W E A S C A N D S D Giving Peace A...
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Thursday, 10.25.12 ON THE WEB: www.yankton.net VIEWS PAGE: [email protected] 4 PRESS DAKOTAN views I thank Him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 Timothy 1:12. Portals of Prayer, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis T HE P RESS D AKOTAN THE DAKOTAS’ OLDEST NEWSPAPER | FOUNDED 1861 Yankton Media, Inc., 319 Walnut St., Yankton, SD 57078 OPINION | OTHER THOUGHTS ‘Blaming China’ – The Chinese View FROM THE BIBLE YOUR LETTERS By The Associated Press Today is Thursday, Oct. 25, the 299th day of 2012. There are 67 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Oct. 25, 1962, in a dramatic confrontation be- fore the U.N. Security Council, U.S. Am- bassador Adlai E. Stevenson II demanded that Soviet Ambassador Valerian Zorin confirm or deny the existence of Soviet- built missile bases in Cuba; when Zorin de- clined to respond, Stevenson said he was prepared to wait “until hell freezes over” for an answer. Stevenson then presented pho- tographic evidence of the bases to the Council. On this date: In 1760, Britain’s King George III succeeded his late grandfather, George II. In 1812, the frigate USS United States, commanded by Stephen Decatur, captured the British vessel HMS Macedonian during the War of 1812. In 1854, the “Charge of the Light Brigade” took place during the Crimean War as an English brigade of more than 600 men charged the Russian army, suf- fering heavy losses. In 1912, the song “My Melancholy Baby” by Ernie Burnett and George Norton was first published under the title “Melan- choly.” Country comedian Minnie Pearl was born Sarah Ophelia Colley in Center- ville, Tenn. In 1929, former Interior Secretary Al- bert B. Fall was convicted in Washington, D.C., of accepting a $100,000 bribe from oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny. (Fall was sentenced to a year in prison and fined $100,000; he ended up serving nine months.) In 1939, the play “The Time of Your Life,” by William Saroyan, opened in New York. In 1945, Taiwan became independent of Japanese colonial rule. In 1957, mob boss Albert Anastasia of “Murder Inc.” notoriety was shot to death by masked gunmen in a barber shop inside the Park Sheraton Hotel in New York. In 1962, American author John Stein- beck was named winner of the Nobel Prize in literature. In 1971, the U.N. General Assembly voted to admit mainland China and expel Taiwan. In 1982, the situation comedy “Newhart,” starring Bob Newhart as a Ver- mont innkeeper, premiered on CBS. In 1992, Grammy-winning singer-song- writer Roger Miller, 56, died in Los Ange- les. Ten years ago: U.S. Sen. Paul Well- stone, D-Minn., was killed in the crash of a private plane in northern Minnesota along with his wife, Sheila, daughter Marcia and five others, a week and a-half before Elec- tion Day; he was 58. Actor Richard Harris died in London at age 72. Five years ago: President George W. Bush visited Southern California, telling residents weary from five days of wildfires: “We’re not going to forget you in Washing- ton, D.C.” The Boston Red Sox beat the Colorado Rockies 2-1 at Fenway to take a 2-0 World Series lead. One year ago: Deposed Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, his son Muatassim and former Defense Minister Abu Bakr Younis were buried at dawn in a secret location, five days after Gadhafi was slain by revo- lutionary fighters. Today’s Birthdays: Former American League President and Baseball Hall of Famer Lee MacPhail is 95. Former Ameri- can League president Dr. Bobby Brown is 88. Singer-actress Barbara Cook is 85. Ac- tress Jeanne Cooper is 84. Actress Marion Ross is 84. Country singer Jeanne Black is 75. Basketball Hall of Famer Bobby Knight is 72. Author Anne Tyler is 71. Rock singer Jon Anderson (Yes) is 68. Political strate- gist James Carville is 68. Singer Taffy Danoff (Starland Vocal Band) is 68. Rock musician Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest) is 65. Actor Brian Kerwin is 63. Actor Mark L. Tay- lor is 62. Movie director Julian Schnabel is 61. Rock musician Matthias Jabs is 56. Ac- tress Nancy Cartwright (“The Simpsons”) is 55. Country singer Mark Miller (Sawyer Brown) is 54. Rock musician Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers; Chickenfoot) is 51. Actress Tracy Nelson is 49. Actor Michael Boatman is 48. Actor Kevin Michael Richardson is 48. Singer Speech is 44. Actor Adam Goldberg is 42. Actor-singer Adam Pascal is 42. Rock musician Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies) is 42. Ac- tress Persia White is 42. Country singer Chely Wright is 42. Violinist Midori is 41. Actor Craig Robinson is 41. Actor Michael Weston is 39. Actor Zachary Knighton is 34. Actor Mehcad Brooks is 32. Actor Ben Gould is 32. Actor Josh Henderson is 31. Rhythm-and-blues singer Young Rome is 31. Pop singer Katy Perry is 28. Rock singer Austin Winkler (Hinder) is 28. Singer Ciara is 27. Actress Conchita Campbell (“The 4400”) is 17. Thought for Today: “You can tell the size of a man by the size of the thing that makes him mad.” — Adlai E. Stevenson II, American statesman (1900-1965). TODAY IN HISTORY MANAGERS Gary L. Wood Publisher Michele Schievelbein Advertising Director Tonya Schild Business Manager David Jeffcoat Circulation Director Tera Schmidt Classified Manager Kelly Hertz Editor James D. Cimburek Sports Editor Beth Rye New Media Manager Kathy Larson Composing Manager Bernard Metivier District Manager Published Daily Monday-Saturday Periodicals postage paid at Yankton, South Dakota, under the act of March 3, 1979. Weekly Dakotian established June 6, 1861. Yankton Daily Press and Dakotian established April 26, 1875. Postmaster: Send address changes to Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan, 319 Wal- nut, Yankton, SD 57078. *** *** *** *** MEMBERSHIPS The Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan is a member of the Associ- ated Press, the Inland Daily Press Associa- tion and the South Dakota Newspaper Association. The Asso- ciated Press is entitled exclusively to use of all the local news printed in this newspaper. SUBSCRIPTION RATES* (Payable in advance) CARRIER DELIVERY 1-month . . . . .$12.09 3 months . . . .$36.27 6 months . . . .$72.53 1-year . . . . . .$133.09 MOTOR ROUTE (where available) 1 month . . . . .$14.51 3 months . . . .$43.53 6 months . . . .$87.05 1 year . . . . . .$139.14 MAIL IN RETAIL TRADE ZONE 1-month . . . . .$16.93 3 months . . . .$50.79 6 months . . .$101.57 1-year . . . . . .$148.82 MAIL OUTSIDE RETAIL TRADE ZONE 1 month . . . . .$19.35 3 months . . . .$58.05 6 months . . .$116.09 1-year . . . . . .$186.33 * Plus applicable sales tax for all rates CONTACT US PHONE: (605) 665-7811 (800) 743-2968 NEWS FAX: (605) 665-1721 ADVERTISING FAX: (605) 665-0288 WEBSITE: www.yankton.net EMAIL ADDRESS: [email protected] ——— SUBSCRIPTIONS/ CIRCULATION: Extension 112 CLASSIFIED ADS: Extension 108 NEWS DEPARTMENT: Extension 114 SPORTS DEPARTMENT: Extension 106 ADVERTISING OFFICE: Extension 122 BUSINESS OFFICE: Extension 119 NEW MEDIA: Extension 136 COMPOSING DESK: Extension 129 Andrew Atwal Brett Beyeler Derek Bartos Cassandra Brockmoller Randy Dockendorf Jeannine Economy Jeremy Hoeck Nathan Johnson Muriel Pratt Noelle Schlechter Jamie Selves Cathy Sudbeck Kelsey Thomas Brenda Willcuts Jackie Williams DAILY STAFF *** BY KATHLEEN PARKER © 2012, Washington Post Writers Group ORLANDO, Fla. — Forget “horses and bayonets.” The most important word uttered during the third presidential debate was “peace.” Mitt Romney, the un-bellicose, used it several times to set the tone for what his foreign policy would be. Anyone who was expecting saber-rattling and bring-it-on rhetoric was disappointed. This may include some Republicans who had hoped to witness another round on the attack in Benghazi and the Obama administration’s mixed messages in the af- termath, but Romney chose not to go there. It would have been a distraction and cre- ated friction that ultimately would have un- dermined the sense Romney was trying to convey — that he picks his battles care- fully. The real point of Romney’s rendition of commander in chief was to reveal himself as the stalwart of America’s power to pro- mote peace and freedom through strength, character and an unyielding defense of American principles. Without ever using the word, he was laying out a blueprint of American exceptionalism. Romney reiter- ated his belief that the United States has a vital role in leading the world, in providing succor to nations try- ing to gain a toehold in democracy, in helping those who would overthrow oppressive governments. He got his best shot at Barack Obama when he quoted the president’s comments during what Rom- ney characterized as an “apology” tour in 2009, in which Obama conceded that the United States has at times “dictated” to other nations and been “dismis- sive” and “derisive.” “We don’t dictate to nations,” Romney said. “We free nations from dictators.” Obama seized on Romney’s use of the word “apol- ogy” and noted that every fact-checker and reporter who had looked into it said it wasn’t true. Interestingly, where Romney declined to use “ex- ceptionalism,” a belief in which Obama does not share, Obama inserted a different term: “America re- mains the one indispensable nation,” he said. This has a nice ring to it. How could the world do without an America? We may yet find out. Obama may have chosen this phrase to make up for past statements that were less than ringing endorse- ments of America’s special place in defense of human liberty. When asked once whether he thought America was exceptional, he said he supposed it was in the same way other countries think they’re exceptional. “Peace” was the word Romney seemed to like best, followed closely by “tumult,” which is a strange Rom- ney-esque word that he used five times. He used the word “peace” 12 times (Obama none), especially in the context of Middle East policy, and managed to tie our mission of peace to the economy: “Our purpose is to make sure the world is more — is peaceful. We want a peaceful planet. We want people to be able to enjoy their lives and know they’re going to have a bright and prosperous future and not be at war. That’s our purpose. And the mantle of — of leadership for promoting the princi- ples of peace has fallen to America. We did- n’t ask for it, but it’s an honor that we have it. “But for us to be able to promote those principles of peace requires us to be strong, and that begins with a strong economy here at home, and unfortunately, the economy is not stronger.” Both candidates seemed more at home on the domestic front and spent too much time on small details that have been covered previ- ously. However, focus groups indicated approval each time Obama brought the conversation back to nation- building at home. The low point of the evening, though most cer- tainly celebrated by Obama supporters, was when the president sarcastically schooled his opponent on the need, or lack thereof, for Navy ships. Romney was asserting his plan to rebuild the Navy, which he said (incorrectly) is smaller than at any time since 1917. (According to FactCheck.org, there are slightly more ships now than at the low point under President George W. Bush.) Rather than correct Romney’s figures, Obama treated him like a child. “Well, Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets because the nature of our military’s changed. We have these things called aircraft carriers where planes land on them. We have these ships that go underwater, nuclear submarines.” The president got some laughs, but probably no new votes. Snark is a winning trait on Twitter, but not so much in the Oval Office. The higher road belonged to Romney, who succeeded in his mission, which was to remind Americans that their nation is more than in- dispensable. It is exceptional — and they need a pres- ident who believes it. Kathleen Parker’s email address is kathleen- [email protected]. Giving Peace A Chance Kathleen PARKER BY LEONARD PITTS JR. Tribune Media Services About those “binders full of women ...” That, of course, is the infelicitous phrase Mitt Romney used in last week’s second presidential de- bate when he was asked how he would ad- dress paycheck inequity between the sexes. Romney responded with a homily about how, as the newly elected governor of Massachusetts in 2002, he became con- cerned that the only job applications that crossed his desk seemed to be from men. “I went to a number of women’s groups,” said Romney, “and said, ‘Can you help us find folks?’ And they brought us whole binders full of women.” And there, the ridicule began. The phrase “binders full of women” leapt across the Internet like some digital prairie fire, wits and twits from Facebook to Twitter to Tumblr all laughing at Rom- ney’s expense. Indeed, there’s a good chance someone in a “binders full of women” costume will knock at your door on Hal- loween. But, though there seems to be general agreement that there is something off-putting about what Romney said, there seems relatively little discussion of what that something is. As CNN’s Piers Morgan put it, “I don’t get what’s wrong with it. I don’t get why it made him a laughing stock.” His confusion reflects the fact that people seem to have sensed something here they have not always been able to articulate. So let’s start articulating. And let’s begin by acknowledging the obvious: Rom- ney didn’t answer the question. But then, he hardly in- vented the unresponsive response. Most politicians bob and weave like Ali when confronted with questions they’d rather not answer. That’s not what people are reacting to. No, what was irksome about the governor’s answer is that it seemed 30 years out of date, a relic of a time when the person who wanted to seem concerned about diversity performed some act of ostentatious outreach, collected binders full of women (or Cubans, gays or whatever) from their various advocacy groups in order to make sure they were part of the candidate pool. That would have sounded enlightened in 1985. But as the answer to a question about gender inequity in 2012, it just makes you wonder: Were the governor and his men really so isolated from capable women as re- cently as 2002 that they had to ask women’s groups for help? Were strong women really a species so exotic the governor needed a na- tive guide to their world? A pattern takes shape here. Between Rom- ney’s binders full of women, and Rush Lim- baugh branding a woman a “slut” because she thinks contraception should be part of her health insurance package, between Rep. Todd Akin’s belief that the uterus somehow filters out unwanted sperm and Rep. Allen West’s chastisement of an opponent’s failure to act like a “lady,” it becomes increasingly obvious some socially conservative men are stuck in a time warp. Akin, West and Limbaugh hunker down like Davy Crockett at the Alamo, behind modes of sexist condescension that were get- ting old when the Beatles broke up. Romney tries to show he “gets it” by disinterring a trope from the era of Jheri curls and Max Headroom. When’s the last time any of these boys had a date? In the world outside their time bubble, women run states and nations, fight fires and litigate cases, per- form surgeries and grab rebounds. And yes, they still tend boo-boos and fix meals, too. Some men are apparently still holdouts from that world, like Japanese soldiers on remote Pacific islands who fought World War II into the 1970s. But as those soldiers had to learn — the world moves on, whether you accept it or not. To his credit, Romney at least made the effort. But the next time he’s looking for capable women, one hopes someone gives him some apparently needed ad- vice. Close the binder and open your eyes. Leonard Pitts is a columnist for the Miami Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, Fla., 33132. Readers may contact him via e-mail at [email protected]. © 2012, THE MIAMI HERALD About Those Binders ... Leonard PITTS State Champs! Warren Brenner, Yankton Coach, YHS soccer team As varsity boys soccer coach, I would like to thank everyone for their overwhelming support of our team at the State Soccer Tournament and afterwards. From press coverage, to radio coverage, to school an- nouncements, all the calls, texts and messages, we knew we were sup- ported in spirit if not in person. Also thank you to the girls team and their parents for staying for our champi- onship game. Hearing the cheers and “Go Big Red” helped motivate us to play our best. Thank you, parents, for your sup- port. Thank you, assistant coaches, Wes Chambers and Riley Smith, who supported me and always believed we could do it. Most especially, thank you to the players, for attending every day, for conditioning when they didn’t want to, and for playing with their hearts and pride for each other and YHS. The State Tournament was excit- ing, challenging and rewarding. On paper, we weren’t the fastest team, the oldest team, or the biggest team, but we had qualities you can’t define with statistics. We were well-condi- tioned, we played with the most heart, the most teamwork, the most determination, and in the end, those were the things that made the differ- ence. No one gave us that champi- onship, we didn’t get lucky, it wasn’t a fluke. The team worked hard and earned it. I couldn’t be more proud of the way these gentlemen played and the sportsmanship they displayed. Congratulations to these fine young men and thank you to the community for your support of their efforts. WRITE US Letters, Yankton Press & Dakotan, 319 Walnut, Yankton, SD 57078 CHINA DAILY, Beijing (Oct. 24): As expected, President Barack Obama and his Republican rival Mitt Romney resorted to the same old blame China song in the presidential debate in the United States on Oct. 22, albeit with a softer tone. Both candidates have clung to a get-tough-on-China strategy and done their best to throw mud at China throughout their White House race, so whoever wins the election on Nov 6 is going to need to do a rapid reality check. Each summarized their stance toward the country during the debate. In an attempt to show he has already got tough on China, Obama boasted that he has brought more cases against China for violating trade rules than the previous administration did in two terms. Romney’s line was that China has done everything it can to harm the U.S., ranging from “manipulating” its currency to “stealing” U.S. intellectual property and patents. However, a reality check will show them that although they blame China for causing trade imbalances and complain that Chinese companies and their U.S. counterparts are not competing on a level playing field, the protec- tionist measures that Obama bragged about have not only served to dampen Chinese investment in the U.S. that could have created jobs, but cost Americans a lot more. A reality check would also show them the yuan’s continual appreciation against the U.S. dollar and the extent to which China has strengthened its IP protection. The most unbelievable part of the debate was the moment when both candidates said they would press Beijing to “play by the rules” in shaping ties with China. A reality check will show them that, in international politics and trade, China has been faithfully observing the principles of justice and fairness en- shrined in both the UN Charter and WTO rules. They might want to ask themselves to what extent the U.S. can say the same. ... The PRESS & DAKOTAN Views page provides a forum for open discussion of issues and interests affecting our readers. Initialed editorials represent the opin- ion of the writer, but not necessarily that of the PRESS & DAKOTAN. Bylined columns represent the view of the author. We welcome letters to the editor on current topics. Questions regarding the Views page should be directed to Kelly Hertz at [email protected]. THE VIEWS PAGE
Transcript of W E A S C A N D S D Giving Peace A...
