Last spring it looked like John Kerry had a solid chance to knock off George Bush. The economy and the war in Iraq were going badly, and polls on key questions—like whether the country was on the right track—did not bode well for Bush. The campaign and allied groups were financially competitive and well organized. And Democrats were passionate in their… return to article
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Reader Comments (45)Page 1 of 1 pagesWhile Kerry may have served honorably, he was hardly a “war hero”. He spent a mere 4 months in ‘Nam and managed to get 3 minor injuries in the process. He applied for and recieced 3 Purple Hearts which then allowed him to scoot back home.
While i have nothing against many of the war protesters, i do think that over the top rhetoric, such as he employed on his return was very devisive and wrong (both socially and in terms of accuracy).
Kerry had very little to run on (name his top 3 or 5 achievements in the Senate), so he attempted to run as a war hero (and ot many of his supporters, his real appeal was he was NotBush). He was an amazingly weak candidate running against an amazingly weak incumbent.
The biggest suppise of the election was two fold. 1) the number of people who bothered to vote given the pathetic candidates; 2) the fact that many of the newly energized voters picked Bush over NotBush. This latter point is one that the Dems will have to come to grips with if they wish to remain a major party.
Posted by quickObservation on Nov 17, 2004 at 4:02 PM The author gets it right with:
“Rather, the first task is to determine what is right for most Americans, then how to win.”
A very positive approach! He then loses it with:
“The battle starts by challenging the immorality, ineffectiveness and duplicity of the Bush agenda, and fighting for a clear alternative.”
Rather the Dems should keep the good parts of the Bush plans, stop this insane and foolish namecalling (ie, get their heads out of the sand!), and craft alternative approaches to the real problems of today. Because the Iraq situation is not going away (and would be festering whether we invaded Iraq or not, when you think about how bad Iraq was *before* the invasion), Social Security has real problems, and the tax system as it is now is horrendous. Not to mention the dual deficits (and debts!).
Of course, all of this means nothing to any reader here. You and i have no power, we can lament, fuss and howl, but other than that, we are an impotent crowd. One and all.
So relax, take a deep breath, and try to help someone around you. While we have no control whatsoever over national policies, we have complete control over how we spend our time, efforts and lives. We can be attentive spouses and parents. We can be pleasent people to be around. We can be good workers who care about our labours. We can be examples to those around us.
Be honorrable and happy. And realize that there are not two sides - there are a myriad of sides, vitually all in the grey zones.
Posted by tim on Nov 17, 2004 at 4:16 PM Served four months and MANAGED to get wounded three times.
As if he said…“Ohhh, I think I’ll walk into a free fire zone…stand up…get wounded…and become President”.
I’ve heard some wild conspiracy theories…but that one is certainly TOP 5.
I heard GWB got injured too…he tripped over a beer keg.
Posted by Liberal AND Proud on Nov 17, 2004 at 7:29 PM Quickobservation nails it: Dubya’s election is a testament to just how profoundly dumb running Kerry was as opposed to what a great candidate Dubya is. I would’ve voted for Kerry if I didn’t live in Illinois because clearly Dubya had to go, but I would’ve felt slimy in doing so. One is worse than the other. Fortunately, with Illinois’ electoral fate pretty much sealed by having a Daley in office, I was able to vote conscience and went with the Libs.
To me, this is what happened: Dubya and his handlers hijacked 9/11 for all its worth - and then some. They took a very real, terrifying event of horrific proportions and used it to their astute - if not abominable - advantage.
Think about it. Yes, there’s been plenty of talk about morals, values, etc. But, when push comes to shove, what actually came out of Dubya’s mouth? What did the campaign focus on?
Terra. The terra-ists. The potential of them acquiring WMD, including nuke-u-lar weapons. Remember Darth Cheney-burton insinuating that we would be in greater danger if Kerry was elected? These fucking cold-blooded corporate bastards stole a page from Maslov’s famous chart and created the illusion that they, and ONLY they, could protect America from the terra-ists just waiting to slaughter us all.
Of course, they couldn’t do it alone, they needed help. A generally fat, stupid, lazy and overall ignorant American population was only too eager to play along. I am ashamed of my countrymen/women for being so foolish, self-absorbed and just plain dumb. No one seems to learn from history anymore (if they ever did) and accountability? Insert goofy picture of Alfred E. Newman - WHAT accountability?
