Letter to the Editor: 'Three Stooges' fail to please voters

By Brandon Brose, sophomore
March 7, 2008

As I examine this election that has become a pathetic excuse for a presidential race, I can’t help but think of how badly our education system has messed us all up. If reality TV hasn’t dumbed us down enough, the failed public K-12 education system surely will do the trick. Or is it the other way around? Are the Three Stooges the best we can do?

If this is democracy, count me out. I don’t want any part in a system that turns off the critical-thinking portion of our brains and listens only to “catchy” slogans and talking points or “inspiration.” Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., is “inspirational,” thus making him somehow qualified. He “gives hope,” but he has no record to back up that hope. Empty rhetoric yet again. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., isn’t far off. Personally (and I’m sure others agree), I think she’s nothing more than a weak-kneed bitch with an ego problem. Does she honestly think she’s much more qualified than Obama to handle the country’s problems? She actually had the gall to attack Obama on foreign policy, as if having been a first lady for eight years tackling health care and then being a do-nothing senator on security and having voted for the war in Iraq makes her the Henry Kissinger of the 21st century. You also notice how hawkish she can get, especially when it comes to Iran. She actually says, “All options are on the table”!

And then we have Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who is trash as far as I’m concerned. I mean, the guy has no vision! He has no passion and does not articulate what he thinks is real change and real reform in a manner I would expect of a presidential candidate. He’s just a boring, old dude in his ‘70s with war on the brain. As bad as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee were, at least they had some charisma and got people motivated. McCain seems to just be for more of the same: President Bush Doctrine II on security, attempts to ban abortion and gay marriage (yet again), allegedly getting rid of pork and deficit spending (although he spent just as bad as everyone else), and so much more doubletalk crap. If this is the Republicans’ last best hope, we’re all doomed.

As I once heard it uttered, the people want candy – eye candy, that is. They really could care less about change. Besides, what is “change”? Can you really define it all just by uttering that word 10,000 times in your campaign? Everyone has his own version of what change is. And the candidates asking for the most change were shunned and ignored. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas; former Sen. Mike Gravel, D-Alaska; and Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio are the three best examples in this campaign. Rather than embrace these fine congressmen, Democrats and Republicans lost their minds and backed the worst candidates. Gravel and Kucinich are the most progressive, most questioning Democrats on the stage, yet you all support the mindless drones Clinton and Obama! What the hell is wrong with you? And you shun the only Republican who has the balls to question his party and say that maybe, just maybe, it’s lost its way (even a little bit). But that was “too much” for you to handle, I guess. (“You can’t handle the truth!”)

And then Ralph Nader comes along, but no one pays any mind. They just brush him off or make up rumors about how he’ll be a spoiler yet again, “costing us the election.” If the Democrats want to whine about Nader, maybe they should rebuild their house and pick the right person next time. Then we wouldn’t need Nader running! Plus, Nader is more of a Democrat than Obama and Clinton combined! Think about it: He’s a strong consumer advocate with a proven record of effectiveness. He stands up to mighty corporations. He’s a true progressive. He’s not afraid to speak his mind. He’s not afraid to be a “spoiler.” And he’s pretty liberal, by the way.

But all you Democrats focus on is how he’ll “screw it up for us again.” You’d rather support the lesser of two evils, which is still an evil, as opposed to actually going the distance for the sake of our future and our children’s future. You want to take the easy way out.

You know who I supported in 2004? Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean! Yet you all bought into the ridiculous lies the conservative media promulgated about him being “radical,” and you gave us douchebag Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., instead. This led to four more years of Bush because Kerry was nothing but a weakling Frankenstein look-alike who couldn’t hold Dubya accountable.

Maybe in 2012, you’ll all learn your lesson and wise up. I’m sick of seeing two of the worst candidates get all the attention: War Hawk Clinton and No-Change Obama. Is anyone else with me here?

— Brandon Brose, sophomore

bkbbqb@mizzou.edu

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Letter to the Editor: 'Three Stooges' fail to please voters

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