[Vision2020] Imagine That, Butch - Politics Is a Rough 'Sport'

[Ted Moffett]

Otter will likely be re-elected.  Current political Madison Avenue
advertising/propaganda trends indicate Democrats are successfully being
blamed for the economic problems the US faces, which of course are to a
great extent the result of past public and private sector decisions, not
current Democratic economic policy.  And if the US economy does not
substantially lower the unemployment rate by 2012, Obama may find he will
serve only one term, assuming he will run again, regardless of whether the
economic problems are due to his failures or not.  Of course, the Tea Party
independents may split the Republican vote, if they succeed in promoting a
third candidate, so Obama may still have a chance, even if the economy does
not rebound by 2012.  But Otter can attract both Tea Party independents and
more traditional Republicans... In a political cultural landscape where
Sarah Palin receives a huge amount of media attention as a potential
political candidate, we can assume that rational decision making in the body
politic is in serious jeopardy.  I suppose this has always been the case...
-----------------------------------------
Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett


On 3/4/10, Saundra Lund <v2020 at ssl.fastmail.fm> wrote:
>
> Ken wrote:
> "Otter may find he will share with Governor Samuelson another
> characteristic
> -- serving only one term in office."
>
> >From your fingertips to the will of the voters  :-)
>
>
> Saundra Lund
> Moscow, ID
>
> The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
> nothing.
> ~ Edmund Burke
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
> On Behalf Of Kenneth Marcy
> Sent: Thursday, March 04, 2010 8:38 AM
> To: vision2020 at moscow.com
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Imagine That, Butch - Politics Is a Rough 'Sport'
>
> On Tuesday 02 March 2010 06:06:14 Tom Hansen relayed to V2020:
>
> > Imagine that, Butch - politics is a rough 'sport'
> > Sandra Kelly, for the [MPDN] editorial board [2 March 2010]
> >
> > Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter isn't having fun in Boise. He's been
> > bombarded by newspapers throughout the state for some of his
> > budgetary decisions, and it's been hard on him.
> <[snip]>
> > Otter has said repeatedly that he won't raise taxes. That's a great
> > sound bite, and almost a sure-fire way to get re-elected, but it
> > may not be in the best interest of Idaho.
> >
> > No one wants to pay more taxes, but it's certainly something that
> > should be looked at. It's not popular, and the Legislature will
> > take some heat for it, but at least looking into it is the right
> > thing to do.
> <[snip]>
>
> It used to be said that it took a hard-line anti-Communist Republican
> such as Richard Nixon to open foreign relations with Communist Red
> China. Analogously, it was said that it took a tax-and-spend liberal
> Democrat such as Bill Clinton to reform the welfare system. Both of
> these Presidents enjoyed some relative success for these efforts.
>
> Butch Otter does not, thus far, at least, seem to have an analogous
> combination of domestic acuity and political maneuverability to
> recognize the extant condition of his constituency and to act with
> appropriate governance in the better interests of the electorate.
>
> To date Otter's insistent resistance even to considering reasonable
> measures to steer Idaho's budget boat toward some semblance of the
> status quo, rather than meekly and weakly allowing the craft to be
> washed down the economic stream, rudderless, controlled by the
> vagaries of the current rather than experienced helmsmanship, does
> not suggest any historical greatness for his governorship.
>
> One is reminded, instead, of an earlier Idaho governor who had
> difficulty expressing leadership vision -- Donald Samuelson. Governor
> Otter may find he will share with Governor Samuelson another
> characteristic -- serving only one term in office.
>
>
> Ken
>
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