Plus, blend in the general fear/distrust of anything that isn’t lily-white and Christian in this country, and BINGO! let’s blame Islam and any one who’s brown for 9/11. It really was that easy.
People see Afghanistan and Iraq, and figure, look at all the shit they’re blowing up, raise the flag and pound our chest, there we go spreading democracy again! Yay for Dubya!! We’re killing lots of brown folk, we MUST be safer!! Yay for Dubya!!
The reality, of course, is slightly less appetizing…
Posted by g-love on Nov 17, 2004 at 8:06 PM Um, why would it require a conspiracy theory for Kerry to get his 3 PHs and leave the warzone? Seems like a conspiracy of 1. . .
Can anyone tell me how severe his actual “injuries” were? Any life or limb threatening? Maybe a really bad scratch? LOL!
Posted by conspiracyTheories on Nov 17, 2004 at 8:51 PM They don’t hand these medals out like M&Ms;.
And they don’t mark down level of severity of your injury.
And they certainly don’t give out medals for valor simply for showing up.
YOUR the veteran hating, unAmerican mudslinger.
You diminish the medals of ALL veterans with this misguided, mean spirited, unsubstantiated nonsense.
Posted by Liberal AND Proud on Nov 17, 2004 at 9:13 PM This is a fabulously written article that hits the nail on the head. We need more voices of reason like David Moberg.
PS—I can’t believe some people still have the audicity to question Senator Kerry’s Vietnam record while the president’s very questionable service in the National Guard is glossed over—what is wrong with this country??
Posted by David Z on Nov 17, 2004 at 9:36 PM The problem is simple.
THERE ARE MORE STUPID AMERICANS THAN SMART AMERICANS.
Was Bush’s campaign one of disinformation? Only if enough STUPID people buy it.
Was Bush able to play the Christian card? Only if enough STUPID people buy it.
Was it the War? Terra-ism? Taxes? Viet-Nam?
No matter what the cause or causes…the facts are the facts. Bush was the worst President EVER.
Fact: Worst economy ever.
Fact: Worst deficit ever.
Fact: Worst employment ever.
Fact: Worst attack on American soil…he ignored the warnings.
Fact: Worst environmental policies ever.The facts go on and on.
And we all know them.
And still, there’s that one last fact…Fact: 59,459,765 voted for him anyway.
FACT: AMERICANS ARE STUPID…AT LEAST MOST OF THEM ARE.
Sing after me…
O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
Posted by OCanada! on Nov 17, 2004 at 9:41 PM That O Canada tune is pretty cool. It would be even better with Geddy Lee on bass, Neil Young and Wayne Gretzky singing, Neil Peart on drums, and some of the New Pornographers filling in the rest.
As to the point, yes… as embarrassing as it is to admit it, I live in a country where most of my fellow citizens are dumb as rocks. Boo.
Posted by g-love on Nov 17, 2004 at 9:55 PM To paraphrase Groucho Marx..
take that back, it’s an insult to the rest of the rocks.
Posted by Liberal AND Proud on Nov 17, 2004 at 10:08 PM LAP wrote: “YOUR the veteran hating, unAmerican mudslinger.
You diminish the medals of ALL veterans with this misguided, mean spirited, unsubstantiated nonsense.”
That to even *question* what and how he got his medals accomplishes all the above? But his actions on his return were honorable?
To David: can i question both Bushes and Kerrys “sevice”? Or do i have to take sides in order to be smart?
You guys are overreacting for reasons that are unrelated to me. Sorry to offend, but if you have more information (as opposed to mere rants) to offer, i would be happy to read it. :)
OCanada is just confused. The facts are not really as clear he believes, but if it comforts him to think so, i would not wish to disturb a Canuuk.
Posted by soYouAreSaying on Nov 17, 2004 at 10:14 PM That Kerry supporters were better informed than Bush supporters?
That Kerry supporters are more intelligent than Bush supporters?
To those who answer yes to either question: do you think that everyone who disagrees with *you* is less informed and less intelligent?
