Why Kerry Failed

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by JohnT
Jane Smiley is no F. Scott Fitzgerald. And this isn't the 1920s, where a mere fraction of the print that is generated today was made.

At that time, being a New York Times bestseller meant something. Nowadays, people like Dilbert, Oprah, and the season 1 Survivor gang are all New York Times best-selling authors.

So.... who cares? The fact that she's a NYT best-selling author doesn't really mean **** anymore.

Forget the best-seller status; I mentioned that only to indicate that Smiley wasn't an obscure figure. The point is that she's both much-read and much-lauded. So is your basic argument is that it is no longer important to know who your society's most gifterd artists are?

'Cause, see, that's where we get back to this "ignorance" thing...

[JohnT]

But there are so many gifted artists in America (and the world) that ignorance of any one of them does not define ignorance in general.

[chequita guevara]

Give it up, Rufus. Even I wouldn't fault Rush for not knowing who Smiley is. There are simply too many political commentators to know them all.

[JohnT]

[DinoDoc]

Hell it's the first time I'd heard of her.

[Drake Tungsten]

Can I pile on now?

[JohnT]

http://fromasadamerican.blogspot.com/2004/11/how-you-could-have-had-my-vote.html

[Kuciwalker]

/me hasn't heard of this "Jane Smiley" either

[JohnT]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Can I pile on now?

By all means, go ahead.

[JohnT]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
* Kuciwalker hasn't heard of this "Jane Smiley" either

You ignorant American you!

[Drake Tungsten]

Originally posted by JohnT
By all means, go ahead.

Much obliged...

Anyway, it's not a very big surprise that Rufus is both a liberal and an elitist. He is a member of the Foreign Service after all, as far as I know, and both qualities seem to be part and parcel to people in that line of work...

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Ogie Oglethorpe
In short Kerry lost because of the Swift Boats for Veterans. He was on top in the polls with momentum and completely fumbled in response. Mainstream media couldn't carry the water for him inlight of their diminishing influence and uptick in the power of the internet and slowly but slowly the accusations started to stick.

30 some years later John O'Neil gets his revenge.

Yes -- isn't terrible that a Vietnam War veteran who in his determination to get the truth out about the Vietnam War, made the mistake of exaggerating some of the aspects of the war, and other people would never look pass the mistakened exaggerations, and look at the reason why Kerry was protesting in the first place?

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by JohnT
http://fromasadamerican.blogspot.com...d-my-vote.html

Wow, that was particularly ignorant.

[JohnT]

More of that name-calling. You make us proud, Che!

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by JohnT
More of that name-calling. You make us proud, Che!

Well it was. Aside from the fact she fell for many right-wing lies outright, she eventually says that she voted for Bush because at least he has values. She doesn't agree with them, but at least he has them. The stupidity of that statement is just mind boggling. One could vote for David Duke for the same reasoning. Hell, you could vote for me for the same reason. I don't like what he'll do, but at least he'll do it????