BuzzFlash Mailbag for June 3, 2008
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Subject: Obama, Clinton, McCain And Some Other Place
Some years back, when I was managing movie theaters, my wife and I were sent to Beaumont Texas. There I ran a four screen cinema in the most economically depressed area we ever lived in.
After two years, my job was given to the downsized city manager, and I was out of work. I scrambled to find a way to keep going, along with many others.
Like many others, one day I found myself with a utility bill I could not pay, and faced a turnoff. I quickly found that many of the agencies that could aid people in other areas were too strapped in Beaumont to help.
Then I found Some Other Place. Many of the area churches had banded together to help others. They took the name from what was told to many applicants. "We don't have money to help you, try some other place." They helped us and paid the bill. In return we volunteered at their free kitchen and made sack lunches every Saturday for some months. Later on, I was in a position to direct some thousands of free soft drinks there for the kitchen and felt we had helped pay Some Other Place back.
So how does this relate to the current Presidential race?
The American Public is desperate. So desperate that the jingoistic raving about Gay Marriage has now been silenced in the face of $4.00 gas and huge grocery costs.
We turn to this political figure and that one, and get the same message.
All is well.
The economy is great!
We are winning in Iraq and will not withdraw our forces, who we honor and salute.
We will chastise Iran.
Tax cuts for the upper class are good for everyone.
Tax cuts for big oil are good for everyone.
I am not a crook.
These responses come from both Democrats and Republicans.
And most of the ones giving us these messages are asking for our vote.
If you ask me why I voted for Obama in the primary and will do so again in November, I will tell you why (and why so many others are.)
We are looking for help and true representation.
And we will only find it --
Some Other Place.
Mike Curtis
Greenbrier Ark
Subject: An Interesting Comparison
Dear BuzzFlash:
As Hillary Clinton clings stubbornly to her campaign for the Democratic nomination, I am reminded of a fairly accurate comparison between her and a character in the children's classic movie "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory." I refer to the original with Gene Wilder, not the Johnny Depp remake.
Do you recall the girl named Veruca, who demanded everything she wanted, right now, of her rich dad, who promised to get it for her? "I WANT IT ALL!" was her shrill cry, and she would be a demon if she didn't get it.
Hillary Clinton is the political world's "Veruca," who apparently decided that she should get whatever she wants, regardless of fairness or impact on anybody else. ...
And the name "Veruca" is Latin for "wart."
Scott
Fayetteville, Ar
Subject: Anti Obama Voters
Over and over I hear so-called democrats pledge to vote for McCain over Obama in November. Are you the one in the same who voted for and installed the worst president ever to preside over this nation in 2000 and 2004?
It took a tremendous number of crossover democrats to put such a despicable human being, George Bush, in our highest office. Are you same people going to do it again and anoint John McCain this fall out of spite? Are you willing to cut off your noses to spite your faces because your candidate did not win the nomination?
Do you have any convictions that you are willing to stand up for other than "my way or the highway"? Are You willing to send your CHILDREN off to fight another war? Are you willing to force America to suffer through another horrendous eight years of fascist, corporate government because of your hatred for a candidate who in reality is not your enemy but is actually a friend?
Are you willing to install a man in the White House who most assuredly will reinstate the military draft and keep America on a war footing for years to come? Think about your future, think about the future of your children, but most of all think about the future of our beloved country! Consider what you are about to do in the cause of spite and imagined grievances. There's a saying that "people get what they deserve." Do Americans deserve what John McCain and eight more years of corrupt, anti constitutional, dictatorial government will do to our country and its citizens? If after consideration you still want another eight years of Bush like government running our country then so be it. It's in your hands!
Lawton Watson
Subject: Hillary Clinton
I just heard Hillary Clinton making a claim that more people have voted for her than any other candidate in history.
If this is the case then why is she behind? She also claims that she's really ahead of Obama. If that is also the case then why is she behind?
I don't get it.
Lisa Johnson
Tacoma, WA
[BuzzFlash Note: Independent reporters dispute her claim. Real Clear Politics has her behind, for instance. Clinton leaves out voters in caucus states, for starters, because their exact numbers are not released outside party ranks. Only delegate allocations are released. They are votes, though, and estimates are available.]
Subject: Electoral College Electoral Fraud
Why do we keep struggling and nobody in the Senate or Congress is taking on the issue of the very undemocratic Electoral College? That is something Hillary said she was going to make a priority when elected to the Senate. On top of this, there is massive fraud at the hands of GOP operatives. So how can we win? Yet, eight years after Gore won the popular vote in 2000, we still do not have a democracy. Obama will win the popular vote hands down, easily, and probably by a huge margin, but I just do not hold out hope that my vote will count because I doubt very much that he is going to win the Electoral College.