Thursday, 10.25.12ON THE WEB: www.yankton.net
VIEWS PAGE: [email protected] PRESS DAKOTANviews
I thank Him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 Timothy1:12. Portals of Prayer, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
THE PRESS DAKOTANTHE DAKOTAS’ OLDEST NEWSPAPER | FOUNDED 1861
Yankton Media, Inc., 319 Walnut St., Yankton, SD 57078
OPINION | OTHER THOUGHTS
‘Blaming China’ –The Chinese View
F RO M T H E B I B L E
YO U R L E T T E R S
By The Associated PressToday is Thursday, Oct. 25, the 299th
day of 2012. There are 67 days left in theyear.
Today’s Highlight in History: On Oct.25, 1962, in a dramatic confrontation be-fore the U.N. Security Council, U.S. Am-bassador Adlai E. Stevenson II demandedthat Soviet Ambassador Valerian Zorinconfirm or deny the existence of Soviet-built missile bases in Cuba; when Zorin de-clined to respond, Stevenson said he wasprepared to wait “until hell freezes over” foran answer. Stevenson then presented pho-tographic evidence of the bases to theCouncil.
On this date: In 1760, Britain’s KingGeorge III succeeded his late grandfather,George II.
In 1812, the frigate USS United States,commanded by Stephen Decatur, capturedthe British vessel HMS Macedonian duringthe War of 1812.
In 1854, the “Charge of the LightBrigade” took place during the CrimeanWar as an English brigade of more than600 men charged the Russian army, suf-fering heavy losses.
In 1912, the song “My MelancholyBaby” by Ernie Burnett and George Nortonwas first published under the title “Melan-choly.” Country comedian Minnie Pearlwas born Sarah Ophelia Colley in Center-ville, Tenn.
In 1929, former Interior Secretary Al-bert B. Fall was convicted in Washington,D.C., of accepting a $100,000 bribe fromoil tycoon Edward L. Doheny. (Fall wassentenced to a year in prison and fined$100,000; he ended up serving ninemonths.)
In 1939, the play “The Time of YourLife,” by William Saroyan, opened in NewYork.
In 1945, Taiwan became independentof Japanese colonial rule.
In 1957, mob boss Albert Anastasia of“Murder Inc.” notoriety was shot to deathby masked gunmen in a barber shop insidethe Park Sheraton Hotel in New York.
In 1962, American author John Stein-beck was named winner of the Nobel Prizein literature.
In 1971, the U.N. General Assemblyvoted to admit mainland China and expelTaiwan.
In 1982, the situation comedy“Newhart,” starring Bob Newhart as a Ver-mont innkeeper, premiered on CBS.
In 1992, Grammy-winning singer-song-writer Roger Miller, 56, died in Los Ange-les.
Ten years ago: U.S. Sen. Paul Well-stone, D-Minn., was killed in the crash of aprivate plane in northern Minnesota alongwith his wife, Sheila, daughter Marcia andfive others, a week and a-half before Elec-tion Day; he was 58. Actor Richard Harrisdied in London at age 72.
Five years ago: President George W.Bush visited Southern California, tellingresidents weary from five days of wildfires:“We’re not going to forget you in Washing-ton, D.C.” The Boston Red Sox beat theColorado Rockies 2-1 at Fenway to take a2-0 World Series lead.
One year ago: Deposed Libyan leaderMoammar Gadhafi, his son Muatassim andformer Defense Minister Abu Bakr Youniswere buried at dawn in a secret location,five days after Gadhafi was slain by revo-lutionary fighters.
