Letters to the Editor
fetboy
Published Letters: 1226 Editor's Choice: 22
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Huge Deal!
[Read the article: Obama's big blunder]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Actually the Bond's question was huge. Baseball is America's sport, and the homerun record is the Holy Grail of sports accomplishments. Keith Olbermann, with his finger on the pulse of America, knows how important the homerun record is to the average American, and he knows that a candidate has to ace that question if he or she hopes to win the hearts of the people in America's heart land. Whatever your opinion of Bonds might be, you have to respect the record, and Bush is certain to invite Bonds to the White House once the record is broken. The homerun record question wasn't a left or right issues, but it is an issue that is dear to all patriotic Americans, and no one is going to get elected president unless he or she shows a respect for baseball and the homerun record. Obama, with his very foreign sounding name, is already in a difficult fight to prove that he is a true red, white, and blue, apple pie eating American, and his ducking the homerun record question will certainly not endear him more to those that vote strictly out patriotism (read Republicans, moderate Democrats, and right of center independents).
Obama missed a golden opportunity, that Keith Olbermann set up for him, to put the doubts spurred by his heritage to rest. Thankfully it is early in the election season, but Obama has got to get his Ps and Qs right about patriotic issues, if he hopes to have a chance during the caucuses and primaries.
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To --Anonymous "Obama" commenter
[Read the article: Obama's big blunder]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It would be great if the average American voted based on what they saw and knew, as opposed to voting in line with the most appealing sounding rhetoric, but the American election process doesn't work that way. Gore lost in 2000 because he "invented the internet", Kerry lost in 2004 because he "voted for an Iraq funding bill before he voted against it" (and lets not forget Senator Allen's "Macaca" moment, even though that was a good thing), and the last thing I want to see is the Republicans returned to power in 2008, because the Democratic candidates waivered on patriotic issues that every average patriotic American takes for granted. Nuances and triviality in campaigning matter more than anything, and if a candidate flubs one innocent remark on the campaign trail, then his or her chances of reaching office are as good as nil.
Edwards $400 hair cut more than likely has doomed him, but fortunately Romney's "varmint", "suit color", and "Battlefield Earth" comments have doomed him, and McCain's stroll in Baghdad has doomed him.
Obama missed an opportunity on the Bonds question, but his answer probably hasn't doomed him (let us hope).
Campaigning is a lot like air traffic controlling, in that you can do a million things right for years, but one little mistake, and you will be handed your pink slip (especially for Democrats, because they are already having to work uphill to prove their patriotism).
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Romney is Like George HW Bush!
[Read the article: Quote of the Day]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Romney keeping his 5 sons out of the military is like HW Bush helping his son George get into the Air National guard during the Viet Nam war.
However, since I wasn't alive at the time, I wonder if HW Bush expressed support for the Viet Nam war or not while his son was in the Air National Guard.
whether Romney's sons serve in the military or not is irrelevant, but his support for the current "surge" is. And how can we really take Romney support for the "surge" seriously, if he hasn't actively encouraged any of sons (or daughters, if he has them) to fight on the front lines of war that he believes in? How can you support the war if you not willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice (your own children)? Romney comments that his sons are serving the country by supporting his campaign, gives every reason to reinstate the draft. But if a draft was reinstated, I am sure Romney son's would quickly start doing Mormon Missionary work in France, just like their father did during the Viet Nam war.
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Well --Anonymous!
[Read the article: Obama's big blunder]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Senator Obama sort of made up for his blunder today, by saying that he "probably" would invite Bonds to the White House now that Bonds has actually broken the records (which he did a few hours after Obama waffled on the question). Whether you want to admit it or not, Obama blundered when he fumbled Keith Olbermann's soft pitch, golden opportunity, question.
Actually Obama made a bigger blunder when he said he would talk to the president of Canada (Canada has a Prime Minister).
Fortunately neither of those blunders was big enough to doom Senator Obama, only because it is still early in campaign season and neither of those gaffs will be remembered, but if they had been made on stage against the Republican nominee in October of 2008, a lot of on-the-fence voters would have written Obama off as green and waffling on serious issues. Don't get me wrong, I agree with you --Anonymous that baseball is not a serious matter within the greater context of issues, but to the care-nothing-about-confusing-politics voter, it is. You have to understand that, unlike you and I, most American voter only look at the politicians and what he or she says when making their decision of who to vote for.