I have gotten cynical and I have not changed because I am tired of hurting every time the Republicans win the White House. Obama has not won FL, OH, CA, TX in the primaries, and I do not think he will win them in the General. Will Obama come as close as Kerry in Ohio, then walk away like Kerry did after KR threatens him the way I am almost certain that he threatened Kerry?
I hope I am wrong. I would rather be cynical and then pleasantly surprised to find out Obama defeats McCain than to get my hopes up and find out that McCain gets into the White House for four more years of McBush. The first time voters are very excited. When I was young, I too thought we lived in a democracy. If many of the first time voters were ten years old during 2000, did they understand what took place then? Are they seeing what is coming? I just don't think our Senators and representatives are doing their job by not eliminating the archaic Electoral College.
buzzflash reader
[BuzzFlash Note: One detail to correct: Obama won Texas. CNN shows him with 75 delegates from the primary plus 38 from the caucuses for a total win of 113; versus Clinton, who got 79 primary delegates and 29 caucus delegates making her total for the state 108.]
Subject: BF Scorn Of McClellan
I think BuzzFlash is right for calling McClellan the hypocrite of the week. You will too if you read this:
Hook, Line, and Sinker: How The "progressive media" Continues to Help Sell McClellans Lies (opednews.com)
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: Since Oil Companies Are Resisting The Call For Renewables -- How About Our Nationalizing Oil?
"Why oil?"
"So we can get started on reversing global warming."
"How?"
"By popular demand Congress passes and President Barack Obama signs a bill that nationalizes oil."
"What happens to oil profits?"
"Put to use catapaulting the alternative fuel industry into the twenty-first century."
"And then what sort of world?"
"It'll be up to us."
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: Re McCain/Clinton Ticket
To the astute reader who proposed that this might happen, I would have agreed with you unreservedly but I think you overlooked one...ahem, tiny aspect. Hate. That's the GOP rawest emotional appeal card. If there is one thing that they ALL hate, it is the name Clinton. And to think this might lead to the Big Dog getting near the WH, surely that will lead them to have an apoplexy. I don't see it happening, and even McCain can't be stupid enough to offer this, and Clinton can't be dumb enough to torpedo the democratic party to that extent. And if she does, I hope the every person sees her for the craven opportunist that she is, and I certainly think Obama 's campaign would point that out. As to your assessment regarding the media, I agree.
On an unrelated note, I received my copy of "Dreams from my father" ordered via BuzzFlash and find it very hard to put down. It certainly puts his approach ans attitudes in general in perspective.
Akhil Bhardwaj
Jersey City, NJ
Subject: Visiting Iraq?
I think either of the democratic candidates would be nuts to go to Iraq now!!
What a great time to be rid of both of them, and we know that there are more than a few who have been deliberately killed....if you have not paid attention to the Patrick Tillman death... do....it is surprisingly honest about that.
I think that if either goes....and likely especially Obama....he should have no less than 8 escorts with m/16 rifles....a flak jacket and 2-3 helicopters flying overhead....
Anything less would be a sure chance!!!
Shirley ... St. Louis
Subject: There Are Laughing All The Way To The ........
I have a new perspective of the stimulus money that could have helped out 2 months ago, well we have waited and now we have already spent it on an evening out drinking and carring on like it was our last year to be alive on earth.
I believe that we just may have been tricked into believing everything was going to be alright in the future. We were believing, Paulson and the rest of the merry marauderers were busy getting space station ready for fueling and arrival of Dickster and Rovester. Every bit of gold at Fort Knox has been removed and transfered out of the atmosphere.
By God how could we let a supreme court make a decision that was so vital to our entire way of life? Oh, yeah, I remember now, it was Baker from the Carlyle Group who lobbied to circumvent our constitution. Oh well it just goes to show you, when the highest court in the land goes agaisnt the wishes of the people you no longer have a democracy.
Scott
Subject: McClellan's Fess Up Proves What We've Always Known, That Bush Lied Us Into This Blood For Oil War
"What's holding us back?"
"Being overwhelmed by what knowing the truth means to us?"
"Which is?"
"Knowing the truth comes with the responsibility of doing something about it."
"The thought of which brings on such a sickening feeling in the pit of one's stomach that doing something about it gets buried in the back of one's mind."
"Beneath the 'What the heck, this is the way it is, so there's nothing one can do about it.'"
"Except right now there is something one can do about it?"
"Which is?"
"Help elect a president who'll end the Iraq War, negotiate with Iran plus turning things around here at home."
"And then what sort of world?"
"It'll be up to us."
A BuzzFlash Reader
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