Letters to the Editor
-
@tbrandel
"Can we at least agree that the breathtaking stupidity and ignorance of average Americans is the only thing keeping Hillary alive, and the only thing that will keep November from being a landslide?"
See, this is the kind of thing Republicans make hay on. I will leave aside the elitist tones of "average Americans" and focus on the "breathtaking stupidity". I live in the Midwest and have experienced my fair share of frustration with the votes cast here. However, telling people they are stupid because they vote in a manner contrary to mine and "I know better," is not very helpful.
As others have pointed out, the policy differences between HRC and Obama are minimal. If informed voters look at these candidates' positions and see they are relatively similar, how is picking one over the other stupid? You and I may prefer one over the other for various reasons, but none of the people in the article were talking about voting for McCain per se. We can argue forever over "electability" or "experience" or "likeability", but calling HRC suppoerters stupid is not helpful. Not the least of which because you would be talking sh*t about my mom, an HRC supporter in the Midwest :) Peace.
-
Do it again
It takes only about 10 minutes for a quick study like Obama to learn to hold the ball so it doesn't drift off to the side upon release. Too bad his PR guys didn't give him a few minutes practice.
I think it would be a fun photo op (even an effective one, given how people latch onto these things) for him to try it again (after 10 minutes practice) and talk about it in terms of being the kind of leader who acknowledges when failing activities require new strategies. Ahem, ahem!
-
Hope Springs Infernal
No neither of these two Democrats can guarantee or even promise to do this..and it looks less and less like it daily..if either of them do win it will by by a hair the skin of of our proverbial teeth, how can this be after over 7 of the worst years and worst Republican fascism getting worse not better every day are these really the best candidates the best the Democratic party had to offer..is this the best we could do is it..really..?
-- TJColatrella
Maybe I'm just a deluded Dum at this point, but I really can't see, regardless of how the primary season winds up, that the party can't coalesce enough in just a couple of months to blow McCain from the water come November. If nothing, people's attention spans are very, very short. A nice, concerted, concentrated effort on exposing McCain and whoever the heck his Veep is for being the Bush-flunkies they are in September and October (can't wait for that first debate) is really all it will take.
That said, no group has ever wrung defeat from victory more effectively than the current Dems, so anything's still possible.
-
This must be the who can lose by less primaries
"When you attest that Obama cannot win because of the electoral map, you are wrong. I actually don't know where you get this from."
Current polling, which for many states is old, as in almost ancient in political terms, McCain is beating Obama by 7 electoral votes and Clinton by 8 electoral votes.
This is supposed to be the compelling argument for either candidate - "I can lose by less"?
There are five possibilities for the Democratic party:
Dems lose if:
~ Clinton supporters refuse to support Obama if nominated.
~ Obama supporters refuse to support Clinton if nominated.
~ RNC thru marketing magic is able to sell either candidate as a wishy-washy, atheist supporting, gay supporting, anti_Christmas, liberal extremist.
Dems maybe win if:
~ Obama and Clinton supporters fully support whichever candidate is nominated.
Dems Win if:
~ Republican voters do not come out in support of McCain.
I do not know where the Democratic arrogance comes from.
-
@apolloscreed
"I will leave aside the elitist tones of "average Americans" and focus on the "breathtaking stupidity". I live in the Midwest and have experienced my fair share of frustration with the votes cast here. However, telling people they are stupid because they vote in a manner contrary to mine and 'I know better,' is not very helpful.
As others have pointed out, the policy differences between HRC and Obama are minimal. If informed voters look at these candidates' positions and see they are relatively similar, how is picking one over the other stupid?"
I agree that the policy differences are minimal. And I was careful not to say anyone who votes for HRC is stupid, so your mother is safe. I was merely pointing out that there are lots and lots of UNINFORMED people making their voting decisions based on flat-out false information (like the voter quoted in the article). You can't tell me with a straight face that a voting decision likely based on some completely false chain email isn't completely idiotic.
I'm tired of having to refrain from calling stupid people stupid because it's too elitist. I'm not saying every American should be well versed on the finer points of FISA or NAFTA or even Constitutional jurisprudence. And I'm not saying anyone who disagrees with me is stupid. I'm just saying I expect most Americans to not base their vote on such blatant and ridiculous bullshit as "Obama won't put his hand on his heart for the pledge." That IS stupid - breathtakingly stupid - and there are millions of voters out there just like her.
I live in the midwest too, and wish I had a nickel for every political conversation I've overheard in which the participants were wildly misinformed and totally devoid of any critical thinking and reasoning skills. If someone wants to vote for HRC, that's perfectly fine. But if that person cannot advance a valid reason for that vote, and instead resorts to the dumbest reason possible for that vote (like the pledge lie), I don't believe I have to sit by and accept it.
If that's elitism, call me an elitist.
-
And yes ...
... it is pretty stupid for someone to not know how to propery use html tags and accidentally puts their whole post in italics.
But not nearly as stupid as voting for HRC because Obama won't put his hand on his heart for the pledge!