I am new active participant to the Daily Kos, though a longtime reader! I was thrilled to see the founder of the Daily Kos on Timmy Russert's Meet the Press this morning! I had read of the convention in Las Vegas, so shouldn't have been surprised, but I was. They obviously are getting worried about the bloggosphere!
Here is my 'take' on the meaning of it all. I believe firmly that the republicans stole the 2000 and 2004 elections as well as some of the mid-terms in 2002. They could get away with it because the parties were so evenly divided and it was easy to explain away exit polls and other anomolies, then paint doubters as tinfoil hat conspiracy nuts. Well, I'm one of them, though decidedly NOT a nut!
The job of the media between now and the mid-term elections is to convince the populace that there is still a chance the Republicans CAN win, so that when it's stollen, we'll not doubt the outcome! Can't you just see them in their strategy think tanks figuring out how they'll steal it again when the parties are now so widely distributed? They didn't count on THIS!
So, they talk with the Daily Kos, but point out that it is only a small corner of the voting populace...marginalizing us. Timmy tells us that we do not represent Democrats at large...we represent the effete, liberal northeastern camp (my words) that the red states have been taught to fear and hate. The implication is that we are out of touch with the great out-there democrat party.
Well, Timmy, let me tell you, as a delegate to a state Democrat Convention last week, I did NOT sense that my views come from a 'corner' of the party. I sensed that I was perhaps less 'in touch' with the mainstream, but not out of it! Here is why I say that. THEY wanted to (and did) pass a plank that would institute a state Office of Peace!! Wow! Am I out of touch! They wanted to (and did) place the impeachment of P-resident Bush as a party plank! If anything, the state Democrats where I live are more progressive than I am...an eye-opener for sure! If I am out of touch, it's in a way entirely different from the one Timmy was implying!
Now I wasn't in favor of the plank to impeach. Not that I am not in favor of impeachment, but I don't think we need to give them an issue on which to run and perhaps beat us! Don't give them that, please! It's more important to win at this point than to fight with the p-resident!
So, I don't believe as Timmy does that the Dems who blog here are out of touch with the party nationally. If anyone is out of touch, it's several members of the party in Washington! Some of them need to go home along with their republican brethren. THEY need to get in touch with US!! The 'great unwashed' out here in the hinterlands knows just what the party stands for and it isn't tax cuts for the wealthy or cuts to social security or giving medicare to the private insurance companies!!
Now, I'm waiting to hear from candidates! I can't wait to hear them talking a language that we can once again recognize. I'm hoping for less caution and more content! John Kerry made BIG mistakes in 2004 and I'm hoping WE have learned lessons from it. One lesson we need to have learned is that they are willing to do ANYTHING to win and are starting RIGHT NOW to paint us as the margins of the Democrat party. Would love to hear from people who have experienced Democrat Conventions in other states to hear if the atmosphere was as electric there as it was in mine (Maine)!