Today’s Birthdays: Former AmericanLeague President and Baseball Hall ofFamer Lee MacPhail is 95. Former Ameri-can League president Dr. Bobby Brown is88. Singer-actress Barbara Cook is 85. Ac-tress Jeanne Cooper is 84. Actress MarionRoss is 84. Country singer Jeanne Black is75. Basketball Hall of Famer Bobby Knightis 72. Author Anne Tyler is 71. Rock singerJon Anderson (Yes) is 68. Political strate-gist James Carville is 68. Singer TaffyDanoff (Starland Vocal Band) is 68. Rockmusician Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest) is 65.Actor Brian Kerwin is 63. Actor Mark L. Tay-lor is 62. Movie director Julian Schnabel is61. Rock musician Matthias Jabs is 56. Ac-tress Nancy Cartwright (“The Simpsons”)is 55. Country singer Mark Miller (SawyerBrown) is 54. Rock musician Chad Smith(Red Hot Chili Peppers; Chickenfoot) is 51.Actress Tracy Nelson is 49. Actor MichaelBoatman is 48. Actor Kevin MichaelRichardson is 48. Singer Speech is 44.Actor Adam Goldberg is 42. Actor-singerAdam Pascal is 42. Rock musician EdRobertson (Barenaked Ladies) is 42. Ac-tress Persia White is 42. Country singerChely Wright is 42. Violinist Midori is 41.Actor Craig Robinson is 41. Actor MichaelWeston is 39. Actor Zachary Knighton is34. Actor Mehcad Brooks is 32. Actor BenGould is 32. Actor Josh Henderson is 31.Rhythm-and-blues singer Young Rome is31. Pop singer Katy Perry is 28. Rocksinger Austin Winkler (Hinder) is 28. SingerCiara is 27. Actress Conchita Campbell(“The 4400”) is 17.
Thought for Today: “You can tell thesize of a man by the size of the thing thatmakes him mad.” — Adlai E. Stevenson II,American statesman (1900-1965).
TO DAY I N H I S TO RY
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BY KATHLEEN PARKER© 2012, Washington Post Writers Group
ORLANDO, Fla. — Forget “horses and bayonets.”The most important word uttered during the thirdpresidential debate was “peace.”
Mitt Romney, the un-bellicose, used itseveral times to set the tone for what hisforeign policy would be. Anyone who wasexpecting saber-rattling and bring-it-onrhetoric was disappointed.
This may include some Republicanswho had hoped to witness another roundon the attack in Benghazi and the Obamaadministration’s mixed messages in the af-termath, but Romney chose not to go there.It would have been a distraction and cre-ated friction that ultimately would have un-dermined the sense Romney was trying toconvey — that he picks his battles care-fully.
The real point of Romney’s rendition ofcommander in chief was to reveal himselfas the stalwart of America’s power to pro-mote peace and freedom through strength, characterand an unyielding defense of American principles.
Without ever using the word, he was laying out ablueprint of American exceptionalism. Romney reiter-ated his belief that the United States has a vital role inleading the world, in providing succor to nations try-ing to gain a toehold in democracy, in helping thosewho would overthrow oppressive governments.
He got his best shot at Barack Obama when hequoted the president’s comments during what Rom-ney characterized as an “apology” tour in 2009, inwhich Obama conceded that the United States has attimes “dictated” to other nations and been “dismis-sive” and “derisive.”
“We don’t dictate to nations,” Romney said. “Wefree nations from dictators.”
Obama seized on Romney’s use of the word “apol-ogy” and noted that every fact-checker and reporterwho had looked into it said it wasn’t true.
Interestingly, where Romney declined to use “ex-ceptionalism,” a belief in which Obama does notshare, Obama inserted a different term: “America re-mains the one indispensable nation,” he said. Thishas a nice ring to it. How could the world do withoutan America? We may yet find out.
Obama may have chosen this phrase to make up forpast statements that were less than ringing endorse-ments of America’s special place in defense of humanliberty. When asked once whether he thought Americawas exceptional, he said he supposed it was in the
same way other countries think they’re exceptional. “Peace” was the word Romney seemed to like best,
followed closely by “tumult,” which is a strange Rom-ney-esque word that he used five times. He used theword “peace” 12 times (Obama none), especially inthe context of Middle East policy, and managed to tie
our mission of peace to the economy: “Our purpose is to make sure the world
is more — is peaceful. We want a peacefulplanet. We want people to be able to enjoytheir lives and know they’re going to have abright and prosperous future and not be atwar. That’s our purpose. And the mantle of— of leadership for promoting the princi-ples of peace has fallen to America. We did-n’t ask for it, but it’s an honor that we haveit.
