Divide and conqure

[southern democrat]

I hav not been on DU a very long time.I guess about a month or so.First things first I am a life long Democrat.I come from a Democratic family.Tonight with the pending entry of Wesley Clark (whom I support)in the presidential race.I have seen a very ugly side of other alleged Democrats.Democrats who just a few days ago would have loved to have Clark on their team,but now that he's running and is competeing agianst his or her canidate he's being attacked.I expect this from the republicans but coming from Democrats this is sad.A few days ago someone posted that they were disastisfied with all our candidates.I took issue with that,I believe every one of our candidates bring their own qaualites to the race.And I respect all of them very much and would support any of them agianst Bush.Altough I am little disappointed with Liberman.Over my brief following of DU I have seen all the candidates attacked in one way or another.Some critical points are fair,issues on weather one thinks one candidate is more electable than the other,candidates timing(as today with Clarks effect on Edwards),their qualifactions,and their records.But when it turns into everything a candidate says is extrapulated and used agianst them is dangerous.Weather it is Clark's military analysis,Dean's statements on Hamas or Isreal,Kerry's wanting to single out Dean to debate and so on and so on.I sure the competition is watching us and loving every minute of it,all the while chanting divide and conqure.I don't know ,we may have traitors among us.But what I do know is when the bait is tossed out and we all take it run with it it serves no usefull purpose for the Democratic cause but magnifies the Republican cause and validates it.Attacking each other will not convert one supporter to jump one ship to another,it just causes conflict.Somthing we can not afford to have.If today is a preveiw of the future of the Democratic race,we are likely defeated.With Republicans laughing all the way to inaugration 2004.If I have offended any other Democratic candidates supporters in the past I truly apologize,and wish to extend out my cyber hand of good will to them.Please lets make this about democrats defeating Bush and promoting democratic values. Thank You, Southern Democrat

[asjr]

1. divide

I am more upset at the candidates attacking each other. We must have unity. We all have our favorites and all beat the drums for them, but in the end I feel we all will get behind the nominee because our very future is at risk. When they attack each other it is just throwing peanuts to the elephant and the elephant will gobble them up. We have fine candidates (with maybe one exception,) And I think it is a "good thing" that we have so many candidates. All the Repubs have is a dictator.

[Gman]

2. If you're a Southern Democrat

and you've been active in the party, you've seen this all before. Here in Texas it used to be (sometimes literally) a blood letting during the primaries. But we always come together in November.

The absolutely nastiest, ugliest, dirtiest, most fun I ever had with my clothes on fight was the 1990 Texas AFL-CIO COPE convention where we had to endorse either Ann Richards or Jim Mattox.. The building trades along with the Teamsters were supporting Jim Mattox and we (CWA, IUE, Firefighters, AFSCME and others) were supporting Ann.

Long story short, we went through maybe 4 or 5 long roll call votes and didn't get out of there until close to midnight with no endorsements for any statewide candidates. It was a nasty, ugly knockdown dragout. The Ann Richards folks siezed the microphones by staking people out at each one when everyone came back from lunch. The Teamsters were PISSED! My mouth wouldn't quit running at three of 'em at the same time and I'm surprised they didn't kick my ass right there.

The state federation finally voted an official "no endorsement" in the governor's race that released everyone to work for whoever they wanted.

What happened in Austin that weekend was just a microcosm of what was going on everywhere else in Texas. Mattox was a dirty fighter and Ann was ever the lady.

However, when it was all over, we all came together and got Ann elected over a bumbling Clayton (the weather's like rape, you can't do anything about it so just lay back and enjoy it) Williams.

I'll always reserve the right to have a good 'ol nasty fight during the primaries then come together in November.

This is what's going on here at DU. The thing is, most have never experience this before.

[southern democrat]

4. Be happy you have different Democrats to choose from

In my local area the republican machine is entrenched.Many democrars are stifled here and many times it is difficult to even get a Democrat to run agianst republicans.This election is the most critical in my lifetime,it is imperitive that we don't have a battle scared nominee who is stressed out as they will need all their energy and support of their competition to defeat Bush in 2004.Because no matter how bad this adminstration gets things messed up.It still will be a tough fight to beat Bush.

[Mz Pip]

3. The Repugs

aren't the only ones who eat their own.

At some point we will have to unite behind whoever is nominated if we want Bush out of the White House. I said this before - I will not engage in any ad hominum attacks on any of the Dem candidates because next Novemeber I will be voting for one of them.

This is just a little microcosm of what the candidates must have to endure on a daily basis. I could never run for anything. I'd feel awful at the first criticism. All 10 of the candidates have my admiration for putting themselves out there, to have their lives put under a microscope, to have to defend and explain statement made years ago, to be the butt of jokes and ridicule. I respect every single one of them.


MzPip
:dem: