Letters to the Editor
little lord baltimore
Published Letters: 189 Editor's Choice: 9
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Hi James Levy:
[Read the article: Hillary's time of troubles]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I think it's fair to ask what Obama is proposing to change and what policies he supports. If you are genuinely interested in finding out more about his substantive (and I think, thoughtful) positions on issues there are a number of places to find more information: his website barackobama(dot)com to start with; the nytimes website has a very simple chart explaining how candidates have positioned themselves on the issues (you do have to register to see it); and issues2000(dot)org is a visually difficult website to navigate but also has a lot of useful information about all of the candidates positions on the major issues.
I suspect that what you will discover is that Obama and Hillary agree on a majority of issues. They do disagree somewhat on health care. Hillary's supporters claim that Obama's plan for health care reform could leave 8.5 million people uninsured. Obama's supporters claim that Hillary's plan could force people to buy premiums they can not afford. They also disagree somewhat on the war/homeland security/military. Obama opposed the war from the beginning, Hillary voted for it. She has also said repeatedly that she will not recant her war vote; that it was Bush's handling of the war that was the problem, not going to war itself. Both Obama and Hillary voted against extending the Patriot Act wiretap provision in 2005, but voted for extending the Patriot Act in 2006. Both have consistently voted to restore habeus corpus. However only Obama wants to ban torture and called for reform in the VA. Hillary stated that she believed that national security is more important than human rights. Obama also wants to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" immediately. Hillary would like to keep it in place, at a minimum, until 2009.
Part of the reason why the bickering in these forums seems so over-the-top and vituperative is that in fact the stakes (as far as the issues go) are so small. Either of the two candidates has pledged to take the country in a more progressive direction. So it stands to reason then that a lot of voters, myself included are making their decisions based on other factors; i.e.: who seems more likely to be elected? who is more inspiring? who seems to be more likely to be able to work with Republicans and Democrats? who will be able to do more to restore our standing in the international community?
For me the answer was Obama, and that's why I'm planning on voting for him on Tuesday and then again (I hope) in November. Not because I'm black, not because I'm a traitor to feminism, not because I went to graduate school or because I have been brain-washed, and not because I hate Hillary. After looking at all of the facts and listening to both of their speeches and watching the debates, I decided to support Obama.
I'm not sure if that helps at all, but there you go.
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Hi again James
[Read the article: Hillary's time of troubles]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I should have also mentioned that for most of last year, I was still on the fence about who to vote for. Another huge factor in making my decision was the way that Hillary has run her campaign. I'd try to list all the things that her campaign has done that turned me off, but you'd swear I was making things up. I would refer you instead to Frank Rich's excellent column on the nytimes website today.
Again, I would urge you to get as much information as possible and then make up your mind.
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James Levy, you're welcome
[Read the article: Hillary's time of troubles]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm glad to hear that you found some of the information helpful. I understand your concerns about what the Republicans do to "good men." I guess I would counter that Obama seems to have weathered a lot of the accusations that Hillary's campaign has thrown at him ("cocaine, madrassas, slum-lords, jesse jackson, inexperience, all talk and no substance") and still come out ahead. I trust that having seen the disasters that were the Gore 2000 campaign and the Kerry 2004 campaign, Obama's strategists and advisors are preparing for the worst. I also take it as a good sign that Obama has new faces and new strategists working with him, while Hillary is relying on people who helped get her husband elected. Finally, Obama promised to run a clean campaign until he gets the nomination. I think the gloves will be off when it's just him and McCain.
But again, no one has a crystal ball. We all have to go with our own best choices.
Happy voting!
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Yay!
[Read the article: How will it all end?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This is a relevant and timely piece of writing, complete with real facts, interesting analysis and quotes from people who know what they are talking about. More like this please.
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veering off the rails
[Read the article: Hot off "The Wire"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I am a charter member of the "The Wire is the best show that has ever been on television; it is a travesty that it hasn't won every single award for everything ever invented" club, but I have to say that this was the first episode where I felt things weren't quite right. I mean is there anything more hackneyed than the piss drunk guy confessing to a statue scene? Except maybe the fabulist reporter who thinks he's going to spend the night with some homeless to fake out his bosses and finds a real story to take home with him scene? And what's up with all of the exposition as dialogue? Do I really need another conversation explaining the intricacies and legalities of wiretaps? And finally is Dominic West even trying to hide his accent anymore?
Yes there were some choice moments: the scenes in the lab were great. Bunk finally getting to interview Raymond was heartbreaking, and how could I not mention the Omar bandaging his leg scene and Marlo calling it "some spiderman type shit."
I know that this is the last season and there need to be some closure, and I'm not turning in my membership card for anything. I just want each of these last episodes to be as good as I keep telling everyone The Wire has been.