My crackpot local paper encouraged Tom Ridge to run for Prez in '08!!!

I almost died laughing!:rofl:

The website for the paper (the Erie Times News of Erie, PA) is kind of whacky and requires registration so the only link I can give is...http://www.goerie.com/. But I shall now try and post the highlights (within the 4 paragraph limit) for your viewing pleasure.

Oh, keep in mind that Tom Ridge is from my hometown, was our U.S. Rep. for a few years (but I was too little to remember how many now), and then was Governor before coming up with the color-coded system homeland security system (along with the ever famous duct tape and plastic sheeting admonishments!). And that is why the paper was writing.

So here goes...

Talking about Ridge endorsing Lynn Swann for governor...

"And a return to politics for Ridge means a run at the White House. That is a race we want Ridge to enter."

After saying that Ridge has never given any indication of wanting to run for president...

"But we're in the mood to be selfish. We want Ridge to run for president because it's good for Erie. Ridge's presidential ambitions -- and citizen Ridge, we know you have them -- translate into free publicity for the city of Erie, the region and even the state."

Referring to when Dubya floated Ridge's name for Veep in '00...

"...Ridge knows all too well his position on abortion rights makes him non grata to said conservative base. To which we say, "So what?" If Ridge needs a reason beyond personal ambition to run, we have one: Do it for Erie."

On why Ridge should run...

"Sure, running for president is hard work. But look at the rewards that come with victory. Fancy house, personal aircraft, nice weekend retreat in the Maryland mountains and the unofficial titles of leader of the free world and the most powerful man in the world."

And finally...

"But a presidential run would be the ultimate publicity grab for the city and the Erie region. Go for it, private citizen Ridge. Don't give Sen. McCain a free ride to the nomination."

(I used mostly sentences of snips so I hope I stayed in the 4 paragraph limit...but it was just too good not to type since it is registration required.)

So dontcha think Ridge should run??:sarcasm: Especially for these reasons! Or not. On the other hand, perhaps, if I were forced to have a Repub. president yet again by a crazy American electorate, Ridge (or Hagel) wouldn't be the worst.

In a final aside, Erie includes Presque Isle State Park which just opened the Tom Ridge Environmental Center (to compliment the Tom Ridge International Airport, which has one flight to Canada daily that is its sole international flight) and this same crackpot newspaper had a poll about whether or not the center was a good investment for taxpayers and 54.8% of the people responded that "No, who needs a building to celebrate nature¹s great treasures on the peninsula?"

:evilgrin:

Paul Krugman recently remarked that no one has had their stature increased by service in the Bush administration.

Everyone who served there lost stature. Few people lost as much stature as the two fools who ran the Department of Homeland Security though.

Then we can shoot him down by screaming "ORANGE ALERT"

We had a little evangelical nut-job out here in Wash state a few years back who actually got the Repukes nomination for governor, and she had some pretty extreme policies she wanted to put forth if elected. Some evil-doers here secretly joined the Repukes at the nomination convention to assure she would get the nomination. By November, the Democrat candidate was a slam-dunk. That's how we beat 'em here.