Comments on: Say Bye-Bye, Karl http://firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/ Firedoglake weblog Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:13:34 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: steve kyle http://firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337473 steve kyle Mon, 16 Oct 2006 15:38:32 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337473 <p>I am a 50 yr. old college professor who has been teaching 20 year olds for a long time. This graph rings very true for me - I take the political pulse of my intro economics students every year with various questions, surveys, informal votes, etc. They were indeed distressingly republican in the late 80’s and are as liberal as I have ever seen right now. The only thing that is lacking to make more of them focus on politics is the spur that drove me during high school - The politicians might draft me and get me shot. As it happened I escaped the draft (though not by much) but these days they cant even imagine the reality of what that would mean. To them military service is something other people do and has no realtionship whatever to their own lives. I think Bush et. al. know this, which is why they only “draft” specific categories so that the general pop can remain secure that it isnt them who will go get blown up in Baghdad. But if they ever do try to do a general draft - they will seal the demise of their party for a very very long time.</p> I am a 50 yr. old college professor who has been teaching 20 year olds for a long time. This graph rings very true for me – I take the political pulse of my intro economics students every year with various questions, surveys, informal votes, etc. They were indeed distressingly republican in the late 80’s and are as liberal as I have ever seen right now. The only thing that is lacking to make more of them focus on politics is the spur that drove me during high school – The politicians might draft me and get me shot. As it happened I escaped the draft (though not by much) but these days they cant even imagine the reality of what that would mean. To them military service is something other people do and has no realtionship whatever to their own lives. I think Bush et. al. know this, which is why they only “draft” specific categories so that the general pop can remain secure that it isnt them who will go get blown up in Baghdad. But if they ever do try to do a general draft – they will seal the demise of their party for a very very long time.

]]> By: Edna http://firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337447 Edna Mon, 16 Oct 2006 15:08:45 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337447 <p>My first presidential vote was George McGovern. The 18-year-old vote was not here yet. Before that I did volunteer work in RFK campaign and before that wrote JFK slogans in chalk on the sidewalk.<br /> I thought Nixon was the worst we could ever get - ’til now.</p> My first presidential vote was George McGovern. The 18-year-old vote was not here yet. Before that I did volunteer work in RFK campaign and before that wrote JFK slogans in chalk on the sidewalk.
I thought Nixon was the worst we could ever get – ’til now.

]]> By: Anais http://firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337437 Anais Mon, 16 Oct 2006 14:58:39 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337437 <p>Reagan was absolutely awful for blue states, which saw the steel industry die while he never lifted a finger. When Jeb Bush was recently cornered by some Pittsburgh steelworkers, it reminded me of the day Reagan left a Pittsburgh hotel by a side door to escape steelworkers protesting their lost jobs. People fondly remember his nice smile, but his policies were a stab in the backs of working men and women.<br /> The last decent Republican president was Ike, who must have had foresight when he warned us all of the military-industrial complex.</p> Reagan was absolutely awful for blue states, which saw the steel industry die while he never lifted a finger. When Jeb Bush was recently cornered by some Pittsburgh steelworkers, it reminded me of the day Reagan left a Pittsburgh hotel by a side door to escape steelworkers protesting their lost jobs. People fondly remember his nice smile, but his policies were a stab in the backs of working men and women.
The last decent Republican president was Ike, who must have had foresight when he warned us all of the military-industrial complex.

]]> By: Organic George http://firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337430 Organic George Mon, 16 Oct 2006 14:41:44 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337430 <p><a href="#comment-336724"><em>dr nobody @ 57 </em></a></p> <blockquote><p><a href="#comment-336708"><em>Organic George @<br /> 45 </em></a></p> <blockquote><p>My first vote: Shirley Chisholm. </p> </blockquote> <p>Me too! But it was in my 9th grade straw poll. :-)</p></blockquote> <p>I had just turned 18, 2 weeks before the election, got to the polls 30 min before they opened, convinced the poll watchers to let me into a booth early so I could pull the lever the second the polls opened.</p> <p>Ya think I’m a political junkie ?</p> dr nobody @ 57

Organic George @
45

My first vote: Shirley Chisholm.

Me too! But it was in my 9th grade straw poll. :-)

I had just turned 18, 2 weeks before the election, got to the polls 30 min before they opened, convinced the poll watchers to let me into a booth early so I could pull the lever the second the polls opened.

Ya think I’m a political junkie ?

