June 09, 2003
Pox Americana
I remember Matt Drudge* when he was a pioneering spammer and obscure but insistent crank in the dark corners of UseNet. Ambition and a lack of scruples propelled him to the top of the slagheap that is Internet "journalism." All that aside, the Drudge Report is one of my guilty pleasures. On any given breaking story, his site is likely to have some out-of-the-way link to an article (reputable or not) that gives a spin you won't find in the mainstream press. Give him his due: Drudge is way less sneaky about his biases than, say, Fox News is -- assuming that's possible. He is a perfectly qualified journalist, unless you think the ability to write is still a prerequisite.
Today he ran this photo
(at left) to commemorate the rollout of
Hillary Clinton's book. She looks demented, like the missing third sister
from Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? Hillary continues to get a raw deal
from the press, IMO, but I couldn't help laughing at this picture. The senator
can't win no matter what she does. If she'd broken down for Barbara
Walters's benefit, the pundits would call them crocodile tears. Because she
kept her composure, she gets called an Ice Queen, as in this spiteful column
by the overrated Tom Shales.
*The photo above is probably not Matt Drudge, though I can't prove that. It's more likely a prairie dog, the vehicle for our hemisphere's first outbreak of monkey pox. A pet store three miles from where I live was identified as the source of p-dogs that have now infected 33 people in IL, IN and WI. Me, I'm just glad Du Page county is on the map at last. According to the Chicago Tribune:
"The Illinois Department of Agriculture, along with state and federal health officials, is trying to track down 115 customers -- both individuals and pet stores -- that bought exotic animals from Phil's Pocket Pets since April 15."
This just in . . . The store's name is now Phil's Pocket Pets & Pestilence.
I suppose there used to be little trans-species outbreaks like this all the time, and we never heard of them until 9/11 and Judith Miller's excellent book, "Germs." Not sure whether that makes me more or less nervous.
Posted by Vernam at June 9, 2003 07:16 AMBut this position (of not voting your conscience because it will only guarantee The Right will always win) hasn't worked either. Even with Clinton. Although I think he's relatively better than our current leader, he's proven to be very comfortable with compromise, for political expediency. I feel this is a huge part of the problem these days. Issues are dealt with only through voter referendum, or in the courts. The legislative process is nearly bankrupt, in the interests of power and influence. It allows PAC money to flow directly into both camps. They are the constituency now. We - the people - barely have any say whatsoever. Look to the anti-war effort, for a painful example that barely anyone in DC hears the people's voice.
To regain our influence, enough people need to seriously put their foot down and vote their conscience. Support an Independent. A Green. Whatever third party. Hey, even vote for No Candidate. Simply opting out for the lessor of the same evil (ie; the 'opposition' party), I'm afriad won't lead to any significant change. At least I'm willing to milk that cow for a few more elections and see what comes of it.
I make many mistakes, so this is a natural choice, for me.
And if some Democrat does come out advocating true pluralism in global affairs through the re-establishment of UN viability, proposes a plan to heal the alienation of our allies, gets us out of Iraq & Afghanistan, provides more than adequate AIDS medical aid to African nations, rebuilds the EPA by putting the 'Protection' back in the agency's charter...*and* puts in a real economic stimulus plan.... well, that's my conscience vote!
Posted by: deano at June 11, 2003 07:22 PMThe problem is all these swing voters who turn the national elections. Basically, since Reagan, the only way they'll elect a Democrat is if he's right of center -- or at least right of what used to be center.
So people like you and me have to choose between voting for a Democrat we don't really like, or voting our conscience and putting someone like Bush in charge. In 2003, I don't think anyone would seriously argue that there's no difference between Bush and Gore or any other Dem nominee.
The current result is that the U.S. is like Israel, with a right-wing nut in charge because he makes more than half the voters feel safer. The sad irony is that, if we keep electing Bush and people like him, we're going to get progressively less safe. Just as Israel is less safe today than before Sharon.
Posted by: Vernam at June 11, 2003 05:07 PMI'll say I'd vote for 'Clinton'. Maybe he should run as an Independent, if the Greens won't have him. The Democratic Party doesn't even exist anymore, does it?
Posted by: dean at June 11, 2003 01:57 PMDennis, does Murdoch still own the S-T? I remember when he bought it, prompting Royko to join the Tribune. The S-T was never worth a damn, actually -- it's the Daily News I really miss, but that dates me.
Dean, are you pledging to vote Democrat next time? 8^) Even apart from the military adventurism, Bush makes me nostalgic for Clinton by turning a $5.4 trillion surplus to a $4 trillion deficit. So long Social Security!
Posted by: Vern at June 10, 2003 10:18 PMWanna bet Bill gets back into the White House, before Hillary does? His initiative to repeal the 2-term ammendment doesn't sound that far-fetched, when I hear him speak to it. Go Billy!
Posted by: deano at June 10, 2003 05:56 PMIt's not just the sleazy online hacks using that photo of Hillary. Sleazy big-city dailys are too; today's Chicago Sun-Times, for example.
Posted by: Dennis at June 10, 2003 03:05 PM