Whistle Stop: I was in agreement on the balance of what you said in that posting.

Ella: It would be difficult to post meaningfully to this Thread without it involving politics. If you were urging the banning of political duscussion on the Mudcat, sorry, that just won't happen. As long as the differing viewpoints respect the right for folks to differ with them, however, why not discuss politics?

On the Lieberman issue, I think Gore chose him for two reasons: 1. He needs to distance himself from Clinton, and Lieberman offered the best opportunity to do that, and 2. His handlers suggested that selecting a Jewish candidate to run with him would get him a great deal of publicity (which it certainly has ...breaking down the walls, etc. etc.) I'm confident that they never would have suggested it if the polls didn't indicate that it was a good idea. Candidates in both parties rely far to much on polls, in my opinion. One never knows when one hears a candidate express his/her views whether or not those views are really the candidates, or the result of a poll or opinions gathered from a focus group.

Lieberman made perhaps the most effective speech of any in the Senate on the misbehaviour of our President. In the long-run, however, when push came to shove, he did not support impeachment. To him, the president was "half pregnant."

As to the religious issue, any and all who heard Gore and Lieberman on GMA this morning would have to agree, I think, that the two of them played the religious card to a fare-the-well. They were both stumbling all over themselves to claim who had said a prayer when, and who had said it first.

Poor interviewer, Jack Ford; it was obvious, at least to me, that he truly was interested in interviewing the Senator, but the Vice President couldn't abide not being the center of attention in the interview. He couldn't resist tossing in his own two cents at every opportunity.

Personally, I think the Senator is a decent, honorable man who has represented his state well. He was a great choice for Gore to make, and it probably will help him. Whether it will help him enought to get him elected, we will just have to wait and see. The Vice President candidate has never been enough before (for either Party) to carry an election. The race is still going to be between Bush and Gore. My opinion only, of course. DougR