Do you have any honest Republican friends who work for a living?

[Radical Activist]

I do. I disagree with them politically but I do know some Republicans who are good people.

Why should I or any other Democrat stand by someone who makes a blanket statement that insults my Republican friends and millions of other people Dean has never met? Does it help us win the next election to tell millions of potential voters who might switch and vote Democratic that they have never made an honest living? I don't think so.

It was a dumb comment. Hero worship doesn't help us win elections.

[cornermouse]

1. Enough of this.

What the media started, we're finishing on DU. And its just 100% wrong.

[Cha]

17. Thanks for this..but

the ts hardly ever misses a chance to pile on Dean.

This is just what the mainstream media is loving right now..them and the rethugs..:popcorn:

[elehhhhna]

2. Yep. She works for Exxon. The Reep Propaganda there is stultifying.

[NYCGirl]

3. Sure. But I also know a lot of 'em who never had to raise a sweat in

their lives, because of their trust fund backgrounds.

Both types know who they are.

[Radical Activist]

5. I've known some Democrats with that description as well

A couple of them ran for President in '04.

[NYCGirl]

8. Most of the people who run for president fit that description.

You pretty much have to have money to get anywhere in politics, which is why they often become completely out of touch, just like the people Howard Dean was referring to.

[karynnj]

11. A couple of them ran for President in '04.

I am at a loss to know the Democrats who could have lived off trust funds.

Edwards was the first to go to college in his family. Unless you have reason to know that his entire biography was a lie it wasn't him.

Kerry came from a very upper class background, had a fantastic education and incredible contacts, but certainly had to support himself, as he did not have income from a trust fund. From his biography, he has been gainfully employed since college and even worked summers when he was in high school and college. He could have used his skills and contacts to become inordinately wealthy, but chose public service.

If you are talking about others that ran:
Gephart's dad was a milkman - no trust fund there
Clark didn't grow up rich
Sharpton - No
Braun - I don't think so
Dean - Dean probably came from the wealthiest immediate family, but I never heard he could have just lived off his trust fund. At any rate, he became a Doctor.
Graham - I don't think so, but I never really read anything about him
Lieberman - No

So, just who were the couple of Democrats you were in a very snarky way referring to.

[Radical Activist]

18. Certainly Dean

He came from a very wealthy family. Kerry as well.

[dave29]

26. If you follow Dean and his financial management

you know he is one of the most frugal people out there. I for one found his money management background inspiring considering his birth into wealth. He certainly doesn't act affluent.

[AntiCoup2K4]

29. Dean turned down a Wall Street career to be a doctor in a rural state.

Doesn't sound like money is his motivation.

[Radical Activist]

30. I don't think money is his motivation either.

But that doesn't change the fact that Dean never really had to work a day in his life if he didn't want to.

[karynnj]

31. Kerry's father was a diplomat and his mother who was from

a wealthy family was one of 11 kids - she was not extremely wealthy. His family could not have afforded the schools he went to - his tuition was payed by a childless great aunt. He worked loading trucks at a dock for some of the summer months when he was in school to have money.

He WAS incredibly connected and had many wealthy friends. Teresa IS incredibly wealthy.

[markus]

4. Not a one

Oh, wait, you meant the poor fools who vote Republican.

That's a different kettle of fish from activist Republicans.

[Radical Activist]

7. Yes, most Republican leaders are a different story

Not specifying that the first time was Dean's mistake. I can forgive Dean for the mistake, but I don't expect any other Democrats to defend that mistake.

[wryter2000]

6. Define Republican

If you mean someone who's registered Republican and considers him/herself to be, yeah, lots. Very few of them like Bush, though.

[expatriot]

9. they're either dishonest,dishonest w/ themselves,confused, stupid or evil

There some Republicans who are nice enough I guess and that are "friendly" and I am "friendly" to, I have some in my family that seem nice and all that. My dad is one but not very hardcore... so he's a bit dishonest with himself and bit stupid, but I love him.


My only very good friend who was a registered Republican killed himself last year. He wasn't a Republican at heart, I know he wasn't. He was confused.


Considering I can't go ten minutes without talking politics I don't see myself making a Republican friend in the near future. Like I said, many of them are nice enough and "friendly" it's just I wouldn't have enough in common with them to be "friends" with.


oh, my hrother nine years my senior is a Republican... he's one of the rare ones that are not dishonest, confused or stupid... he is one of those who are just EVIL.... but I love him.

[LizW]

10. I think the actual quote was "a lot of Republicans..."

Maybe Dean knows a lot of Republicans who have never worked.

The right-wing media changed the statement to blanket "Republicans" and then Biden and Edwards were set up to disagree with Dean. Then the rest of the media starts echoing it and on down the line. It's a classic divisive technique, and it works almost every time.

[blondeatlast]

13. Look how beautifully it's worked here at DU.

You described the method perfectly, too.

If we keep falling for this crap from the right wing noise machine, we will never get anywhere.

