Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site tty3b.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!we13!tty3b!mjk
From: mjk@tty3b.UUCP (Mike Kelly)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: A Stilted World View
Message-ID: <317@tty3b.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 12-Mar-84 16:13:04 EST
Article-I.D.: tty3b.317
Posted: Mon Mar 12 16:13:04 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 13-Mar-84 19:31:42 EST
Organization: Teletype Corp., Skokie, Ill
Lines: 25

Pat Cadell, the Democratic pollster, recently expressed his anger at the
inability of the Democratic Party to come up with a real articulation of
the anger felt by many in this country at Reagan.  Walter F. Mondale is
a likeable enough guy, and he is probably sincere in his beliefs, but he
lacks fervor.  Hart sounds like a commercial for Pepsi or something: "It's
the Hart Generation, Comin' at ya, Goin' strong!"

Cadell suggested that the reason is that the big powers in the Democratic
Party seldom talk to anyone making less than $50,000.  Sure, they know on
an intellectual level what Reagan has done.  They know that the poverty rate
has risen, that hundreds of thousands of people have lost food stamps, AFDC,
unemployment insurance.  But no one they know directly, or speak to regularly,
has really felt the brunt of the Reagan attack.   It's good to discuss the
Reagan pillage over white wine and cheese -- I suggest you do -- but it doesn't
exactly give one fervor.

I think the net suffers from the same trouble.   We all take home our $30,000
and up salaries, live in the suburbs, work in a growing industry where unemployment
is practically unknown.  It's perhaps natural that this colors our view of the
world.   Unconsciously, perhaps, we assume in a thousand little ways that
everyone has it so good.  That anyone could really be where we are if they just
tried hard enough.  That somehow the victim is to blame.

Mike Kelly
..!ihnp4!tty3b!mjk