What liberal media?
It was no surprise Sunday when the Las Vegas Review Journal endorsed George W. Bush for President. This from the same newspaper that several months ago decided against printing a marriage announcement for a gay couple residing in Las Vegas that had been married in San Francisco. My question is this: "Why would a newspaper go to such lengths to alienate significant portions of their readership with an endorsement like this one?
Some things to keep in mind: The political affiliation majority recently shifted in Nevada, whereas 52% of registered voters are Democrats and 48% Republican. Statistically, our state is evenly divided. But I'd be willing to bet there are more Democrats in Las Vegas than Republicans. A significant part of the working population in Las Vegas are part of organized labor, that is, they belong to a union. Union members generally vote for democrats. I know these are generalizations, but these are generalizations that play out at every election.
Also, Nevada is currently in one of it's biggest struggles ever: trying to keep nuclear waste from entering Yucca Mountain. This is significant because while campaigning in 1999, George W. Bush promised Nevada he'd only approve the Yucca Mountain project if it were based on sound science. Even the EPA has quibbled over the "sound science" Bush made his decision on when he approved the project last year. He blatantly lied to Nevadans in 1999. Whether you're a Democrat or Republican, how could you support a president who has put your safety on the back burner all under pressure from big industry? Fortunately, the EPA has put a lid on the project until more studies can be done to determine if Yucca truly is a safe storage location for high level nuclear waste.
Yucca Mountain is located a mere 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The LVRJ has effectively endorsed Yucca Mountain by endorsing Bush, alienating the majority of its readership since Democrats and Republicans alike are unified on fighting Yucca Mountain. This unity puts the state's Republicans in an interesting position: do you vote for a man who is determined to push Yucca Mountain through, or do you vote against your party for a man who has a 15 year voting record against Yucca Mountain? The choice for me is clear, but that goes without saying.
I know the war in Iraq is the kicker for many voters. Some love the way Bush defied our allies and went after Iraq, and some loath him for his arrogance and go-it-alone attitude. But put that aside, and what do you have? A man who has dumped record amounts of money into education, but sadly, the majority of that money has gone to administer his failed "No Child Left Behind" act. Of the millions Bush increased the education budget, the percentage that went to the classroom is among the lowest in recent years.
We have a man who is determined to stack the Supreme Court with Christian, right wing judges that will push through Bush's religious agenda. Abortion, gay marriage and stem cell research come to mind. Bush and Cheney are continuously telling us we are a freer people, yet they've eroded our civil liberties more than any other administration in history. Our nation is in a more precarious state than every before. Now is the time to change direction, win back our allies, fight terrorism on a global, unified front and finish the war in Iraq.
I read in the LVRJ's online edition today some of the Letters-to-the-editor that came in in regards to the Newspaper's endorsement. I especially liked the one by PJ Levine. You can check those out here.
It was no surprise Sunday when the Las Vegas Review Journal endorsed George W. Bush for President. This from the same newspaper that several months ago decided against printing a marriage announcement for a gay couple residing in Las Vegas that had been married in San Francisco. My question is this: "Why would a newspaper go to such lengths to alienate significant portions of their readership with an endorsement like this one?
Some things to keep in mind: The political affiliation majority recently shifted in Nevada, whereas 52% of registered voters are Democrats and 48% Republican. Statistically, our state is evenly divided. But I'd be willing to bet there are more Democrats in Las Vegas than Republicans. A significant part of the working population in Las Vegas are part of organized labor, that is, they belong to a union. Union members generally vote for democrats. I know these are generalizations, but these are generalizations that play out at every election.
Also, Nevada is currently in one of it's biggest struggles ever: trying to keep nuclear waste from entering Yucca Mountain. This is significant because while campaigning in 1999, George W. Bush promised Nevada he'd only approve the Yucca Mountain project if it were based on sound science. Even the EPA has quibbled over the "sound science" Bush made his decision on when he approved the project last year. He blatantly lied to Nevadans in 1999. Whether you're a Democrat or Republican, how could you support a president who has put your safety on the back burner all under pressure from big industry? Fortunately, the EPA has put a lid on the project until more studies can be done to determine if Yucca truly is a safe storage location for high level nuclear waste.
Yucca Mountain is located a mere 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The LVRJ has effectively endorsed Yucca Mountain by endorsing Bush, alienating the majority of its readership since Democrats and Republicans alike are unified on fighting Yucca Mountain. This unity puts the state's Republicans in an interesting position: do you vote for a man who is determined to push Yucca Mountain through, or do you vote against your party for a man who has a 15 year voting record against Yucca Mountain? The choice for me is clear, but that goes without saying.
I know the war in Iraq is the kicker for many voters. Some love the way Bush defied our allies and went after Iraq, and some loath him for his arrogance and go-it-alone attitude. But put that aside, and what do you have? A man who has dumped record amounts of money into education, but sadly, the majority of that money has gone to administer his failed "No Child Left Behind" act. Of the millions Bush increased the education budget, the percentage that went to the classroom is among the lowest in recent years.
We have a man who is determined to stack the Supreme Court with Christian, right wing judges that will push through Bush's religious agenda. Abortion, gay marriage and stem cell research come to mind. Bush and Cheney are continuously telling us we are a freer people, yet they've eroded our civil liberties more than any other administration in history. Our nation is in a more precarious state than every before. Now is the time to change direction, win back our allies, fight terrorism on a global, unified front and finish the war in Iraq.
I read in the LVRJ's online edition today some of the Letters-to-the-editor that came in in regards to the Newspaper's endorsement. I especially liked the one by PJ Levine. You can check those out here.
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