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 By Jack Lepiarz Feb. 1, 2006 Apparently, Cindy Sheehan is trying to lose what support she has. At the moment, more Americans are against Ms. Sheehan, as a Rasmussen poll (http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2005/Cindy%20Sheehan.htm) put 35% of Americans as viewing her favorably, and 38% viewing her unfavorably. However, her grasp of politics, both emotional and political, is less than effective. Ms. Sheehan originally evoked support among many Americans as the woman who had lost her son in Iraq and wanted to speak her mind to President Bush, who made himself appear distant by refusing to meet with the mother for over five weeks as she camped outside his Texas ranch. However, her latest blunder is appearing on the same broadcast as Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. First of all, this will make any conservative that had any shred of goodwill toward you vaporize immediately. Not to mention that your support among moderates and liberals -- Ms. Sheehan's base of support -- will fall as well. Chavez is not exactly a popular man in America. In fact, he is hated by more than a few Americans. Just ask Pat Robertson and the many Americans who agree with his comments in late August 2005 when he suggested that the United States assassinate Chavez. When it comes down to it, most Americans do not like extremists on either side of the political spectrum. Most Americans fall somewhere around the middle. Ms. Sheehan, while not a text-book extremist, is someone that continually makes herself appear even more left-leaning as time goes on. Appearing with Hugo Chavez only makes her look even more like an extremist and someone that is unpatriotic. I sympathized with Cindy Sheehan in her early days, and I still sympathize with her message. I would have liked Bush to have been man enough to speak with her. Besides, he probably would have been better off meeting with her than dealing with what has quickly become a public relations nuisance. However, if Ms. Sheehan continues to act in the way that she has, and continues to paint herself as a far-left extremist who is unpatriotic, she will quickly find public support overwhelmingly against her. Already, she only has 35% of Americans in support of her, which about the percentage of liberals in the country (give or take a little). Ms. Sheehan must learn how to "win the hearts and minds" of the American people. She has a good platform, but she needs to find better ways to advertise this if she wants any kind of success. ------------ About the author: Jack Lepiarz is a senior at Madison High School. Born in Waco, Texas, he lived with the Big Apple Circus for much of his early childhood, eventually moving to Madison, New Jersey, where he now resides. Although he is often described as stubborn and egotistical, he tries to keep an open-mind towards new ideas and treat people the way he would like to be treated. Email: Jackwuzhere42@aol.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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