Comments on: Bad Times at Ridgemont High

By: MarkD

MarkD — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:01:00 +0000

Would that be the same Jesse Jackson who admitted to feeling relieved when he turned around and noticed the footsteps behind him were coming from someone who was white? Perhaps the Reverend Jackson has some unresolved issues.

The simpler, more reliable explanation is that criminals behind bars are less of a problem than criminals on the street.

Horton was a statistically probable outcome of a bad policy condoned by a politician who was and should have been held responsible. It is never the powerful who suffer for their “principles.” Somebody else pays.

By: soccerdad

soccerdad — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:18:06 +0000

David,

That’s correct. I saw the original Willie Horton ad once. It depicted a prison with “inmates” passing through revolving doors. I don’t believe you could clearly see the faces of the “inmates.” All the commercial did was to highlight the fact that Dukakis gave this inmate a furlough and he went and raped someone.

Later ads by groups supporting VP Bush explicitly showed Willie Horton’s face.

Because I didn’t see the secondary ads right away, I didn’t realize he was black until Jesse Jackson started complaining how the ads played to white America’s “psycho-sexual” fears.

By: Lightnin' Hopkins

Lightnin' Hopkins — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:56:17 +0000

My favorite “Bias? What bias?” headline of the month also appeared among yesterday’s string of ugly news, courtesy of the always fair and balanced McClatchy Newspapers:

“Bush sets off for Middle East, unable to quell its troubles”

Feels like it should continue with “…that impotent lame-duck cowboy”, or something equally condescending.

The venom just never runs dry.

By: AlanC

AlanC — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:21:58 +0000

Let’s not forget one thing about the Willie Horton ads that will be relevant come this GE season if Obamarama is the nominee.

The first Willie Horton attack ad came from one Senator Albert Gore. The Repubs just copied a theme from the Dems.

Remember this when the Repubs use Jerry Wright the same way.

By: Lem

Lem — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:06:19 +0000

Can you believe his paramour was an intelligence officer?

Everybody has this all wrong.

The congressman was only being mentored by the intelligence officer.

There might have been a debriefing or two

By: Charlie (Colorado)

Charlie (Colorado) — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:32:41 +0000

(Can you believe his paramour was an intelligence officer?)

In this context, I don’t think that word means what you’re thinking.

By: Pat Patterson

Pat Patterson — Tue, 13 May 2008 12:19:55 +0000

Rep. Barr must be serious as he seems to have toned down his homage to James Traficant’s gravity defying hair do!

By: David Thomson

David Thomson — Tue, 13 May 2008 12:03:04 +0000

Lee Atwater,at the end of his life, said that the Willie Horton ad had nothing to do with race baiting. The ad’s sole purpose was to inform the voters that Governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts furloughed prison inmate Horton—who then proceeded to commit robbery and rape. In other words, the ad revealed a disastrous program promoted by the Democratic Party presidential candidate. The color of Horton’s skin had nothing to with anything. It was a very legitimate campaign issue! The counterattack by the Democrats was merely a diversionary tactic to get voters to stop thinking about the furlough program, and instead focus on the GOP’s alleged racism. This leftist establishment’s big lie, sadly, has convinced most people that Atwater ran a race baiting campaign to help George H.W. Bush. Nothing could be further from the truth.

By: TexasDude

TexasDude — Tue, 13 May 2008 07:23:05 +0000

Estrich is a hack and a partison. So, her opinions should be considered as such, just an opinion.

By: Buddy Larsen

Buddy Larsen — Tue, 13 May 2008 06:33:26 +0000

And then of course there’s China, Myanmar, the Midwest tornadoes, etc.

Don’t forget world, solar system, galaxy, universe, etc.