that we'll find the more human-sounding planks in Demo platform and, it's true - Demo group doesn't have to keep feeding Mad Uncle Harry, pay lip-service to his hateful rantings with mock solemnity; pretend it *isn't* about hate, etc.
But C. still made a bargain with the Repo-Debbil, in selling out all idea of social support for the poorest (and for their dependents), in caving -- actually coopting! the most repo of the Repubs - in so-called 'welfare reform'. Right: Move Them Out.. and on to those no-perks, no med, no vacation, no security: min-wage jobs, so as to call them now "employed". It was a rank political ploy, pure Repo behavior (really pissed off the ones he coopted) which hasn't come home to roost fully, yet..
Also, this all occurred as the 'surplus' was accruing: meanwhile, 20-25% US children are [still] below poverty line (depending on where you parse). This is not even thought disgraceful here! so what else does that say about Murica? (or about social Darwinism)
Last I heard, some 13M are due to get cut off this next year or so, with no place to go: cannot live on the laughable min wages; certainly can't hire! child care in order to show up for the 8 hours of automated drudgery that most of these jobs mean. Eat the offspring? Or let them run wild. Encouraged, naturally - via lots of tut-tuts about Personal Responsibility, from the suited bureaucrats (with full perks for Their jobs, managing 'The Poor')
But the *numbers off welfare* will Look Good\ufffd and that's all that matters to a significant slice of the Murican Peepul.
Personally I find this single C. outrage cancels out much (but not all) that he did better - and it remains true that, he may have been the most literate president in anyone's memory. Replacing C. with the village idiot, merely magnifies the quality of most of his speeches. (I also deem that, despite his idiocies - he also possesses an actual heart. Rare. Lots of Muricans are as fucked up sexually as he - just look at our entertainment, for verification)
So I still go with the Demo rhetoric over the Repub, for all obvious reasons. But it doesn't translate into likelihood of improvements in the growing rich/poor gap. The 'government' has been bought lock, stock & barrel by the International Corporate Conspiracy (WTF, TLAs are! Murica's only real 'product' anymore; the rest is farmed out on lo-bid). And the ICC doesn't care about the fate of any 'country'; certainly not about anyone who lives in any country.
Be interesting to see if Nader has learned a few things; recently heard he had come up with a platform a bit different from the Greens -- just possibly there is some alternative as could bring off what Perot might have: had he been a bit 'different' a character, stayed the course - and didn't sound like a duck. (Persona is Everything, especially here).
{sigh} I regret most, that there is no actual 'politics' here, with real 'debate' of obvious issues - just maudlin sentimentality, juvenile spin + slogans. That won't change in just 4 years. :[ We can wish.. Pigs might fly.
Ashton
Gawd. 3 years, 4 mos. 10 days of retard-English, to go..