<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Larry:
... As the worlds only remaining "superpower",unilateral arrogance, or even the appearance of such, will bring us down as sure as if we were the ancient Roman Empire,given enough time.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Here's an interesting related perspective on world opinion of America/Americans...
American optimism needs to be rekindled

Methinks it is not time to be sending out all kinds of negative thoughts... but positive ones that seek wisdom for our government leaders...

Call me a cockeyed optimist, or call me crazy, but isn't it less than productive to whine and complain, while we should be out there doing what we can to make things right? I'm going to another Anti-War rally this week... what are you doing?

atta girl wyld! time to polish those old peace buttons!

"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. Corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavour to prolong it's reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed."

"It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."

Ah, life is still good... the best part of all of it though is that for the first time in almost 40 years, Maryland has a republican governer.

It was a very enjoyable election. It was nice to see the news stations not giving out the winners before the polls had closed and influencing people. Of course, I pretty much only watch FOX news, but I'm sure you all knew that. Even more enjoyable was our local governer's election.

But in all the local elections, no matter what station I was watching, all I was seeing was the republicans saying things like, you shouldn't vote along party lines... you should vote for the person and their beliefs, and principles, and morals. Nothing like that was coming from the other side... and like I said, this is a mostly democratic state, so I highly doubt that it was the news picking and choosing and slanting things their way.

In fact, for the governer's race, the democratic concession speach mentioned something about helping out the winner and supporting them... to which there was a massive BOOOOOOO! from the crowd. Of course, she tried to quiet them down saying, No no... but with a shit eating grin on her face and then telling them all how much she loved them, and then going on a "rampage" about all her running positions and views...

On the other side, you had the republican winner (who had been called a Nazi and his running mate an Uncle Tom) congratulating her on a well run race, and making sure the crowd gave her due respect in spite of all the name calling and mud slinging that came out of the democratic side, where the republicans stuck mostly to their positions and views.

Maybe it wasn't like this everywhere, but that's the way it always seems to go around here... and I think it's great that after almost 40 years, it seems like everyone is fed up with the crap coming from the democrats side around here. It seems like the left side around here is just WAY left. And actually, I've always considered myself to be more in the middle politically, although somewhat leaning to the right a bit.

Issues aside, I couldn't bring myself to vote for someone who resorts to name calling and mud slinging - be they republican or democrat.

Yeah, you're right about the meds. Our healthcare costs more than we can afford so we have to be on a free medical plan at a local hospital. Those drug companies don't want to lower drug prices & it's not right.

The only reason I was for the Republicans was moral reasons. If the Dems would get like the Republicans moral wise & stand up for God & take a stand against sin & abortion etc, then maybe I'd vote for a Dem... I voted for a Dem a time or 2 in stuff like Senator or something. We once had a Senator that was a Dem who was one of the good Dems but sadly he died. Wish he was still in there cuz he was a good one. <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/peace.gif" width=16 height=16>

The Tennessee state elections were total mud, calling each others liers and cheats, both were most unsportmanlike.
For or state rep. we had one man running a republican, and his own party tried to run a write in vote to get someone else elected, I know the guy who won and he did get 74% of the vote but it was strange to see the repubicans fighting among themselves.


Wyldflower, Is your quote a part of my quote?
I know I have seen it somewhere, Mine of course was good ole A. Lincoln

Well, Dave, you couldn't have voted for a Republican here. They were slinging so much mud and similar-looking but worse-smelling stuff, with all the money they had, the crops will be really, really good next year.

Wyld, you are absolutely right but I for one just have to get it out of my system. Sorry.<img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/frown.gif" width=15 height=15>I'm sure this round of griping will be over soon as the national and international crises start to pile up even more.

Venting is good. Venting is necessary. Hashing things out is useful. I hope the Democrats are doing some serious hashing. In a productive way, I mean. Having Gephardt resign as minority leader and then emerge as a presidential candidate is not much of a shake-up.

So what should the strategy be Pat? Do they move further to the right to try and get back the swing voters? Do they try to re-ignite the progressive left and rebuild that base? Seems to me they can't have it both ways. They'll never be as good at being Repubs as Repubs are.

I'm really confused. While the Green platform is the platform of my heart, I worked and contributed for/to the Dems in this cycle, and voted for almost all Dems, hoping to stop the Bush madness. I'd love to see the party re-energize and quit fearing the word liberal (its NOT a dirty word, but they fear it!)

I'm more than willing to be there for them, if they are a party willing to be there for progressives. But I fear the Blue Dogs and the DNC will see this election as evidence that they must join the Republican Party.


