well, the point of that cartoon to me is that too many of the voters have surrendered to simplistic, easy answers......and the Republican strategists have about mastered the art of buzz-word associating. They have a catch phrase for every possible demographic group..."flip-flop" "wishy-washy" "most liberal" "anti-gun" "voted FOR" "voted AGAINST" "rich wife" "aloof" "New England" "eliteist"....need I go on?

They have learned to pander to those who simply don't want to THINK by offering them an easy way to pigeonhole Kerry..(or ANY candidate the Democrats might have nominated)...The Republicans have a certain voter base who would vote for Bush if he sprouted horns and a tail and explicitly told them he was gonna tap every phone line in America! ("well, I ain't got nuthin' to hide, LET 'em tap them commie-lovin' liberals..")....all they need is to keep attention on anti-Kerry buzzwords, and away from the meat of the damage Bush & Co. are doing. If the Democrats can't find a way to counter that and get a couple of focus points of their own (**deficit** **failed war**...whatever) they are lost!

..and Little Hawk,*tsk*, you presume a lot about what my assumptions are just because I an an American. "American Illusion?" piffle! Just because those who DO deal in slogans like "American Dream" are so forward about it and wave flags when they should be reading history, doesn't mean I can't separate rhetoric from reality.....and I repeat, what sense does it make to make generalizations that compare the US (or Canada, OR the UK) to Germany or Italy in the 30s? The differences are manifold and the few similarities are functions of temporary attitudes of a few idiots who have modern technology (and a new type of journalism*) to distract people from the real issues.

*(new type of journalism....the notion that journalism should be entertainment and make news, rather than report news!) When have you seen a news program which bothers to discuss a set of issues and opinions about the issues, rather than collect a batch of 'talking heads' to analyze rhetorical questions about superficial trends and gossip? "Do you think Teresa Heinz will retract that 'shove it' remark? Should the Democrats reign her in? Will Kerry's hair-do prove a hindrance to him? Is John Edwards too good-looking?"

"Are rhetorical questions ruining American journalism? Does anyone notice or care?"

I'm Bill Day, and I approved this message.