Daily Kos

The Exemption

by Petey

Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 03:44:06 PM PDT

So apparently, there are a couple of ironclad rules about post-WW II Presidential politics:
  • You can't get elected President if you're from North of Misssouri
  • You can't get elected President if you're a sitting member of Congress
There is only one exemption:

You must be a Senator from Massachusettes who skippered a small boat in combat with bravery who has the initials of J.F.K.

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  •  Chickens. (none / 0)

    Counting.

    Hatched.

    99% perspiration

    by DaveOinSF on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 03:45:34 PM PDT

  •  Don't assume (4.00 / 3)

    Don't assume Sen. Rambotox has this wrapped up yet.  This kind of thinking will make everyone careless and soft and let the Bush cabal will take us by surprise.

    If Kerry is nominated, I think his flaws will become more evident and those who insisted he was the most electable will have to do an incredible amount of work dragging him across the finish line.

    Some people say the glass is half empty. Other people say the glass is half full. I say the glass needs some Scotch.

    by PaulDem on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 03:48:20 PM PDT

    •  Re: Don't assume (4.00 / 3)

      "If Kerry is nominated, I think his flaws will become more evident and those who insisted he was the most electable will have to do an incredible amount of work dragging him across the finish line."

      of course.  but i like the landscape i see at the moment.

      Visit Petey's Diary

      by Petey on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 03:50:13 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Landscape (none / 0)

        Dukasis liked the landscape at this point as well, he too was leading.  Clinton was considered "unelectable" and down 20 points at this time.  My gut instincts tell me Kerry has peaked right now and we all know what happens when you peak too early :)

        Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you. Jean-Paul Sartre

        by Stevo on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 03:56:36 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    •  If Jesus (none / 1)

      were nominated by the Dems we would have to drag him across the finish line.

      Regardless of who I support my job is going to be to work my ass off to counter the MASSIVE amount of crap that will be put out by the GOP. We have to contend with Rush, Hannity and every other lying sack of shit who gets on the airwaves to distort and just plain lie about the Democratic nom. Bush may be in trouble now, but every one of us knows that he is going to have some BS things during the General election that will make him look as if he is the Second comming of George Washington.

      OBL will be found. The 9/11 commision will fully exhonerate Bush and lay the blame on John Kerry if he is the Nom. Contracts will be found showing that Saddam has donated money to Kerry's campaign so that he will pardon him. It will be learned by the Inreligence failure commision that it was John Kerry, nt George Bush, who manipulated intelligence to make Bush look bad.

      by Mike S on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 03:58:42 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Re: If Jesus (4.00 / 3)

        "OBL will be found. The 9/11 commision will fully exhonerate Bush and lay the blame on John Kerry if he is the Nom. Contracts will be found showing that Saddam has donated money to Kerry's campaign so that he will pardon him. It will be learned by the Inreligence failure commision that it was John Kerry, nt George Bush, who manipulated intelligence to make Bush look bad."

        heh.  don't forget that Kerry was the 20th hijacker, but had to skip out that day because he had an important meeting with a Chinese campaign donor.

        of course he'll need our help, but i think Kerry has oddly strong defenses against national security smears.

        it's no accident that the guys up on stage with him are vets and firefighters.  neutralize Bush's 9/11 reason for being, and he's as vulnerable as his daddy.

        Visit Petey's Diary

        by Petey on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 04:06:23 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  more (none / 1)

          but had to skip out that day because he had an important meeting with a Chinese campaign donor.

          While getting a blowjob from an intern...

          by Mike S on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 04:15:09 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          •  Sorry...my bad (none / 0)

            You feel my pain, then.  

            I just find it very discouraging that so many half-truths, oppo spin, and outright lies can get printed so often they become truth.

            Merely knowing what happened to Gore in 2000 clearly isn't enough to stop it.  

            I really don't know how we can.  

            Some people say the glass is half empty. Other people say the glass is half full. I say the glass needs some Scotch.

            by PaulDem on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 04:17:20 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

      •  Been there, done that (none / 0)

        Sorry, we Dean folks have just experienced a media mugging.  We countered with letters to the editor, phone calls to editors, threats to boycott, etc.  

        We all know how that turned out.

        I wish you luck but if the media is deterimed to take your guy out, it's a waste of time trying to counter it.  

        Some people say the glass is half empty. Other people say the glass is half full. I say the glass needs some Scotch.

        by PaulDem on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 04:07:39 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  Umm (none / 0)

          I wish you luck but if the media is deterimed to take your guy out, it's a waste of time trying to counter it.

          I've been here for about a year now, had MANY arguments with Petey and supported Dean the entire time. Hence my comment saying "No matter who I support..."

          by Mike S on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 04:13:05 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  Re: Been there, done that (none / 0)

          "I wish you luck but if the media is deterimed to take your guy out, it's a waste of time trying to counter it."

          what Dean received is the normal media glare that shines on a potential President.  i always thought he would melt underneath it.

          everyone gets it, but some candidates are built to better survive that bright light.

          Visit Petey's Diary

          by Petey on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 04:14:30 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          •  Soooo . . . (none / 0)

            everyone gets it, but some candidates are built to better survive that bright light.

            When is it Kerry's turn to "get it?" I'm still waiting.

