Wisconsin Newspaper Begs Readers for More Pro-* Letters

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.wisinfo.com/postcrescent/news/archive/opinion_15959053.shtml

Letters to the editor, a staple of The Post-Crescent’s Views pages, are a way to take the political and social temperature of the Valley. A well-written letter allows readers to ponder different points of view, perhaps made more poignant because the author is someone you might know. At best, they should offer a full spectrum of beliefs and topics.

Recently, though, as the race for president heats up, we’ve been dealing with this quandary: How can we balance the perspectives and topics of our letters when many of our submissions have been coming only from one side?

We’ve been getting more letters critical of President Bush than those that support him. We’re not sure why, nor do we want to guess. But in today’s increasingly polarized political environment, we would prefer our offering to put forward a better sense of balance.

Since we depend upon you, our readers, to supply our letters, that goal can be difficult. We can’t run letters that we don’t have.

Hysterical - hey idiots in Appleton - maybe your readership has turned against that idiot in the WH.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Many a paper is now doing this

there is somethign fundamental going on, and the papers are starting to see it

[lebkuchen]

10. Which papers are doing this? I have a letter to send them

I just sent it to the Wisc. paper, and it will be printed in Stripes this week.

[SharonAnn]

19. Funny, I don't remember them doing this when all the letters

were pro-*. Do you?

I used to get so nauseated reading the unadulterated slavish devotion that used to pass for Letters to the Editor inour paper.

However, I did get the "Astroturf" letters stopped here in Knoxville and the nespaper instituted a policy telling people that if they send in one, they will be blocked - even in the future.

[parasim]

2. In other words...

...their aim is to keep it polarized.

[candy331]

3. Funny

ha ha ha ha and ha. Some good news for a change.

[Doctor_J]

4. "we're not sure why"

the wingnuts are in deep, deep denial.

[Sparkly]

5. "We don't want to report the truth...

We just want to report that things are balanced. We're not sure why people are critical of the idiotic, unelected warmongering Chimp!"

[ShaneGR]

6. OMG, I'm bookmarking that page and sending it to everyone I know

Hilarious! Did I mention it's a swing state?

[T Bone]

7. Should be easy to work up a few letters supporting Jr* with left-handed

compliments. If ya know what I mean. Sounds like it would take a few weeks of those for these editors to catch on.

[murielm99]

9. Yes, T-Bone!

Let's get our very own Bob Boudelang on this ASAP!

[Jacobin]

29. Very good idea! In fact, here's mine:

"I understand that you have been having a hard time choosing letters to publish about the 2004 election because of the dearth of letters supporting Mr. Bush. It is very surprising that support for Mr. Bush and his policies has apparently slipped so much, in light of all the progress this country has made in the last three and a half years. I would like to take a moment to remind people of the highlights of this administration and why it is so important to choose a great leader in 2004:

Mr. Bush's positive effects on our country began with the disputed election in 2000, even before he took office. He demonstrated that with a little help from family members and your father's friends on the Supreme Court, that we can cut out all the red tape of vote counting and all those "constitutionally mandated" procedures for picking a president when there is a close outcome. Now we know, we just ask the Supreme Court to pick. That will save lots of time and red tape in the future and help streamline government.

Mr. Bush showed us how, when our airmen are captured by a communist dictatorial regime, while flying over international airspace, how to apologize and beg for a return of our countrymen. His apologies were very eloquent and repeated and they not only returned our airmen, they returned our plane, although it was taken apart and placed in boxes. Let that be a warning to the next country who tries to pull a fast one on our military!

Mr. Bush saw that while incomes for the wealthiest people in our country had been rising at a record pace for a decade, that many could not afford a really nice intercontinental private jet, say like a Gulfstream V. Ignoring popular will to the contrary, he once again showed leadership by passing not just one, but two tax cuts which will give hundreds of billions of dollars to our most fortunate citizens, who won't have to hide their heads in shame as they jet off for Monte Carol or Aspen. No longer will our aristocracy be outdone in bidding for racehorses or impressionist painting auctions by Saudi princes. America's patricians can now hold their heads up to the wealthiest of international arms dealers and cocaine kingpins when it comes to showing off wealth. This is good for American's morale.

Mr. Bush has led the way in demonstrating to Americans just how important it is to stop and smell the roses. During the go-go 1990's too many people worked long hours and for what? They had little time for family or fishing or recreation. Mr. Bush has spent 40% of his time on vacation and as the leader of the country has set a good example for other patricians. And don't begrudge the wealthy their time off. One day, you may win the lottery and you will want smaller taxes and lots of time off, too!! Some have criticized Mr. Bush for taking so much time off that he didn't concern himself with the pre-9/11 threat levels. And I say "piffle". Although 3,000 lives may have been lost in that event, it was the very first terrorist attack during his entire administration. And I don't need to tell you the statistics about the health effects of too much worry. Had Mr. Bush worried himself to death about these impending attacks and tried to prevent them, he might have had a stroke or a heart attack and then where would we be?

