to move to the center where McCain has already staked out many positions. Remember McCain is NOT a right-wing nutcase and is perfectly positioned to win the whole thing against either HRC or Obama. HRC has more options versus McCain because she has meticulously made inroad from the left to the center pissing off the left but making her more electable. Similarly, McCain has moved back and forth from the center to the right but will probably not get the same support as did GWB in 2000 or 2004. THe whole thing is messy but one thing that is becoming clearer to me is that a progressive president willing and able to push a progressive agenda is not going to happen. The closest thing the progressives can hope for is HRC winning it all although one may have to hold his/her nose doing so.
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McCain is stonger than people think
[Read the article: Which Democrat can beat McCain?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]With McCain as the nominee, the Republicans put forth their strongest candidate out of a pretty sad group. However, the Dems have to be "more" concerned about this development than before because McCain enjoys cross-over appeal from independents and moderates in both parties. McCain does not fit neatly into any of the conservative boxes. He is not "scary" as some of the Salon posts have said. He is a moderate, period. He is generally well-respected because he is willing to cross the aisle to get things done. Basically, he is probably, on paper at least, better qualified to be president than either of the Dem candidates. In other words, he is a very formidable candidate and will not go down easily. Right now, McCain is more worried about the right than he is about the general election.
The other dynamic is that McCain has staked out the center while the Dems have been running to the left. Come Labor Day, will the Dem candidate be able to tack towards the center if it is already occupied? Hillary has more credibility in moving to the center than Obama does because that is Obama's primary appeal...make it attractive for people to think lefty. I cannot think of any candidate since JFK/LBJ who won and was unabashedly liberal. All of the classic liberals have lost since 1960-64. McCain could win it all if the middle holds for him but if the electorate shifts left, he is toast. The big question then is who is the benficiary of a leftward shift in the electorate? If it is due to more young people getting involved then Obama wins. If it is getting more of the old-line and traditional Democrats to vote, then Hillary wins.
So how does McCain win? If national security issues rise above everything else, the Dems are toast. If Hillary can't control Bill, Hillary is toast. If Hillary can't raise any more money, she is toast. If Obama simply becomes the "black" candidate, he is toast. So take your pick.
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@ljwalker53
[Read the article: Which Democrat can beat McCain?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Your paranoia is showing. Right-wing operators don't fabricate events; they only take full advantage of Democratic missteps such as Dukakis looking foolish driving a tank and wearing silly looking helmet and John Kerry dragging all his Vietnam vet friends on-stage at the national convention trying to shore up his war-hero image. I knew that he was going to regret that day and he did. The Repugs went into overdrive and created the illusion that Kerry was really hiding something about his war record BECAUSE WHY WOULD A LIBERAL ANTI-WAR CANDIDATE FROM MASSACHUSETTS DRAG ALL HIS WAR BUDDIES ON-STAGE DURING A NATIONAL CONVENTION? BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HE COULD HAVE IT BOTH WAYS! When politicians get greedy and do stupid things, they usually pay.
They also pay when they always stay on message and come across as robotic (HRC and Gore). People are looking for genuineness in their political candidates. If you are the genuine article, then the political operators have a more difficult time smacking you around and things don't stick for long.