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Reader Comment of the Day
Tweet Share on Facebook October 31, 2008 Comment (4)To expect the people of our country to vote for the right candidate and not just by appearance or party affiliation would overlook our culture. This is similar to why most people prefer talking about American Idol than the elections.
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Weighing In on Election Coverage
Tweet Share on Facebook October 31, 2008 Comment (3)Since you invited dropping a line about our thoughts on U.S. News's presidential coverage ["Don't Vote Until You Read This," October 27], here goes. I've appreciated the detail, relative absence of bias, and pros/cons sections included in each issue lately. The articles are generally well written and well thought-out. Your journal is kept family-friendly and objective. Due to limited funds and school/work responsibilities, TV coverage hasn't been available to me, so I've depended on U . S . News (since first subscribing in February '08) for keeping up with goings-on nationally. In short: exceptional journal—excellent job. Thank you.
George C. Quillin
Fort Worth, TexasIt is clear to me that U.S. News is no different from any other left-leaning publication and that your writers are in the tank for Barack Obama. Consider the strategically placed ad with a picture of the African-American boy opposite the "The Ultimate Voter's Guide 2008" cover story that infers that this is the candidate as a youngster.
Florence Harrison
Cody, Wyo. -
Voter and Wealth Distribution
Tweet Share on Facebook October 31, 2008 Comment (12)I believe [Michael Barone] has failed to account for the real reason that Metro Philadelphia is polling so much higher for Obama than Democrats in earlier elections ["Why John McCain Continues to Trail Barack Obama in Pennsylvania"]. It is the combined power of an energized African-American and left base and the unprecedented organizing skills of the Obama campaign. They have registered tens of thousands of formerly uninvolved citizens in Pennsylvania—and they are 99 percent Obama votes. If Obama wins Pennsylvania, it will be because of these previously nonvoting citizens. Say what you want about whether Obama or McCain is the better candidate, but this democratic byproduct of this election is surely positive regardless.
Comment by Ashley Adams of MA
What Obama's 2001 NPR interview does is provide historical context to his recent stump remarks to Joe the Plumber—establishing not a slip of the tongue but an abiding political philosophy to redistribute wealth. Moreover, to increase taxes to fund government programs is one thing, but to raise taxes on the upper middle class in order to send $10,000 checks to Americans who owe no taxes is quite another. It is called socialism, and America has fought wars to prevent the proliferation of this political philosophy.
Comments by Stephen Gianelli of CA
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Reader Comment of the Day
Tweet Share on Facebook October 29, 2008 CommentWhat exactly is wrong about buying time? We are a capitalistic society after all, and most of us have cable or the ability to turn off the TV. So quit whining and be thankful that you have and can do the above.
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The Debate of '08
Tweet Share on Facebook October 29, 2008 Comment (2)So much for unbiased election coverage in "The Ultimate Voter's Guide" issue [October 27]. The headlines for the No. 2 slots, "Palin—Love Her or Hate Her" and "Biden, the Voice of Experience," and the coverage therein reek with bias. What does a putdown like "an accent somewhere north of Fargo" have to do with anything? Your writer should get out of the East Coast vacuum and travel to the heartland and find out what real people are like. A well-kept secret about North Dakota: With a conservative Republican governor and Republican-controlled state Senate and House, and with unlimited oil and coal reserves, we have a $1.3 billion (that's with a B) surplus to deal with. What a terrible dilemma! Try to explain that to California Governor Schwarzenegger and the liberal government in California, or the rest of the United States for that matter.
Ron Bowman
Bowman, N.D.Although I have been a registered Republican for 30 years, on November 4, I will be voting for Barack Obama and against John McCain. Unfortunately for the Republicans, the "old" John McCain no longer exists. He has been transformed by Karl Rove and his right-wing neocons into one of their own who believes that the end result always justifies the means. The "old" John McCain would never have named Sarah Palin as his running mate while insisting he was putting country first. Neither would the "old" McCain have engaged in such a negative and low-road campaign, a campaign that employs the exact same tactics that McCain openly called reprehensible when they were used against him eight years ago by Bush. McCain has even gone so far as to hire the same parties that had so savagely and unfairly disparaged him. The "new" McCain has sold his integrity and soul to those who seek to garner votes by instilling fear, distrust, anger, and even hate in voters' minds. The "old" McCain has instead been swallowed up by a Republican Party that has been hijacked by the far right, a party that has increasingly become intolerant and exclusive as it ostracizes anyone who dares not to be in lock step with its narrow-minded agenda.
Andrew R. Bolduc
Haskell , N.J. -
Past Presidents as Prologue?
Tweet Share on Facebook October 29, 2008 Comment (1)Kenneth Walsh's rosy recollection of the Reagan years in "The Most Consequential Presidential Elections" [October 13-20] omitted the numerous scandals (Iran-contra, Superfund, HUD) and indictments, which reached up the chain of command to Oliver North, Caspar Weinberger, Elliott Abrams, and John Poindexter, to name only a few. The savings and loan debacle and the truck bombing in Beirut killing 241 marines were eerily similar to today's events. With the mushrooming debt of the Reagan years, the big-government era was anything but over. Reagan's election might have been consequential, but not in the way I think any of us would like.
Jay Gottlieb
ChicagoI generally find your articles, even the editorials, to be both evenhanded and informative. Your article on "The Most Consequential Presidential Elections" was both of those things but also uplifting. It reinforced my belief that this country's been through dark times like these before and will ultimately come out on the other side.
Michael Vincent Bushy
Falmouth, Mass. -
Reader Comment of the Day
Tweet Share on Facebook October 28, 2008 Comment (2)Sarah Palin does not hunt for sport. She hunts to feed her family. That is called self-reliance, which is not a bad quality in a vice president. She is certainly not your typical politician.
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Reader Comment
Tweet Share on Facebook October 27, 2008 Comment (5)If all of the American people would be honest with themselves, they would wake up and realize that whoever wins the election will raise taxes. That surely includes Senator McCain. How else would you as president solve this horrible mess of the economy?
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Reader Comment of the Day
Tweet Share on Facebook October 24, 2008 Comment (4)I have never been as aware as I am now about the need for ethics in politics.
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Letters and Comments
Tweet Share on Facebook October 24, 2008 Comment (6)My partner and I flew into San Diego to get married. It was important for us to do. After being together for 18 years, it was nice to be able to do it. To be honest, I never thought I would be able to. I don't understand why this bothers people so much. People bring up God and the Bible to justify their views, but whatever happened to the separation of church and state? I respect people who believe marriage is between a man and a woman. But, those are their religious beliefs. To enact discrimination in the state constitution is wrong and imposes their religious beliefs onto others. The other argument I hear is that the courts overruled the voice of the people. That may be true. But sometimes, it takes the courts to recognize injustice. It wasn't too long ago that women and minorities didn't have the right to vote, and interracial marriage was illegal. Sometimes what is right isn't what is popular. Gay marriage has happened in Massachusetts, and the world hasn't ended. And, gay people don't get married to spite or hurt people. We just want to be treated equal and be recognized as such. I don't care if they never teach same-sex marriage in school. I just want to be married to my partner. I don't know if my story or arguments will change anyone's mind. But, I wanted to share what this amendment means to me.
Comment by Jeffrey of Fla.
