Mickey Mouse for President

By: Matilda Lipscomb

I, too, am sorry not to be able to support Al Gore again in 2004, but in his place, I would have made the same decision. He would be able to win over Bush hands down if the American media ever decided to investigate and report the truth. It was the media who defeated Gore in 2002... not George W Bush. I realized we didn't have a chance during the debates where I felt Gore had won and the media claimed Bush was the winner. I remember reading the media reports of the debates and wondering if we had seen and heard the same program.

Everything Al Gore said during the presidential campaign was distorted by the media into a lie. He couldn't enter a room and say "good morning" if it was raining outside. The media would say: "See... he even lies about the weather!" The only blame Al Gore deserves is that he didn't challenge those distortions... at least not publicly.

I used to be so proud of our American Press - the noble Fourth Estate - so proud of their fiercly investigative abilities and honest reporting. But that was back in the 70's. Today, they have become the fourth branch of our government... and Bush has all four of them in his pocket.

As it is in America today, even Micky Mouse could win the presidential election if the press decided to support him. I'm already feeling sorry for anyone who runs against George Bush in 2004. His victory (barring a media turnaround) is a foregone conclusion. And with the fraudulent voting machines now in use, and other criminal practices (like another terrorist attack) by the Republican party, I can't see how anyone would have much of a chance.

I cannot find it in my heart to forgive the American people for not protesting by the MILLIONS all over the country the day after the Supreme Court stopped the vote and gave away our government. I think we could have compelled the Court to reverse itself. But we never made a move. Our failure to react, in a way, gave Bush the mandate he had not received from the voters.

Those of you who are familiar with my website know that I am 82 years old and living in France for the past 35 years. I KNOW the French would never had allowed that to happen in their country. I've seen the French force the government to back down many times. But then, the French are better informed. Even the lowliest peasant here knows Bush for what he is and dispises him. I actually find myself feeling apologetic for being an American sometimes, especially when Bush comes to Europe.

And there's no religious right in France... or if there are, they're hiding under a rock somewhere. People are immediately suspicious here if they run into someone who takes religion too seriously. There are no campaign contributions. TV time is donated to the candidates by the government, the amount of time based on the importance of their last vote.

And the TV appearances are used to talk about their own platforms... NOT to defame the opponents! They vote on two consecutive Sundays. The first week, there are many candidates, and if any one of them should get a simple majority, he or she is in and there is no need for a second vote. But this has never happened, not even with De Gaulle who managed 47% one year. Then in the run off, the two leading candidates are presented, and of course the losing candidates will have thrown their votes to one or the other of them. It's a good system, not perfect maybe, but a helluva' lot better than ours.

I don't know why the American public is so naïve and gullible. Maybe it's because of what they see on television. French TV has no commercials except between programs, never during the program. We have lots of documentaries, educational programs, and political discussions, and people follow them with great interest. But it's a very different mentality. For instance, during the Clinton-Lewinsky years and the impeachment, the French attitude was: "Mon Dieu... what is it with these Americans? If we persecuted our political men about their private sex lives, we wouldn't have a government!" C'est la vie!

The power of the White House depends on its control of Congress, and control of Congress depends on the honest reporting of the media... and we all know what THAT depends on.