[Rhodes22-list] Ron Lipton's Political Glee

[Brad Haslett]

Ron,

I wish the best of luck to your friend and I mean that sincerely.  He's
wrong on his Iraq policy, but come January (assuming he holds the office
permanently) the promises of the campaign trail will meet head-on with the
realities of geo-politics and national security.  As to his views on health
care, I hope he uses his intelligence and doesn't blindly follow some
proposal that has already failed in the US (think MA and TN) or national
plan like Great Briton or Canada who's constituents wish they access to our
health care (and many seek on their own). You know your friend best.  The
Congress is a corrupt body and his integrity will be tested.  My preference
is for candidates who have accomplished success on their own prior to
entering politics and it looks like Mr. Foster meets that test easily.

Brad

On Sun, Mar 9, 2008 at 9:44 AM, Ronald Lipton <rlipton at earthlink.net> wrote:

> I mentioned Oberweis' past record in the interest of open disclosure.
> The guy was not the
> best possible candidate, and I am sure that helped Bill win.  I also got
> the number wrong,
> I believe it was 5.  In this era of extreme negative campaigning and
> dysfunctional government
> one of the most disappointing aspects is our inability to draw quality
> people into the political
> process.  Bill is a quality person.  This is not an academic or social
> elitist statement, simply
> about somebody I know and whose body of work is outstanding.  How he
> will fare in congress
> is another matter.  But we can hope.
>
>
>
> Ron
>
>
>
> Tootle wrote:
> > Ron said, "His opponent was a right wing conservative who has made a
> habit of
> > losing elections (6 so far)."
> >
> > I am sure glad Orville and Wilbur did not share your limits on trying.
>  I am
> > sure glad T. Edison did not follow your six tries an quit in developing
> the
> > light bulb.
> >
> > What weight can be given to the words of someone who has not tried for
> > public office disparaging some guy trying to be heard?
> >
> > " If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try ..."
> > Franklin D. Roosevelt
> >
> > Ed K
> > Greenville, SC, USA
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Tootle wrote:
> >
> >> Ron's glee about the winning candidate suggests that having a Ph.D.
> makes
> >> a person more qualified to lead that someone who is a high school
> dropout.
> >>
> >> I take exception to that elitist concept.  Many Mennonites only have a
> >> grade school level of academic achievement.  Yet I trust those guys who
> >> make up their convoys of church members going  to devastated areas and
> go
> >> about cleaning up and rebuilding without Federal Government assistance.
> >>
> >> I rather look to Bill Buckley's comment, "I'd rather entrust the
> >> government of the United States to the first 400 people listed in the
> >> Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of Harvard University."
> >>
> >> Good judgment in things subjects outside of ones area of expertise is
> not
> >> a given, nor an absolute.  It does not follow that because one has
> >> attained a high level of achievement in science that person will
> exercise
> >> commiserate quality of decision making in things political.
> >>
> >> In some scientific endeavors today, things have become very
> bureaucratic
> >> in substance.  Ph.D.'s very jobs and dreams are based on political
> >> decisions.  In plain English, often their perspective of what is right
> or
> >> best is vested in their jobs, or their views of world from their
> educated
> >> perspective.  In truth, sometimes that perspective is self serving to a
> >> particularly narrow constituency.
> >>
> >> I rather also consider that if they were truly above average ability,
> that
> >> they could go out and create.  You know, take a dream of a small
> sailboat,
> >> make it and sell it.  Create where nothing or lesser things were
> before.
> >> Take the whole world up a notch.
> >>
> >> The above is done without government direction, but in an environment
> >> maintained by a government.  Yes we need a sheriff to keep evil from
> >> killing good people.  But, no, government is not the answer to nor the
> >> most efficient and effective way to a higher level of civilization.
> >>
> >> "It is not our affluence, or our plumbing, or our clogged freeways that
> >> grip the imagination of others.  Rather, it is the values upon which
> our
> >> system is built."  J. William Fulbright
> >>
> >> Ed K
> >> Greenville, SC, USA
> >>
> >>
> >> Tootle wrote:
> >>
> >>> Ron:
> >>>
> >>> I will reply to your glee.  Understanding your educational level, and
> >>> your friends, I would suggest that academic achievement may or may not
> be
> >>> relevant.
> >>>
> >>> Too me, the most important criterion is an effort to be honest.   For
> >>> some even with religious background, simple honesty does not matter.
> >>>
> >>> You said, "It is nice to know that people of real quality can go into
> >>> politics
> >>> and succeed."
> >>>
> >>> That is a defining statement.  Does quality mean integrity?  Recently,
> a
> >>> friend of mine lost his wife.  I have known him and her since the
> early
> >>> 1970's.  He is a man of integrity, notwithstanding he is very liberal
> in
> >>> some areas.  I worked for several of his campaigns.  During his time
> in
> >>> Washington as Secretary of Education a U. S. Senate seat came open.  I
> >>> was deeply afraid that he might actually run for it.  Because at that
> >>> point I doubted I could be a foot soldier in that campaign.  But alas,
> he
> >>> chose not too, but rather returned to South Carolina to write and
> teach.
> >>>
> >>> I suspect, but never asked him if part of his reasoning for easing out
> of
> >>> politics was the moral quality of those he associated with.  So then,
> do
> >>> you consider Bill Clinton a man of real quality?
> >>>
> >>> I have posted this standard that we should expect from elected
> officials
> >>> as a subscript several times:
> >>> " The people have a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible,
> >>> divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge - I
> mean
> >>> of the character and conduct of their rulers"   John Adams
> >>>
> >>> I hope your friend is a man of integrity first.  What say yea?
> >>>
> >>> Ed K
> >>> Greenville, SC, USA
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >
> >
>
>
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