Thought bubbles (Interview with Ted Rall)

Editorial cartoonist Ted Rall happily sounds off


By Andrew Kiraly


Ted Rall supports the Second Amendment. Ted Rall is against late-term abortion. Ted Rall thinks the welfare system attracts plenty of parasitic bums. Ted Rall thinks we should have bombed Pakistan and Saudi Arabia into rubble--not Iraq. Ted Rall thinks the yawning wage gap between your average CEO and your average janitor should be slammed shut by the government. Ted Rall--the syndicated editorial cartoonist (and columnist) who regularly flies bombing missions from the left--thinks lots of things you wouldn't expect.

"I mean, I'm an absolute Marxist when it comes to economics," he says from New York. "I don't believe a CEO does any more work than a janitor. All labor is worth the same. I've worked under many a CEO in my life, and these guys are not smart. But generally, I'm more into thinking for myself. I don't do what Michael Moore or Molly Ivins does, who are more invested in whether the Democratic Party comes back to power. From my view, most of these guys don't go far enough."

<snip>

On the '04 presidential race: "If anything, most of the Democratic candidates don't go far enough. Howard Dean, for instance, his politics are pretty much like Clinton's. He's not as willing to be pushed around as, say, Dick Gephardt, but he's no rad. But if nothing changes, I really think Dean has the nomination locked up. He's ironically the best nominee according to my theory about American voters, which is that they vote for the guy they can best imagine playing the role of president on TV. Howard Dean is that guy."

On why he's voting for Dean even though he doesn't like him: "I've always voted based on principle, but this year, it's different. I'm turning 40, Bush is the most repulsive turd I've ever seen in American politics, and he must be defeated at all costs. I voted for Ralph Nader and I do not regret those votes, but you've got to recognize a crisis when you see it. Back in 2000, I thought Bush was like his dad; I didn't realize he was a radical. If I'd have known he was a guy hell-bent on world oil domination and would use 9/11 to promote a partisan political agenda and completely fail to go after the perpetrators of 9/11, I would've voted differently. 2004 is not a normal election."

http://www.lasvegasmercury.com/2003/MERC-Oct-23-Thu-2003/22386615.html

but I don't think it's LBN... please lock and move

Tut-tut

Sorry Rall, I have absolutely not one frickin' iota of sympathy for your cause. Sit down and shut up.

Oh well, might as well have voted for Bush.

Looks like he really won't be voting on principle. Oh well, if Dean is the nominee, then I'm voting for him, too, and that won't be on any principle other than that he's not Bush.

before he concluded that Bush Jr. was like his dad. Cause we all knew... (well, in Rall's favor, no one could have imagined so much abject evil)

I sure hope Rall reads a bit more before he commits his vote this time. If Dean passes the test-great.

a few months back. Saw him as an opportunist. My spouse spent time with him at a convention last month, and Rall was very unflattering to Dean. Wonder what made him decide Dean could win over any of the other candidates? The numbers he's showing now, I suppose.

Ya can just tell by lookin' at him that he's that "turd" Rall talks about.

n/t

hee hee