]]> By: GordonM http://firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337398 GordonM Mon, 16 Oct 2006 13:44:02 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337398 <blockquote><p>I remember walking around muttering “Ronald Reagan is the devil” </p></blockquote> <p>In some ways, Reagan was more dangerous <em>because he was good at it.</em> He left an entire generation worshipping his every disastrous policy, and still believing all his lies.</p> <p>He was expert at using fear - he actually convinced people that places like Nicaragua and Grenada (population less than a good sized state university) were serious security threats - without overdoing it (as Rove appears to have done).</p> <p>He invented the “welfare queen”.</p> <p>Probably more importantly, he presided over the transformation of the economy from productive / innovative to financial / concentrative - so basically the end of the road for the middle class.</p> <p>I was 8 yrs old in 1960, living in a Republican NJ suburb of NYC. I hated Nixon the moment I saw him (so complete opposite of Rove).</p>

I remember walking around muttering “Ronald Reagan is the devil”

In some ways, Reagan was more dangerous because he was good at it. He left an entire generation worshipping his every disastrous policy, and still believing all his lies.

He was expert at using fear – he actually convinced people that places like Nicaragua and Grenada (population less than a good sized state university) were serious security threats – without overdoing it (as Rove appears to have done).

He invented the “welfare queen”.

Probably more importantly, he presided over the transformation of the economy from productive / innovative to financial / concentrative – so basically the end of the road for the middle class.

I was 8 yrs old in 1960, living in a Republican NJ suburb of NYC. I hated Nixon the moment I saw him (so complete opposite of Rove).

]]> By: cando http://firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337396 cando Mon, 16 Oct 2006 13:40:17 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337396 <p>15% undecideds in the poll plus 37% = 52%, same as Dems<br /> Mustn’t count our chickens</p> 15% undecideds in the poll plus 37% = 52%, same as Dems
Mustn’t count our chickens

]]> By: lordrunningclam http://firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337366 lordrunningclam Mon, 16 Oct 2006 11:33:02 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337366 <p>I came of age during the Nixon/Ford administrations. I recall that when i went in to register to vote, I was asked which party and I said “Democratic.” It was too late to vote in the Democratic primary but not the Republican, so the lady there suggested I register as a Republican so I could vote in it. My response was “Nixon was a Republican, right?”</p> <p>Sadly ,the current clown makes Nixon look good.</p> I came of age during the Nixon/Ford administrations. I recall that when i went in to register to vote, I was asked which party and I said “Democratic.” It was too late to vote in the Democratic primary but not the Republican, so the lady there suggested I register as a Republican so I could vote in it. My response was “Nixon was a Republican, right?”

Sadly ,the current clown makes Nixon look good.

]]> By: QBU http://firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337365 QBU Mon, 16 Oct 2006 11:02:55 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337365 <p>A quote from a member of the Bush 41 staff, via the NY Daily News:</p> <p>“By comparison, the old man looks better and better,” a senior 41 hand said, with undisguised satisfaction. </p> <p><a href="http://tinyurl.com/y62cfs">http://tinyurl.com/y62cfs</a></p> <p>I guess every mushroom cloud has a silver lining.</p> A quote from a member of the Bush 41 staff, via the NY Daily News:

“By comparison, the old man looks better and better,” a senior 41 hand said, with undisguised satisfaction.

http://tinyurl.com/y62cfs

I guess every mushroom cloud has a silver lining.

]]> By: ThatSinger http://firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337160 ThatSinger Mon, 16 Oct 2006 05:51:49 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337160 <blockquote><p>Jane- thanks- also saw another $20 (thatsinger, I assume) so I matched them both.</p></blockquote> <p>Mine was for $40… but who’s counting???</p> <p>Y’all rock… </p> <p>BTW, here’s a singular scream from someone(roughly) Jane’s own age who happens to already be married at the time she decided to start dating guys her own age…</p> <p>I got no timing… I got NOT timing…</p>

Jane- thanks- also saw another $20 (thatsinger, I assume) so I matched them both.

Mine was for $40… but who’s counting???

Y’all rock…

BTW, here’s a singular scream from someone(roughly) Jane’s own age who happens to already be married at the time she decided to start dating guys her own age…

I got no timing… I got NOT timing…

]]> By: HotFlash http://firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337030 HotFlash Mon, 16 Oct 2006 03:53:05 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/10/15/say-bye-bye-karl/#comment-337030 <p><a href="#comment-336978"><em>carsick @<br /> 160 </em></a></p> <blockquote><p> My parents taught me well to see and know my community and to define what was needed, what was doable and what was just and to work for the latter while realizing the former.</p></blockquote> <p>Sounds like you had good parents and learned well. Can I borrow that? Words to live by.</p> carsick @
160

My parents taught me well to see and know my community and to define what was needed, what was doable and what was just and to work for the latter while realizing the former.

Sounds like you had good parents and learned well. Can I borrow that? Words to live by.

]]>