Let’s do a little exercise in “compare and contrast” between reality and the nonsense that Bob Latta and Steve Buehrer are peddling here in their primary race to replace Paul Gillmor in Ohio District 5. Both have filed claim and counter claim that the THEY are really the most reactionary wingnut running. (Boy, now THERE is a dubious distinction!)
There was a brilliant episode of the “West Wing” where an inside the Beltway political consultant convinces the Bartlett staff that they should support a flag burning amendment because some poll showed that a large majority of voters are “in favor” of it.
But Marilee Matlin played another consultant who pointed out that although a majority of voters might say “yes” to such an amendment, they attach VERY little importance to it. (Which happens to be true.)
Basically, the “Bob and Steve Show” is engaging in blatant hucksterism and demagoguery by ONLY focusing on “issues” that gain the support of their most rabid base while absolutely NOT addressing the issues that actually matter to Americans.
The evil, mean-spirited, mudslinging going on between these two, is just pathetic. While they babble on about school prayer, the “defense of marriage,” and flag burning, they have nothing so say about the REAL issues facing our nation.
Let’s take a look at the most recent Rassmussen Report on what issues are most important to voters and, more importantly who they trust the most on those issues.
Flag burning Bob? School prayer Steve? Sorry. Complete nonstarters. Here are the top issues to American voters ranked by how important they are to the voter.
And, who do Americans trust the most on those issues? More bad news for Bob and Steve.
The garbage that these charlatans are peddling will enable them to eek out a narrow victory for one or the other in a GOP primary, but they are just painting themselves into a corner for the general election.
Ever since Cheney and Rove were able to wrest control of our Nation via first the Supreme Court in 2000 and then 218,000 “values voters” in Ohio in 2004, the reactionary right has come to rely more and more on these provocative but ultimately meaningless “wedge” issues.
And now, they are increasingly on the losing side of both the wedge issues and the real issues. But when it comes to the most important issue facing our country, all of a sudden Latta and Buehrer run out of anything to say. According to an article in today’s Toledo Blade:
“Both GOP candidates prefaced their football analogies by admitting they lack a full understanding of the situation, saying that congressmen ought to rely on recommendations from a military hierarchy that ultimately reports to the Oval Office.”
And then Latta resorts to that most favorite neo-con subterfuge– blame it on the media.
“Mr. Latta said adhering to the wisdom of generals is better than setting military policy based on public opinion polls. A CBS News poll two weeks ago found that 67 percent of Americans disapprove of how Mr. Bush is handling the Iraq war.
Mr. Latta blames the media for the war’s unpopularity. “
Gee guys, you don’t think that it could it be the thousands of American soldiers killed? Could it be that the American people have come to grasp that there was never any WMDs? Could it be the TRILLIONS of their tax dollars going to waste at a time when we face huge natural disasters at home?
So while Latta and Buehrer play their stupid game of trying to see who can scare away the greatest number of GOP primary voters, the rest of us have to deal with the horrors of the real world.
