I wanted to express my thoughts and feelings about your solicitation of the Blog Community for support of the DNC. Firstly, I would like to thank you for your effort to reach out this community and I believe you are sincere. That being said, there is a lot that I and many others of our community would like to get off of our chest. I trust you have the wisdom to listen.
I wanted to express my thoughts and feelings about your solicitation of the Blog Community for support of the DNC. Firstly, I would like to thank you for your effort to reach out this community and I believe you are sincere. That being said, there is a lot that I and many others of our community would like to get off of our chest. I trust you have the wisdom to listen.
A little on my background. I consider myself a pragmatic moderate that is fiscally conservative and socially liberal. Pretty mainstream really, even now. I have been a life-long Democrat, although I voted for Reagan and Bush I in my first two elections. The reason is simple. I thought that the two Democratic candidates (Mondale and Dukakis) where eastern liberals that did not speak with the same voice as the rest of America. I am willing to admit that I was wrong, but it is only because I am more informed now. Since Bill Clinton came into office, I have pretty much voted straight-line Democrat.
I voted for Gore in 2000 (along with most of the country), but I must admit that I at least entertained the idea that there really wasn't a tremendous amount of difference between him and Bush. When 9/11 happened, I was pleased to see American Unity and a willingness among Democrats to do what it takes to keep this country going. It is in this light that I am willing to forgive the atrocities of the so called `Patriot Act', although whether the Democrats actually stand-up and let this horrible piece of legislation expire remains to be seen.
The first time I started seeing the true colors of the Bush administration and the complacency of the Democratic Party was over the first round of tax cuts. Back when we had record Clintonian surpluses, this move seemed to make sense, although I, like most Americans, would have rather seen that money go towards paying off the debt first, before it was doled out in tax breaks. However, after 9/11, it became apparent that those surpluses would evaporate. The Republicans set the national debate in this, coming up with terms like `The Death Tax' and `The Government has no business taking anymore of the People's money' and these terms are even repeated by some of our candidates. The Democrats did nothing to shape the debate and nothing to bring up the ensuing deficit. They have rolled over on just about every issue since.
This brings us to the fiasco that is the war in Iraq. I am not anti-war per se. I thought that the Afghanistan war was justified and I supported the first Gulf War. I was not fully convinced that Somalia was ever a good idea although I did think that Bosnia was justified. As I have stated on The DailyKos, my thoughts on the Iraqi war were (and continue to be):
- Wars are expensive. They sap the country of resources and there is a huge opportunity cost (That means when you are fighting one war, it is very difficult to fight another. Which means you have to be careful in using those resources). We are already using a huge amount of resources because of the `War on Terror'. Now we are spending a tremendous amount of money to rebuild Iraq and we are pushing the army to the breaking point.
- This war did not receive international support.
- There was no reason to rush into war, if the threat was not `immanent'. Which to me, aside from an international mandate, is the only reason for invading another country.
- There were lots of credible source trying to slow us down in this rush to this war. They were saying that the intelligence simply didn't add up to our insistence on war now.
- If this was truly a humanitarian war, then why Iraq? Why not Africa where genocide is occurring or Uzbekistan where a tyrant boils his detractors?
- Was it really worth $150+ billion, 600 allied troops, 10's of thousands of serious wounded, countless and uncounted Iraqi's, our word of honor, our national prestige and national pride to get Saddam?
Howard Dean was the first candidate to express these feelings to a tee. He has constantly challenged the Democratic Party to stand up to the right-wing radicalism that is the Bush administration. This is something, Mr. McAuliffe, the Party has failed to do under your tenure. The 2002 mid-term elections where a complete disaster. Howard Dean first earned my respect before he earned my cash.
Your letter to the DailyKos tries to sell the DNC to the Blog Community like an investment portfolio. This in and of itself is not a bad strategy. But it should not be taken literally. We are unimpressed with cash on hand or names on an e-mail list. What we are impressed with is ACTIONS. While the candidates where participating in a circular firing squad, the DNC did nothing. While Kerry and Lieberman were lambasting Dean over the capture of Saddam, the DNC did nothing. While the Republicans where passing an omnibus appropriations bill that included the limiting of overtime and the expansion of corporate media, the DNC did nothing.
You have now, finally, come to the realization that we in the Blog Community are developing a new way to organize. However, the writing was on the wall back when Dean was an asterisk in the national polls. Dean came from nowhere because he listened to what his organization was trying to say and he earned their respect before he earned their money. I know I am using Dean as an example, but the same can be said for many members of the Blog Community who support Clark, Edwards, Kucinich and even Kerry.
We would be more than willing to support the DNC both with my time and money. But first, the DNC must make a real effort to earn our respect. It can do this by growing a spine and standing up for the ideals of average Americans like me and Democrats in general. Only by counter-acting the right-wing agenda of the Republican Party can we distinguish ourselves as the Party of the People. Earn our respect and you will earn our efforts.
