Reveille
February
2002
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Reveille February |
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Published by
International Press Service Reprinted from the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Feb. 1, 2002 By Dalton
Roberts I'd just as soon suck a giant persimmon jawbreaker as to write a column on politics but the Van Hilleary poll caper of last week smoked me right out of my peaceful slumber in the cave of political hibernation. But before I tell you what he did, let me admit to strong feelings about politicians addicted to polling. Should people run because they have good ideas and want to convince you of the soundness of their plans or should they just see what you superficially think and then echo your views right back to you as their program? What a copout! Shouldn't we be able to assume that a person running for an office would have more information on the issues and options than random persons answering the phone to be quizzed? Can you picture Harry Truman doing a poll? Thomas E. Dewey took one and it said he was going to be elected. Some newspapers believed it so much they had already printed headlines, "Dewey Wins." The next day the victorious Truman was pictured on many front pages with that million dollar smile holding a newspaper with one of those "Dewey Wins" headlines. Can you picture Abraham Lincoln doing a poll? Asking people about emancipating slaves and going to war? The political greats make news by forging ideas and programs and taking stands that may be unpopular until they go to the mat to sell what they propose. The people deserve that kind of respect rather than the false respect of some pollster posing questions phrased to get the answer their client desires. The guy sitting at home burping down a beer after driving a truck from California to Tennessee makes no pretense of being an expert. He's less interested in spouting his opinions to a phoning pollster than he is in hearing some potential solutions laid out and explained. Poll-crazy politicians are usually boring, idea-free, gutless wastes of our time. We can combat them by asking their callers, "Who is paying for this poll?" and then explaining, "Hey, if he's running, he needs to be telling us what he thinks rather than asking what we think. After all, he's the one running. We'll tell him how we like his ideas on election day. OK?" Having admitted these clear biases about polling politicians, let's now look at what Van Hilleary did last week. He released a poll indicating he had 41 percent of the Republican voters for him or leaning toward him, compared to less than 5 percent for opponent Jim Henry. And when did he release his little poll? The day Jim Henry announced! I have no confidence in early polls. It's no coincidence that those who buy polls usually get the results they desire. You can safely include pollsters among those who seldom bite the hand that feeds them. But even if this poll was done professionally and that could be proven to us, I have never seen one handled so poorly. To release it the day Henry announced makes Hilleary look like a little attention-starved child who can't stand to see anyone else get a moment's attention. The same issue of the paper that carried Henry's opening announcement carried Hilleary's merry little chirp, "Everywhere I go, I am amazed by the enthusiasm for my campaign." Sure you are. So if things are going so spectacularly, why not take off a day and let your opponent announce? Next came Wes Anderson, partner in the good news polling firm saying (here in January!) the GOP primary is all but over. His actual words: "It is done; it is over. It would take an act of God." No, Mr. Anderson, it wouldn't take an act of God to elect Jim Henry or some other candidate. It would just take an act of the people. It's called voting. And jaybirds like you might just make them mad enough to do that very thing.
******** Yell ‘Income
Tax’ in crowded room Do you want to start a fight?
Just yell “Income Tax” in a crowded room.
If you don’t have everybody charging you with blood in their
eyes, you will at least start of brawl of screams and shouts.