Mr. Bush also helped us get into a really good war. We hadn't been in a war in the Middle East in over 10 years. For the most part, Mr. Clinton tried to avoid wars, and our soldiers were not able to get very much experience. Mr. Bush recognized that for the U.S. to be a really great and important country that we must have a significant and meaningful war. Some criticize Mr. Bush for making up the excuses to go to war, but you know, a lot of people don't think wars are good and they have to be talked into them. Mr. Bush did this country a favor by working really hard to convince this country that we needed a war and now we have a really good one that should last for years and years.

There are many more things I could say about Mr. Bush's presidency, but they will have to wait for my next letter. In the meantime, I would like to remind your readers just how important a president can be for a country and that they should exercise their right to vote in 2004.

Your Republican Reader:


X"

[Qutzupalotl]

32. Great letter,

but I'd drop the disputed election paragraph. That's a giveaway.

[Norquist Nemesis]

8. Thank You John Q. Public!

This is a good sign that grassroots efforts are working!

[WFF]

11. Not all of us in Appleton are idiots

Since that editorial ran last week, there have been a number of LTTE criticizing the paper for its stupidity.

Thom Hartmann mentioned the story in his radio show today (5/10)

[RamboLiberal]

17. I'm not dissing Appleton - just the idiots at the paper who

ran this. My favorite local radio talk show host Lynn Cullen is from Wisconsin. And Rocky Bleier of the Super Bowl Steelers and a wounded Vietnam vet is of course from Appleton.

I root for the Packers as long as they're not playing the Steelers.

[uncertainty1999]

22. I thought Appleton was a pretty conservate place... ?

... I met someone from there once who described it in that way. Was that person just plain wrong or has there been a change since the early 90's?

[WFF]

25. Conservative, but it may be changing

Northeast Wisconsin has typically been Republican, but my sister, who works as a teller in a bank, thinks that Appleton is becoming more liberal because of the war. She has a photo of her son, who is in the Air Force, at her window. This often gets people talking and usually it turns to ant-Bush, let's-get-out-of-Iraq sentiment. So maybe there's hope for us yet!

[fearnobush]

12. Just sent them a positive Bush letter. I hope they like it.

Here is a positive Bush letter I am writing. I will really love Bush, when he is voted out of office, or better yet, Frogged Marched out of the Whitehouse for the multitude of crimes he has committed and for the fascists take over of this once great nation. I will love him even more when federal charges of Treason (CIA agent Valarie Plame outed) Mass Murder 911 LIHOP (Bush - Let it Happen On Purpose) Theft (Enron - Bush allow his buddy Ken Lay steal 1 billion in pension funds from it's workers, then fired them all). Do I need to bring up those wonderful and positive feelings the world now has for him after his latest war crimes scandal?
These a just a few of the positive things you should really take in to consideration before you lie and whore for Bush.

[calimary]

13. Here's what I just sent 'em...

Gentlepeople:

I read your appeal for more favorable letters for George Bush - with amusement. Wish I could help you, but our country is being ruined by his lies, his policies, his lies, his arrogance, his lies, his incompetence - oh yes, and did I mention - his LIES? In all my 51 years, I've never seen this nation SO steeped in hopelessness, fear, greed, anger, divisiveness, and overall negativity as it's become since he took over. November can't come soon enough!

[ParanoidPat]

14. Dear Editor.....

......I'm POSITIVE George W. Bush* is the WORST pResident the US has ever endured! I'm also POSITIVE that George W. Bush* should face a war crimes tribunal in the Hague for launching a premeditated preemptive war in our name against a primarily disarmed sovereign nation based on lies and distortions of the facts. I'm POSITIVE that George W. Bush* will lie, cheat and steal his way to Armageddon if he's not stopped. That's the most POSITIVE I've ever been about any pResident I've ever lived under! Is that POSITIVE enough for you? Long live George W. Bush*! (In a jail cell with the rest of his cabal!)

POSITIVELY Yours,
ParanoidPat :evilgrin:

[NewYorkerfromMass]

31. Excellent work!

Meanwhile, this is surreal.

[MissRegina]

15. That's hilarious!

I bet them come pouring in now from freepers who didn't realize they were slacking off.

[SoCalDem]

16. Dear Editor:

Dear Editor:

I can sympathize with you. It's getting harder to find Bush-supporters every day. Of course when one watches the deliberately skewed polls and the corporate-owned media, one would think that he is still the best thing since sliced bread. I guess the "real people" of the country are starting to figure out that they have been hoodwinked,conned,hornswaggled..(insert favorite colloquialism for defrauded here).

His presidency has ushered in an era of death, dread and doom, and I guess we have all just "had it up to here" with it...and him..

