Letters to the Editor
red_gti2000
Published Letters: 319
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Hmmm. Late to the party again.
[Read the article: A look at exit polls from the Mississippi Democratic primary]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Whether or not Obama won on racial lines in these Democrat Party primaries/caucuses is moot. Theyse are votes by Democrat Activists, for pete's sake! They represent the preferences of _those_activists_! Do they represent the preferences of the general public? I would find that very hard to believe.
But one thing is sure. Come November, if Obama is the nominee, expect the Republicans to give _a_lot_ of publicicity to the fact that African-Americans have been bloc voting in these primaries. I wonder how the rest of the voting public would view that?
Maybe they shouldn't have been too obvious about it...
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Oops
[Read the article: A look at exit polls from the Mississippi Democratic primary]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Sorry about the spelling. My morning tea hasn't taken effect yet...
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@manos
[Read the article: A look at exit polls from the Mississippi Democratic primary]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Hey, will you still be showing up here if:
a) Obama loses the nomination?
or, barring that
b) Obama loses the general?
I sincerely doubt it. Because from all of your posts it is easy enough to see that you are a fair-weather activist, all gung-ho and rah-rah when things are going your way -- but quite petty and nasty when they're not. The Democratic Party may want your vote, but you're not the type of long-time supporter they would really want to cultivate. Too emotionally immature. Clouds the judgement.
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@manos
[Read the article: A look at exit polls from the Mississippi Democratic primary]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Bitterness? LOL!!! I would invite anyone in Salon to compare my letter history with that of our dear friend, manos99. Facts are facts, my friend. And posts -- like emails -- can only be deleted by the admin :). The evidence speaks for itself.
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On a more constructive note...
[Read the article: A look at exit polls from the Mississippi Democratic primary]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]To all of you Salon readers desperately using the results of these primaries/caucuses as arguments for or against either candidate, I offer you another take that should make you sit back, take a deep breath, and have another long, sceptical look at the forest. From slate (Damn! I love that site!):
http://www.slate.com/id/2186204/nav/tap3/
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Yawn... speculation, shmeculation.
[Read the article: The Politico claims the Iraq war will help McCain]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]A military man will never surrender by choice. His only viable choices are victory, truce, or a retreat to a defensive position - to regroup and fight later.
McCain is an ex-military man. So these are his choices.
What would be a "victory" for the USA in Iraq? Obviously, a fully-fledged, sustainable, democratic state. Is this even possible? At this point in time, most probably not.
A Truce? With whom?
Retreat to a defensive position to fight another day? Probably the best bet, from a military standpoint. However, from a national interest standpoint the prospect of handing Iraq, in its current state, to the wolves surrounding it will give any US government official nightmares.
Obama, in his official website, says that he will "...immediately begin to remove our troops...and have all combat brigades out...within 16 months". He will "...keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats..." and, "...if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq...carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda".
He will also "press Iraq's leaders to reconcile", "launch aggressive diplomatic efforts" and launch "humanitarian initiatives".
Fine.
Here's my advice to al Qaeda:
1) Make a secret pact with Iran. Your enemy is my enemy.
2) Wait until Obama is chosen as the nominee. Ramp up attacks on US troops so he can argue that the surge is not working and McCain's strategy has failed. Obama is elected President. Cease all attacks on US troops and civilians.
3) Wait 16 months for all US combat troops to be withdrawn. During this time no large-scale violence is allowed, but muddy Iraq's political waters so no strong government can be formed. Assasinate political opponents.
4) After all US combat troops are withdrawn begin a joint offensive with Iranian help against all remaining Sunnis and US sympathizers. Form a puppet pro-Iran government.
5) Organize violent street protests against "US imperialism". Watch modern-day equivalent of US diplmats and marines abandoning Hanoi. Smile.
6) With Iranian help initiate an offensive against Kurds in the north to regain control of the oil fields.
7) Watch the US economy crash and burn with $300/bbl oil. Clap hands. Raise big V for victory sign.
It's really not that hard if you know your opponent's plan _ahead_of_time_. I wonder if Obama plays poker?
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@susan
[Read the article: The Politico claims the Iraq war will help McCain]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"Your enemy is my enemy"
This has been a constant in human behavior since homo sapiens started walking.
Just because you don't like the scenario doesn't mean it can't happen. Stranger things have happened.
Deal.
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oops - I should rephrase that
[Read the article: The Politico claims the Iraq war will help McCain]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"The enemy of my enemy is my friend".
That's better.
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@Paul D
[Read the article: The Politico claims the Iraq war will help McCain]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Please read the whole paragraph. Of key interest is the qualifier "by choice". Also, the option of Truce. Then read up on world history.
Then maybe think twice about dissing the military.
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@prunes
[Read the article: The Politico claims the Iraq war will help McCain]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Please step back, take a deep breath, and re-read my post. It is a simple mental exercise -- nothing more, nothing less.
The point I am trying to make is this: there is no easy way out of Iraq, and the people who believe that this is a simple problem to resolve are fooling themselves.
And, personally, I dislike politicians who misrepresent it as a problem that can be so easily solved. Obama, unfortunately, is guilty of this.
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@Paul D
[Read the article: The Politico claims the Iraq war will help McCain]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]No, I am not confusing Iraq with a military campaign. I am merely re-stating what Powell warned at the very beginning: you break it -- you own it. We "broke" Iraq, so now we own the problem. Maybe you would prefer to use the word "fix" in lieu of "victory"? I'm down with that.
And, please, keep the hyperbole for other, less-polite posters. Throwing about terms such as "stench" and BS instead of reasoned argument just reveals a not-very-well-though-out opinion.