Hate is a powerful emotion. The word itself is used off-handedly so often that it sometimes loses its essence. “Intense dislike” is how the dictionary defines it, but it is really much more. Its power has subverted the political process in the Democratic Party, and that is a loss we all need to review with some clarity. I would not like to see it happen again.
The Democratic Primaries were little more than Bush Hatefests. There was virtually no vetting of individual candidates. This process was pushed hard and fast by the DNC leadership, and the desire was to get someone nominated as quickly as possible so that their entire effort, and budget, could be used against Bush. The emergence of Howard Dean posed a real problem. He was an outsider, not part of the Washington circle of Democratic elites. His ascendancy probably caused a great deal of discussion within the DNC as to how they should deal with it. Kerry came almost out of nowhere to take the lead, and never relenquished it.
Because this process happened the way it did, rank and file members of the Democratic Party were very much excluded from it. The entire primary run left them standing in the dust. Nobody got to know anything about any of the candidates, and they spent all their time glad-handing one another. Al Sharpton, who asked the only pertinent questions of the others, was carried along as comic relief more than anything else.
The danger of such a rushed primary is that the questions now being raised about John Kerry never had time to see the light. The Swift Boat Veterans are a diverse political group, and their emergence as a force to be reckoned with coincides with Republican political ads only due to timing. John O’Neill has had an on-going battle with Kerry for many years. Had there been time between Dean’s destruction as a candidate and Kerry’s capture of the nomination, these things would have come to light much earlier. O’Neill’s goal is to keep Kerry out of the White House. He could easily have rallied support from Democratic donors rather than Republican ones had the primary process lasted longer.
For all of this, the American people, and registered Democrats in particular, have lost the opportunity to participate in the Presidential Election Process. That may suit the DNC leadership just fine, or it may cause them to pull out their hair. I don’t know. But I do know that the DNC decided who the nominee would be, and we unwashed heathens had little to do with it. I am concerned the RNC might take the same approach in 2008.
A campaign driven by hatred has given the Democrats the nominee they have. Rational thought wasn’t allowed to intrude. All Kerry’s faults could have been exposed earlier, and we common folk given the chance to decide if we would want him as a nominee or not.
Our Betters decided it for us. The grassroots Democrats need to reclaim their Party, and they won’t do it with Terry McAuliffe at the helm. His focus, which is the real Prize they fear they’ll lose is this, and Hillary Clinton in the Oval Office.
Everyone knows it, but nobody will talk about it.
Well said.
When politicians and their handlers acknowledge that ABB (anyone but Bush) is the priority, they create a huge disconnect between the voters and real issues.
It becomes the ‘Politics of personal destruction,’ as has been said, by default.
Voters need to vote on issues, not on personalities. They have every right to not like and even personally dislike a candidate, but that is not sufficient reason to base a political campaign.
Comment by AH — August 24, 2004 @ 5:32 pm
An excellent analogy if every I read one.
Comment by Larry Morin — August 24, 2004 @ 6:27 pm
It is not a process fault. It is a system fault.
Socialism can’t hold the party together any more and anti-war loses the center of the electorate.
That still leaves civil liberties. Bush is very vulnerable on medical marijuana for instance. For attacking pain doctors. For using drug prohibition against minorities. Stff whichused to be bread and butter Dem issues: relieving suffering and protecting minorities.
I prediced this on a guest blog over at Winds of Change 16 May’03. Nothing has happened to change my mind. Lieberman – who had the best chance of getting center and Republican votes never had a chance. Because of ideology.
The Dems are going to have to die and start over. In that respect Kerry is the best help money can buy.
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There is a big difference between William Calley and John Kerry. William Calley is a proven war criminal. For John Kerry we only have his word as an officer and a gentleman.
What is the War Hero Afraid of?
Form 180. Release ALL the records.
The Ads: Video links
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Comment by M. Simon — August 26, 2004 @ 12:25 pm
I think we’re saying the same thing. The System didn’t want Dean, regardless of who ended up with the nomination. Now, regular folks are wondering who the hell they nominated. They didn’t. The Party did.
Comment by Bunker — August 26, 2004 @ 2:17 pm
Good Post. History shows that in presidential races an “against something” candidate rarely wins when running against a “for something” candidate. Witness Goldwater losing to LBJ, and Dole losing to Clinton. Reagan won because he transformed conservative thought into a positive force; he didn’t simply run “against Carter(to be sure, Carter was in a lot of trouble anyway).
But yes, if Kerry wins it will be despite his party. The Dems have gone way downhill. The GOP ran into this problem in the mid ’90s regarding hatred of Clinton, but I don’t think that was as intense as the situation with the Dems today.
Comment by Redhunter — August 31, 2004 @ 6:48 pm