The Berlin papers must have had a similar problem as WWII raged on. Eventually even the public turned against Adolph..

Chin up, editor... It's not a bad thing to report the actual feelings of the public..

If you do a story about a mean old serial killer, we do not expect you to do one about a "cuddly, cute" serial killer too..

We ARE smart enough to see the truth and recognize it.

[Sapphocrat]

18. To the editor:

You state: "We've been getting more letters critical of President Bush than those that support him. We're not sure why, nor do we want to guess."

Playing dumb is an insult to your readers' collective intelligence; of course you know why -- that is, unless you pay no attention to any other news source on the planet.

Nevertheless, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and spell it out: If your readership is sending you nothing but letters critical of Mr. Bush, the simple reason is that the current administration has finally gone so far over the line, even his most brain-dead supporters can't help but notice.

Perhaps you're not really receiving a higher percentage of anti-Bush letters; perhaps Mr. Bush's most fervent supporters can no longer think of a single thing to say in his defense.

I question your motive in soliciting more "Bush-positive" letters. Isn't it your first responsibility to report that it's either snowing or sunny, rather than attempt to influence the climate?

Sincerely,
.....

[AgadorSparticus]

20. they're adopting Faux New's version of "Fair and Balanced" LOL

This is a good sign indeed! woooooohooooooo!!!

[guitar man]

21. Here's mine

Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to your May 4th "Views" column asking for more pro-Bush letters to "achieve a balance" in the letters to the editor. I came across the link on the internet and felt compelled to respond.

As far as writing a letter supporting President Bush, I am afraid I will not be able to help you in that regard. After 3 1./2 years of the Bush White House, I cannot think of a single thing that his administration has done to benefit the nation at large, much less the world. Rather the opposite. I am not going to go into everything wrong with this administration as your organization is in the news business, putting you in the position to be fully informed of what is going on.

If you are completely honest with yourself, you know full well why the letters supporting President Bush have declined in number. People all across the country are waking up to the reality of failure that is the Bush administration. They are coming to the realization that,in spite of what they have been told ad nauseum, all the world's problems are NOT the result of Bill Clinton and his sexual escapades. Bush's handlers have milked that pile of rubbish for about all they can get out of it.

It would seem the "slant" away from Bush in your letters to the editor are the result of the real-world conditions created by the current administration.

Instead of making a plea for more pro-Bush letters to try and slant things back to a point of "balance", it might be a good idea to do some good old-fashioned straight ahead journalism on the real reasons behind the absence of those letters. If President Bush actually does something praiseworthy, I am sure people will once again feel compelled to write about it. For once in his life, let's see if he can actually EARN something for himself rather than depending on others to supply it for him.

Thank you for the opportunity to voice my opinion.

Sincerely,

[Habibi]

23. Probably too late, but here's mine

Dear Editor:

So, you aren't getting enough letters praising George Bush and you "aren't sure why." Interesting. Next you'll tell us you can no longer print any letters that are critical of Bush because it will make you look biased. And so the "liberal" media falls down on the job again.

You don't want to report the truth, you want to report that there is a balance of opinion out here when, in fact, there is not.

Shame on you.

[SoCalDem]

24. kick

:)

[rocktivity]

26. BWA HA HA HA--THIS JUST IN

Posted May 11, 2004

A May 4 editorial...noted that...it was curious that our letters were mostly one-sided...We were partially motivated by some readers...who thought we were intentionally printing letters from only one side of the aisle.

...Many readers perceived our plea in the editorial for greater reader participation as an unabashed solicitation for people to weigh in on the side of (Bush)...(W)e came off as trying to beat the drum for him.

...we can now see how it was taken in that vein (sic), even though our editorial track record has been critical (of Bush policies)...So...If you don’t agree with the letters we print...write a letter with a differing viewpoint.

We’re not holding back pro-Bush letters and only running pro-Kerry letters or vice versa...

Keep the cards and letters coming.

:headbang:
rocknation

[WFF]

28. Egg on their face!

Here's the link:

http://www.wisinfo.com/postcrescent/news/archive/opinion_16065323.shtml

[Cheesehead]

30. Double BWA HA HA!

I love it!

[Cheesehead]

27. The Post-Crescent is my hometown paper

I wrote them last week to voice my disapproval, and they printed my screed on Sunday.

Here is the thread I started in the state forum:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=186x343

There hasn't been any change in the letter mix since the "appeal". Whistle Ass is still getting more heat than kudos. I suspect the whole thing may involve corporate marching orders - the P-C is a Gannett paper.

[the_real_38]

33. 'Fair and balanced' may become theoretically impossible...

... when everyone hates the war-monering son of a bit*h.

[Delano]

34. LOL!

LOLOLOLOL!

[West Coast Democrat]

35. It's sort of an editorial in itself....

gotta wonder!