<HTML><BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff" STYLE="font:10pt verdana; border:none;color:#000000; background-color:#ffffff; "><DIV>Hi David,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Okay, at first your scenarios scared the hell out of me. But then I remembered that I have Dish Network and the entire 1967 series of "The Avengers" on VHS. Listening to banal speeches like the one Bush treated Montana to yesterday is entirely optional. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>As regards GOP candidates speaking only to southern Idaho and thus increasing that region's power over the rest of us, well, how much more of the state could they possibly control? We here in Moscow are already dictated to by the likes of Senator Bear-Claw on the Senate Education Committee. (And judging from his reported pronouncements, I suspect that, unlike Jethro Bodine, Senator Barraclough has yet to grad-jee-ate from the sixth grade. He's a complete ma-roon.)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>A strong, smart, savvy Democratic candidate (please, God, give us one in 2008) might play well enough in Moscow and Couer d'Alene and a few other places to do some real damage. Kerry came close to Bush up here in Latah County, largely because he was "not Bush." So, hell, a little proportional representation couldn't hurt. I'd just like to see a Presidential candidate every once in awhile without having to drive to Spokane or Seattle.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment</DIV> <DIV><A href="http://www.auntie-establishment.com">www.auntie-establishment.com</A></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message -----</DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt Arial; COLOR: black"><B>From:</B> David M. Budge</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, February 04, 2005 12:07 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial"><B>To:</B> Joan Opyr</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial"><B>Cc:</B> Vision2020 Moscow</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] Plan to Divide Electoral Votes Progresses</DIV> <DIV> </DIV>Be careful what you wish for. I'm an Idaho ex-pat living in Montana (5th generation Idahoan, 3rd generation Moscowvite) and an interloper to these various dialogues at vision 2020. So, yes, Montana is listening, but paying little attention. George Bush was here (well, in Great Falls) yesterday with a long, droning, reiteration of his stump speech ala tort reform and SoSec reform. Verbal valium of the banal form - no thanks. Think of the awful hours of listening to radio campaign ads and the deleterious effect on television (if that's possible.) Think how, given Idaho's population concentration in the south, Idaho's voices from the moral conservatives then becoming even more pronounced in public policy debate.<BR><BR>As to the argument about Maine and Nebraska; Kerry took all of Maine, Bush took all of Nebraska. Seems both states suffered unnecessary noise pollution. <BR><BR>Dave Budge </BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML><br clear=all><hr>Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : <a href='http://explorermsn.com'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></p>