Newsgroups: bit.listserv.politics
Date:         Mon, 27 Jul 1992 12:35:15 EDT
From:         Tim Johnson <ST402711@BROWNVM.BITNET>
Subject:      Negative Campaigning

>>  The question of the superposition of states (the so-called "state's
>>rights" issue) is one of obvious importance to the very foundation of
>>this nation.  No candidate unprepared to address this issue can hope
>>to keep the nation strong.

>Perceptive readers will immediately take note that Messrs. JohnsoN and
>OlsoN were not willing to explain the relevance of their concern for this
>issue until we challenged them to do so.

  What is clear is that the JohnsoN/OlsoN campaign is directed toward
the intelligent and educated voter.  We believe that the listmembers
are capable of grasping what the important issues of the day are, and
that it is enough that we address those issues, not that we offer
patronizing explanations of why the listmembers should be concerned about
the issue.  If you, the bitnaut, feel that you need to be told what
is important, by all means, join the Kerry/Kerry Campaign.  The mandate
for the JohnsoN/OlsoN campaign will come from an electorate which *is*
educated on the issues.

  There is only one campaign which has, to date, offered the vital
position of Logic Czar.  The Kerry/Kerry campaign apparently rejects
the relevance of logic to a political discussion list.  Draw your
own conclusions.

  There is only one campaign which has, to date, found it necessary
to wage a campaign not based upon the strength of their platform, but
based upon unfounded attacks and smear tactics.  If that is the sort
of list you envision for the future, then by all means, the Kerry/Kerry
ticket is for you.

  There is a campaign with more that 5 years of cumulative list
experience.  The JohnsoN/OlsoN ticket brings all of that experience
to bear on the vital issues that rock this list.

  And with all the current uproar about shoes, I challenge you, as
the listmember, to recall who was instrumental in the very origins
of the debate.  Who has been working on the controversial issue of
shoe control since its first appearance on the list?

  Finally, excepting the phantom ticket of J1/J2, there is no single
ticket better capable of handling the list lore and inside jokes than
the JohnsoN/OlsoN campaign.  We fought hard to bring about the golden
era, when scads of ilk roamed the ether.  We were there when Stimely
was posting.  Where were the Kerrys?

>Our record speaks for itself.
>Which offered the first critical assessment of the opposition?

  Indeed it does.  But I'm sure that those of the electorate who
reject negative campaigning in favor of substantive discussion will
also fail to be misled by the bureaucratese of "critical assessment."

>Without
>our leadership, would any of the voters be aware that Mrs. Smith even
>existed?  Would they understand the difference between CAT scans and KAT
>scans?  Would the word "shoe" ever have been mentioned?

  This outright misinformation is astonishing.  But no listmember can
be fooled when the archives of who first brought Mrs. Smith into the
discussion are a matter of public record.  No listmember will be deceived
about which candidates first distinguished between KAT scans and CAT scans.
And no listmember of any stature can fail to recall which candidates were
responsible for raising the shoe consciousness of the list.

  Such a campaign of lies and half-truths is for those who can tolerate
it.  The JohnsoN/OlsoN ticket believes that the listmembers deserve more.

>their endorsement of Copenhagen suggests a more-than-
>passing acquaintance with the special interest snuff lobby.

  Can their be any more evidence of an astonishing unfamiliarity
with Stimelyism than this?  To fail to grasp the implications of
Denmark and the Stimelyists is a recipe for failure.

  The choice is yours, and we only regret that we have been forced
to publically respond in such a fashion to the outrageous assaults
on our characters.  We sincerely hope that in the future the Kerrys
will restrict their campaigning to the merits of their own
qualifications and positions.

                          -Tim
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