First, let me say that I am not trying to stir-up controversy, but this is a forum in some respects for political venting so be warned I am about to vent.
I cannot express in typed written words how deeply ANGRY I AM at the timidity with which our party has responded to the swift boat ads and our overall strategy in this presidential campaign and electoral politics in general. Why am I so upset, well it's not really just about the Ads themselves, but it's the message that our response as a party conveyed. That message is that we are weak, slow to respond, and incapable of putting up a good political fight. Did we learn anything from 2000, when we literally had the Whitehouse hijacked from us with a complicit democratic party in toe? I must say that I am really not surprised that the Kerry campaign seems clueless about how to respond to these degenerates masquerading as war heroes otherwise know as the swiftboat vets. Make no mistake, I am not blaming John Kerry for this, I truly believe that this guy is a WARRIOR and my only hope for us to win is for KERRY to let HIS natural instincts guide the major decisions of this campaign.
However, I am worried about the people around Kerry; Shrum, Devine and the rest of the perennial losers keep me up at night. But not nearly as much as the Democrats in congress like Daschle (now running an ad in SD embracing Bush literally). My utter disdain is reserved for the members of congress who have still not figured out how to be a true opposition party. The Democratic party I see today trying to get John Kerry elected, is the same listless one that was on display in 1968 and have not really recovered our mettle at least back in `68, we had a little fight left in us, but now its all gone. Today's Democratic Party is one that cannot, or refuses to stand up for its voters. A perfect example of this was during the certification of the Electoral College votes in 2001, when members of the congressional black caucus wanted to voice their concerns about voter disenfranchisement in Florida, during a joint session of congress but could not find a single supportive United States Senator that would allow them to voice their concerns (Thank you Michael Moore for reminding the masses about this). Sure it would not have changed the outcome, but this sent a clear message to a core constituency, vote for us but don't expect us to stand up for you when it counts.
This is the same Democratic Party who gave George W Bush a blank check to go to Iraq and now can't clearly articulate the party's official position on the Iraq war. This is the same party that vowed to fight for sweeping electoral reform after the 2000 election debacle, but now have all but given up on anything representing meaningful reform. This is the same party fighting 2004 battles using 1960s tactics. The leaders of the party are making it real hard for me to continue to be a Democrat. I am a member of a political party because I want that party to fight for me and represent my political interest, but today's Democratic Party cannot do so effectively. The Democratic Party is the most MARGINALIZED it's been in over 60 years... losing at every level, but when you look at the polls the country agrees with us on almost every major issue, we have a natural majority, so why can't we win? I hate Nader for what he did to us in 2000 and think he is a di*k head for running again in 2004, but the guy is right in some respects, maybe its time for a new political party. If this Democratic Party, the oldest political party in the history of the country cannot represent its constituents effectively (read win on November 2nd), then it needs to "Whig-out"...die and reincarnate itself as something else, because right now the way this party is doing business just isn't working, for me at least.