I see this approach to denigrate the other side as a huge failing of the left. I would paraphrase it as: those that disagree with us are wrong (and sometimes, all too frequently these days they add in immoral, evil, etc to the wrong part).
Anyway, i have no axe to grind. I wish you all well. I am sure the vast majority of you are as honorable as i am.
Posted by doesAnyoneHereBelieve on Nov 17, 2004 at 10:18 PM “Fact: Worst economy ever. “
Hmmm, i would think 1929 would win this hands down. And the recessions of the 60’s too. And the soft economy of 1980 as well. . .
“Fact: Worst deficit ever.”
I don’t know offhand, but if you do not adjust for inflationary effects and the GDP you are whistling in the wind.
“Fact: Worst employment ever.”
The unemployment figures do not come close to bearing this out! Unemployment is at a rather healthy 5.5% or so (sure it could be better, but not by much).
“Fact: Worst attack on American soil…he ignored the warnings.”
Well, the US has been fortunate here. It is the second attack ever in living memory. . . As to ignoring the warnings, i guess you could say the same about the guy in the office one year beforhand just as easily (but why would you?).
“Fact: Worst environmental policies ever.”
This can only be a matter of opinion.
Uninformed Canadians - the words practically form themselves. But given the cold up there it is no wonder some get brain freeze. :)
Posted by Facts? on Nov 17, 2004 at 10:58 PM You folks can wail and gnash your teeth all you want about the democrats, or their candidates shortcomings, or voters blindness. But I, for one would be more inclined to believe that Kerry was robbed, plain and simple. There are just too many questions about the legitimacy of this election to feel reasonably sure that the winner actually won. How can exit polls be diametricly opposed to voter tally in states with electronic voting, while states with a more traditional(traceable) method show a general consensus between the exit polls and actual tally? Why are there so many reports of select minority disenfranchisement in key districts around the country? These are real questions that need to be answered, but all we hear from the mainstream media now is Fallujah. This whole thing stinks. Are we that stupid?
Posted by Dr.D on Nov 18, 2004 at 12:10 AM Some of us have faced the possibility that the Democrats just don’t WANT to be president of the United States at this point in history.
The bogus “War on Terror” more accurately the “War of Terror” is not something the Democrats feel in their bones. In other words, the Democratic party could face an image problem if they started acting like Adolf, or Bush. Therefore, the Democrats keep conceding the presidency (literally) so as to keep the status quo two party system intact.
If the legions of deluded Dem voters figured out that their own party was as brutal, ruthless and murderous as the Republicans, this could force a realignment of the American electorate. That, I suggest, is the real reason John Kerry stepped out of the ring without so much as throwing a single punch. Kerry was pressured to quit so as to preserve the dominant “good cop” myth of the Democratic party.
The one thing that Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9-11[1] showed me in no uncertain terms was that Al Gore passed when it came to investigating the vote fraud of Florida. Not one Democratic senator signed the house complaint to investigate the purging of the voter rolls. Not one, of a majority of senators (including John Kerry). Why not? A Democratic sitting Vice-President couldn’t get one Democratic senator to agree to investigate how a national election had been stolen by the brother of his challenger?
Obviously, a decision had been made somewhere that Gore should not be in the oval office, for some—as yet—unknown reason. That reason materialized on September 11th of 2001. The United States was attacked by elements of its own intelligence apparatus. Outrageous “mistakes” had to be concocted in order for the machinations of the FBI and the CIA to “fail” to stop these “attacks.” After the attacks, a swift and ruthless police state agenda had to be rammed through before The People could mount any sort of resistance.
Such ruthlessness does not fit the traditional “good cop” persona associated with the Democratic Party. It fits nicely with the Republicans, however.
So what happened in 2004?
One fact says everything. There were more than 155,000 “provisional ballots” uncounted in Ohio, plus 93,000 punch cards that didn’t register a vote for president (to be counted in a recount), plus tens of thousands of overseas absentee ballots uncounted. [2] George W. Bush claimed victory by only 136,000 (unofficial) votes. If the state of Ohio were flipped, in favor of Kerry, he would win the Electoral College and be the president.
Kerry ignored these 248,000 plus potential votes and dropped out without explanation. He also urged the entire nation to rally behind Bush.
And that’s just the tip of the electoral iceberg!
