Letters to the Editor
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Warnings Redux
I hate to be repetitive, but this avuncular shill with Karl Rove (or his protoges) whispering in his ear, and we have a serious problem... again!
I can't even contemplate 4 more years of this evil junta, especially with the toothless "loyal" opposition spreading rose petals in their path.
I expect to be checking craigslist for apartments in Lisbon along with tilde guy on 11/3/08.
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THOMPSON IS A VETERAN POLITICIAN---THE VOTERS MUST NOT BE FOOLED
With all due respect to candidate Thompson, no matter how well-intentioned he or any other of the candidates for the presidency might be in offering hope to change the course our nation is on at the present time, he is doomed to failure by being outnumbered by a Congress that is dedicated to special interest groups, rather than dedicated to our nation. One, or even a handful of dedicated public servants, always find it impossible to challenge the political status-quo. The present power structure in the major political parties will not allow challenge. There is only one "savior" that is capable of exerting enough pressure on Congress to change their ways,,,the American voting public. Only when each and every elected official fears the wrath of the voters, will the honorable elected officials be able to force the "special interest representatives" to always act in the best interests of our nation and all of its citizens. The American voting public needs to become the most powerful and influential "special interest group" or our nation is doomed to continue its downward spiral. The approval rate for Congress is at 25%. That means that 75% of the American public is fed-up. What will it take to anger them enough to take advantage of their collective voting strength ?
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Tilde
Ahh, the old "It's always going to be a problem so its not worth doing anything about it" appeal to defeat.
That something is hard doesn't make it less worthwhile, that something is seemingly imposssible doesn't make it impossible - and therefore not worth trying. To give up because something worth doing seems like too much effort is simply pathetic.
Promises will go unmet, and others will be kept. Deadlocks will happen, defeats will happen, but that doesn't make the attempt worthless because ultimately victories happen too, and those can be built upon into the future.
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Words from an enternal optimist...
People almost seem to want Thompson to confirm all their worst fears. But here's a major difference to me between Thompson and those who came before him in the "aw shucks" mold, George W. and Reagan.
- The Republican Party is far weaker today than it has been at any point since the mid-'70s. Reagan ran in 1980, when just about any Republican could have beaten Jimmy Carter. George W. ran in 2000 for a party that was on par with the Democrats in the public mindset against a candidate that refused to allow the most popular politician of the decade to campaign with him. And hey, Gore still won. (Oh how we forget...) The party that Thompson is saddled to, though, is in chaos and marginalized right now. He can try the common man schtick all he wants, but he's still stuck with the Iraq war, the economy, and a reputation for corruption and incompetence that as the spokesman of his party, he's going to have to answer for. (To say nothing of his own role in the mess as a lobbyist.)
- The tendency of the Republicans to constantly be looking for someone else. The hot candidate of the moment seems to change every month. Guiliani seemed to be their saving grace. Then there was Rommney. Mike Huckabee is even getting his 15 minutes of fame. Let's face it, Republicans don't know what they want, and it may well be a few months before the "Draft Fred" turns into a "Draft Newt" crowd.
- He's really not that charismatic. Sure, he doesn't sound as processed as someone like Rommney, but he's old, blotchy, and grumpy looking. Seriously, has anyone seen him smile? Didn't Reagan smile? Isn't that what he was known for?
- Assuming he does have charisma, the Democrats have two candidates that can neutralize Thompson's advantage. Edwards matches him for the good ole Southern boy schtick, but he smiles and has the ideas that people want to hear. This isn't the same country that wanted someone to stand up to the hostage takers in Iran. This is a country that wants us out of war, wants national health care, and wants honesty in government. Edwards: 1. Thompson: 0. Obama is also an incredibly charismatic candidate with experience bringing Democrats and Republicans together. The only risky candidate we have is Hillary.
I don't believe we're dead in the water yet on this one folks.
Also please. No one's moving to Portugal. If you didn't bolt after the debacle that was the 2004 Presidential election, you sure as hell ain't moving now.
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Yea Ross Perot what a nutjob.
That looney used to say that if we signed on to NAFTA lots of jobs would leave the country...oh, they did? Well he also used to say that our deficate was gonna balloon...it has? That much?
Well just becaus he was right doesn't mean we should stop calling him crazy does it? By that logic we should stop listining to all the foreign poilcy experts who got us into Iraq.
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fine sounding words
Problem is they haven't actually lead to anything this last 30 years. That's a long time to keep telling me "Just wait, it'll be beautiful..." Some would call that Elmer Gantry-like lying.
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Tilde
So you are saying the Soviet Union didn't fall in the last 30 years? That Clinton's years didn't see record surplusses? That oil prices, subsequent to Carter, didn't go down?
That the internet didn't happen? That improved environmental standards didn't lead to the slow-closing of the hole in the ozone layer?
The last six years were terrible, but that doesn't mean that nothing has been achieved in the last thirty.
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Not going to buy it in Iowa
Iowa's are not stupid and they are a poltically savy bunch having particapted for years in grass roots politics. The old " My parent's came the farm and did not get an education" is not going to fly in Iowa. Maybe Thonpson's dad worked for a farmer.
I grew up in the midwest and rew up on a farm,y parents owned. When lived there (40-50s -60s-70s) most of the children of farmers(land owners) did go to college. Why, because farmers had the money to send their kids to college. My parents born in 1906 & 07 grew up on farm and they went to college.
Many young people who own farms now, went to college and came back to run thier fmaily farms. So the "I didn't get an education" is not going to fly in Iowa. Beside Iowa has always been rated in the top 10 among primary & secondary educution. They pay high property taxes and and put it into education.
Like anywhre else Iowa has it's percentge of under educated people, and they seem to be following Thompson around. Also in in recent decades the religious right has taken over the R party in Iowa. When I lived in Iowa 60s-70s is was run by progressive Democrats and moderate Republicans.