is that many of these people would believe the opposite of what they do if the message were different. Hell what kind of congnative dissonance is required to have one set of ideas and ideals for Regean & Poppy – then change 180 degrees for Clinton – and then swing back for baby Bush? Gonna enjoy the flop on that flip in 2008 Nov.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVhn_-5GkWs

OT, but I have a question. At over sixty, I have never sent a letter to the editor until late Saturday evening. I faxed it to our local Arizona Republic, but as you would imagine, this being apx the fifth largest city in the country, I don’t know what the chances are that they would choose to publish my letter. I was wondering whether the paper contacts the author of letters to the editor to tell them when or whether their letters will be published. I don’t even subscribe to the paper, so I will probably have no way of knowing other than a contact from the paper. Also, can you send a letter to the editor of say the WAPO, or NYT, even if you don’t live in their area? Should I try?

Anne, something for you @92,

peanutbutter @ 84

Oh, hey Loo Hoo. I ducked on Santiago Creek, b/c that was the Santiago Fire in my area last month…

Maybe a more lucky name. Surf Cities FP ain’t bad…

Suz said Santa Cruz is the real Surf City. Don’t want to start a north/south divide like we had in the 80’s!

Anything happening on the petition fraud issue?
Anything in the MSM. Googling produced one news item from 11/04, so this has been going on for two weeks now, at least:
http://www.mercurynews.com/pol…..ck_check=1

Ann in AZ @ 67

OT, but I have a question. At over sixty, I have never sent a letter to the editor until late Saturday evening. I faxed it to our local Arizona Republic, but as you would imagine, this being apx the fifth largest city in the country, I don’t know what the chances are that they would choose to publish my letter. I was wondering whether the paper contacts the author of letters to the editor to tell them when or whether their letters will be published. I don’t even subscribe to the paper, so I will probably have no way of knowing other than a contact from the paper. Also, can you send a letter to the editor of say the WAPO, or NYT, even if you don’t live in their area? Should I try?

Yes, they should contact you before they publish it. (They’ll want to confirm your identity, at least, though there seems to be some courtesy involved, too.) I’ve gotten “we’re considering publishing your letter” a couple of times from the WaPo, but have never been published.

You can definitely get letters published in the NYT and WaPo wherever you are; they consider themselves “national” papers, so if you’re reading it, you’re equally entitled to comment. I don’t know, but that may be commonplace now that most newspapers are on the web.

From FDL, don’t remember who, instructions for writing and LTE:
letters to editor template.

– No more than two paragraphs, max. Try to limit yourself to the 100-200 word range. As TRex said, this is no time for the Unibomber Manifesto. Be succinct and you are more likely to get published. Longer letters are more likely to be edited by someone else — you are much better off doing your edit yourself.

– Stick to a single issue.

– Mention your Representative and/or Senator by name. Their staff is much more likely to pay attention, and the editorial folks at the newspaper will as well. A lot of Congressional offices use clipping services to pull LTEs for them where the name is mentioned, so you have a much greater chance of them seeing your letter by including names.

– Highlight the local impact of the issue, this has a much more effective reach for your letter and makes a broader potential statement to readers who may not be as familiar with the subject matter.

– Do send in LTEs to your local newspapers, to newsletters in your community and other smaller publications. These have quite a reach in terms of readership, and you are more likely to be published there than in a larger national publication.

– Humor can be very helpful. So can doing a little research on the style of your local newspaper and its editorial staff.

– Avoid being shrill, name-calling, or getting personal. You want to criticize facts not beliefs. Be sure to do your homework on your subject. Use facts, figures, and expert information in the form of short quotes where it is useful.

– Always proofread. And then proof it again.

– Try to read your letter from the perspective of a reader who has no background in the subject. Will it make sense to someone who isn’t watching a lot of C-Span? Who doesn’t read blogs? This is important, because those are people you are trying to reach.

– Always include your name, address, day-time phone number, e-mail information and signature. Editors like to verify letter content before publication, so make it easy for them and you are more likely to get yours published.

http://rhetorica.net/archives/006269.html

peanutbutter @ 84

Oh, hey Loo Hoo. I ducked on Santiago Creek, b/c that was the Santiago Fire in my area last month…

Maybe a more lucky name. Surf Cities FP ain’t bad…

Suz said Santa Cruz is the real Surf City. Don’t want to start a north/south divide like we had in the 80’s!

Ha ha! Oh, dear, that’s what Huntington Beach here claims to. Forgot about that, isn’t there actually a lawsuit pending?

Awright, more think-cap-y stuff…

eCAHNomics @ 55

So why do you think we haven’t bombed Iran yet? Cheny’s clearlt chomping at the bit.

Since they never do anything for any reason except to expand their own power, I think they haven’t figured out how to sell it. Contrary to our general fears that starting another war would get them another “rally round the flag” response, I think it’s likely that their polling has told them that it would be seen as an escalation of the unpopular Iraq war, and would label the GOP even more solidly as nutcase warmongers who are destroying our military to no one’s benefit but their own. And while Cheney just wants to use his power while he has it, Bush’s concern about his own reputation (though not anyone else’s, even the GOP’s) is balancing his messianic streak.

(I’m thinking of the Hersch article earlier this year about how they were switching their plans from trying to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities to trying to bomb bases that were supposedly being used to interfere in Iraq, because the armed forces didn’t think bombing away their nuclear research would work — that was all about selling the idea to the military.)

Anyway, that’s my take.

I think that’s a good start for a way to think about it. I’d very much noticed that they aren’t being successful in their marketing campaign, but wasn’t thinking about that as an impediment to actually launching the attack.

MayDaze @ 54

Cosidering the way she’s been run over by the Cheney bus for the past few years, I sure hope not!

So why do you think we haven’t bombed Iran yet? Cheny’s clearlt chomping at the bit.

Since they never do anything for any reason except to expand their own power, I think they haven’t figured out how to sell it. Contrary to our general fears that starting another war would get them another “rally round the flag” response, I think it’s likely that their polling has told them that it would be seen as an escalation of the unpopular Iraq war, and would label the GOP even more solidly as nutcase warmongers who are destroying our military to no one’s benefit but their own. And while Cheney just wants to use his power while he has it, Bush’s concern about his own reputation (though not anyone else’s, even the GOP’s) is balancing his messianic streak.

(I’m thinking of the Hersch article earlier this year about how they were switching their plans from trying to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities to trying to bomb bases that were supposedly being used to interfere in Iraq, because the armed forces didn’t think bombing away their nuclear research would work — that was all about selling the idea to the military.)

Anyway, that’s my take.

‘Kip Carter, his former campaign treasurer, was walking Newt’s daughters back from a football game one day and cut across a driveway where he saw a car. “As I got to the car, I saw Newt in the passenger seat and one of the guys’ wives with her head in his lap going up and down.
Newt kind of turned and gave me this little-boy smile. Fortunately, Jackie Sue and Kathy were a lot younger and shorter then.”‘

Well, fiddle-dee-cee…I would think of that as more of a shamelessly cheating bastard smile, but it’s all in the eye of the beholder, I suppose.