To the Democratic leadership. You read this...dammit

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050116/NEWS/501160306/1013

William Meyer: War foe, Democratic trailblazer

Nobody would have blamed the Democrats for giving up. After all, in the mid-1950s they were in the midst of a serious losing streak. The last time a Democrat had held a statewide office, the Civil War was still in the future. They had been shut out of office for so long that people could be excused for thinking the prospect of a Democrat actually winning a statewide election was purely theoretical.

But theory became reality in 1958. When the almost unimaginable thing happened in a particularly unlikely way. The Democrats finally retook a statewide office with the election of a political novice. <snip>

Meyer campaigned as the peace candidate. His stances, which included recognizing Red China, banning nuclear weapons testing and ending the military draft, were out of step with Democratic leaders both in Vermont and nationally. The country was in the midst of the Cold War, and no leaders of either major party wanted to look soft on anything.

"We cannot continue to befriend dictators at the expense of other peoples," Meyer wrote in one of his campaign brochures. "Nor can we ignore the existence of 'Red' China because we prefer a different form of government."

Meyer worried that fear of war was causing Americans to surrender some of their rights.

"We must reclaim our cherished civil liberties and reject those principles and acts which masquerade under the banner of security … but lead only to dictatorship."

Vermont Democratic leaders worried that Meyer's outspoken foreign policy positions would cost them any chance of regaining the state's U.S. House seat.

So the race for the House featured a pair of candidates that neither party was particularly thrilled about.

Meyer won the election with 51.5 percent of the vote. He'd been buoyed by endorsements from three nominally Republican daily newspapers in southern Vermont, including the Rutland Herald, Bennington Banner and Brattleboro Reformer; the support of unions; and the voters that Fayette and Leddy attracted to the polls in the Democratic-controlled northwestern corner of the state. Fayette and Leddy ran strong campaigns, but lost.

more

[UL_Approved]

1. And other examples can be found

I need to dig up the quote from Hoover about the Democratic party. He said something to the effect that the Democratic party was finished in the United States...

[rainy]

2. I just sent this to Mark Warner, Gov. of my state of VA. who might run

in 2008 for pres. He was on Marty Kaplan talking repub. lite tactics to win back the wh for dems. I think he could use this info.

[Moderator]

3. NNNOLHI

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
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Thank you.


DU Moderator

[NNN0LHI]

5. Shoot. I just got back from walking the pups and I can't trim it down now

I apologize and if you would not mind would you do it for me? Thanks in advance if possible. If its easier for you, go ahead and just lock or delete the thread. Again, sorry for the trouble.

Don

[Jackie97]

4. No offense....

but why would DU be important enough for politicians to read? They're busy people. I'm sure they have better stuff to do. Send it in to them if you want them to read it. Even then, only a special person reading their letters will actually read it.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

6. kick