On November 10th, Democracy Now! reported that one county of Ohio, “registered a whopping 93,000 more votes than voters.” [3] These are technically “over votes” and must be thrown out in a recount. They are also blatant evidence of vote tampering and fraud. These votes nearly all went to Bush’s column.
136 - 93 = 43
Now there’s a ballgame. Bush suddenly only leads by 43,000 votes, with evidence of large numbers of “over votes” in play, potentially reaching other Ohio counties.
CONTINUED AT
CRIMES OF THE STATE BLOG
crimesofthestate.blogspot.com
Posted by John Doraemi on Nov 18, 2004 at 12:41 AM Some of my friends told me that even Jesus couldn’t have beaten Bush with a guy like Karl Rove throwing manure on the enemy(your opponent). Rove is not going away(rent “Bush’s Brain”-the movie that is). Ann Richards, John McCain, Max Cleland and most recently, John Kerry, have all been done-in by Lee Atwater’s golden boy. Rove is a true political terrorist, doing more harm to America than even bin Laden. How does the Democratic Party fight a gutter rat?
Posted by Mark Cartwright on Nov 18, 2004 at 6:33 AM Easy enough. There’s not enough thought in here to get this all forward before someone kicks in and makes me want to stop. I feel so hopelessly lost. I have nothing that I can turn to, nothing I can get to if I need it. It must be the hardest time in my life, because if I don’t get this, everything else will rapidly come crashing down. It’s strange to put such a huge wager on something so trivial and meaningless. In the long run, it will have nothing to do with me. But I will always feel like it had something to do with me. Like even after my training, it still wasn’t enough. Not good enough to do what I wanted to do. It all goes back to the saying that some people have it, and some people don’t. My problem is that I just don’t want to not have it. I want to have “it” in spades. Not like I know what “it” is. What the hell is “it”? Creativity? Background? Training? Know-how? Guts? Imagination? Spirit? Desire? Angst? Productivity? Connections? Ambition? The desire to rip someone’s spine from the front of their neck if it will only get you a damn job? What is “it”? Because the way I feel now varies between very, very good, better than I’ve felt in goddam YEARS, and like I want to die. Just die. So, there’s the issue. What if I don’t get this thing? Am I going to feel useless, just spend my money here, move out, possibly lose two friends in the process? Not meet a single, attractive, wonderful person out here? What the fuck is to become of my unprepared ass over here in Australia? It’s not like I’m applying to grad school or anything. You know, like I said I would. I’m applying to what would be a grad school if they allowed more than SIX FUCKING PEOPLE per fucking year. There are more than six people more qualified that you are applying to——-. There’s not a doubt in my fucking HEAD that six people are more willing than you to go that extra distance to get those spots. I feel like I could work until my head feels ready to drop off the back of my neck by a tendon, and it still wouldn’t work out. Because I would be working in the wrong WAY. Using their way instead of my, as of yet undiscovered way. The only rule is that there aren’t any rules. So, what about the lucky and tragic fuck who gets the ability to maximize on that limitation. I’m always following the goddam RULES. What the fuck is up with that. And the only rules I manage to break are the ones that end up biting me in the ass afterward. What the fuck is up with that! SO, there I go, unable to even REQUEST any fucking ASSISTANCE from anyone. Either they’re walking around with their heads up their asses, or they have not a FUCKING CLUE what the hell it is you’re blathering on about. So you keep on trucking, keep thinking along tangents, keep developing these drawings and whatever-the-fuck until you walk into this interview, thinking you’re top of the shit, and they laugh right in your goddam smiling man face. How’s that going to feel? You have no idea what kind of pressure everyone is under to perform; to jump through that hoop just right or we’re cutting your feet off, making them into glue, and feeding your carcass to pigs to fatten them up. It’s a rough world we’re dealing with here, and if you don’t come in with guns blazing, you had better expect they will waste your lousy ass as soon as you walk in that door. How will that happen? When you think you’re riding the phat wagon to the pearly gates of acceptance. It’s pretty easy to nail someone off the top of a wagon, you know, all exposed as they are. One of two things is my problem: either, 1) I don’t know how to do these things that we’re supposed to be doing, and I every positive decision is a matter of accident and persuasion or 2) I do know what I supposed to be doing, but I’m so starved for attention that I PRETEND that I don’t, only to get attention –even to the extent where it’s a detriment to my well-being and success in life.
