back in the '80s i started comparing the dual-party system here to choosing
between coke and pepsi. with some satisfaction, i sometimes hear that same
sentiment from others.
i must admit, though, that while at first i was quite in favor of dean, my
disappointment was short-lived once he got sidelined. since kerry seemed the
nominee-apparent, i tried to find out what i could about him beyond what the
media was providing. what i found surprised me. if there was a single
democratic nominee in the past quarter century with solid credentials, it had
to be
kerry. his post-vietnam efforts (on behalf of both the veterans and the truth
about what happened there), and his instrumental role in getting the c.i.a. to
admit to its role in the L.A. crack epidemic, are just two examples.
how credentials like his could get morphed into the pathetic candidate we saw
in 2000 is beyond me. compare that platform to his record in the senate, and
it's quite startling. but that seems to be the strategic choice the democrat
ic party has made in the post-reagan era: centrism as philosophy/policy i.e.
ideology, in contrast to the republican use of centrist rhetoric as a campaign
tactic.
all the sadder when you consider the wasted potential of other former
democratic leaders, esp. carter, mondale and clinton (although the former and
the
latter aren't without their black marks). i look at interviews they've done
and
am truly impressed by their intellect and insight.
-chris b.
--- Begin Message ---
Thanks Ryan. I'm with you on everything you said.
You mentioned the Dems. Nader called Democrats and Republicans part of a vast duopoly and I tend to agree. The platforms of both Bush and Kerry were strikingly similar. Ironically (or maybe not), the Nader campaign received very little air time in the media and was shut out of political debates. I'm not sure how much you know about Nader but, based on his credentials and the credentials of his running mate, Peter Miguel Camejo, there was a real opportunity to have a legitimate president in the White House. I have no doubt that both of them would have demonstrated their feelings toward the sanctity of life with legitimate and peaceful solutions to poverty, hunger and civil liberties (among other things).
Here is some biographical information on Camejo. His background makes Bush and Kerry look pretty inadequate. Despite that, the media and political maneuvering by Bush and Kerry shut them out.
Peter Miguel Camejo: He marched in Selma, Alabama with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., rallied for migrant farm workers and was active against the war in Vietnam. He was admitted to MIT after receiving a perfect score on the Math SAT test. He attended UC Berkeley where he studied history. In 1967, after winning a student council election at UC Berkeley he was suspended for "using an unauthorized microphone" protesting the Vietnam War. When he was 20 he competed in the Olympics in Italy as a yachtsman.
Put that alongside our presidents academic record and failed business attempts. Hell, just getting him to speak a coherent and complete sentence would be a step in the right direction.
Mike
Ryan Hall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Michael
>As an American citizen, I must believe that there are >people in the world who understand that not all >Americans stand by this president and that there is a >difference between a people and its government
There are quite a few of us out there.
The problem is that many of the people who didn't like what this administration stood for, also didn't vote. The Bush campaign did a marvelous job of making their constituency happy come campaign time and also made sure that the things their constituency cared about (abortion, gay marriage etc.) got on the ballot. This spurred them to go vote so that them gay baby killin' librils won't take the country from 'em.
The Dems did a terrible job of rallying support. Dean was doing great with the youth, but of course he screamed into a microphone and apparantly that makes him unfit to be president...hey, at least he could speak, right.
Ryan
_______________________________________________
Biofuel mailing list
Biofuel@sustainablelists.org
http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org
Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages):
http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
_______________________________________________
Biofuel mailing list
Biofuel@sustainablelists.org
http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org
Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages):
http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
--- End Message ---
_______________________________________________
Biofuel mailing list
Biofuel@sustainablelists.org
http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org
Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages):
http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
