Letters to the Editor
bordeaux
Published Letters: 25
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Iraq
[Read the article: The D.C. establishment versus American public opinion]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm wondering if GOP electoral strategy is to extend the occupation of Iraq as long as possible and then dump it in the lap of the new Democratic President in January '08?
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abortion
[Read the article: Harry Reid's pro-life stance vs. Ron Paul's ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'd like to see the pro-choice tactical argument modified. Rather than engaging in a discussion about the morality of abortion, it would be more effective to frame the issue in terms of whether or not we want the government intruding into the most intimate and sacred aspects of our personal lives. Keeping big gummint off our backs is a high and holy principle of conservatism, so let's challenge the Right to live up to their own credo.
People on opposing sides of the abortion issue can discuss it all day long, and not find common ground. So let's shift the conversation from a discussion of whether abortion is right or wrong to a discussion of who ought to be the arbiter-- big government, or the individual?
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NY Times
[Read the article: Bloggers mature, the New York Times stumbles]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The Times under Sulzberger is losing its lustre. If management felt compelled to have a outspoken conservative voice on their editorial page, they should have made the effort to find an authentic, principled conservative, rather than a certified wingnut. The Times is in a position to showcase decent American conservatism and marginalize nutbags like Kristol, and they missed a huge opportunity here.
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New Hampshire
[Read the article: Was the New Hampshire vote stolen?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Farhad,
I've read a fair number of blog posts speculating about whether Hilary Clinton may have stolen the NH primary from Obama. First, I don't think Clinton has a relationship with Diebold or any of the other electronic voting machine manufacturers that would allow her to control the outcome-- Diebold and the rest are Republican firms.
But if there was skullduggery, the likelihood is that it originates with the Republicans. They have a vested interest in the outcome of the Democratic primary. They would much rather face Hilary than either Obama or Edwards in the general election. That's where the investigation ought to be targeted.
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Bushniks
[Read the article: Is Michael Mukasey prioritizing the harassment and imprisonment of journalists?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]My take on this is that administration officials have reason to worry about being prosecuted for their various crimes. So their strategy is go on the offensive, and keep journalists like Risen and his editors and publisher busy defending themselves. They are trying to create a climate of fear that insulates them from the consequences of their own actions.
Same thing with their insistence on legitimizing torture. I've never felt that the Bushniks are pro-torture in the sense that they actually believe that torture produces useful intelligence; for them, it's more a matter of trying to establish a climate where torture is OK, so they can escape prosecution for their crimes against humanity.
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Obama
[Read the article: Making sense of Super Tuesday]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Joan,
If the media is swooning over Obama, there is good reason; his campaign is a people-powered event, much in the mold of Howard Dean. It's a bottom-up kind of thing, as opposed to the top-down affair run by Hillary and her tired old DLC consultants. Take a look at their fundraising profiles, and you will see the whole story-- he is raising a ton of money in very small increments, she is raising a ton of money from fewer, larger sources
Obama is offering us fresh and new. Hillary is selling same old, same old. Is it any wonder that the media is excited too?
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left vs. right
[Read the article: How the Web pushes politics further left, further right]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]If it's true that the Internet has the effect of pushing things toward the extremes of left and right, that's fine by me. Let the games begin. As far as I'm concerned those of us on the Left are more numerous and way smarter. We are kicking their ass in every aspect of online activity. If the wingnut Right wants to go even further in that direction, then god bless em. It will only hasten their inevitable marginalization from the political process.
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hot or not
[Read the article: Hot or Not? And other voting methods]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I think it's a fine idea, but it's too sophisticated and nuanced for the American people. Most of us don't know what continent Rhode Island is on, so how in the world can we be expected to vote in a system that is anything other than purely binary?
Our system of government is pathologically resistant to suggestions of change, so I just don't see it happening in our lifetimes. Sorry to be a curmudgeon, but it's hard to be optimistic, perhaps because we have suffered under Bush/Cheney for eight years and our morale and self-esteem are beaten down.
Ask this question again after eight years of Obama, perhaps the political dynamic will be different.
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The Delegate Math
[Read the article: Memo to Clinton and Obama: Stop spinning]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3/16/4538/35934/187/477813
Tom,
The link above takes you to a comprehensive analysis of the delegate math, and it is devastating for Hillary Clinton. There is simply no way for her to win the nomination outright.
So why is there no conversation in either the Democratic Party or the media about just how HRC could manage to be the nominee? I think the Democrats are playing with fire if they don't openly and honestly confront the fact that she can only win if the superdelegates throw the race to her. And if that happens, all hell will break loose and we would likely see a catastrophic fracture of the Democratic Party. It's time to stop the denial and deal with reality before it's too late.
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Shorter Sean Wilentz...
[Read the article: Why Hillary Clinton should be winning]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"If we had some ham, we could have some ham and eggs, if we had some eggs."