Re: Hi Gus, nice to see you here on a domestic thread. Are we a banana republic or what?
Heaven forbid! You're much more than that, Charley.... you're a de luxe banana republic.
In a more serious tone, I think Americans should try to back away from the current free-for-all about Florida's balloting. Doubtless, there's been manipulation and sneaky tricks aplenty in the 2000 presidential election --not only in Florida but in other states as well, and to the detriment of both the Republicans and the Democrats....
Now, talking of wholesale manipulation, the question should be, where does an electoral manipulation start? For we all know where --or how-- it ends up: it basically ends up with rigged polls and rather heavy-handed embezzling whereby voters are diddled with unreadable ballot papers or somewhat sweated into voting "the right way".... However, that's merely the end of the rigging chain. The starting point of the whole political skulduggery lies in your brave mass media and polling institutes and deals with the conditioning of public opinion.
I mean, just recall how the electoral picture looked like four months ago: no matter what you think about Clinton's scrape with Monica and how it has unfairly tarnished the repute of the Democrats as a whole, the fact is that Vice President Al Gore was NO MATCH for Governor G. W. Bush who seemed to epitomize all the qualities of the American staple:
--Bush claims to be a "born-again" Christian.... in a country where over 90% of the people claim to be worshipers of some sort and only 2% dare claim atheism;
--Bush doesn't flinch from frying Texas' convicted murderers.... in a country whose 65% of the people support the death penalty;
--last but not least, Bush spared no diatribe against big government and all the "snoopers" from Washington DC, appealing to most "militia-minded" Americans.
In short, GW Bush was a shoo-in for the White House. Enter Jo Lieberman --Oops, make that Magic Lieberman, the so-called "conscience of the Senate"! That is, a fellow whom 90% of the people have never heard of. Lieberman who leaves office every Friday at sunset, who won't decide on any Middle East issue without consulting his appointed rabbi.... Lieberman who already positioned himself on the Democrat ticket as soon as Clinton got framed in the Monicagate --at that time, he didn't dither over putting down his "long-standing friend" Bill....
Anyway, enter Lieberman and POOOF! the Democrats magic away Bush's lead in the polls --from 19 pts down to a dwindling 2 pts!!! Now I have a quiz for you political pundits:
In the entire US history, which running mate --other than Magic Lieberman-- has ever given such a boost to a White House candidate?
Which other running mate has been somehow the clincher over and above the candidate for Presidency? Clinton/Gore? Dole/...? Reagan/Bush? Bush/Quayle? Kennedy/Johnson? Nixon/...?
Now do you get the picture? The whole presidential campaign was a farce! The Democrat ticket was a lemon all along and the Bilderbergers knew it, and the pro-Israeli lobby knew it, and the pro-European lobby knew it.... and you knew it!
Such a nerdy Democrat ticket needed to get tarted up and the only way to do it was for the Bilderberg media to spin Holy-Joe Lieberman as a Mr Clean --as Clinton's Nemesis.
Today the same shady lobbies who have stage-managed the "Too-close-to-call" masquerade are on an even sleazier job: they're not the least interested in landing Al Jinx Gore in the White House --Oh no! They've got a much better plan: let George Happy-Face go for it! But hey, I mean a Prez George with strings, that is, a Pres. Bush who firstly gives Powell and Condi Rice the push --so many American Jews might be a better fit (Why both camps have dispatched to Florida their former Secretaries of State, Baker and Christopher, after all?).... Thereafter, a Pres. Bush who's gonna mitigate his cabinet with a bit of bipartisanship --especially as regards the transatlantic relationship (NATO, EU/US trade). But, altogether, a Pres. Bush who'll be relentlessly reminded of his disputable tenure.... Such a brilliant trick --A FOUR-YEAR LAME DUCK!! No wonder Israel is the only western country that hasn't (prematurely) sent her congrats to Pres.-elect GW Bush --yet.
Gus. |
