Letters to the Editor
kenkapkk
Published Letters: 112 Editor's Choice: 13
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To Pixelmonkey
[Read the article: It's OK to vote for Obama because he's black]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]MLK was not a politician, he was an organizer, leader of and spokesperson for a movement outside the mainstream. It dragged the mainstream into its wake. King was also a philanderer (which I personally don't care about) who in today's environment would have limited his effectiveness and came relatively late to the table in opposing the Vietnam war. Thus King had his own political reservations and positioning in considering how his actions would impact his movement.
I think its time to get real and stop floating between the extremes of either saviorhood and too much cynicism. What politician could possibly be successful in today's environment taking a Naderite stand on the military? Five-ten years from now, maybe, but now, in the immediate post Bush era? The fact that Obama says we must change the mind set that led to Iraq and our approach to terrorism is monumental because it is the first reframing of this issue I have seen ANY mainstream leader espouse. His refusal to wear the flag pin for reasons to not kowtow to a false patriotic ethic was extremely bold and he will continue to get attacked for it (as "wrong way" Kistol did.)
Furthermore, if you read history, it is abundantly clear that whatever "policy positions" candidates put forth, the times determine greatly what they will do. In this then, the people have far more power than they realize. As Howard Zinn rightly pointed out, most real change flows from bottom up. If the collective empowers the leadership, they move. I believe Obama is much more of an "open gate" for that flow than others and certainly galaxies removed from the Republican resistance.
After eight years of Bush, I think Obama will be an opportunity for movement forward that was unthinkable in the Clinton years. We shall see.
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Lincoln
[Read the article: Does Obama's baritone give him an edge?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]By all accounts, Lincoln did not have a baritone but was much higher in pitch. Yet he was considered a great orator. I think there is a lot more going on than just pitch. Yes it probably helps, but Obama couldn't ride vacuousness to success with just a voice.
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Missing anything?
[Read the article: Hot off "The Wire"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I don't think the world is all bleakness but Simon and Burns captured the corruption in the American soul better than anything I've ever seen. The standard against which everything will be measured.
Let's see, Jonah Goldberg relpaces Scheer in LA, "Wrong Way" Kristol gets an Op ed at the times, Glen Beck gets a prime show on TV, Alberto Gonzales, gets $30,000 an engagement, Bush most likely will get a library and speak to conservative groups, etc, etc.
Am I missing something? Is there anything "The Wire" got wrong about much of our current state of affairs?