            The polls don't tell us how a candidate is doing; they tell us how the media is doing.

            by Thumb on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 04:20:21 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

          •  Surprise (none / 1)

            Here i disagree with you. This was not "normal." The press gladly repeated oppo stuff from other campaigns, including but not limmited to Judy getting an oppo slip during the debate. They rarely did any research, just repeated it.

            Dean definately made some tactical errors, but I don't think any candidate could have stood after that. If the press treated Kerry now as it did Dean, the bullshit Kerry stories in the diaries we have been reading would now be conventional wisdom that was completely based in fact, not conjecture and lazy thinking.

            by Mike S on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 04:36:43 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

          •  SCLM? (none / 1)

            what Dean received is the normal media glare that shines on a potential President

            Never underestimate the medias subtle abilities to influence peoples perceptions and choices. From such things as to what type of flattering or unflattering pics they publish or to focusing on ridiculous issues such as gores invention of the internet,  the media has a profound impact on the way people perceive a candidate or issue.

            I'm not so sure Dean was as savaged by the press as many of his supporters are wont to believe, because if anything they had annointed him as the winner practically, and a lot of my impressions from the media of him were fairly positive. At least before his silly attacks on the dem leadership, and misstatements about Saddam and us being safer.Either way I would have liked Clark to have been in that position of getting all the press leading up to the first primaries.

            Nonetheless it will behoove us to consistently put pressure on the various media outlets to report the coming election cycle in a fair manner
            and not allow them to savage our eventual nominee.And to also adequately report on the many trangressions and scandals the present administration is now trying to eveade.

            by mickey on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 04:39:24 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

            •  Re: SCLM? (none / 0)

              "Nonetheless it will behoove us to consistently put pressure on the various media outlets to report the coming election cycle in a fair manner and not allow them to savage our eventual nominee.And to also adequately report on the many trangressions and scandals the present administration is now trying to eveade."

              damn straight.

              Visit Petey's Diary

              by Petey on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 04:41:52 PM PDT

              [ Parent ]

  •  Bull shit (none / 0)

    The Bushes are from south of Missouri? Oh please.

    "We must uphold a familiar commerce together in all meekness, gentleness, patience and liberality."

    by Marshall on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 03:57:05 PM PDT

  •  Reagan, Ford, and Gore (none / 0)

    You can't get elected President if you're from North of Missouri

    Not to quibble too much or be technical about it but Ronald Reagan was born in and raised in Illinois. Before trekking on to California to seek some of that Hollywood gold.

    And though not elected, Gerald Ford is from Michigan.

    I guess I can also mention the one whose campaign I worked for, Al Gore, Jr., who was elected (really) and raised primarily in a fancy hotel suite in Washington, DC.  

    But we're splitting hairs here.  :)

    A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma

    by JekyllnHyde on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 04:34:24 PM PDT

    •  Re: Reagan, Ford, and Gore (none / 0)

      "Not to quibble too much or be technical about it but Ronald Reagan was born in and raised in Illinois. Before trekking on to California to seek some of that Hollywood gold."

      not talking born and raised.  talking where they were politically based.

      "And though not elected, Gerald Ford is from Michigan."

      "elected" is a crucial part of the "rule".

      Visit Petey's Diary

      by Petey on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 04:40:29 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Actually (none / 0)

      Gore was raised in a standard place in DC. It wasn't until years afterwards that the building was bought, remodeled, and turned into a "fancy suite".

      Perfect examples of how the media whores pull it off over and over again. Even Kos readers have internalized the 2000 lies from Ceci and the gang.

      by ElitistJohn on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 04:52:03 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Hotel History (none / 0)

        Perfect examples of how the media whores pull it off over and over again. Even Kos readers have internalized the 2000 lies from Ceci and the gang.

        I'm sorry I don't agree with your assertion or interpreting my statement as being in agreement with all the lies perpetuated by many in the national media. I never bought into any of the nonsense that Ceci Connolly, Charles Krauthammer, Bill Bennett, Michael Kelly, or any of the other DC journalists/pundits were writing about Al Gore during the 2000 Campaign.

        Being a long-time DC resident, I am somewhat aware of the history of the Fairfax Hotel (now the Ritz Carlton) but obviously not to the extent that you are. The hotel is in the Embassy Row section of DC on Massachusetts Avenue, NW and, having lived only three blocks from it for five years in the past, I'm also aware that it isn't exactly in an impoverished area of the city.

        A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma

        by JekyllnHyde on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 05:26:33 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  The Fairfax (none / 0)

          Was basically your standard residential hotel, middle to upper middle class at best. Gore Sr. didn't score his later wealth yet.

          Remember, today's DC is almost nothing like the DC of that era. For example, the upscale caucasian zones of Foggy Bottom, Dupont, etc...were mostly middle class African American neighborhoods, while Southeast was the reverse.

          The fairfax was a nice place, but no "fancy suite".

          by ElitistJohn on Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 05:32:53 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

  •  Remember the 18th Brumaire! (none / 0)

    But Petey, you forgot Karl Marx's famous line from the Eighteenth Brumarie of Louis Bonaparte:

    "Hegel remarks somewhere that all great, world-historical facts and personages occur, as it were twice.  He has forgotten to add: the first time as tragedy, the second as farce."

    General Glut

    by generalglut on Sat Feb 07, 2004 at 02:04:48 PM PDT

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