interesting stuff.
Roger your story about GW's drinking gives me the op to rant about the media again.
What was the NY Times thinking with its recent story alleging an affair that one of the current candidates had. And Swift Boat!!
What are they doing???? Would Perry White be publishing this stuff?
Anyone ever see "All the President's Men'? Notice the Washington Post editor's ruthless insistence on reliable sources plus more than one of those. His insistence on evidence? To-day, at a time when we need reprorters and journalists who model themselves on invesitgative reporters, what we get are guys who model themselves on paparazzi.
Btw on the subject of Bush lying - my interpretation is yes he did, but he it was not his *intent* to lie. I think he believed what he was saying. The trouble, imo was that he was influenced by Cheney, Rumsfield and Rove.
When I watched the Gore/Bush debates (I told you: born a political junkie
) I was struck by how little Bush knew about the world. His background knowledge was sketchy and he had no meaningful intellectual framework to handle the questions. Instead he kept repeating the same few cliches. I think that's likely why he bought what R & C presented to him later. He lacked the knowledge, the intellectual skills, and the experience to evaluate and assess what he was given. In other words, no cherry-picking.
But as the media said at the time, Bush was the more likeable and personable candidate - people wanted to have a drink with him. They were comfortable with him
(This was before Gore morphed into EnviroMan) Plus Bush presented himself well on stage - he was more at home there than Gore was (and later, Kerry). I think, too, many Americans found Bush's religious faith comforting. (nothing wrong with this - as I've said before, I envy those who are able to find comfort in their faith)
Who knows how much influence a trash story has or a leaked document?
Right now opposition Canadian federal politicians, cheered on by our media, are hysterical about a leaked note reporting a comment made by an Obama staffer to a Canadian diplomat.
The accusation by the Oppostion and our news media: The Canadian government is trying to .... gasp.. influence the American election! The Americans will be hostile now! And of course, the Democrats, if elected, will retaliate against Canada! To which I think... get a grip, people.
My bet is that 99.5% of Americans don't know about this leaked note, and if they did it would not have any influence on them. For example, I'm betting no one on these boards even knows what I'm talking about here
Nevertheless, our PM has already apologised to Americans for this. I am not making this up.
love ranting first thing in the morning.
c.