It’s like shouting, “fire” in a crowded theatre. Even the most mile mannered man or woman becomes a raving dynamo at the very thought. Tennesseans have become obsessed with the word. The race for state office this year has become a one-issue campaign. Everybody is pushing and shoving to see who can get the farthest out in left field in opposition to an income tax. All other issues have been pushed aside. Nothing seems to be important to some candidates except to say, “I’m more against an income tax than my opponent.” It doesn’t seem to matter if a candidate has a brain, any ideas on how to manage the state from Nashville. All that counts is the tax stance. Some economist claim that most people don’t realize they would fare better and pay less taxes under a state income tax. But there’s no danger in anybody taking an objective look to find the truth or falsehood of the tax issue. As long as people blindly fly into rage over the tax issue, as long as politicians care more about lying to people to get elected, as long as truth is sacrificed on an alter of propaganda, there will be no objective settlement of the budget problems. Hopefully, there will be enough people who don’t panic and go into a rage over the mumblings of a few words. ******** AF Thunderbirds will
offer flyover for AF Day parade The Thunderbirds will provide the fly over for the Armed Forces Day Parade Friday, May 17. They will be in town for an air show. Lt. Col. Frank Hughes was introduced as the military projects officer at the Jan. 18 parade committee meeting. He presided in the absence of Chairman Bob Summitt. Dan Lovin is the liaison officer from the Chattanooga Area Veterans Council which sponsors the event. A committee was appointed to consider changing the parade date to a Saturday for next year’s event. ********
Vietnam veterans recall the days of combat. Jim talks with Lonnie Whitaker during his announcement tour stop at Chattanooga. Jim was in the navy and Lonnie in the infantry during the Vietnam War. Lonnie had to pretend to fake death when his platoon was was overrun. He lay still while a Vietcong stuck a bayonet into him to be sure he was dead.
******** Vet's View . . . by Pete Chaney “My Generation” Magazine is published for those who grew up during the Vietnam War. But it certainly doesn’t represent a large segment of that age group. In their recent issue, they chose as the man most admired, the man most would like to be was Mohammed Ali. Mohammed Ali? A great boxer, yes. A showman, yes. But to represent the generation of Americans who survived the Vietnam War, not very likely. Most Americans went patriotically when their number was called by the draft board. Whatever their political reservations, and there many, these men and women went to serve their country when duty called. Mohammed Ali, or Cassius Clay as he was born, defied the draft on religious grounds. He converted to the Islamic faith. Of course, it would have been nice if someone had explained to the Muslims who destroyed the Twin Towers that war and violence was wrong. Regardless of the religion, America has its conscientious objectors and it is acceptable. Sgt. Alvin York was a religious man who still did his duty. In the Chattanooga area, Desmond Doss felt killing was against his religion But he served valiantly on the battlefield as a medic. He was awarded the Medal of Honor. Mohammed Ali rightly earned his place in the boxing hall of fame. But he was a draft dodger. The men who gave their life in the jungles of Nam would refuse to have someone who refused to serve represent their generation of Americans. ******** Post
Script— Not too long ago everyone was screaming to put the Social Security money into the stock market. And what would have happened if all the Social Security money had gone into Enron stocks? Smart investors put their money into Enron. The uneducated in stocks wouldn’t have had a chance. Or would they? Social Security is still better off as it is. ******** The clerk at Stop and Go on Dodds Avenue has been told she cannot enforce her one kid at a time in the store and must let unruly children come in to steal and cause a ruckus. Lawyer TIMOTHY L. KEITH has threatened to take her to court if she doesn’t let the kids come in. Store owner says, “Let’s go.” ******** Workers at Whelan Foundry blame the holder of 20 percent of the stock for the company’s failure to be taken over for continuing operation. They say they took pay cuts to keep the business afloat while management was squandering money. The story they believe is that the one stockholder held out when a sale could be made, making bankruptcy certain. ********
When BILL NOBLES decided to step aside
as Hamilton County Trustee, he said it was a job for a younger man. He is 71. Lead
contender and most qualified for the job is CARL LEVI. Well, Carl is a year younger at 70. ******** Don’t be surprised to see Eckerd Drugs following the path of K-Mart into bankruptcy. The store is cutting employee hours and asking more work. They are losing pharmacists to Walgreen’s and CVS. Reveille is being sent out to readers of varied interests and political views. If you are receiving Reveille and do not wish it, let us know and your e-mail address will be removed. If you know of someone who might like to receive it, send us the address and that will be added. Reveille welcomes contributions of news items, opinions, pictures. Whether they agree or conflict with our comments, they will be considered for publication based on content. Any submission must be signed. The name will be withheld if the writer requests it. Currently we are following a monthly schedule, with plans for more frequent publication. A hard copy is also printed and distributed on a limited basis due to costs. The e-mail edition includes more information along with color pictures which are not possible with the hard copy. |
