The Race and Other Cards?

I am almost reluctant to post on this subject, but one sees already ugly signs of playing of the race card to divide Democratic primary voters between Clinton and Obama.

I hope the media do not try to exploit a division on racial grounds. In retrospect we have recently watched manipulation of our party elections by media intent either on getting attention for themselves or perhaps more ominously sabotaging our best candidates. I am persuaded that this was what was done to Dean who was smart and to the point with manipulation of volume levels at one of his appearances repeated over and over to make him look like some sort of nut.

Personally I see Obama as an extremely able guy. But I don't like his approach to issues with rhetoric which suggests that he may be trying to be all things to all people. I trust Hillary and figure she knows where the problems lie. I have found my women students to be much more responsible to facts than men generally and women at 60 are at their most effective time in life. They have been there and seen it all and have developed the skills to do something about things and people for whom they care.

I expect that we are in for quite a battle between the two. I hope they keep their punches above the belt. I expect some of the media types will be on the attack. But we do desperately need change in a number of areas where we have been undermined since Reagan got his free ride into the presidency which allowed him to do lasting damage to our regulatory systems. There is much right wing money out there, but fortunately for the public the Republicans are divided this time between the greedies (e.g. Romney), the killer hawks (e.g. Giuliani), and the religious moralists (e.g. Huckabee). And they may just end up nominating the nice guy and war hero, McCain.

Hopefully we can have fair fights within the parties and in the general election. I and, I imagine, other bloggers will try to call things as they are when they get out of hand.
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"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
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Ed Kent 212-665-8535 (voice mail only) [blind copies]
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