Letters to the Editor
KateTex
Published Letters: 579 Editor's Choice: 4
-
@tompayne - Wright not an issue???
[Read the article: Geraldine Ferraro still needs to apologize]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You say: "So this is not an Obama issue, and the pastor has nothing to do with his campaign"
Rev. Wright has a great deal to do with Obama's campaign. This is Obama's self described mentor, spiritual leader, inspiration for the 'audacity of hope', the leader of the church to which Obama has belonged for 20 years, the man who officiated at his wedding, baptized his children - and preached to them, who has been directly involved in his campaign itself, Obama's 'old uncle'. In short, a primary building block of the spiritual/ethical foundation on which Obama originally based his whole flipping campaign.
Are we now to pretend (oh, jesus, not more pretending) that the reverend's generalized rant against white folk, his sleazy accusations of racism aimed specifically at the Clintons, his recommended black hymn of 'Goddamn America', his charge that America imported AIDS to this country (in order to kill black folk, an already entrenched urban myth), and the rest of his ugliness mean absolutely nothing? If you believe this, you may have a future as a fabulist.
The Wright story has been carried on ABC and Fox, and picked up worldwide, but I don't expect to see it in the Austin paper or any other consecrated Obama ground. The NYTimes gingerly approached the story this morning, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it politely fade away, all the better to make room for renewed attacks on all things Clinton, and further unquestioning paeans to Obama. This is the road to disaster, but as long as it's the PC road...
Personally, I am on the verge of just giving up, never going near a voting booth again. That's how much hope Obama has brought this lifelong liberal, who had so much hoped for a measure of political redemption after eight years of Bush and Company.
Ah well, at least I'll have one hell of a lot of company out there in the wilderness.
-
@tompayne - Obama & Wright
[Read the article: Oh, happy day -- another debate announced]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You say: "So, let me get this straight: Obama is responsible for every utterance of his parish pastor. Does that make Billary responsible for Wall Mart policies and practices?"
This analogy leaks like a sieve and you know it. When Hillary announces that Sam Walton was her spiritual mentor of 20 years, then we'll talk.
-
Not always, reader
[Read the article: Carville wants resignation cease-fire]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You say: "As with everything else, the media blows everything out of proportion instead of focusing on what is really important."
Obama's 20 year relationship with Rev. Wright IS important: it goes straight to the character issue, which has been more or less the centerpiece of his campaign. Fairly or not, Ferraro got a major grilling in the press over her remarks and Clinton got splattered with the fallout. And now we're going to watch Obama skate on the issue of his spiritual mentor? This is not only depressing, it's positively alarming.
-
@Hutman
[Read the article: Obama can't win general election, Clinton advisor says]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You say: "Sounds like Obama will have to distance himself from Rev. Wright. The sooner the bette."
Obama cannot 'distance himself' from Rev. Wright. He may denounce and reject the statements in the video, but he cannot un-brand himself as a disciple of Wright, his spiritual mentor of 20 years. I find it so very odd that Obama's supporters fail to understand this. This morning's WSJ opinion piece is an omen. There's a deep streak of patriotism in this country beyond the borders of the blogosphere and it's political suicide to ignore it. In the end, this country isn't black/white/brown/pink/green - it's red, white and blue. Corny, huh? Perhaps to you, perhaps to nearly everyone on salon.com, but not to the lunch bucket guy in Cleveland or the soccer mom in Dallas.
-
Calling out tom payne
[Read the article: Geraldine Ferraro still needs to apologize]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You say: "A Glimpse of Billary's Future - A shriveled bitter douche bag...?"
Again, I'm calling you out on your misogynistic slurs against Hillary Clinton and by implication, all women. Your language is disgusting and negates any arguments you might offer. You clearly hate Clinton, something which renders your endorsement of Obama not only meaningless but also somewhat repulsive.
-
@Hutman
[Read the article: Obama can't win general election, Clinton advisor says]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You say: "The country was founded on the principles of dissent, debate and diversity. Nothing is more patriotic than that."
Try telling that to voters with the bumper sticker you abhor (I'm not terribly fond of it myself). Or to the vet who fought in the Korean War/Vietnam War/Iraq War. The latter may not have been for their particular war, but they certainly weren't against their own country. Or to the children of those who fought in World War II. Or to those who are career civil servants with the federal government, or advisers or with the FBI or CIA or any other federal acronym. Point it, patriotism is largely an emotion - not an intellectual tenet, and it can run very deep.
-
Speaking of apologies
[Read the article: Geraldine Ferraro still needs to apologize]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Hillary Clinton is due a REAL big one from both Obama and his fruitcake pastor and that portion of the Democratic party which has been all but ripping her to shreds for months now here in the blogosphere. I just read something in the online NYTimes that made me want to punch out my screen. You see, folks, I'm actually coming to believe that Obama is not out to just best Senator Clinton, he would like to destroy her in the process. Read the following very closely. If you can still defend your guy as some sort of defender of the light, you might want to take your moral compass in for a tune-up.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/15/us/politics/15wright.html?ref=politics