On Oct 26, 2004, at 9:08 AM, Horn, John wrote:
Behalf Of Dan Minette
I think you should add 4. Deluded. I know people that still think Nixon was a good president.
As far as defining your viewpoint, no argument. But, I was trying to parse the clearest meaning of David's text.
I've always got the impression that David thought that 50% who are going to be voting for Bush to be misled. They are intelligent people and he can't understand why they are voting for these guys. They should know better. There are always going to be party faithful who will defend and vote for their guy no matter what. Heck, I voted for Dukakis. (Ick.) He's trying to reach them and say "hey, take off the blinders and really look at what's happening". At least in my reading of it.
Misled is a nice word for it, because it resonates between two meanings: "to be intentionally deceived" and "to be led in the wrong direction."
At the risk of putting words in David's mouth, I would be willing to bet that he thinks that both meanings apply to the ~50% who will most likely vote to re-elect the president.
I certainly do: It is increasingly clear that Bush & company justified the invasion of Iraq with misinformation, possibly intentional. The failure of the follow-up to that invasion is evidence enough that the second meaning applies.
Ifni forgive me, but I really have a hard time believing that Mr. Bush is as stupid as the common criticism of him suggests. I do think he's a dupe, in both sense of an easily-deceived person and a person who functions as a tool of another person or power. I don't know who the "other person or power" is, although I think Michael Moore and David Brin are convinced that we need look no further than Riyadh.
Maybe "gullible" is a good word for Dan's #3. Or "credulous."
Warily,
Dave
Not Lazy, Crazy, or Stupid Maru
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