[PLUG-TALK] Gary Johnson at Benson Hotel

Keith Lofstrom keithl at kl-ic.com
Sat Nov 5 04:53:24 UTC 2016


On Thu, Nov 03, 2016 at 01:00:48PM -0700, David Mandel wrote:
> I will be skipping PLUG to go see Gary Johnson tonight.  Like Paul, I
> try to see all these people when they come around whether I support
> them or not. Saw Eugene McCarthy twice at PSU.  ...

It is interesting to see how an experienced politician works
a big crowd in a big room, and Governor Johnson did not 
disapppoint.  I didn't see much (the New Thing is a forest
of arms holding up "smart" phones for live streaming), but
hearing what I could, and watching how the flow was gauged
to the audience reaction, is something I can't imagine
would happen in a stadium, or be apparent from a video
connection.  It is a pity that none of the "majors" made
it to Portland after the primary; but, fundraising mostly
over, Oregon and its measily seven electoral votes isn't
considered worth a big public effort.

And yes, Eugene McCarthy was interesting to see (I was 14)
during the 1968 primary.  In 1972, Hubert Humphrey spoke
at Sunset High School.  We were outside shouting "Dump the
Hump", because we did not want him continuing Kennedy and
Johnson's idiotic Vietnam War, and sending us to die. 

During the 1980 primary, both Reagan and Bush the First
gave speeches at a big Tektronix cafeteria during the 1980
primary (when they were competing for the nomination). 
They were polite to each other, and later became an
election-winning team.  2016 would be more interesting
if Hillary and Bernie had done the same.  

Reagan/Bush were the last Republicans to get Oregon's
electoral votes.  If the Libertarians succeed, the
Republicans may never get those votes again.  OTOH, the
Democrats re-invented themselves after Lyndon Johnson,
so perhaps the Republicans will ditch the "forever war"
paranoia to attract libertarians and others.

BTW: from Portland, Aleppo is 48 degrees down, about 10
degrees from north, 5900 miles away through the core of
the Earth, and not worth a drop of American military blood.
It is 25 miles from the Turkish border, and the Turks won't
go there, either.  Russia (Sochi is 500 miles north) can
have themselves another Afghanistan.  Quagmire external
conflicts may be the quickest route to Russian regime
change.  I hope Putin's successor is a nicer person.

Keith

-- 
Keith Lofstrom          keithl at keithl.com
-----
Don't waste your vote in 2016!  Give it to the Republicans
and Democrats, and they will gladly waste it for you!



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