So, Lis got the following email:

To: Elisabeth Riba <XXX@XXXXXXX&g;
Subject: Who do you favor for the next president? Take our online poll.

***AMERICAN FAMILY ASSOCIATION ONLINE POLL***

YOUR VOTE IS NEEDED NOW!

You help is requested in gaining the opinion of online voters to the
following question. Whom do you favor for the next President of the United
States - John Kerry, George W. Bush, or Ralph Nader?

Go to http://www.onlinepolls.net/pollv1/default.aspx?pid=10 to express
your opinion.

Cast your vote. Forward to a friend. Help us feel the pulse of America.

Thanks,

Don

Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association

++++++++++++

You are receiving this message because you took action on a previous
AFA-sponsored poll or petition. If you do not wish to receive future
mailings from us, go to the following URL to unsubscribe:
http://lists.afa.net/u?id=XXXXXXXXXX=F&l=petitionsalt

Okay, they're trying again. And this time, they're trying to restrict it to their membership. Hmm.

So I went to the site
( And I voted -- graphic behind cut )

Okay, no problem.
( Then another screen came up )

One comment on free-trade, protectionism, and outsourcing of jobs

"Protective tarriffs" have a legitimate role. It's not to prop up an industry which is non-competitive, because that won't work in the long run. It's to buy time and reduce pain while you figure out what to do next.

If someone else, somewhere else in the world can do a job better, cheaper, and faster, that job will go to that person eventually. But I think a government can decide to put up a protective tarriff for a year or so -- probably not much longer than that -- to give people in the area that are losing the jobs a chance to figure out something else.

They're an inherently temporary band-aid. But I think that temporary band-aids have a legitimate role in policy. As long as you recognize that that is all that they are.

Globalization will happen. Outsourcing of jobs will happen. It's not possible, or even desirable, to stop it. But it is possible and desirable to slow it down a little so that people can react and come up with other plans.

The "if you call me. . . " meme

If you call me "Ian", then you're most people.
If you call me "Mr. Osmond", then you probably don't exist.
If you call me "Mr. Riba", then you are a telemarketer. And I will simply say, "I'm sorry, there is no-one here of that name."
If you call me "Y'honatan", then you are like one of TWO kids in my class this year or last year who actually listened to me when I told you to call me "Y'honatan".
If you call me "Xiphias", then you either know me from some sort of online interaction, or you are me, since I actually think of myself as "Xiphias".
If you call me "Dear," then you are Lis and probably pissed at me.