[Radical Activist]

20. "a lot" is a blanket term.

If he had said Republican leadership it would have been another story. I believe that is what he meant, but it isn't what he said.

[LizW]

32. No, he actually DID say "a lot of Republicans..."

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050603-123932-6657r.htm

Read the actual quote down the article a little ways.

I don't agree that "a lot" is a blanket term. "A lot" means "many", or "more than a few", but it specifically does not mean "all", or even "most". Dean was actually very precise in what he said.

I understand why the right-wing media is straining at basic word meaning in order to claim that Dean said something he didn't say. I don't understand why Democrats are.

Edited for typo.

[Rainscents]

25. That's right... That is exactly what Dean said and he also told Wolf on

CNN Friday and slamed Wolf!

Can you see??? MSM is trying to set Dean up... they're out to hang him! we must all defend Dean no matter what!

[Cha]

27. Spectacular, Spectacular!

Spectacularly!

Speaking to the Campaign for America's Future, Mr. Dean called for easier rules for voting, saying it is difficult for working parents to make it to the polls on time and wait to vote.
"Well, Republicans, I guess, can do that, because a lot of them have never made an honest living in their lives," Mr. Dean said. "But for ordinary working people, who have to work eight hours a day, they have kids, they got to get home to those kids, the idea of making them stand for eight hours to cast their ballot for democracy is wrong."


Edit to give link~ http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050603-123932-6657r.htm

[otohara]

12. Your Republican Friends ?

Could you explain to me what's good about people who vote for the likes of Bush/Cheney, DeLay, Frist, Tomcredo, Coleman, Allard, Hatch, Lott, Katherine Harris, Roberts, Stevens, Santorum, Kay Bailey, Hassert etc....

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

14. Work? Yes. Honest? For God's sake, no.

Honesty requires self-examination.

[bahrbearian]

15. Dean was referring to the Repugnant Leadership, was taken out of Context

[dave29]

16. I know many good Republicans

who have no idea what their party stands for. Sometimes a good jolt is what someone needs to wake up and realize they are voting for the wrong party.

One of my Republican co-workers spends all his time at work trying to get everyone involved in his pyramid-amway scheme. He is a die-hard Limbaugh addict, completely hates all things "liberal" and thinks Bush is like Jesus.

He argues repeatedly for big business as it slowly ruins his life. It makes me sad, and I, for one, am glad Dean has the courage to tell people what they need to hear. They are voting for the wrong party, and a lot of them know it. You can't ask these people "please vote for us" - they don't understand that language - they need to be told bluntly why they are voting against their own self interest.

Dean had no problem saying the same to pro-Iraq War Democrats. The truth can be painful, but it's the best medicine there is.

[Blue_In_AK]

19. Yes, if dealing in real estate is honest business...

Ironically, I have only three Republican friends and they're ALL in real estate. I'm not sure what that means.

[chemp]

21. friend I work with...

√ proudly proclaims himself to be a Reagan Republican.
√ Has nothing good to say about Bush or his cronies
√ Has voted against Bush in 2000 and 2004
√ is angry that the neocons and Xtian supremists have taken over his party
√ Believes his only hope to save his party is McCain

3 for 5 ain't bad.

[CTyankee]

22. Yeah, I do but that is what is so strange

They vote against their own best interests! My garage mechanic got screwed over as a Vietnam vet but he doesn't vote for Kerry because of his link to Jane Fonda! I gave him an earful about that. He also hates Barbara Boxer. Where is he geting that? I guess Limpballs is doing that thing. I gave him another earful about that.

He's going to cringe next time I go in for an oil change!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

23. I have many

I'm in a position of once again having to undo damage caused by the half true stories in the media to each of them.

I'm armed with this expert from Yahoo.

"While discussing the hardship of working Americans standing in long lines to vote, Dean said Thursday, "Republicans, I guess, can do that because a lot of them have never made an honest living in their lives." Dean said later his comments did not refer to hard-working Americans, but rather to the failure of Republican leadership to address working-class concerns."
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050605/ap_on_el_ge/democrats_dean_3


Psssst, pass it on.

[RaleighNCDUer]

24. Yet hero worship allows those good, honest working republicans

to vote for assholes who lie to them, to us, to the entire country so they can steal our wealth, destroy our environment and infrastructure, and kill our soldiers and uncounted foreigners for access to oil.

Fuck em.

Dean is absolutely right to lump the idiot repubs in with the criminal cabal that they put in power.

[Catchawave]

28. I'm married to a Republican....

...but he's not a fundie, so am keeping him, thankyouverymuch :)

[tnlefty]

33. No. I know a hell of a lot of them who: cheat on their taxes by

stating that offspring work for them who clearly don't, don't get business licenses, but still claim deductions, cheat any way that they can, don't work, but live off their inherited wealth... what else do you need to know?

[Moderator]

34. I'm locking this thread

reason:

continuation of another flamewar