"Watch what you say or they'll be calling you a radical, a liberal, fanatical, criminal.
Won't you sign up your name, we'd like to feel you're acceptable, respectable, presentable, a vegetable!"

-Davies/Hodgson 1979

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Nathen:

Wyldflower, Is your quote a part of my quote?
I know I have seen it somewhere, Mine of course was good ole A. Lincoln<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Nope... when I did a search on your quote to see who said it, I came upon http://www.voxnyc.com/archives/00000041.htm, and the quote I used (Robert Kennedy) was on the same page... Both quotes were familiar to me, but I wouldn't have known who said them...I just love google for finding things!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dave:
In fact, for the governer's race, the democratic concession speach mentioned something about helping out the winner and supporting them... to which there was a massive BOOOOOOO! from the crowd.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Dave, was that Kathleen Kennedy (Bobby's daughter)?

I wish that the opponent to our new Democratic governor, Ed Rendell, had won. As mayor of Phila, all he did was make a name for himself and he was a MAJOR grand-stander! What was refreshing about him was that, when the cameras weren't rolling, he spoke his mind and I found that to be great, and it also showed what an idiot he truly is. And how his handlers would whisk him away, or sometimes make him go back and change his stance.

Once, I asked him to pose with my then-7-year-old daughter who'd won a city-wide art scholarship. He said, "If I do for you, I have to do for everyone else." Then he walked away. A few minutes later, he came back, took her by the hand and said, "OK, but let's make this fast."

Although he was supposed to be the "guest speaker" at the award ceremony, he didn't get there until the reception. Brought his own podium too! Set it up in front of some paintings he'd never seen before and, during his congratulatory speech, proclaimed, "I love that one!" But, he hadn't even SEEN it until he turned to point at it. Amazing... politicians!

Anyway, now that he's governor, he wants to make state employees PAY for their health insurance. Let's see... my husband works all day for LESS than $30,000, GIVING money away to people who are TOO LAZY to work.. and he wants US to PAY for our health insurance? OK, I guess we can afford that after we stop paying for the food, gas and electricty. Maybe by giving up food, we can apply for foodstamps!

Just my take on this election (also known in PA as the "foregone conclusion.")

lcj, they have a real problem. I certainly don't think there's any point in their going further to the right, or in being as aquiescent as they have been when the right seems to be winning. They need to sell a more progressive agenda to the public or they might as well not exist. That's something they've been failing to do for way too long. On the other hand, they're not going to be able to go as far to the left as the Green party wants them to. You have to appeal to the middle on out, whichever way you're leaning..left or right, in order to win important elections. But there's not a lot of point in even mulling it over until they get it a bit more together. And most of all, in 2004 they need a candidate that can really appeal to people. I think that would eliminate most of the frontrunners right now.

Pat, check this out from ABC news:

"But before Democrats choose a presidential nominee, they have to pick a new House leader. Two lawmakers already competing for the position are Rep. Martin Frost of Texas, a centrist, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, a liberal.

Frost staked his claim to the job today.

"I have been talking to members and members have responded to me that they are very troubled about the party moving too far to the left," he said. "They want vigorous leadership. They want someone who will take the Republicans on, who has a track record of beating the Republicans and that's what I offer, quite frankly."

Pelosi said that what the Democrats need is to emphasize how their program is different from that of the Republicans, so voters can see that they have a choice.

"To win back the House in 2004, we need a unified party that will draw clear distinctions between our vision of the future and that espoused by the Republicans," Pelosi said in a statement. "Working together, I am confident the Democrats will succeed."

The party worried about sliding too far to the left? What am I missing? Aside from Wellstone and the other 5-8 liberals, I don't think that's a concern, is it?

Also, what's your view of John Kerrey? He seems like someone who may be prez material-but I know nothing about his record. Is he a centrist?

They call Martin Frost a centrist, and I guess that's probably right from the national perspective. It's the only way anyone could do what he's done; staying in office for more than 20 years as a rep. from Dallas. But he's definitely one of the good ones. Definitely. He's never compromised on being the representative of real working people, and he knows how to effect real change for them. In the context of where he is, that's astounding. He does know how to beat the Rs in their own territory, which the Dems desperately need to learn. In Dallas, he is respected by people of all parties. Whether or not he should be the House leader, I don't know, but however the party leadership shakes out, I hope they'll listen to Martin. The strategies can't be the same in Massachusetts and Texas, or in Oregon and Alabama; the dems are too diverse--a strength but a big weakness, too. Did I hear the word dichotomy?