This is an interesting letter, sent to the Herald:
AS a Scot living in Ohio, I hope you will allow me to make some observations about Tuesday's election, and its aftermath. Why did Kerry lose? If the copious quantity of Republican campaign literature that I received in my southern Ohio mailbox was any guide, the biggest issues were gay marriage, abortion and gun ownership. (I do not deny these are important issues.) On the way to my garbage can, I never once saw the word Iraq and little on the so-called "war on terror". Exit-polling in Ohio indicated that "moral issues" were number one in deciding how people voted. This is a euphemism. But it does show the genius of how Republican campaigners targeted the rural parts of this and other states.
If the electorate truly voted on "moral issues", the incumbent would have been soundly defeated. This level of hypocrisy and mass delusion is stunning. I am also guilty of delusion in that I genuinely believed enough people would see through the smear campaigns and propaganda. What a mug. I thought that the electorate would decide based upon job losses, spiralling university tuition costs, a grotesque healthcare system, resource dependency, corporate corruption, budget deficits, failures in dealing with terrorism and a disastrous war in Iraq. Instead of that it's the 3Gs – God, guns and gays. And this from the world's only superpower. Hardly makes you sleep well at night.
So where to next? The Democrats cannot hope to win by picking another candidate that can be so easily labelled. Also, in my lifetime, no sitting senator has ever been elected president. It would be political suicide to go for Hillary Clinton. But picking a different type of candidate is insufficient; internal realignment will be essential for taking back the White House. David Young, 4285 State Route 681N, Albany, Ohio.
Location
South San Francisco, California, United States
"There is no creator" - the Dalai Lama. These are words of common sense, and it tells me that "spirituality" has nothing in particular to do with a belief in the supernatural. But then, those of us who grew up in the seventies watching "Kung Fu" already knew that being a vegan, atheist who follows the path of the buddha can reach enlightenment.
All kidding aside, what does a vegetarian atheist have to say? Stick around and you'll find out! Politically I'm rather liberal, but I do like to listen to staunch conservative talk show host Michael (the 'Whiner') Savage so I'll probably be mentioning him from time to time in my weblogs. So for now, how about some talk of broccoli, carrots and peas? Recipe's anyone??
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"As mankind becomes more liberal, they will be more apt to allow that all those who conduct themselves as worthy members of the community are equally entitled to the protections of civil government. I hope ever to see America among the foremost nations of justice and liberality."
- George Washington
"Maybe happiness is a fragment of existence, but with better packaging."
