Letters to the Editor
kich
Published Letters: 5
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Campaigning for the "-American" Vote
[Read the article: Hillary Clinton: The Asian-American choice]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Here we go again. Are you black? Then, obviously, you are voting for Barack Obama because he is "supported by African-Americans." You're a white woman? Well then of course you are going to vote for Hillary Clinton, because she "has the support of women." Obviously, Hillary Clinton is also the "Asian-American choice," since a majority of Asian-Americans in California voted for her.
Lately, the media has been absolutely relentless in characterizing the democratic primaries as being all about gender and race, to the exclusion of almost everything else. Who cares about issues when we can have a convenient soundbite about the "black vote" instead?
Ascribing motives to voters is an imperfect science at best, and the media's constant search for the shortest, most convenient answers will continue to lead them to race and gender. God forbid they would have to do any real analysis of voter motivation and preferences.
The best we can hope for is a relatively swift decision in the democratic race. When that happens, we will trade the politics of race for the politics of race-baiting in the general election. Remember, you can always count on the republicans to remind us of race if the media seems reluctant.
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The Great Helmsman a Cynical Opportunist? Shocking!
[Read the article: Mao to Kissinger: Take our wives. Please!]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Even the Chinese Communist Party acknowledges that Mao was somewhat "misguided," to put it mildly. The man in reality was the most supremely cynical of 20th century dictators, and perhaps the greatest mass-murderer in modern history.
Carol Lloyd shows appalling naivete in describing Mao's China as "egalitarian." The Chairman was notoriously grandiose and allowed China's top leaders--most of all himself--to live lives of wasteful extravagance while millions starved to death during the Great Leap Forward. Lloyd's "gotcha" tone regarding Mao's cynical attitude toward women is utterly lacking in historical perspective.
When discussing the legacy of a man who doomed his people to lives of penury and starvation for 30 years, does it really matter that he cracked jokes about women? If this is what the feminist movement is reduced to debating, I wonder how it will ever regain relevance.
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The intellectually dishonest parallel universe of Sean Wilentz
[Read the article: Why Hillary Clinton should be winning]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Without diving into Wilentz's highly dubious argument that the Democratic Party's primary system should replicate our electoral system--pinnacle of perfection that it is--let's quickly debunk his parallel universe.
The issue is primary voter preferences. Wilentz's argument dies here, because he does not acknowledge the possibility that voters might vote differently in a winner-take-all system than they have in the (reality-based) proportional system already in place. So, honestly, what relevance does Wilentz's article have?
Go ahead and rehash old arguments in favor of Clinton if you want, but voter preferences in this election are grounded in the system that is in place.
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Clinton's "From Day One" Now A McCain-ism?
[Read the article: Almost all Kentucky precincts in, big victory for Clinton]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The Washington Post has an interesting quote from McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds, who said that "Senator Obama again tonight launched the tired old political attacks of a typical politician, not the 'new politics' he's promised. America needs a commander in chief who is ready from day one." (see tonight's "Obama Takes Delegate Majority" article, 2nd graph down on page 2).
Is the McCain camp really going to be reduced to recycling Clinton campaign slogans going into the general? I know they're tight on funds, but seriously...
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Who Hates David Stern?
[Read the article: Celtics demolish Lakers for title]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Apparently just about everyone in Boston, since they booed his ass every time he got near a microphone after last night's game.