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From: orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER)
Newsgroups: net.politics.theory
Subject: Losing Elections
Message-ID: <553@whuxl.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 26-Mar-85 09:08:15 EST
Article-I.D.: whuxl.553
Posted: Tue Mar 26 09:08:15 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 27-Mar-85 03:36:44 EST
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> Tim, a few months ago I recall that you were terribly upset that
> Reagan was elected again. As I recall, your position was that
> the public had been manipulated into electing this monster. Please
> make up your mind. Either the democratic process works (in which
> case, why were you so upset about Reagan) or it doesn't. If it
> doesn't, how can you claim that it is possible to change it
> within the system? The militant anarchists have a point, you know.
> 
> Laura Creighton
> utzoo!laura

I think it was a ghastly mistake for the American electorate to re-elect
Ronald RayGuns, and as he said it would be "You ain't seen nothin' yet."
Does that mean that I have abandoned my faith in the democratic process?
Certainly not.  It just means that I am working harder than ever to use
that process to oppose RayGun's horrible policies.
One of the problems with our current system is despite the avowed
freedom of speech and the press, it is very difficult for most groups or
people to get access to the media which exerts a disproportionate influence
on public opinion.  I think that there should be some sort of equal time
provisions that are more extensively used by all groups, conservative or
liberal, libertarian or socialist, rather than a media dominated by
corporate advertisers.  If Wm Rehnquist is going to argue (in the recent
Supreme Court decision on independent political spending) that free
speech means nothing without a microphone, then how can it mean anything if
only those groups with gobs of money can afford media time?
We need more diversity in the views presented in popular media.
Just because you lose an election doesn't mean you should give up on them.
That would be rather childish wouldn't it? ("I'm taking my ball and going home")
  an unrequited democrat!
tim sevener   whuxl!orb