[Peace-discuss] Inclusive Presidential Debates

[Jenifer Cartwright]

Right, no reason for those comfy/uncomfy, settled in or not, televiewing Americans to pay attention to world or national (or local) politics until something immediately affects THEM, and then they might take notice. Yes, Iraqis definitely have more to talk about in coffee houses (for those w/ money enuff living in areas safe enuff to frequent them). Then again, FOOTBALL doesn't actually affect Americans... 
 
Again, I'd use the word ignorant, rather than stupid. Re the point y're trying to make, polls are a joke. Trust me, most non-voters -- and many voters as well -- haven't the faintest idea where Kyoto is located, let alone what the Kyoto agreement(s) involved.
 --Jenifer


--- On Tue, 7/8/08, C. G. Estabrook <galliher at uiuc.edu> wrote:

From: C. G. Estabrook <galliher at uiuc.edu>
Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Inclusive Presidential Debates
To: jencart13 at yahoo.com
Cc: "Walter Pituc" <wpituc2 at gmail.com>, "Peace-discuss List" <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>, "Prairie Greens of East Central Illinois" <prairiegreens-org at lists.chambana.net>
Date: Tuesday, July 8, 2008, 10:39 PM

Why?  Because they're particularly stupid? Or because they're the object
of the 
most expensive propaganda campaign in history?

There's little doubt that the sophistication of the political discussion in
any 
coffee shop in Baghdad is conducted at a much more sophisticated level than 
similar conversations in US coffee shops, bars, or faculty lounges.

Again, why?  Because Americans are dumber? Or because it's literally a
matter of 
life and death elsewhere, altho' it's not for infantilized Americans?

In fact, however, in spire of all these ministrations, the US populace holds 
political opinions substantially to the left of the official political parties.

  If you doubt that, look at the answers that Americans give to pollsters on 
issues -- e.g., healthcare, Iraq, the influence of big business, the 
responsibility of the government to provide jobs, etc.

That's why national candidates have to run on personality, not issues --
because 
American don't agree with either the Republicans or the Democrats on
issues. 
(Example: a majority of those who voted for George Bush in 2004 thought that he

supported the Kyoto agreement -- because the Kyoto agreement was reasonable,
and 
Bush was apparently a reasonable man...)  --CGE


Jenifer Cartwright wrote:
> Carl,
> 
> I grant you that many/most who are eligible to vote, do not vote in 
> national elections (and even more skip the local elections). You believe 
> these particular folks are staying home because there are no candidates 
> that you and they can truly support, and that they'd be out there if 
> there were. I believe they're staying home because they're just 
> not interested in politics and haven't a clue what's going on in
their 
> country or the world, nor are they interested in finding out. Pushed to 
> hazard a guess or state an opinion, they'll say something positive
about 
> the good old US of A. 
> 
>  --Jenifer


      
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/archive/peace-discuss/attachments/20080708/d5f525be/attachment.htm