Posted by mojito on Nov 18, 2004 at 12:20 PM to Anyoneherebelieves.
Your damn right it’s honorable.
It’s called FREE SPEECH.
YOUR problem and the problem of the rest of you mind controlled, shallow, androids is you don’t UNDERSTAND the Constitution.
You simply spout rhetoric and verbiage. And because you scream loud…you think that that makes you RIGHT.
Posted by Liberal AND Proud on Nov 18, 2004 at 12:50 PM You people kill me. Your the whole “law and order” bunch.
Where’s your outrage over this farce presently being conducted by YOUR Senate members to change the rules so that Tom Delay doesn’t lose his position after he IS indicted.
That crook shouldn’t be removed or censured, he should be cuffed and doin the perp walk.
Posted by Liberal AND Proud on Nov 18, 2004 at 12:54 PM And I apologize…I meant the HOUSE…not the Senate.
Fix elections, change the rules, lie…that’s how you win…without HONOR…ANOTHER word that you throw around with no understanding of the meaning.
Posted by Liberal AND Proud on Nov 18, 2004 at 12:57 PM L&P - Nice “argument”. I especially like how you stuck to the “issues”. Have a fun day! :)
Posted by doesAnyoneHereBelieve on Nov 18, 2004 at 2:53 PM Which issue you want to discuss?
Women’s rights? Freedom of Religion? Freedom of Speech?
When you get called on character asassination and other dirty tricks…all of a sudden you want to talk about issues.
You may think your sleight of hand is cute, but it ain’t foolin me.
Posted by Liberal AND Proud on Nov 18, 2004 at 3:04 PM L&P wrote: “When you get called on character asassination and other dirty tricks.”
I wonder what he is talking about. . .
I note i engage in neither of the above, but also note some here do. :)
Posted by doesAnyoneHereBelieve on Nov 18, 2004 at 3:27 PM OK, here’s an issue.
You’ve Got a Long Way to Go, Baby
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6513364/That’s the power of the “free market”, that’s what DEREGULATION does. As if society is supposed to be the jungle. I thought man had come OUT OF the trees.
and here’s another…
FDA flexing less muscle
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6506669/You can go allll the way back to the Reagan administration for that one.
Yes, we need MORE deregulation! Just ask the airline pilots how THEY’RE wages are workin’ out.
Posted by Liberal AND Proud on Nov 18, 2004 at 5:24 PM Is the assertion (belief?) that the average woman should get the same pay as the average man? Regardless of degree, work experience, time off for raising children, etc?
Why would anyone expect or want that?
Posted by womensPay on Nov 18, 2004 at 7:09 PM No. They should just get back in the bedroom. The country was a better place when women KNEW their place.
Posted by MensPay on Nov 18, 2004 at 8:35 PM MensPay - ha ha, very funny! You are a riot!
Do you want to take a shot at discussing the issues too? Or are they too complicated. . .?
Posted by womensPay on Nov 18, 2004 at 8:49 PM Then Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney said this about invading Iraq following the Gulf War in 1991:
“Once you’ve got Baghdad, it’s not clear what you do with it. It’s not clear what kind of government you would put in place of the one that’s currently there now. Is it going to be a Shia regime, a Sunni regime or a Kurdish regime? Or one that tilts toward the Baathists, or one that tilts toward the Islamic fundamentalists? How much credibility is that government going to have when it’s there? How long does the United States military have to stay to protect the people that sign on for that government, and what happens to it once we leave?”
Today young women and men are dying while the president and the vice president struggle to come up with answers to these questions.
Posted by David Z on Nov 18, 2004 at 8:54 PM I thought I did?
What’s to discuss?
Two applicants, same degree of experience, same education, you can’t mention age…so that’s a none issue…why should gender matter?
Posted by MensPay on Nov 18, 2004 at 9:16 PM Right On OCanada! Thank god we live up here in our evil, gay-lovin’ pot-smokin’, universal healthcare nightmare!
Not going broke when I get sick is such a pain!Hell even our right-wing bigots are more leftist than your democrats (they still support healthcare…or as you guys know it “creeping communism”)
G-Love, nice work on the New Pornographers reference, but alas the object of my fiercest desires, Neko Case, is from Chicago….
