Infuriated with the DNC
Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 12:21:53 PM PDT
Update [2005-4-5 19:7:9 by georgia10]:: Obviously, I expressed some extremely unpopular opinions, some of which some commentators below think are unsupported by the facts.
A couple things I want to clarify. I am not blaming anything entirely on Dean. I understand he's been on the job for a couple months, but I still don't think that excuses the performance of the DNC in the meantime.
As for the website part of the diary, that's personal taste, take it as you will.
As for the writing style of this diary, I have to say, it's weird getting so many comments and emails about it. OK, so I'm having an off day! To be honest, I'm more suprised by my "on" days myself. :)
Anyway, I'm out until late tonight, but I'll try to respond to some comments when I get back. I appreciate all comments, both positive and negative, thus far. Thanks.
Update [2005-4-5 22:47:15 by georgia10]:: Well, read through all the comments. Interesting debate, it is. Thank to all who have read this diary, and all of my diaries.
**************************************
I was thinking of how to start off in a witty and catchy manner, or perhaps I should have begun by waxing eloquently about the how the Democratic Party is a party of principle that stands as the barrier island against the crashing waves of right-wing facism that seek to erode our core American values. But you know what?
Fuck the DNC.
I'm in a foul mood, with foul reflections on the current state of affairs, so consider yourself forwarned that I'm about to open a can of some reality-based verbal whoop-ass. DNC lovers? Brace yourselves. Deaniacs? Hold tight.
Here is the question I've had on my mind for a while now that I wish I could ask the DNC. Where the fuck are you? Yeah, I know. When your opponent is shooting himself in the foot, stay away. Speak softly, carry a big Stick. Plan in the trenches, then launch the attack.
Yeah, I know the DNC is faxing out press releases on a daily basis (but seriously, does anyone think those don't instantaneously get folded into origami swans in the news room?). I know they're airing radio ads against privatization, I'm not saying they've been sitting on their asses watching The George Lopez show, sucking on their Cheeto-flavored orange fingers mulling over how to win more of the Hispanic vote. They've been working. But have they been working effectively?
Let's take Dr. Dean. He raised $3.4 million dollars in the first few weeks of his election as DNC chair. Woo-fucking-hoo. Besides a blurb here and there about calling Santorum a liar or saying Republicans are brain-dead, have the words "Democratic National Committee" gotten any attention at all? Nope.
Dean is out grassrootin' in conservative areas, like he's still on the 2004 campaign trail. Wake up, Howard, wake up. You're a national leader now, and need to take on a national role.
It's been five months since the election. And yet, the DNC still has The Shittiest Political Website On The Web. State chapters of the DNC have better websites. You think I'm kidding? Check out the new Illinois website. Go ahead. See how much more inviting and professional it is? But then again, look at the Florida Democratic Party page. Or the boring, can-our-text-be-any-smaller website of the Colorado Democratic Party. Holy shit, with crap like that, is there any wonder why some aren't buying the party's marketing?
Why the fuck isn't the DNC reaching out to these chapters, helping them with more professional and inviting designs, and hey, maybe even have each site have a "Daily DNC" section where we can learn what the fuck you're doing on a day to day basis without having to visit The Shittiest Political Website On The Web?
Image. It's something the DNC just plain doesn't get.
Speaking of image, my next bone of contention with the awol DNC. You know, for once, I would love to turn on the TV and see *gasp* a Democrat on air. An honest to goodness Democrat. Not a liberal, not a progressive, but a fucking representative of the Democratic party.
Check that. I've seen the DNC representatives before, and they've gotten their asses handed to them when they try the pundit thing.
I've mentioned this before, but the DNC needs a core group of blazing-heart liberals to launch an assault on the media. Yeah, Media Matters keeps reporting about the conservative bias on panels, and I used to think it was a big bad RWCM ploy. But I'm thinking it's also just pure incompetence on the part of the DNC. Why in the world doesn't the DNC get on the phone and demand to have a representative on Hardball, or Hannity's show, or Wolf's attempt to dispense the news? Hell, call up O'Reilly and tell him you'd love to have a DNC representative on. You'll even bring your own loofah.
But for the love of God, do something! You talk about the right-wing noise machine but the DNC is just sitting there, humming to itself away in the corner, afraid to enter the fray. What a pathetic state of affairs it is when the left blogosphere lights up when someone has the balls to call Hannity "stupid" on air. Oh, golly, gee whiz! Someone (not affiliated with the DNC, btw) got a nugget of truth on the airwaves! Woo-hoo! Get ready for a Democratic landslide in 2006!!!
Get real.
The DNC needs to get its shit together. And by "get its shit together" I mean fuck with the media the way it fucks with you. Get the snarkiest, most intelligent, fiery bunch of libs you find (hey, Maryscott volunteers!) and get them to become the public face of the DNC. Their sole job will be to be seen on show after show, shooting down lie after lie, proving that Democrats are smart and articulate and inviting, and can be damn enlightening too.
Ask any American who represents the conservatives (non-politicians) and you get Rush, Hannity, Dobson, etc. The right has its pool of passion that it draws on to spread its message. Where is ours?
<crickets chirping>
Damn straight. We don't have one. And I'll tell you why. Because of the bubble.
Who listens to Air America? Mostly liberals. Who reads DailyKos and the rest of the lefty blogs? Mostly liberals (and Gannon, who gets a rise out of googling his own name and tallying how much attention we give him). So all of this energy, all of this fact-finding, all the posts on Cornyn and prisoner abuse and Delay and paying pundits and blacklisting Americans, all of that is trapped in our own isolated existence. We are like the deaf and dumb, who have a whole world inside ourselves that we simply cannot project outward.
And that is where the DNC comes in.
It needs to be that bridge, that pin that pops the ever-expanding bubble of energy and lets all that frenzy and passion and truth rush out into the open air of media exposure. It needs to have that core group of attack dogs I mentioned picking up talking points and gauging political impact from the blogosphere, and transferring that into the national media on behalf of the DNC and democrats in general.
The DNC needs to be the clearinghouse and amplifier for the left wing noise machine.
But no. Instead of adequate representation in the national media, instead of a unified message, we get the occasional email, with a dozen fucking links to sign this or that and that goddamn huge "support the DNC" button that infuriates me, because when was the last time the DNC supported me?
The DNC is finally getting that it has to play ball, but it's playing soccer while the RNC is playing football. It needs to realize this is a different game now, and new tactics are needed.
Dean can plant all the grassroots he wants, but with Santorum spreading his lies and Delay spraying his special brand of bullshit into the political arena, the Republicans have applied an excellent truth-killer which is also killing off any chance that Dean's grassroots are going to be enough to win in 2006 and 2008.
Get your shit together, DNC. You're playing with the big boys now.
