BS: Dubbya, Gore and DUI

Subject: RE: BS: Dubbya, Gore and DUI
From: catspaw49
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 11:31 AM

I dunno' Sins......I hope so. What bothers me is that we have so much interest in it. I agree that the person on the street is wearying of the thing, but it still hasn't hit the press or the parties themselves yet. The press runs a story saying that few are interested in whatever and then turn around and triple the coverage. Polls showed that the general public was tired of the whole Clinton thing and it still didn't stop and indeed the issues became more trivial, but MORE investigated. They'll get it one of these days........I hope.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Dubbya, Gore and DUI
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 11:14 AM

A vote for Nader is AT LEAST a half vote for Bush.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Dubbya, Gore and DUI
From: MMario
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 11:12 AM

I didn't say the COle incident wasn't well covered. I said this has had more coverage (which it HAS).

Subject: RE: BS: Dubbya, Gore and DUI
From: SINSULL
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 11:03 AM

Spaw,
I disagree with your statement "we seem to be going in the wrong direction." The Press may be but most of the people I know shrug, laugh, and say it's not relevant. That includes GW's arrest and Clinton's sexual affairs - Oh Sorry - he didn't have sex.

Subject: RE: BS: Dubbya, Gore and DUI
From: Whistle Stop
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 11:02 AM

I agree with Spaw; this shouldn't matter, period. It will be interesting to see what effect it has. It could hurt Bush by reflecting badly on his candor, or it could hurt Gore if people feel he was behind the 11th-hour disclosure. For myself, I would prefer that the election be decided on the issues and qualifications of the candidates; there isn't much about a 24 year old DUI that interests me.

Subject: RE: BS: Dubbya, Gore and DUI
From: Jim the Bart
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 10:52 AM

I agree, 'Spaw, about the life issues thing being irrelevant. I find it interesting, though, that Bush, who has been campaigning as the "un-Clinton", is linked to him by something that (as MMario maintains) was a matter of public record.

MMario - 24 years ago it may have been a minor traffic incident, but things change when you're five days from the White House. And the Cole incident was page one news and well covered.

Subject: RE: BS: Dubbya, Gore and DUI
From: catspaw49
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 10:40 AM

I don't see it as having any significant effect on the election. The public statement made by Bush will play in Peoria and I doubt if it matters much at this stage anyway. Though I would like to see anything happen to assure Gore's victory, I'm sick of these personal life issues that are not relevant whether its a blow job or a DUI. Yeah, I know......There are all these hidden issues that speak to the character of blah,blah,blah..........bullshit. It would also be easy to want some quid pro quo here and I'm sure both parties are childish enough to play the game. That's bullshit too.

I have no idea how history will judge Bill Clinton and neither does anyone else, we can only speculate. I hope that 50 or 100 years from now we have all wised up to the point of judging the performance of a job and not the frailities of the human species. We seem to be going in the wrong direction at the moment.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Dubbya, Gore and DUI
From: MMario
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 10:38 AM

I'm more concerned about a nation and a press that can take a 24 year old minor traffic incident that is a matter of public record and blow it up into national news. There has been more coverage of this then of the USS Cole incident, and 17 lost their lives in that!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Dubbya, Gore and DUI
From: SINSULL
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 10:30 AM

More funny than tragic. I am more concerned about the rumors of cocaine use and a possible arrest. Makes ole Bubba Clinton look like a member of the "silent majority".

Subject: RE: BS: Dubbya, Gore and DUI
From: JedMarum
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 10:29 AM

It's very safe to vote for Nader!

Subject: RE: BS: Dubbya, Gore and DUI
From: kendall
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 10:26 AM

maybe its safe to vote for Nader after all! wuddaya think Doug?

Subject: Dubbya, Gore and DUI
From: Jim the Bart
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 10:20 AM

It's all over the news, so I thought it merited comment.

I have always maintained that what happens to a person in life, is not as important as how he or she responds to it. Watching the response to this "November surprise" will be interesting.

I personally don't believe that this arrest, by itself, should matter in this election. It was a long time ago. He doesn't drink anymore. 14 years sober is something to commend.

There are two things about this that bother me, however. 1. When asked last night if this was the only substance problem in the Governor's past, neither he nor his campaign spokesman would give a simple "NO" for an answer.

There is the time for absolute candor. If he has nothing else in his past - say it! And it's not college pranks that I'm afraid lurk in the background (theft of a Christmas Wreath with some pals in college, also disclosed by his campaign spokesman. Big freaking deal).

2. He has repeatedly said about himself that "what you see is what you get". If he knew this was out there, an isolated incident that is truly insignificant, why didn't he just say it at some point over the past eighteen months of campaigning? Get it out there and basically de-fuse the issue. He thought he could slip this passed the electorate. In card playing terms, he tried to finesse the point. And he lost.

Did the Gore campaign slip Bush the old "shanghai surprise"? A Gore supporter did, no question about it. But I seriously doubt that the Gore campaign OK'ed it. They're not that good at campaigning. If they would have known about proof like this before they would have been hammering it in ads for the past month until no one really cared anymore. And even if they did know - I once again quote the late great Mayor Harold Washington, "Politics ain't beanbag".