Posted by lefty canuck on Nov 18, 2004 at 9:16 PM Canuck & O canada ok we know your BC hydro rocks but beyond that I have a question- a serious question about your healthcare. I would like to know are you and folks you know happy with your healthcare. How about waiting time for certain procedures and any co-pay or “elective surgeries” I know some call it socialist medicine but speaking for myself I know little about the particulars.
Posted by redstate on Nov 18, 2004 at 9:33 PM MensPay wrote “Two applicants, same degree of experience, same education, you can’t mention age…so that’s a none issue…why should gender matter?”
I agree that for the case you state above gender should not matter. From what studies i have read, it in fact matters little (when taking into account such important factors, women tend to make between $0.95 and $1.05 for each dollar a man makes).
But that is NOT what the discussion about womens pay is about (here or in the link supplied above or even usually). The issue is: should the “average woman” get the same pay as the “average man” *despite* all the differences? The comparsion that states women make $0.76 for each dollar is averaged across demographics and does NOT account for different educational degrees, time in the workforce, etc.
So the question remains: should women get paid the same despite these large demographic differences?
Posted by womensPay on Nov 18, 2004 at 9:37 PM Re:AnyoneHereBelieve
Bush voters are indeed uninformed and the article proved it with statistics. That isn’t the same as being stupid. The problem is the corporate media and the fact that liberals haven’t developed anything to counter fox news.
Posted by Jenn on Nov 19, 2004 at 12:45 AM Jenn have you ever heard of Dan Rather?? How about CNN or peter Jennings. How about the Boston Globe-NY times. To say that Fox alone is the resaon for anybody’s ignorance is I think unreaslistic. I read at least 20 newspapers a day online and numerous news type sites and speaking in terms of reading the editorials of these papers there are alot more liberal viewpoints than conservative. The computer has changed a lot about the way the news is delivered and there is becoming more of a balance of opinions but the network news is still pretty much old school liberal.
Posted by redstate on Nov 19, 2004 at 1:19 AM There is disparity in MEN’S pay based on geographic area and other demographics.
What’s your point, WomensPay?
The world is NOT a world of absolutes. Geez, that’s the whole problem with this religious virtue thing.
If your asking if I promote quotas..no. If your asking if I promote..clearly defined salary structures like the government has…no.
The salary market should be FREE. Based on regional demographics…not all labor markets are alike…THAT’S WHY WE HAVE A TRADE DEFICIT. Each has its own cost structure.
But within that structure there is no place for discrimination based on race, age and gender. And the FACT is…there are STILL laws against that stuff.
Posted by Liberal AND Proud on Nov 19, 2004 at 1:46 PM Redstate, elective surgery isn’t covered (why would the state pay for a nosejob?) but psychiatric help is.
all I know is I sliced my hand open at work one day and 15 minutes later I was in getting stitched up at a walk in clinic and didn’t pay a dime.
waiting times are no big deal, my mom came down with breast cancer and within 3 weeks she was on a radiation therapy cycle.
(our weed is pretty good, but don’t forget our beer…we’re MUCH prouder of that :)
Posted by lefty canuck on Nov 19, 2004 at 4:00 PM Right on, Lefty!! I share your enthusiasm for Ms. Case, although I do believe she was originally from the Seattle area. She’s hot and an excellent musican, regardless!
Posted by g-love on Nov 19, 2004 at 4:46 PM thanks canuck for the insight. I don’t drink beer or any booze—no I am not a religous teetotaler. I just don’t care for alcohol. I just have heard horror stories from the UK about their “socialised medicine” Hope your Mother is OK !! Like I said in an earlier post elsewhwere on ITT I am no fan of ammendint the constitution but I do believe that health care is a basic human right.
Posted by redstate on Nov 20, 2004 at 12:28 AM Hey Red,
offering Peter Jennings, CNN and Dan Rather up as an example of liberally biased media goes to show one thing. You don’t know the meaning of the word liberal. I put this forward as fact, not argument.
Spend the required 3 minutes to look it up and you’ll realize the error of your ways on the 4th. Repent the whole duration of 5th, be a better informed person on the 6th and chill on the 7th. Self improvement was never this easy before the internet.
