Letters to the Editor
Tema Dunne
Published Letters: 31 Editor's Choice: 2
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Hopping to Saturday
[Read the article: Sitting shiva with Hillary]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I grew up on a farm where we slaughtered our own chickens. The neighbor women would come over to help each farm family "harvest" their chickens, constituting a makeshift, but highly efficient, assembly line. As a child I was an active and skilled participant. It was a procedure that to me seemed little different than pushing a wheel borrow out to the pumpkin patch to gather in autumn's voluptuous orange bounty. Yet, despite being a seasoned farm girl and a member of a crack all-girl killing crew whose chicken neck twisting skills was so adept as to appear to be a slight of hand, I was never quite at ease with the spectacle of 5 to 10 headless chickens frantically running and jumping around the barn yard until, at last, they seemingly collapsed from pure exhaustion. It was both fascinating and horrifying.
Which brings me to the topic of Hillary Clinton's unconcession speech on Tuesday night following Senator Obama's victory in reaching the magic number and beyond. I was both fascinated and horrified to see her jumping around the barn yard apparently oblivious to the fact that she was lacking her head. If you did not judge her behavior that evening as the most declassee conceivable, then you must have settled on the alternative explanation which also, by coincidence, explains the dance of the headless chickens: a neurological explanation. That is, when the upper motor neurons are gone (that is, the head),the lower level motor neurons in the spinal cord and elsewhere continue to fire off their remaining munitions until they run out. In this case, the neurons are apparently scheduled for depletion on Saturday----give or take a few hops.
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Maybe
[Read the article: Discussion of potential Obama running mates heats up]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Of the list you mention, I think Sam Nunn would be an excellent choice. Yes, I hear the screeches. But wait, listen. No one person is going to meet all the needs Obama has to steel himself against McBush, but given the opponent and the opponent's backers, I'd say the lack of military and economic experience is Obama's achille's heel in the big fight. Obama needs someone senior (but not ancient), respected over a long time period, knowledgeable about military matters, but historically playing a strong role in reducing the threat of war.
I like many of the possible choices: Richardson (as many have mentioned) is a great person and would be a big help with the Hispanic vote; Clinton (Hillary) and Sebelius would help win back women and each is strong in other areas as well. But I'm looking at what the neo-cons, McCain, Rove, Lieberman, and the like are hoping to use for party favors in their ugly fun fest----and that's gotta be protecting America from those dangerous forces out there (We know it's not beyond their imaginations to even orchestrate a scary event closer to election time just to remind us how scary it really is). "Only us old white men who have been in war are competent to handle this one kiddies."
We have to think: what does the VP do but help the P get elected----then it's basically White House luncheons, looking pretty, and playing gulf with important personages (unless, of course, your Cheney, then you slip the P a mickey and take power). This is the one thing the VP was invented to do---so we have to evaluate that position in terms of the opponents strengths and plugging the holes in our candidate's armor. Obama is also trying to win over independents, so a steady-freddy guy like Nunn, who is highly respected for his efforts to reduce the threat of war (remember that cause?!), and, as a bonus, he's from the south and Obama really needs someone to help raise the new south.
Heck, given the unorthodoxy of Obama's campaign---less partisanship and more appeal to a broad spectrum of people, I would even go with Lugar (if he's still alive). Okay, I'm just kidding----maybe.
To make the above sound less outrageous: how about Bill Clinton for VP? Just kidding----really-----just kidding!
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Amendment to the Nunn initiative
[Read the article: Discussion of potential Obama running mates heats up]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Regarding my earlier comment on Nunn as a good VP choice, I just discovered that Nunn is on the board of Chevron. Maybe Caroline Kennedy wouldn't be a bad choice at that! Hmmm.