“But for us to be able to promote thoseprinciples of peace requires us to be strong,and that begins with a strong economy hereat home, and unfortunately, the economy isnot stronger.”
Both candidates seemed more at homeon the domestic front and spent too much
time on small details that have been covered previ-ously. However, focus groups indicated approval eachtime Obama brought the conversation back to nation-building at home.
The low point of the evening, though most cer-tainly celebrated by Obama supporters, was when thepresident sarcastically schooled his opponent on theneed, or lack thereof, for Navy ships.
Romney was asserting his plan to rebuild the Navy,which he said (incorrectly) is smaller than at any timesince 1917. (According to FactCheck.org, there areslightly more ships now than at the low point underPresident George W. Bush.)
Rather than correct Romney’s figures, Obamatreated him like a child.
“Well, Governor, we also have fewer horses andbayonets because the nature of our military’schanged. We have these things called aircraft carrierswhere planes land on them. We have these ships thatgo underwater, nuclear submarines.”
The president got some laughs, but probably nonew votes. Snark is a winning trait on Twitter, but notso much in the Oval Office. The higher road belongedto Romney, who succeeded in his mission, which wasto remind Americans that their nation is more than in-dispensable. It is exceptional — and they need a pres-ident who believes it.
Kathleen Parker’s email address is [email protected].
Giving Peace A Chance
Kathleen
PARKER
BY LEONARD PITTS JR.Tribune Media Services
About those “binders full of women ...” That, of course, is the infelicitous phrase Mitt
Romney used in last week’s second presidential de-bate when he was asked how he would ad-dress paycheck inequity between thesexes. Romney responded with a homilyabout how, as the newly elected governorof Massachusetts in 2002, he became con-cerned that the only job applications thatcrossed his desk seemed to be from men.
“I went to a number of women’sgroups,” said Romney, “and said, ‘Can youhelp us find folks?’ And they brought uswhole binders full of women.”
And there, the ridicule began. Thephrase “binders full of women” leaptacross the Internet like some digitalprairie fire, wits and twits from Facebookto Twitter to Tumblr all laughing at Rom-ney’s expense. Indeed, there’s a goodchance someone in a “binders full ofwomen” costume will knock at your door on Hal-loween.
But, though there seems to be general agreementthat there is something off-putting about what Romneysaid, there seems relatively little discussion of whatthat something is. As CNN’s Piers Morgan put it, “Idon’t get what’s wrong with it. I don’t get why it madehim a laughing stock.” His confusion reflects the factthat people seem to have sensed something here theyhave not always been able to articulate. So let’s startarticulating.
And let’s begin by acknowledging the obvious: Rom-ney didn’t answer the question. But then, he hardly in-vented the unresponsive response. Most politiciansbob and weave like Ali when confronted with questionsthey’d rather not answer. That’s not what people arereacting to.
No, what was irksome about the governor’s answeris that it seemed 30 years out of date, a relic of a timewhen the person who wanted to seem concerned aboutdiversity performed some act of ostentatious outreach,collected binders full of women (or Cubans, gays or
whatever) from their various advocacy groups in orderto make sure they were part of the candidate pool.
That would have sounded enlightened in 1985. Butas the answer to a question about gender inequity in2012, it just makes you wonder: Were the governor andhis men really so isolated from capable women as re-
cently as 2002 that they had to ask women’sgroups for help? Were strong women really aspecies so exotic the governor needed a na-tive guide to their world?
A pattern takes shape here. Between Rom-ney’s binders full of women, and Rush Lim-baugh branding a woman a “slut” because shethinks contraception should be part of herhealth insurance package, between Rep. ToddAkin’s belief that the uterus somehow filtersout unwanted sperm and Rep. Allen West’schastisement of an opponent’s failure to actlike a “lady,” it becomes increasingly obvioussome socially conservative men are stuck in atime warp. Akin, West and Limbaugh hunkerdown like Davy Crockett at the Alamo, behindmodes of sexist condescension that were get-ting old when the Beatles broke up. Romney
tries to show he “gets it” by disinterring a trope fromthe era of Jheri curls and Max Headroom.
