Patsy Mastrangelo – 4/22/08

This page was last updated on April 22, 2008.

History is in the making; Patsy Mastrangelo; Beaver County Times; April 22, 2008.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“Whoever of the two gets the presidential nomination, it is clearly in best interest of the supporters of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to support and vote for either one of them.”

[RWC] It may not be in their best interest, but there are no significant policy differences between these two. That’s why the campaigns have focused on everything but the issues.

“Their supporters must ask their consciences if they are satisfied with what the Bush administration has accomplished, notably the war in Iraq, with more than 4,000 dead and many thousands wounded, a health-care system that many of us cannot afford and an economy that is at its worst and ready to fall apart.”

[RWC] What exactly did President Bush do to cause high healthcare prices?

Regarding the economy, below Mastrangelo writes that “[n]ot many of our younger voters recall …” Apparently Mastrangelo doesn’t recall either. To compare today’s economy with that of Jimmy “Stagflation” “Misery Index” Carter and 9.9% unemployment after nine years of FDR demonstrates either woeful ignorance or purposeful deceit.

“Yet this administration is giving billions of dollars to other countries and ignoring American citizens.”

[RWC] Mastrangelo didn’t tell us how American citizens are being ignored. It’s just another drive-by allegation with no backup.

“If Clinton and Obama supporters switch to Republican John McCain, they will definitely have the same as they have now. There will be no change in policy and our country will suffer more.”

[RWC] What about Congress? I thought everything was going to change when Democrats took over in January 2007.

“For this reason, the primary purpose of these two Democrats is to immediately change Bush’s policies. It is extremely necessary for the benefit and upbringing of our country.

[RWC] “[U]pbringing of our country?” Does Mastrangelo believe we’re little children electing a daddy or mommy?

“Not many of our younger voters recall what Franklin D. Roosevelt accomplished when he inherited this country in 1932 during a very severe depression that was left to him by the Republican Party.”

[RWC] Though Mastrangelo would like to engage in revisionist history, FDR did not get us out of the Great Depression. At the time World War II began, FDR had been in office for nine years and the U.S. was still solidly in the Depression. As a reminder, the unemployment rate was still a very high 14.6% in 1940 (down from 24.9% in 1933) and didn’t get below 10% until 1941 (9.9%). WWII ended the Depression, not FDR. In fact, it’s clear some of FDR’s leftist policies actually held back recovery.

As a reminder, one of the contributing factors to the Great Depression was trade protectionism (Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act) and excessive tinkering with the economy. In case Mastrangelo missed it, these are the policies of Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama.

“We are nearly in that situation now. The voters must understand this. By having a Democratic president who will have the support of Congress, this country will rise to its expectations.”

[RWC] I guess Mastrangelo must mean like the Lyndon “Vietnam” Johnson and Jimmy “Stagflation” “Misery Index” Carter administrations and like the first two years of the Clinton administration. Yep, those are great expectations.

“So while I am certain either candidate will support the other, I plead with Democratic voters to not switch their votes because their candidate did not get nominated.

“This election will determine if the country will get back on the right track. To do that, a Democratic president must be elected.”

[RWC] Sure. I’ll believe that when someone shows me a Democrat candidate who cuts big government and big spending on extraconstitutional programs.

“History is in the making in this election, and American voters can be part of it by voting for the Democratic presidential nominee.”

[RWC] I suppose you noticed Mastrangelo didn’t provide the details of the wonderful things either Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Obama would do.