NOTE: The Moderate Voice runs Guest Voice posts from time to time by readers who don’t have their own websites, or people who have websites but would like to post something for TMV’s diverse and thoughtful readership.
Yesterday we ran THIS POST about Rep. Ron Paul, which generated a lot of interest. It was written by Alex Hammer whose blog is Politics 2.0 and who ran as an independent candidate for governor of Maine. Due to the interest in this subject, we’re running a follow-up Guest Voice post by the same writer. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Moderate Voice or its writers.
Rudy Giuliani vs. Ron Paul I – Online Scoring
By Alex Hammer
We had Ali and Frazier. We had McEnroe and Connors. We had the Yankees and Red Sox.
Still do.
Meet Rudy Giuliani vs. Ron Paul
While no one is calling it the reincarnation of Nixon – Kennedy in historic debate circles, this one last night has created significant buzz.
Online and off.
They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In a debate labeled generally in the media as contentious, (or lively depending upon your point of view), opinion is split in regard to who got the better of the tussle.
Dick Morris writes that Giuliani won the debate.
Want to know who picks Ron Paul? Log on to Digg, or Technorati, or Google for that matter, and sift through the reams of blog posts of numerous Paul supporters.
They seem to be everywhere online.
And just like in boxing, some people think it is fixed:
Rush Limbaugh says Ron Paul is “spamming polls.”
Meanwhile, online, there is a strong buzz that Ron Paul has been ignored by the mainstream media in regard to his impressive Internet demonstrated accomplishments and/or support.
Importantly, and not surprisingly, the crux of the issue relates to a fundamental divergent world view as opposed to simply a divergence between two candidates. Is a broader examination of context, history and circumstances necessary to understand the roots of terrorism, or, conversely, does looking for such reasons or motives for terrorism instead reflect a misguided and in fact dangerous diversion from a tougher approach needed to win.
In fact, what to some is a matter of survival, is to others a matter of extremism, shortsightedness, or warmongering that in fact could contribute towards the behaviors it seeks to extinguish.
The interesting thing about the Internet is that such divergent world views can be shared, shaped, expanded and debated to a degree in which a pronounced level of citizens in this nation may choose to become engaged.
While I do not harbor illusions of outright consensus, I am hopeful that out of such examination, a true “national conversation” if that were to emerge, that together we will be able to chart a course that many, if not most, feel sufficiently reflects our common interests.
Ali and Frazier went at it I think three times. McEnroe and Connors (and Borg) probably many more.
People love (and love to hate) the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry.
Giuliani-Paul II anyone?
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.