Letters to the Editor
debaser
Published Letters: 656 Editor's Choice: 11
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@droogoy
[Read the article: No, Hillary Clinton shouldn't be winning]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I see what you're saying about Obama not pulling in the core constituencies of the Democrats, and I guess by extension that logic would also include his not being able to win the Blue States.
Thing is, I don't think it's as big a problem as people want to believe. The core constituencies are by definition the established Democratic base, they vote Democrat, full stop. I can totally understand why Clinton wins these groups (sometimes handily), she's the establishment candidate. If she didn't win these groups (or the Blue States) she wouldn't have made it past Feb 6th. Quite simply those are hers, and the Democrats, to lose. I fail to see how the argument that these core constituencies will either stay at home or vote McCain in November. Remember, these are the solid Democratic Base. They vote Democrat.
What bodes well for the Democrats is that Obama also brings in Independents (and maybe some moderate Republicans) from all over the place. He's been bringing in loads of new people to sign up right? While not all of them will be around in November, I think it's safe to assume that many will. It's not a bad thing to expand your base...the only way the argument for Clinton holds is if you think that the Core Constituency of the Democratic Party will simply stay home instead of voting for Obama. And if that's the case, well we're in bigger trouble than either you or I could imagine.
cheers
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@Arakasi
[Read the article: No, Hillary Clinton shouldn't be winning]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I wholeheartedly agree. The youth, for whatever reason (idealism or delusion? doesn't really matter) have turned out for Obama. He has done an amazing job of energizing the politically disinterested. I would think holding on to these people would be a smart thing for the future health of the party. I mean how many times do we hear people state that RFK brought them into the Party...and here they are 40 years later still with the Party. I think Obama has the potential to do the same thing. Which is, you know, a good thing.
cheers
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Wes, I thought we went over this already
[Read the article: No, Hillary Clinton shouldn't be winning]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Obama not winning Pennsylvania is not proof that he can't close and therefore doesn't deserve the nomination. It's like saying the Red Sox don't deserve to win the AL East just because they didn't sweep a September series against the Yankees when the Yankees were all but mathematically eliminated.
you know that man...
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no wes
[Read the article: No, Hillary Clinton shouldn't be winning]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]it doesn't.
for so very very very many reasons...it doesn't.
(unless you're saying that the core constituency of the Democratic party - those that are voting for Clinton - decide to stay at home or vote McCain. If that's the case, then dude we're deeper in it than either you or i could possibly imagine)
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no sesanders
[Read the article: No, Hillary Clinton shouldn't be winning]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The point is that Clinton has been racking up big majorities with the established, straight down the ticket Democrat voters. This isn't surprising, she is after all the establishment candidate. Those that vote Dem, always have voted dem, always will vote dem are supporting her big time. These people will vote for Obama as well, they will vote for him because he is the Democratic candidate (because these people are Democrats. They voted for Kerry remember?). Sure there will be some who are turned off..but I doubt it will be enough to lose by. When you factor in that Obama has been able to energize and mobilize many Independents, young voters, and the previously disinterested - well you have a pret-ty good base to go into the general with.
The only way the Dems lose this thing is if people follow through on their threats to take their ball and go home.
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whoa rufus
[Read the article: No, Hillary Clinton shouldn't be winning]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]don't dis my boy wes...he's hilarious.
(I imagine him as a mix of Hunter Thompson and Jim Anchower ;)
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@Mike from Metuchen
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Not to be a dick or anything, but I think you should be a bit more careful when you call hockey a niche sport. I know it's en vogue to do so of late (did I really just type "en vogue"?!) to call the NHL a "niche league", but a quick look at the NHL attendance figures for last year shows a league wide attendance of 19.976 million. The NBA, which is pretty comprable in length of season and seating capacity (they play in the same stadia) set a record in 2006 with 21.8 million.
21.8 million compared with 19.9 million.
not so much niche.
niche on tv sure, but not niche outright.
cheers
p.s. GO HABS!
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lunacy
[Read the article: The financial costs of war]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]sheer lunacy.
these people must be stopped, there's no other reasonable conclusion.
jeebus.
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Welcome Talves
[Read the article: No, Hillary Clinton shouldn't be winning]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]and hey, thanks for sharing!
p.s I see you're new here, so I think I should let you know that you are contractually obligated to include the terms "empty suit" and "kool-aid" in every post you make. I think it's in the Code of Conduct or something
cheers!
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@"maturity"
[Read the article: No, Hillary Clinton shouldn't be winning]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"As an american and a Jew I would no have stayed a day there."
Well as a follower of the Jewish faith, no I reckon you wouldn't have spent a day at a Christian Church :)
Thanks for my morning smile!
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Hey Walter
[Read the article: Spare votes?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I just wanted to say I really enjoy your columns...they have an old-time "reporter on the campaign trail" feel to them. I know they're not "substantive" but then not everything needs to be.
Keep up the good work Walt!
cheers
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a very real issue
[Read the article: The dreaded septuagenarian issue]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I think his age, and the fact that he looks like death warmed over, will play a very significant role this fall. I think ALOT of the "middle-of-the-road, not very engaged in politics except at election time" voters will not view his age as a positive. It will be one of those subconscious things...and I hope (not foolishly I think) that it will offset any subconscious unease with voting for a black man.
I mean that in contrast to McCain I think Obama will be seen more as the young candidate and not the black candidate.
cheers