The model for this blog is Mark Evanier’s News from ME. Ain’t no secret or shame in that. Swipe from your superiors, I say. Evanier is a successful writer of books, cartoons, comic-books and TV shows and, as Randy Newman sang, he loves L.A.
By clicking here you will see that Mark has mixed feelings about this TV ad being broadcast in Missouri, featuring Parkinson’s Disease sufferer Michael J. Fox.
If the area above is blank, blame YouTube™!
MJ Fox isn’t asking for money here, he’s asking for votes. And he’s right — sometimes the late Tip O’Neill’s maxim that "all politics is local" is only partly true.
Thank you very much for your comment, Alex!
I must expand on your comments on the Falkland Islands (also known as Malvinas in Spanish speaking circles) For your information the Islands are very significant to all who live here and they are called the Falkland Islands in English and Islas Malvinas in Spanish…not the other way around. Be PC!!!
Not many Shepherds left here by the way… and a somewhat antidemocratic political system but a beautiful place to live in.
Yeah, “Gay Marriage”…Of course. That’s another one of those “single issue,” hot button topics that are used to manipulate people into voting for a particular candidate. If you don’t think gays should be allowed legal marriages, than vote for So-and-So, who is against it!!! Oh…And, exactly what is Mr or Ms. So-and-So’s stand on things like our foreign policies??? And, the future of Social Security and health care, as the Boomers slide into the Golden Years? …Just to name a few issues a WHOLE lot more important than whether or not the candidate is for or against gay marriage!
There’s a phrase for diverting attention from more important issues at hand, by creating a distraction: a “red herring.” For example, this is exactly what was done by the Argentine government by suddenly waging a war with Britain over the long-time disputed ownership of Las Islas Malvinas, also known as the Falkland Islands. The domestic situation, the economy, of Argentina was not doing well. But the manipulated citizens of Argentina forgot those problems – temporarily at least – during the time they rallied round the flag and sent their sons off to battle over some basically insignificant, sparsely populated islands mainly occupied by sheep, and some British shepherds. Hardly any Argentines lived there.
Always beware of “red herrings”!! Political history is FULL of them on a grand scale, and the dangerous use of them is still commonplace, – because this diversionary tactic is just so successful in swaying masses of people who forget to view the broader picture.
Wow! Liz’s comment really hit the nub of the matter. I hadn’t thought of this from the single-issue angle. But now that I do, it makes sense. I too really dislike single-issue campaigning, but Liz’s “political radar” working better than mine.
Was Rush “Gasbag” Limbaugh off of his own (illegally prescribed) meds when he made his totally irresponsible speculation about MJ Fox? And I see that right on schedule, before an election, GAY MARRIAGE is suddenly hoisted up as being the #1 life-and-death issue. Which obviously it isn’t.
Iraq is the #1 issue. The GOP spins this around by saying The War on Terror is #1.
The thing that bothers me is “single issue” politics. For example, I have a friend who states flat out that he will never, ever vote for someone who holds an opinion opposite to his, regarding abortion. ( I’m not even going to tell you whether my friend is “pro-life” or “pro-family,” because that’s simply not the point here!) I feel very sympathetic to what Michael J. Fox is saying. But if I lived in Missouri, before I voted, I really would have to consider both candidates positions on various matters, not just the stem cell research issue. Then I’d load my own personal stands of all the issues combined on a balance scale, and see which way it tips, towards one candidate or the other.So I just try to vote for the candidate with whom I agree with on a majority of the issues, and I figure I have to let the rest go. What else can I do? Do a write-in vote for myself, ’cause I can’t find a candidate who thinks 100% like me???
Well, now Rush Limbaugh has jumped on the issue! It may be a disturbing video and you may question why Michael J. Fox is involved in a Missouri political campaign – but it is obviously a sincere and heartfelt message. Rush has accoused Michael J. Fox of “acting” in order to generate sympathy – or of not taking his meds on purpose. Obviously, Rush went too far and is now backing off on some of his inflammatory comments. I wonder what Bill O’Reiily thinks? Never apologize, never back down, stay the course.
Link to story here.