Dear DailyKos Users:
I have started and stopped writing this diary a dozen times in the past week--but we have finally crossed the line where I can no longer sit silently. Folks, there is a reality taking shape out there that we need to face and face fast otherwise we are going to complain, bicker, and in-fight our way into a near future that will make the Bush years look like a walk in the park.
I don't know who will be the Democratic Party's nominee for president and, frankly, at this stage I am not too concerned about that. Democrats have a depth of talented leaders vying for the top spot that rivals just about any election in history. They can all do the job and do it well.
But there is one thing I do know--and it is a dark and ominous reality that is taking shape on the horizon while the good people of this website fight to the death over relatively minor differences between people in our own camp.
What is that reality?
Rudy Giuliani is going to be the GOP nominee for President and we have not even begun to face up to what that means, not on this web site and certainly not in this country.
When I encounter people and tell them that Giuliani has put in place virtually the same team, virtually the same money, and virtually the same strategy that elected Bush twice--the most common reaction I get is laughter and dismissal. "Giuliani? Republicans will never elect him."
That is exactly what the Left said about Bush--twice. And the country elected Bush--twice. And the Left stood back and said "How'd that happen?" Twice.
Rudy Giuliani is running for President on the well-crafted phony idea that he is an expert on terrorism and that is not the worst part of this story. The worst part is that Giuliani's well-crafted phony lie about his expertise on terrorism is virtually identical to Bush's well-crafted phony lie that he is an expert on terrorism--and they are both working with the GOP electorate.
We cannot allow ourselves to waste any more time and energy fighting amongst ourselves while the GOP moves into position to reframe the entire election the way it has for the past two consecutive Presidential cycles. If we do that--if we waste our time tearing each other to shreds instead of looking for ways to bring down a Giuliani candidacy--then we will all be pulling our hair out of our head in a year's time wondering "How'd that happen?" Just like we did in 2000. Just like we did in 2004.
I am not saying for an instance that we should abandon the primary process and not be passionate advocates for our candidates of choice. Do that. Go for it. But I am saying that there is a point where advocacy begins to undermine the very possibility of cooperation in the future--and that will lead us over a cliff from which we will not recover.
The self-destructive, self-indulgent constant fighting around here has got to stop. The sheer number of diaries on this site devoted to bringing down Democrats is beginning to turn into a habit--a habit that will transform who we are as people, will destroy our ability to work together and accomplish real goals, will undermine our ability to get the information we need to know what we need to do and how, and which will leave us a day late and a dollar short on the fight that really matters in this election.
We must focus our attention on stopping history from repeating itself and we must begin that work right now.
If Rudy Giuliani becomes the next President of the United States, he will unleash a set of domestic programs that will make Bush's foreign policy "War on Terror" look like open source democracy.
If Rudy Giuliani becomes the next President of the United States, he will drive through a series of reforms designed to supress dissent, criminalize difference, and enforce order on a scale not seen in this country. Ever.
If Rudy Giuliani becomes the next President of the United States, we will likely lose the ability to have free and open discussion in forums such as this one.
If Rudy Giuliani becomes the next President of the United States, the economic fabric of this country will be ripped to shreds by a radicalized right-wing looking for a leader who will end the 'culture war' at home once and for all.
Campaign for your candidate. Raise money. Talk about their virtues. But we must stop tearing down each other and turn to the work of researching and developing smart strategies that prevent the Giuliani campaign from taking root the way the Bush campaign took root.
This is an incredibly dangerous time, but lately around here it feels as if we've decided to ignore that danger, pull down the shades and pass the time having an endless food fight.
While we do that, remember this: Republicans do not elect candidates for President. They anoint them. And all the telltale signs are showing that the GOP is moving to anoint Giuliani.
Once that happens--if we are not prepared--then we will begin to go through the same excruciating process that we went through with Bush v. Gore and Bush v. Kerry. We will watch as a GOP candidate we talk about as "stupid" and "divisive" and "unable to beat us" continues to gain more and more strength amongst the electorate.
We will convince ourselves that his campaign is only working because the voters that support him are "stupid" or "uniformed" and that when they really find out what the issues are about, they will switch to our candidate.
We will panic and get angry at our leadership for not campaigning hard enough and for not responding with enough venom or enough unity when our candidate gets savaged by false and illegal charges by some unknown group funded by GOP billionaires.
We will bite our nails as an election we all predicted to be a landslide gets closer and closer as a result of the mythical Rove final 72 hours closing strategy--a strategy run by a man who was, in theory, retired from politics.
We will watch as returns come in and state after state that we thought would be blue turns out to be purple and then red.
We will pound our fists as the outcome of the election comes down to one close state--not Ohio, not Florida, but one state.
We will stand helpless as the GOP machine accuses Democrats of illegal activity as part of a well-planned endgame.
We will collapse in cynicism and anger, convinced that the GOP "stole" another election.
All of this is avoidable. All of it. And all we have to realize is that NOW IS THE TIME to rise above petty bickering.
Now. Not later.
Now is the time to stop accusing each other of ridiculous things and sewing seeds of anger so deep that it will drain any reserve of good will in the activist base of the Democratic Party.
Now is the time to start making alliances and friendships and build the machine we need, to do the work, to stop the train that is already barreling down the tracks.
Now is the time.
You may not believe me--I understand that. Many of you are reading this diary and thinking that I am exaggerating.
Giuliani doesn't have the support of the Evangelicals, you are saying.
Giuliani can't win support in the south, you are saying.
Giuliani is too radical.
Giuliani is too New York.
He's been divorced too many times.
He's too much like Bush.
If I cannot convince you of the urgency of the situation we are facing, at least let me convince you of this: All these arguments you are using to convince yourself that Giuliani is not a threat, they are the exact same kind of arguments we used to convince ourselves that Bush was not a threat.
And they were all wrong.
Bush was a threat. A real threat. Now Giuliani is that same threat. And this country has not understood more than it did before. It is the same, if not worse, that it was when Bush was elected.
So, please. Join me in turning DailyKos back into the most important community in American politics--back into the community of selfless and dedicated idealists who focus their passions and attention on stopping the radical conservative revolution from lurching this country backwards for even one more year.
Take a few minutes, tonight, and ask yourself what you can do to start focusing DailyKos and the Democratic Party's attention on the problems we face in the election.
Make some notes. Create a file. Share your thoughts. Find some partners. Exchange emails. Post a diary. Plan a meeting. Call some friends. Craft a strategy. Get back on track.
So much depends on our ability to work together from this point forward--and through that fraternity to become the creative, tireless, driving force in this election.
Let's get busy.