Letters to the Editor
logicalresponse
Published Letters: 168 Editor's Choice: 19
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my typically progresivist reponse
[Read the article: Eliot Spitzer's monumental fall from grace]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]We all have personal problems, but most of the time most of us simply lack the opportunity to do something about them that will get us in even more trouble. This is a good thing, because we humans are notorious for "solving" our problems in really stupid ways that only make things worse. We attack problems at the level of the problem and between the inadequacy of the approach and the side effects of not being careful what we wish for, we screw things up royally. So to lack the capacity to nuke ourselves so to speak is overall a good thing.
Unfortunately, someone who manages to become a governor of a big state lacks two safety apparatuses that the most of the rest of us have. First, he/she has the capability of doing things that are not available to us, and second, they have the "I know I can" mentality that reduces their fear of getting caught.
Politicians are no better or worse than the rest of us. They just literally HAVE a capacity to get into jams that are not as readily available to most of us. Unlike rock stars whose careers are probably enhanced by shenanigans and the rich for whom such shenanigans are a private problem, politicians have to be hypocrites in public, because they could not get elected if they said, "Yes, I do have sexual hangups that sometimes get acted out in one way or another." So when they get caught, they are hypocrites and have been "dishonest" with US.
I'll say this for Spitzer, he didn't get sex for free in return for some political favor. At least he paid for it, although I have not heard where the money came from.
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Political reality
[Read the article: Reexamining the Ferraro fracas]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'll make this short. The fact that Obama happens to be African-American has, as a matter of political reality, made a demographic block of voters (African-Americans) available to hin that he otherwise would not have had to such an extent. I have no problem with that by the way. If I were African-American I would support Obama for that reason alone and feel justified that that is a legitimate reason to support him.
If Obama were not African-American, he probably would not be still in this race, as a matter of political reality, because inspite of all his other good qualities, he would be running against the historical candidacy of the first woman to have a real chance to be president. I also have no problem with that. I consider the fact that a woman would be president to be a legitimate non-superficial reason to vote for Clinton.
Just because the historical nature of this race is not related directly to war or economic issues, does not mean it is not a legitimate considereation, even an overriding one for those who care deeply about it.
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The War Room version of sniper fire
[Read the article: Hillary Clinton, sniper fire and Sinbad]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Speaking of sniper fire, it remains interesting to me to read how the candidates agree to keep the debate on the issues, but the press (War Room in this case) just won't let them. The "under sniper fire" remark was in the first sentence of the second paragraph of a 40 or so paragraph speech that went into Clinton's foreign policy agenda is considerable detail. It would have been nice to know what exactly the speech said, so that people who are still making up their minds could actually get some information on the issues. If there is something wrong with Clinton's speech, we sure didn't get it from this War Room report. What we got instead is an interpretation that by "under sniper fire" Clinton MUST have meant she was actually dodging bullets, and she wasn't dodging bullets so she must be lying. Nevermind that she might have meant "threat of sniper fire" which is what she has said countless times before. She just MUST be changing her story, NO DOUBT because Obama is turning out to be so adept and sure footed in foreign policy having already reassured the Canadians and British that he does not intend to renegotiate NAFTA and he will not stand by his plan to get out of Iraq.
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Allow me to help with the sarcasm
[Read the article: George Bush's reality distortion field]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"You've reaffirmed the fact that our financial institutions are strong," but odor isn't everything.
"and that our capital markets are functioning efficiently and effectively," because they are pricing the fact that we are going to hell in a handbasket.