Letters to the Editor
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Any Dem will be divisive
I am appalled by how many Democrats still don't get that our biggest enemy is the right wing smear machine and a compliant media. Joe mentions the smearing of Kerry and the Clintons but neglects to include the trashing of Gore. Even worse, a lot of Democrats still believe all the garbage that was thrown at the Clintons and blame them for the divisiveness. We seem to have learned nothing. Anyone who thinks that treating the opposition with respect and reaching out to them will work is living in fantasy land. Bill Clinton did exactly this. He even appointed Republicans to his cabinet and was repaid by one of them, FBI Director Louie Freeh, playing along with the far right and helping them try to throw Clinton out of office.
However, the most blame lies with the media who not only have stood by mutely while this kind of behavior was going on, but who have actively joined in. They willingly promoted lies about Gore (he NEVER said he invented the internet, folks) while ignoring Bush's glaring weaknesses. In spite of Bush's blatant lies they continued to praise him as a "straight shooter". For example,contrary to what Bush claimed in a debate, he not only never supported a strong patient bill of rights in Texas, he actively opposed such a bill, vetoing one version and refusing to sign the revised version into law. It passed anyway because it had overwhelming bipartisan support. When the debate was over, the media completely ignored Bush's bald-faced lie and obsessed about minor misstatements made by Gore.
Anyone who thinks times have changed haven't been paying attention. The Swift Boat crowd is already moneying up and the media is still acting like this is high school. It will only stop if Democrats raise a stink when ANY of our candidates get this kind of treatment, just like Republicans do.