Hey, me again. Here's an update:
I've gotten a lot of positive feedback on "Operation `Shame on You,'" so I thought I'd re-post the info. Here `tis:
Newspapers all over the country are gearing up to make their endorsements for President. Many of them are predictable, of course. The Chicago Tribune, where I live, historically endorses the Republican candidate, regardless of who it is. If the GOP nominated an avocado, the avocado would be trumpeted as the "right way to go for our country." So what can you do?
Here's the plan:
Last week, I went on the web and looked up all of the Bush endorsements that I could find from the 2000 election. A lot of links to these publications can be found on this website:
http://www.gwu.edu/~action/natendorse5.html
(Warning: many of these threads, being four years old, are now dead. If you find more, e-mail me at Cyberactor@aol.com.)
For example, I found this from the Detroit News, who said of Bush:
"Mr. Bush will be a far better friend to Michigan workers. Preserving and growing jobs through smarter economic and conservation approaches is far better for the state's unionized work force than the empty and tired slogans of Mr. Gore."
Of course, smarter economic and conservation approaches did not occur and Michigan's workers are now suffering. They also wrote:
"Gov. Bush promises to purge Washington of the politics of division. His record in Texas and his tone on the campaign trail suggest he can succeed."
The result? The politics of division are alive, well and more toxic than ever before.
Finally, they wrote: "The nation is enjoying the legacy of government restraint initiated by President Ronald Reagan. But we can't expect to coast on the current prosperity. Prudent management and discipline are needed in Washington. If our leaders become drunk on the surplus and launch a massive new spending spree, we very likely will find ourselves once again facing deficits and a stagnant economy."
Well, even an avocado knows what happened, right? So here is my idea: We go and find these endorsements. We spread these ridiculous predictions far and wide. And we respond to them. In force. Letters to the editor of each of these dailies, especially those in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania...you get the idea.
Point out to the editors (as I did earlier to the Detroit News, the Cincinnati Post, the Cincinnati Enquirer and the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel), that their predictions of what kind of president George Bush would be proved to be disastrously wrong. Some of our letters might get published. Maybe not. Some of these editors might be shamed into endorsing Kerry this time around. Maybe not.
But it's worth a shot.
P.S. Go Cubs!