When’s the last time any of these boys had a date? In the world outside their time bubble, women run
states and nations, fight fires and litigate cases, per-form surgeries and grab rebounds. And yes, they stilltend boo-boos and fix meals, too.
Some men are apparently still holdouts from thatworld, like Japanese soldiers on remote Pacific islandswho fought World War II into the 1970s. But as thosesoldiers had to learn — the world moves on, whetheryou accept it or not.
To his credit, Romney at least made the effort. Butthe next time he’s looking for capable women, onehopes someone gives him some apparently needed ad-vice.
Close the binder and open your eyes.
Leonard Pitts is a columnist for the Miami Herald, 1Herald Plaza, Miami, Fla., 33132. Readers may contacthim via e-mail at [email protected].
© 2012, THE MIAMI HERALD
About Those Binders ...
Leonard
PITTS
State Champs!Warren Brenner, YanktonCoach, YHS soccer team
As varsity boys soccer coach, Iwould like to thank everyone fortheir overwhelming support of ourteam at the State Soccer Tournamentand afterwards. From press coverage,to radio coverage, to school an-nouncements, all the calls, texts andmessages, we knew we were sup-ported in spirit if not in person. Alsothank you to the girls team and theirparents for staying for our champi-onship game. Hearing the cheers and“Go Big Red” helped motivate us toplay our best.
Thank you, parents, for your sup-port. Thank you, assistant coaches,Wes Chambers and Riley Smith, whosupported me and always believedwe could do it. Most especially, thankyou to the players, for attending
every day, for conditioning whenthey didn’t want to, and for playingwith their hearts and pride for eachother and YHS.
The State Tournament was excit-ing, challenging and rewarding. Onpaper, we weren’t the fastest team,the oldest team, or the biggest team,but we had qualities you can’t definewith statistics. We were well-condi-tioned, we played with the mostheart, the most teamwork, the mostdetermination, and in the end, thosewere the things that made the differ-ence. No one gave us that champi-onship, we didn’t get lucky, it wasn’ta fluke. The team worked hard andearned it. I couldn’t be more proud ofthe way these gentlemen played andthe sportsmanship they displayed.Congratulations to these fine youngmen and thank you to the communityfor your support of their efforts.
W R I T E U S Letters, Yankton Press & Dakotan, 319 Walnut, Yankton, SD 57078
CHINA DAILY, Beijing (Oct. 24): As expected, President Barack Obamaand his Republican rival Mitt Romney resorted to the same old blame Chinasong in the presidential debate in the United States on Oct. 22, albeit with asofter tone.
Both candidates have clung to a get-tough-on-China strategy and donetheir best to throw mud at China throughout their White House race, sowhoever wins the election on Nov 6 is going to need to do a rapid realitycheck.
Each summarized their stance toward the country during the debate.In an attempt to show he has already got tough on China, Obama boasted
that he has brought more cases against China for violating trade rules thanthe previous administration did in two terms.
Romney’s line was that China has done everything it can to harm theU.S., ranging from “manipulating” its currency to “stealing” U.S. intellectualproperty and patents.
However, a reality check will show them that although they blame Chinafor causing trade imbalances and complain that Chinese companies andtheir U.S. counterparts are not competing on a level playing field, the protec-tionist measures that Obama bragged about have not only served todampen Chinese investment in the U.S. that could have created jobs, butcost Americans a lot more.
A reality check would also show them the yuan’s continual appreciationagainst the U.S. dollar and the extent to which China has strengthened its IPprotection.
The most unbelievable part of the debate was the moment when bothcandidates said they would press Beijing to “play by the rules” in shapingties with China.
A reality check will show them that, in international politics and trade,China has been faithfully observing the principles of justice and fairness en-shrined in both the UN Charter and WTO rules.
They might want to ask themselves to what extent the U.S. can say thesame. ...
The PRESS & DAKOTAN Views page provides a forum for open discussion ofissues and interests affecting our readers. Initialed editorials represent the opin-ion of the writer, but not necessarily that of the PRESS & DAKOTAN. Bylinedcolumns represent the view of the author. We welcome letters to the editor oncurrent topics. Questions regarding the Views page should be directed to KellyHertz at [email protected].
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