Coulter v. Cleland
 

Didn't you notice this:

"Bush's National Guard service is the most thoroughly investigated event since the Kennedy assassination. "

She's speaking in code, man. Connect the dots.

For Auld Ange Syne
 

You'd better milk this right now, because no one's going to know what you're talking about soon. I'm feeling your pain. I have a whole box of Admiral Stockdale material in the closet.

wisconsin
 

Could be -- I don't know and wasn't trying to guess. I just know that asbestos litigation and tort reform have been significant issues for him -- and he has expressed adverse opinions regarding "plaintiff's lawyers" in general. Thus my comment.

S_A_M

For Auld Ange Syne
 

Admiral Stockdale put Golden Billy in White House. But you are right about my favorite quote, the above was my swan song. Now the questions presented are:
Is Hank Chinaski a single post poster?
Can ole Hank develop something new?
Will Hank's humor fade as quickly as Chevy Chase's after Gerald Ford left office?

wisconsin
 

You may all be right.

Then again, I may simply be a bitter housewife watching life pass me by in Akron.

wisconsin
 

Bitter housewife in Akron is violins,
Acne middle school student in rural Manitoba is SS,
bilmore is ass't Chief Product Defense Counsel in-house at 3M. He handles most adhesive tape claims.

wisconsin
 

In 2000, no one though Bush had gravitas.

As for his approach -- from Edwards it doesn't sound like "class warfare" because he's not angry. He's "Mr. Positive" -- reaching out compassionately to those Americans left behind while speaking optimistically about the promise of America.

In truth, he's right that in many ways there are at least "two Americas". We're in the more comfortable and privileged of the bunch (although even our lowest tier is way ahead of most of the world).

As for the approach being a "historical loser" -- that depends on when you stop your review of history. Also -- in the year 2000, that "Class warfare" approach got more votes than did GWB -- even when pushed by an angry-sounding, uncharismatic guy. There is much more economic insecurity among many Americans now than in 2000. People are worried about jobs, health care, etc., and unless the job market turns up nicely in the next few months, the Edwards message may do a lot better than you think.

S_A_M

Time's Ripe
 

Stop saying that name! It's like "Beetlejuice"!

S_A_M

wisconsin
 

Do any of them stick?

wisconsin
 

Agreed on the optismism factor. It is stunning when you look back a most presidential races that the more optimistic candidate nearly always wins. But Edwards' protectionism is just plain ass backwards and would be extremely damaging for the country. I give Kerry credit for realizing (at least until he flips) that we cannot retreat from free trade. The genie is out of the bottle. However, the vilification of businesses that outsource overseas is either just plain ignorant or political expediency.

wisconsin
 

Groan.

Just . . . groan.

wisconsin
 

In 2000, the nation's biggest worry was whcih dry cleaner had the best track record for getting sperm out of a blue dress.

Hogwash. The haves/have nots theory is just a myth when you look at the data.

wisconsin
 

What data are you looking at? I'm assuming it's not the data showing the growing concentration of wealth in this country, or the estimate of x million people who don't have health insurance.

I think Edwards' message is different from the usual class warfare conception because he's not saying "let's tear down the haves." Instead he's saying, I'm one of you, I'm going to fight to see that all of you get what you deserve as Americans. It may be a distinction without a difference, but I for one would like to see how it plays in a national general election...

wisconsin
 

Only if he can get the have-nots to vote, and I suspect the anger thing motivates more than the happy face.

wisconsin
 

I'm comfortable running on a "some aspects of American wealth distribution are inequitable" platform if you're going to be running in the South on the "Saddam had/will have had/would have had/was sincerely believed to have had nukes" platform.

At the end of the day, "corporations are evil" has no more, but certainly no less, thought put into it than the "France is evil" electoral theme.

ETA: Bilmore's summation applies equally to all four of my proposed themes, and I therefore adopt it as my own.