From Monica Guzman's Big Blog on the Seattle Post Intelligencer's website:
"A new billboard recently went up near Western Avenue and Denny Way, about 100 feet from the Seattle P-I. Text along the bottom reads that it is paid for by Concerned Citizens for a Better America."
The billboard reads When you cast your vote remember September 11, 2001.
The debate on who might have put up the billboard (she hasn't been able to uncover who comprises the Concerned Citizens group yet) and the intent behind it is interesting. Most are making the assumption it is Republican in nature by using Rovian fear tactics. However, this billboard came up after our caucuses so it didn't affect that critical vote. It's a long while to November. Is it some first step of a campaign leading to November? Not sure what to make of it so far - will keep you posted.
When I participated in the Washington State Democratic Caucus recently, I was surprised that I met two folks who wanted to vote Democrat, but were very nervous from the Iraq War standpoint to do so. So there is some fear out there that a Democratic President will not keep us safe and that if we withdraw from Iraq, that a Democratic President will be doing it out of a social ideology rather than a political one. So though most folks seemed to be espousing they didn't think this billboard would affect a vote, perhaps that isn't such a sure thing.
Right. Because how dare someone remind us of the most important event shaping the country in the last 30 years.
I am not in favor of "scaring" people into voting a certain way. I am in favor, however, of informing people of things that might genuinely concern them, that they may wish to have affect their vote. So I wouldn't say "if Hillary gets elected, the terrorists win!," but I would have no problem saying, "if defeating Islamic terrorists is important to you, ask yourself whether Hillary would be able to do that as effectively as McCain."
There is nothing whatsoever wrong with that. Indeed, I think, on the contrary, there is something wrong with telling people it is wrong to do that.
Posted by: pudge on February 28, 2008 11:12 AMYou mean Roe v. Wade?
Posted by: SavetheUnborn on February 28, 2008 03:37 PMAlso, I agree with you that there shouldn't be anything wrong with bringing up 9/11 and for voters to take what they will from it.
Posted by: Susannity on February 29, 2008 07:17 AMI find it interesting that you find it interesting. It was just an example.
1. Do you think it will be her as the Dem candidate
Most likely, yes.
2. Do you think Obama would fare better/worse in answering the question of terrorism.
It doesn't matter in this context. It was just an example.
Posted by: pudge on February 29, 2008 09:17 AMI remembered how decades of intervention in sovereign nations resulted in the creation of enemies that have such lives and education that they are willing to sacrifice it all to hurt people who never wished them ill, but still represent the country that did that to them.
I remembered how it was used as an excuse to infringe on various constitutional rights that we have as American citizens. Things that make this place America, land of the good guys, land of the free, home of the brave. Yeah, the brave that aren't sacrificing freedom for safety because they live in fear of something that is less likely than a plane crash.
I remembered how an evil man named Osama Bin Laden, who happens to be quite experienced at fighting superpowers and helping to bankrupt them, chose a different method to deal with us. He had to do more than bankrupt us, because we aren't soviets. We actually have freedom. So he used our fear to cause us to give up our own freedoms out of the fear of terrorism. All he had to do was attack once, and we spent 7 years so far limiting our own freedom to ensure that he couldn't do so again.
Where did that lead me? Perhaps not quite where the individuals who bought the sign had in mind. Or maybe it did. Who knows?
Posted by: Andrew Brown on March 3, 2008 02:02 PMAndrew, I agree, but I don't think that is what the authors have in mind. But you articulated well the way it can be viewed by those with a different PoV.
Posted by: Susannity on March 4, 2008 10:10 AM