A Political Christmas Message...

John McCain's Christmas email message, talking about his POW experience and a kindly guard at Christmas who revealed his Christianity by drawing a cross in the ground was forwarded to me by my cousin yesterday.  At the bottom of the "Christmas Message" was a request for campaign donations and a link to his website. 

As I was posting this, my husband, reading emails and the newspaper on his laptop in front of the fire next to me, read aloud to our daughter and her husband a political email from his friend (sent to 48 people) about Bill Clinton's ad and the facts versus his statements (on the flip).   

Editor and Publisher reported that 60% of the corporate media's 2008 campaign stories are written from the horserace angle -- who's ahead here and there -- and mainly from only five candidates without any deeper news about where they stand on issues or what they would do once in office.  That might be corporate "news" but people are more influenced by others that they trust and know personally.

Bush's 2000 campaign used the technique of "influential others" to get campaign messages from trusted networks to exponentially impact opinions.  This is a theory that was first proposed by Italian political theorist Antonio Gramsci. Email messages use "friends to influence friends".  I'm sure you're getting these, too.  Me, I get them from friends of all political persuasions.  I guess I'm being cross-influenced.

And here, chez-nous, the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, including the new one for the son-in-law.

On the flip, see the viral email of the Clinton ad deconstructed by Dick Morris.

AN ANALYSIS WORTH READING:

by Dick Morris, former political advisor to President Bill Clinton

If you happen to see the Bill Clinton five minute TV ad for Hillary in which he introduces the commercial by saying that he wants to share some things we may not know about Hillary's background . .  beware . . .

As I was there for most of their presidency and know them better than just about anyone, I offer a few corrections;

Bill says: "In law school Hillary worked on legal services for the poor."

The facts are: Hillary's main extra-curricular activity in law school was helping the Black Panthers, on trial in Connecticutfor torturing and killing a federal agent. She went to court every day as part of a law student monitoring committee trying to spot civil rights violations and develop grounds for appeal.http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/966232/posts

Bill says: "Hillary spent a year after graduation working on a children's rights project for poor kids."

The facts are: Hillary interned with Bob Truehaft, the head of the California Communist Party. She met Bob when he represented the Panthers and traveled all the way to San Francisco to take an internship with him.

Bill says: "Hillary could have written her own job ticket, but she turned down all the lucrative job offers."

The facts are: She flunked the DC bar exam, yes, flunked, it is a matter of record, and only passed the Arkansas bar. She had no job offers in Arkansas, none, and only got hired by the University of Arkansas Law School at Fayetteville because Bill was already teaching there.. She did not join the prestigious Rose Law Firm until Bill became Arkansas Attorney General and was made a partner only after he was elected Arkansas Governor. http://www.strangecosmos.com/content/item/24562.html

Bill says: "President Carter appointed Hillary to the Legal Services Board of Directors and she became its chairman."

The facts are: The appointment was in exchange for Bill's support for Carter in his 1980 primary against Ted Kennedy. Hillary then became chairman in a coup in which she won a majority away from Carter's choice to be chairman.

Bill says: "She served on the board of the Arkansas Children's Hospital."

The facts are: Yes she did. But her main board activity, not mentioned by Bill, was to sit on the Wal-mart board of directors, for a substantial fee. She was silent about their labor and health care practices.

Bill says: "Hillary didn't succeed at getting health care for all Americans in 1994 but she kept working at it and helped tocreate the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) that provides five million children with health insurance."

The facts are: Hillary had nothing to do with creating CHIP.  It was included in the budget deal between Clinton and Republican Majority Leader Senator Trent Lott. I know; I helped to negotiate the deal. The money came half from the budget deal and half from the Attorney Generals' tobacco settlement. Hillary had nothing to do with either source of funds.

Bill says: "Hillary was the face of America all over the world."

The facts are: Her visits were part of a program to get her out of town so that Bill would not appear weak by feeding stories that Hillary was running the White House. Her visits a broad were entirely touristic and symbolic and there was no substantive diplomacy on any of them.

Bill says: "Hillary was an excellent Senator who kept fighting for children's and women's issues."

The facts are: Other than totally meaningless legislation like changing the names on courthouses and post offices, she has passed only four substantive pieces of legislation. One set up a national park inPuerto Rico. A second provided respite care for family members helping their relatives through Alzheimer's or other conditions. And two were rout ine bills to aid 911 victims and responders which were sponsored by the entire NY delegation. Presently she is trying to have the US memorialize theWoodstock fiasco of 40 years ago.

Here is what bothers me more than anything else about Hillary Clinton. She has done everything possible to weaken the President and our country (that's you and me!) when it comes to the war on terror.

1. She wants to close GITMO and move the combatants to the USA where they would have access to our legal system.

2. She wants to eliminate the monitoring of suspected Al Qaeda phone calls to/from the USA.

3. She wants to grant constitutional rights to enemy combatants captured on the battlefield.

4. She wants to eliminate the monitoring of money transfers between suspected Al Qaeda cells and supporters in the USA.

5. She wants to eliminate the type of interrogation tactics used by the military & CIA where coercion might be used
when questioning known terrorists even though such tactics might save American lives.

One cannot think of a single bill Hillary has introduced or a single comment she has made that would tend to strengthen our country in the War on Terror.

But, one can think of a lot of comments she has made that weaken our country and makes it a more dangerous situation for all of us.

Bottom line: She goes hand in hand with the ACLU on far too many issues where common sense is abandoned.

Comments

[Marian McDermott]

It seems to me that Dick Morris has a huge axe to grind. He has been making comments like this ever since he "defected" to the Republican party. Many say he is an opportunist. In any case, most of his comments (Hillary in law school, etc) are old news and really do not apply to her today. I am not a supporter of Hillary. However, I don't think Dick Morris' comments are instructive or helpful for people who are really trying to evaluate Hillary or other candidates.

[tut-tut]

Thank you for all your links and in-depth analyses on so many many issues, from the arts to politics. Have a great Christmas and a wonderful New Year! I endeavor to keep up with all your postings in 2008!

[anthony]

I wish more people "reported" news, as opposed to every article written by rookie journalism major ending up really reading like an editorial of opinion. Media does in fact try to inform, but more often "persuasion" to the writers point of view, seems to be the goal. While I read both the McCain piece, and the Morris piece, and I do in fact realize that they are meant to "persuade" people to vote a certain way, (or send money), I do appreciate the fact that you seem to report "what is, or has, happened", and I cannot tell which side you are on. I like that. You leave me to make what I will of the facts presented. I never knew who Chet Huntley , or Walter Cronkite voted for, they just gave me news. A Far cry from MSNBC (Dem) and Fox (Rep) channels today. You must really be an independent, a great writer, or probably both.

[Hattie]

Just sitting here in my Laz-i-Boy with my laptop on my lap, waiting for regime change.
Happy holidays.

[Kay Dennison]

I had read a lot of what McCain and Morris said and I am getting tired of Election 2008 and it isn't even 2008! Sigh

That said, I wish you and yours the most joyous of holidays and health and prosperity in 2008!

[SantaCat]

Ho! Ho!! Ho!!! SantaCat wishes you all a purrrfect Christmas.

Next year, please leave catnip with the milk and cookies. :-)