Bob Greenberger

Bob said: "If there’s any positive lesson to be taken from the election results, it is that Bush was right. The educational standards in the country need to be substantially raised. Then, and only then, will we have a citizenry grounded in the facts or capable of asking the hard questions in order to make an informed decision."

So, essentially, you're saying a majority of Americans are morons for reelecting a president whose views you don't share. That is complete ARROGANCE. You're saying that intelligent people share my views; uneducated morons don't. If that opinion is shared by most liberals, it's no wonder that the majority of Americans don't vote with the liberals. How can you expect people to accept your views if you call them morons if their political views differ from yours? Perhaps, they're more intelligent than you think, Bob. Perhaps, it's time for the liberals in this world to engage the other side in INTELLIGENT discussion, instead of emotional baiting.

NO. He said they are misinformed. Many still believe there are WMD's and Saddam was behind 9/11. And you don't think we need more education? Ignorance is not having the knowledge. Morons are not capable of understanding the knowledge. There is a difference and you are reading into what he said with your own arrogance.

"People who don't agree with me = uneducated" isn't very different from "People who don't agree with me = misinformed". Apparently there's no legitmate way someone can have a different opinion. If you don't don't see things my way, something is obviously wrong with you!

Most will do a far more eloquent job expressing their frustration, disbelief and anger.
No, from the results MOST will be celebrating the fact that dispite all the negative attacks and Hollywood using every bullet in the chamber America made the right choice. The Democrats are so out of touch with America, they lost about everything they could, and the majority Americans are the ones not informed....classic. Democrats need to drop the fiddle while their party is burning.

My thoughts above are not about ideology. People can believe in supply-side economics or believe marriage should be between a man and a woman. At no point have I said I’m right or you’re wrong. It’s the lack of intellectual curiosity, exemplified best by our sitting President, that has me worried about the country.

My thoughts about the education of the American public is more about how people don’t go beyond the ideologies, don’t read enough fact to make a decision for themselves. It’s the lack of intellectual curiosity, exemplified best by our sitting President, that has me worried about the country. I live in a town of 57,000 people so we have a local CT newspaper as well as a twice-weekly and a weekly newspaper. So lots of reporting goes on. I remain appalled at the weight people place on the Letters to the Editor for their information as opposed to the hopefully objective coverage in the preceding papers.

At no time have I argued that John Kerry and Democratic platform is for right-minded people.

Instead, my problem is with an electorate that has steadfastly ignored the reporting that has exposed the Bush Administration’s excesses. I am incensed that scientific documents are edited because they don’t fit with the President’s world view. We have an Administration that condones concealment of the facts such as the case of mis-representing the Medicare Overhaul’s true costs.

A friend of mine, in challenging my post, IM’d, “Well, I learned years ago that governments, presidents, and administrations tend to lie and obfuscate a lot. ("I did not have sexual relations..." "I am not a crook." and so on.)” And he’s right; every administration does things that they know are wrong.

It’s the level of misdeed and the depth of harm caused by the administration’s actions that concern me. That, coupled with an electorate that seems willing to tolerate it while telling pollsters they made their choices on moral grounds worries me.

Bosko:
"People who don't agree with me = uneducated" isn't very different from "People who don't agree with me = misinformed". Apparently there's no legitmate way someone can have a different opinion. If you don't don't see things my way, something is obviously wrong with you!

I gave examples of people being misinfomed. I in no way said that those who don't agree with me are misinformed. You are twisting my words.

So, essentially, you're saying a majority of Americans are morons for reelecting a president whose views you don't share. That is complete ARROGANCE. You're saying that intelligent people share my views; uneducated morons don't. If that opinion is shared by most liberals, it's no wonder that the majority of Americans don't vote with the liberals.

What a horrible thing to put words in Bob's mouth. YOU put the word "moron" into his essay where it did not exist and then criticize him for calling people "morons"?

The place where I disagree with Bob is that while Bush claims he thinks education needs to be improved, the prez is only interested in having students pass standardized tests. That's the ANTITHESIS of creating a society that is able to ask "the hard questions."

I think that first response is exactly what Bob was talking about. Rather than debate Bob on the issue raised, the poster just takes it that Bob was calling people names and responds in a childlike fashion throwing out the word "liberal" without even really understanding what that word even means. Jeff C. wants intelligent discussion when he himself can't even post a reasonable response. Talk about emotional baiting!

Finally, the percentage number regarding the youth vote is misleading. Yes, the percentage number didn't change, however there was a greater increase in voters overall. So, if the percentage stayed the same then that means the youth vote kept pace with the overall turnout. If it didn't, the percentage would have been lower than it was in 2000.

Karen: "I gave examples of people being misinfomed. I in no way said that those who don't agree with me are misinformed. You are twisting my words."

While there are certainly Bush supporters who are misinformed, surely you can admit that some Kerry supporters are as well? There are people who voted for Kerry because they believed Bush was going to start a draft, or that he would cut their Social Security benefits. Both sides rely on voters making little or no effort to examine their claims.

The draft has been talked about and even voted on in Congress. While it was an excercise to prove it would not pass, some of us wonder how we are going to keep the military going while it is overextended. Where are all the new soldiers going to come from? We extrapolate that there are very few ways of dealing with this, escept a draft. Some European countries have a mandatory service for ALL citizens. I don't think this is a bad thing. Everyone would experience military life and understand much better the rewards and sacrifices involved. I am speaking as a veteran.

Bush's plan to partially privatize Social Security would result in it becoming bankrupt much earlier than projected by taking money out of the trust. He feels people should be able to invest their own money for retirement purposes. But, there is NOTHING stopping them from doing that now. Social Security was originally a safety net for those who can not afford to put money away for the future. I will bet that at least 75%, if not more, will spend any money they recieve as a matter of course, instead of investing, and will have nothing. I think these are valid points to discuss, not fearmongering. Now, telling us that we would be attacked again if we elect Kerry?