True, they have on occasion raised mild voices of discontent when Bush’s actions have stirred up too much shit to ignore, but most of the time they’ll happily keep their heads in the sand and not cause too much trouble.
Blaming the ‘Corporate Media’ for people’s ignorance is no solution either, however much at fault they may be for not providing quality information. There is a conflict of interest here.
Lets assume for a minute that the term ‘Media’ actually means what it used to, the ‘fourth estate’ or the ‘public press’. A civilian entity whose task it is to monitor and report the actions of the people in power and take them to task for whenever they forget their job, that is to represent the people. Providing quality information to a public that needs the information to make an informed judgement when it comes to selecting their representatives on election day. An absolutely necessary function in a democracy if it is to work. A prime example of a ‘Public Service’ if ever there was one.
The ‘Media’ had a responsibility to provide the public with quality information, a balanced view of what was happening in the world of domestic politics. I say had, because the fairness doctrine was stricken off the books during Reagan. The quality of information has been rushing from bad to worse ever since and given its current velocity and inertia will end up far right of worst, that old bulwark we all depended on but right wing nuts seem hell bent on breaking through.
But Corporations had and still have an obligation to their share holders to make a buck. That’s what they are designed to do, are legally required to and what they do quite well, even if most of the time it happens to be at the expense of others. Providing a ‘Public Service’ and making a buck does not go together. Just ask NPR. Ergo, Corporate Media is an oxymoron. Much like Army Intelligence. You can’t expect a corporation, an entity that by law is required to make money, to break the law by providing a public service and lose money? Naww. I think we all need to put our heads together and come up with a solution that works. Perhaps reintroduce the fairness doctrine. Or a clear definition of what the legal definition of ‘News’ is and therefore what programs qualify as news. I’m afraid that Fox would have to label its news programs as un-reality tv, but they’d probably be just as popular.
So the current crop of Network and Cable News programs that the public has to choose from, the majority of which is run by Corporations, cannot be expected to deliver quality information. Can not be relied upon to educate a public that is already too dumb to recognize what is in its own interest. How do we turn this around?
Perhaps the internet is a solution. But I don’t see the archetypical Cletus taking time off from wrestling ‘gators between bouts of humping his female relatives and watching Nascar Racing in a beer stained wife beater to log on to some lofty web sites to educate himself. Their remotes only have two buttons : Fox and Off, how do you expect them to master a whole keyboard? Dammit, I say let the Red States go their way. They are a waste off time, no matter what we do.
Posted by notweny on Nov 20, 2004 at 10:31 PM Notweny, your comments are excellent. Enjoyed reading them. The 4th Estate(The Press)is dying before our eyes. You state, “I say let the Red States go their way”. Having been “born and raised” in the Land of Lincoln(Part III after Kentucky and Indiana), brings back the profound words of our sixteenth President. “A house divided against itself cannot stand” echos thru history to our ears today. What our we to do?
Posted by Mark Cartwright on Nov 21, 2004 at 6:19 AM A lot of Americans seem to be completely stupid, but I don’t think it’s a genetic thing. We live in a culture that promotes stupidity, greed and highly polarized viewpoints. It’s a classic divide and conquor routine.
It didn’t happen over night, we’ve been fed a diet of total bullshit by the conservative owned mainstream media for at least the last sixty years.
This country has no real left-wing. People have been gradually convinced that if you oppose right-wing extremists then you must be on the left.
The only real choice we are ever given in this system now is between a representative of the conservative status quo and the ultra conservative neo-cons.
Kerry looks like a saint next to Bush, but he still basically represents the broad conservative status quo in this country. So, understandly the great brain washed masses are conflicted.
I love freedom and democracy. Unfortunatly I think a lot of Americans have perhaps lost the plot and no longer can tell right from wrong, up from down, or good from bad.
Posted by Matilda on Nov 22, 2004 at 10:20 AM One lesson of this election is that making a mantra of Kerry’s Vietnam experience meant a back-to-the-past strategy, and was ultimately a losing proposition. My guess is that the next try will focus on the here and now. We can only hope that people like Obama will move front and center and offer an exciting alternative to the right. Perhaps the other hope is that there will be new leaders who can infuse a new dynamism into the political center and liberal left.
