Nate’s On Fire
Saturday, September 4th, 2004My good friend and collegue Nate Johnson sent this email last week and has licensed me to reproduce it in my blog space. He provides a concise and pointed look at the passing republican and democratic conventions. Again my friends…its time to take action, time to engage and challenge the political conversation with all of your friends. Time to make change happen.
Thanks Nate.
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Friends,
I tried to play fair. So I watched both the Democrats and the Republicans and their national conventions. Here�s what I learned.
Republicans clearly have a flair for the ironic. Consider what happened during the RNC…
…the most conservative regime since WWII, comes to the center for the convention, just like they did in 2000. Which was just before they became the most conservative regime since WWII.
…Zell Miller (D-Georgia) brands Kerry a �flip-flopper.� Not only did this guy speak out at the 1992 DNC against George H.W. Bush, he switched loyalties a dozen years later to speak out against Kerry during a prime time address.
…Bush blasts Kerry for pointing to Hollywood as �the heart and soul of America� less than 48 hours after Arnold Schwarzenegger delivers a high profile speech to the RNC.
…Cheney states that our soldiers �represent the very best of America.� Never mind, of course, that Cheney dodged service in Vietnam while John Kerry became a decorated war hero. This from a man who sees no conflict of interest in his former corporation making a profit in the now-Halliburtonized not-so-post-war Iraq.
…Cheney says, “My fellow Americans, we have already been attacked.� Can someone please refresh my memory? When did Iraq attack the United States?
In fact, every speech at the RNC dripped with irony. Suddenly, monumental failures in public policy became huge successes.
Want the truth? Bush has lost 1,000,000 jobs since 2000. Over 4,000,000 Americans have lost health care coverage since he became president. He under-funded No Child Left Behind by $9B. Want more? How about over 1,000 soldiers losing their lives in Iraq, after our president destroys any chance of a global coalition and undermines 225+ years of American foreign policy by striking first?
If I sound upset, that�s intentional. I�m tired of sitting by while lowbrow �politicians� drag Democrats into the “Republican Mud Pit: Serving Citizens Since 1992.”
It didn�t have to be like this. On the first night of the RNC, John McCain (R-Arizona) calls the Democratic Party �opponents, not enemies.” But then every speaker in his wake missed the most sensible statement from their most sensible public figure. It�s not surprising, though, from a party that enabled a group of veterans who never served with Kerry to share their �observations.” Or from a party that continually named, shamed, and blamed �John Kerry� in speech after speech. Or from a party who endorsed Zell �Flip-Flop� Miller, who walked off the stage and promptly challenged journalist Chris Matthews to a duel.
What�s the point? Here�s what we need to stand up for…more jobs…universal health care…religious and cultural tolerance…equal access to education…regained status as a conscientious member of the global community…recognition of same-sex marriages.
I�ll close this rant by quoting Republican icon Ronald Reagan, who, in a 1980 debate, asked the American public: �Are you better of now than you were four years ago?�
We�re not.
Which is why I�m not asking you to join me in voting for Kerry. What I�m asking you to do is much bigger than that. I�m asking you to ask others to join us in voting for John Kerry in November.
When small numbers of people start behaving differently, that behavior can ripple outward until a critical mass — �or tipping point� — is reached. That�s when you change the world.
It�s time to tip this thing over. It�s time to break out your best Paul Revere impression and warn everyone that �the Republicans are coming!� It�s time to influence the most influential people you know.
It�s time to join us and vote for John Kerry.
Sincerely,
Nate
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