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• Wednesday, February 6, 2008 08:12 AM

  "Elite"?

  Thanks for the chuckle, dctace. Sitting here on my mink-lined chaise lounge, sipping mimosas served on bended knee by my impeccable silver-haired butler, I - wait a minute!

  Actually I'm a corporate cube-monkey, trapped within four gray, gray walls. I spend my minuscule free time worrying about how to pay the mortgage and figuring out which bills can be put off until next month - without having the lights or the gas turned off, that is.

  And no, I don't have a plumber, electrician, or gardener.

  I'm not sure where this fantasy of the fabulous elite came from, but I can assure you: they are not a numerous clan, and I am not counted among their number. As I said before, I'm not in the Obama "cult"; he gets my vote out of Hobson's Choice. But since Obama is giving Senator Clinton a strong run for her money (without having her advantage of the support of the majority of the Democratic Party hierarchy) clearly his supporters DO include "lunchbox" people.

  (Incidentally, I don't have a lunch box. They cost money. If I have lunch at all - which is rarely, because money is tight - I use a plastic supermarket grocery bag. They're free. Except at the discount supermarket my family shops at most often, which charges for every bag. But I digress.)

  "i sincerly urge all of you obama supporters urge your candidate to open up communiction with hillary and for him to accept the VP..."

  How generous of you! I'm sure Senator Clinton would be happy to forgo the primaries. But the race isn't over, not by a long shot. Obama might as well offer Hillary the VP slot. Although he'd be a fool to do so, because she's electoral poison.

  Karl Rove and the Republicans have been angling for Hillary to get the Democratic nomination from day one. That's not because they think she'd be the best candidate for the nation! No, it's because they're pretty sure that they can beat her, and that the hatred they've been building up against her will bring millions of ignorant rednecks to the polls to sweep in Republican majorities in the House and Senate.

  Do you think our nation and our world will survive another eight years of untrammelled Republican neocon rule? I don't.

  "vote for substance and not the fluff."

  Oh, please! Hillary has had half a term more as Senator than Obama. Neither one is highly experienced, as such things go. Unless you count sleeping with the President as experience. In which case, let's vote for Marilyn Monroe for President!

  Her role as First Lady may have been more activist than most. Nonetheless, it was unelected, and the extent of her activities are unknown - in part because she and her husband won't release the records.

  The whole "experience" argument is a joke. FDR was relatively inexperienced when he became President. So was Bill Clinton, for that matter - the governor of a mostly-rural state? People laughed.

  So please don't try to push the "experience" line. If experience were the main concern, we'd be voting for Dick Cheney. The President has people who help him or her deal with the reins of power; his/her task is to serve as chief executive. There is no requirement for "experience", and history has shown that character, intelligence, and vision matter far more.

  —Peter Maranci Read Peter Maranci's other letters
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