Month: October 2004
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Metaphor alert
Bush campaign manager Ken Mehlman in an email to supporters today: The entire country of Iraq was a weapons stockpile. So far, 243,000 tons of weapons and explosives have been secured and destroyed. In addition, 163,000 tons of weapons and explosives have been secured and are awaiting destruction. Rudy Giuliani at the Republican convention (8/30/04
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Process, process, process
Two major political stories in the New York Times ran today. One is about policy, one is about process. Guess which one got buried? Yes, the article listing the final battleground states and analyzing the Electoral College calculus is on the front page. And yes, the article analyzing the candidates’ policy differences – crucial information
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When alt-weeklies attack
Our local alternative mag here in Durham, the Independent, has issued its election endorsements. Many of the local ones seem thoughtful and a few even back Republicans or more conservative candidates (shockingly enough). But this claim about the presidential election is totally out of line: At stake in this election is most of the social
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The world of annoying, too-clever-by-half political journalism
Slate’s Mickey Kaus suggested Saturday that “the normal tendency of voters to ‘go with the winner’ [might] be magnified this year because many voters who don’t feel strongly about the candidates do feel strongly that they don’t want it to be a close election with all the attendant Florida style recount madness. They will cast
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A man of principle
This poll of prominent libertarians by Reason magazine reveals that many will be casting protest votes for Michael Badnarik, the Libertarian Party’s presidential candidate and a potential Nader-esque spoiler for George W. Bush. NPR just profiled Badnarik for “Morning Edition,” and this is the endorsement they got of him from a grad student supporter: We
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Social Security scare tactics
I have a new post up on Kerry’s bogus claims over at Spinsanity. Check it out. Apparently, the fact that Social Security scare tactics are a hoary cliche of Democratic politics is no obstacle to another go-around.
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Take the agitprop alert level up to Defcon Two
The current headline on Drudge is “VOTE FOR DRUGS: KERRY/EDWARDS PASS OUT ‘PILL BOXES.’” But the wire service photo that he’s linking to just shows someone handing out Kerry/Edwards pill boxes. There’s no proof there are drugs inside them — campaigns hand out trinkets with the candidate’s logo on them all the time. It must
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Voices from the grave: Reinterpreting Derrida as a MoveOn.org member
A friend of mine who studies social theory flagged this annoying New York Times op-ed called
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Signs I don’t like
Sighted on Friday in Durham – a sign that said “Support President Bush & Our Troops.” These attempts to suggest that opposition to Bush is disloyal are totally out of control. Update (10/25): I’m also not a fan of the bumper sticker I see quite a bit here that says “Defend America. Defeat Bush.” Ridiculous.