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[Bertrand]

1. Define propaganda

If you mean a conspiracy to block Dean, i would need more proof. If you mean by opinion, all people engage in propaganda when they are expressing that opinion because they are trying to sell you on what they are saying, regardless of what it is. Communication is propaganda because we all have biased views of reality, and are advocating our view (empirically) of it.

[Name removed]

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[Bertrand]

3. no, i agree with you

that is a pretty broad definition, but the problem is is that while it appears to us as an RNC meme, that is a subjective assessment from our POV. Sure, all people are influenced by others, but his opinion could have been achieved with little or no persuasion by partisan critics.

That said, i think that hes wrong. The field is pretty good.

[Eloriel]

5. Perhaps "meme" would have been a better word to use

He's talking about reinforcing and spreading of a rightwing talking point that Clark's entry into the race means that we have a weak field of candidates which even I, who dislike everyone but my guy, don't believe is true - at all.

Why quibble over the semantics? His point is spot on.

Eloriel

[HPLeft]

4. Could be

It's interesting that these columnists don't offer much of an historical perspective - like the kind of enthusiasm that existed for other candidates 4 months before the first primary.

As a point of reference, there was a lot of enthusiasm for Dubya in Republican corners going back over a year. That enthusiasm was clearly not based on competency or his ability to think or act under pressure. But Republicans were excited that he could win. They passed over the obviously better man in John McCain in their enthusiasm for Bush-Lite. Now that Iraq is turning into a toliet bowl, I wonder how that enthusiasm will be seen by posterity, and how those voters feel about the world that Dubya is creating for them. Most of the people who voted for Dubya are not wealthy, and are not going to benefit from the tax breaks he gave to the upper 1% in this country, with no guarantee that they will use any of it to create or retain a single job. But their children will be forced to deal with the implications of the growing deficit.

Contrary to Herbert, I think this Democratic field is quite strong. I also think that one or more of these people will be a star by July, and that one of them is the next President. I strongly support John Kerry, but I'm putting my money on either Kerry or Howard Dean to kick butts and take Republican names in November - and either one will be a much better President than the fool we have in office now.

[lostnfound]

6. Is it hagiography or a job interview? -- The NYT gives us BOTH!

Oh, the excitement! Our savior has come at last!
This column reads like a "how-to" for a job interview. "What is your biggest weakness, General Clark?" Well, I'm almost perfect sir.. Let's count the pluses:
*4-star general
*1st in class at West Point
*Rhodes scholar
*former NATO "Supreme Allied Commander"
*Purple Heart
*Silver Star
*brilliant
*"in theory, almost perfect"
*severely wounded in combat in Vietnam
*led successful operation in Kosovo
*instincts bridge-building and cooperative efforts
*less angry than Dean
*more personable than Kerry
*more mature than Edwards
*more telegenic than Lieberman (oh, so that's Joe's problem!)
*quick and endearing smile
*optimism
*quiet sense of strength
*ability to read (contrasting with Bush?? ;) ) and reflect the national mood
*potential to energize

and the minuses ... ummm, zero..well, maybe two: the comparison of Clark to Eisenhower is "overblown at this point" and "welcome him not as a savior".

The mere hint that the incredibly bloated Pentagon budget might get reduced in the future would make stock in Lockheed Martin, Carlyle, etc. plummet, wouldn't it? And all other plans for future empire put on hold? The elites -- both left and right -- might suffer, and perhaps we along with them.. No, they MUST constrain the dialog. The establishment press will tell us what to think.

I like Clark and respect him for his brains and his discipline. But is that a harness on our back, fellow donkeys? So tired of being pulled to the right-to the right-to the right that it's a relief when you feel a change in direction? Relieved to be able to hold your head up a little higher? But what about the guy holding the reins?

The rest of the world suffers under cluster bombs and depleted uranium, year after year; not caring much whether it's a Democrat or a Republican pushing the buttons, they NEED us to throw these riders, this "military-industrial-complex", OFF.

[grasswire]

7. they're lazy

Most reporters seem to just cut and paste from memos and talking points sent to them by politicos. And you can be sure that the RNC hammers them more than daily. The WH correspondents are particularly guilty of being influenced and ill-informed or mis-informed.

America's premier reporter, Ron Fournier of AP, stunned me last year. I wrote to beg him to write about the conflict of interest caused by Bush Sr.'s Carlyle Group being a defense contractor. He wrote back to me that he didn't know anything about the Carlyle Group, but he would "ask around."

The top WH correspondent didn't know about the Carlyle Group. That's what I mean.

[grasswire]

8. I wish...

....I could find a photo of the Republicans' presidential candidates in 2000.

Remember the lineup?

Orrin Hatch
Gary Bauer
Alan Keyes
Steve Forbes
John McCain
George Bush
Liddy Dole
Lamar Alexander
Dan Quayle

Remember the pancake breakfast?

Nobody should be mocking the Dem lineup as a "carnival."