Perhaps the other lesson is that defining key issues is something you have to do right along, not just every four years. Kerry was ultimately hurt by the fact that he had, at the very least, created the image of someone who went along with Bush’s leadership at the most critical time.
As Sidney Blumenthal said, evangelical churches became instruments of political organization. Ideology was enforced as theology, turning nonconformity into sin, and the faithful, following voter guides with biblical literalism, were shepherded to the polls as though to the rapture. White Protestants, especially in the South, especially married men, gave their souls and votes for flag and cross. Abortion, gay marriages and stem cell research became a lever for prying loose white Catholics.
Bush and Cheney disdained Kerry’s internationalism as effeminate, unpatriotic, a character flaw and elitist. They grafted imperial unilateralism onto provincial isolationism. Fear of the rest of the world was to be mastered with contempt for it. These emotions were linked to what is euphemistically called “moral values,” which is actually social and sexual panic over the rights of women and gender roles.
The new majority is more theocratic than Republican; the defeat of the old moderate Republican Party is far more decisive than the loss by the Democrats. The terminal illness of Chief Justice William Rehnquist signals new appointments to the Supreme Court that will alter law for more than a generation. The Democratic Party has failed to rein in the radicalism sweeping this country.
A bright spot could be that there is a group within the Republican party itself that has grave doubt about such key issues as deficit spending, gay-bashing, stem-cell research and the abortion debate. They are not in the majority but generally are the more senior members. Arlen Spector publically stated yesterday that he is opposed to the nomination of Supreme Court members who will roll back some of these things. And Specter is the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
A friend who polled undecideds said they were on the fence because of the right-to-life issue. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. None of them said they liked Bush. But, the morality issue was as strong for them as the 10 reasons they had not to vote for Bush. On the one hand, embryos. On the other hand, everything else. Everything else lost.
Is this a mandate for Bush? No! 51% - 49% is NOT a mandate. The mandate clearly goes toward frozen, 2-celled embryos that are 5-minutes away from getting flushed. Abortion and stem-cell research were at the top of the list over food on the table, affordable healthcare, failed international policies, terrorism, and Iraq (never mind the environment).
These voters did not like Bush’s policies and did not trust him to keep us safe from terrorists, but they could not vote for a pro-choice candidate. And in their infinite wisdom, as if pro-lifers needed any more convincing, Bush and Karl Rove delivered press kits to clergy all over the country, and permission to preach from the pulpit (while keeping their tax-exempt status), to make sure that their congregations knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God would be very unhappy if they voted for Kerry.
Separation of church and state is in serious jeopardy. Our civil liberties are in serious jeopardy.
Posted by gdpawel on Nov 24, 2004 at 12:44 AM “It’s not who votes that count. It’s who counts the votes.”—Joseph Stalin
A Republican businessmen who publicly guaranteed to deliver the Ohio electoral votes to Bush owns the company that makes the the unauditable voting machines.
See http://www.blackboxvoting.org
Posted by Lefty on Nov 24, 2004 at 2:33 AM As much as it comforts us to think it: This wasn’t an “all-American, normal” campaign. We can rationalize all we want, but the only thing we did wrong was to let a 24-hour media cycle go by without answering the charges. The media has cowered, called names and basically just crumpled. Without a free press, we’re screwed. We have two foreigners who own major news outlets in this country: Rupert Murdoch and the Rev. Moon. We can change all we want, but who’s going to let the American people know? We have to get our country’s media back to serve our country. Remember the good old days of the “Fairness Doctrine?” Done away with in 1987 under Reagan’s adminstration. We can moan, groan, cry “unfair” all we want. Ain’t gonna work if we don’t have any way to connect with the average American. We are preaching to the choir here. This makes me feel better to find like-minded people. But what are we going to accomplish? We have to find a medium like the GOPhers have. They have all the networks, FOX, CNN. What can we get that people “accidentally” tune into? Liberals/progressives/Democrats have to search. Republicans/conservatives/radicals find it on TV and on the radio with no effort at all. They have to research NOTHING. Where are we going from here?
Posted by ellenberry on Dec 4, 2004 at 9:35 PM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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