I have a little message to the DNC and Co

[knight_of_the_star]

To whom it may concern:

Thank you for effectively destroying the best candidate you guys had available in favor of playing party politics. Thank you for giving this country over to the GOP and Bush for another 4 years. Thank you for ensuring that things like the Bill of Rights and the Constitution will be footnotes in a history book someday. Thank you for playing your stupid games of playing Bush-lite and losing to the real thing. Thank you for ignoring the will of the people. And above all, I must thank you for destroying the last hope this party had left by standing on one side and doing NOTHING when the best man running for president in YOUR party was destroyed by shamefully biased media coverage. When Bush shows you idiotic fools the error in your ways this November, I have but one thing to say to you.

You earned it.

May the Gods have mercy on your soul,

Ryan Smith

[anti-bush]

1. Well

"Thank you for effectively destroying the best candidate you guys had available"

Edwards is still in this thing! :-)

j/k

Clark is a very good man, and I wish him the best of luck.

[funky_bug]

8. Before you spread your Edwards cheer

You might try to step back and let us grieve a bit. Jesus.

[anti-bush]

14. I'm not so happy tonight, myself

It's looking grim for Edwards too. I'm trying to stay positive. If Kerry wins, I don't want to place the blame on these "Shadowy Democratic Networks" (to paraphrase Dubya). I still hope it's not over for Edwards, as I'm sure the Clark supporters hope the same for Wes. I was trying to keep it lighthearted in here, and it was in no way supposed to be a slam on Wes.

[Maddy McCall]

22. Before you begin greiving, shouldn't you get news that the campaign's dead

Everyone is jumping the gun. Wait until tomorrow, see if he announces his withdrawal.

[knight_of_the_star]

9. You have no shame, do you?

Lemme guess, you would go up to a grieving spouse at the funeral for their spouse of 20 years and ask them if they will marry you?

[Renew Deal]

13. Not true

and not funny.

[JasonBerry]

2. Wes Clark

Wes, I am guessing, would not support the tenor and tone of your post. My guess is we'll see the general on the campaign trail with Kerry within the next 24-48 hours. One appearance by Wes supporting John Kerry -- and a defeat for Bush -- is I hope all you'll need to come around. The stakes are too high.

[KaraokeKarlton]

24. Oh for the love of God

Just because voters who tend to jump on the bandwagon of the one they think must be good because everyone else voted for him doesn't mean that Clark is going to support Kerry. He might not support anyone, and it's pretty presumptuous of you to just assume Clark is going to back Kerry. :eyes:

[JasonBerry]

35. Did you hear Clark's speech?

"Moving forward" to defeat George W. Bush was code for his leaving the race and supporting the nominee, which will be Kerry. If General Clark didn't see that, he wouldn't be getting out of the race!

[KaraokeKarlton]

41. No I didn't, and even if I did I'm not looking to rub salt into wounds

of Clark supporters. Although I've had my differences with some of them, their candidate has gotten the same shunning from party leadership as my guy has, so there's some common ground there. I feel for Clark supporters and I think it's just plain mean to dance around them suggesting that he is dropping out to support Kerry. that's ridiculous! If he drops out it's because the media and powers that be pushed him out in order to prop up Kerry, who frankly sucks as a candidate, who Bush will chew up and spit out in chunks. I honestly think the Party leadership WANTS to lose. Kerry has the most dirty laundry, skeletons and unfavorable political baggage out of ALL the candidates. Why on earth is the party pushing him? I think they're masochists. :shrug:

[Carolina]

45. no, moving forward

for a better America. Clark knows all too well how this endorsement, jump-on-the-bandwagon business thwarted his efforts to get his message out. He also knows how the media works from his stint with CNN.

I think he'll wait and see and let things play out before he endorses anyone. He got a rotten deal. Let him go home to Arkansas, rest and reflect. Besides, even if he told me to my face to work for Kerry now, I'd say no way. I already left Kerry for Clark after Octber 2002.

Also Wes, Jr. is none to happy with how his Dad was treated either. He was the one, on top of all us drafters, who clinched the deal and got Clark in. I doubt he'll be coaching Dad now to jump post haste to Kerry. He had the look of: Fuck 'em all on his face and I can't say that I blame him since I kinda feel that way myself.

[knight_of_the_star]

28. I'm not speaking on Wes Clark's behalf

I am speaking as a citizen of the United States of America!

[Heritic]

3. O...k...

[bhunt70]

4. try to remain positive about the democrats.

I'm upset clark may bow out also and I have a myriad of reasons, but the best thing to do is to remain positive and get the word out that people should vote for a democratic candidate of their choice so that we can win the election.

[Red_Storm]

5. try to remain positive about Bush Lite...........

on his way to the nomination........Why?

[bhunt70]

11. are "the democrats" bush-lite?

If you are talking about Kerry then I suggest you do a little more research and you will see that he is much more liberal than bush, it's almost blatantly so.

[Carolina]

46. yeah, let's look at the record:

IWR: aye
No Child Left Behind: aye
Patriot Act: aye

[BeFree]

15. Bush Lite?

Are you saying Kerry is bush-lite? Ha ha

The only way the three words can be factually used in the same sentence goes something like this:
Kerry is gonna knock the lite outta bush!

[Red_Storm]

21. Kerry...........

voted for Iraq War, Patriot Act, No Child Left Behind, etc.....

Against Gay Marriage

Receives lots of money from special interest groups


Yes......Bush Lite

[corporatewhore]

33. Not to mention...

voting for slavery
voting to give away american jobs
voting for the right for public services to be privatised
voting for the stealing land of indigenous people
when he voted for naftagattwto...permanent traderelations with china

[MariaS]

37. Let's not forget that Kerry also

disregarded the warnings and advice of Scott Ritter.

http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vprit093662615feb09,0,359814.story?coll=ny-viewpoints-headlines

[Carolina]

47. exactly

but he claims to have been misled, by an obvious idiot no less.

[MoonRiver]

6. I'm with you. I'll support Kerry, but the system is totally screwed.

I'm finally getting a grip on my emotions and have stopped crying. IF Dems can take back the Senate, House and Executive we have a shot at changing things so wonderful people like General Clark aren't marginalized by a rightwing media. Until then it's gonna be plenty painful. :cry:

[Carolina]

49. that's a big IF

my friend. Kerry may win the WH in a squeaker. But coattails? I don't think so. Remember Clinton carried the House and Senate with him in 1992 but many were wimpocrats who had only known Republican presidents and thus didn't know how to rally 'round the executive once we finally got it back. Hence 1994, and the result that Clinton had to fight the GOP tooth and nail 'til the bitter end.

Now we have a presumed nominee who has no charisma and who will already face an uphill battle against a present and likely future GOP Congress. Pyrrhic victory, at best.

[arewethereyet]

7. what would you have had the DNC etc do ?

its their job to set the framework for this process and its the candidate's responsibility to manage their own campaigns.

The candidates bear the responsibility for the success or failure they have crafted.

[knight_of_the_star]

12. Please

They stood on the sidelines and did NOTHING when the media marginalized and destroyed Wes. They FAILED to actually be critical of Bush until it was looking "safe".

If whoever the DNC puts up loses, they deserve it.

[bhunt70]

19. sorry, as a clark supporter I can't buy into that.

[arewethereyet]

32. I seem to recall Clark supporters slamming Dean for such whining

its not the job of the DNC to make the media stop picking on candidates.

The responsibility lies with the candidate.

They marginalized Edwards from Summer till Iowa. Clark choked, face it. Its not his fault, he doesn't understand politics and never stood a chance but that was his appeal. Go figure...

[IndianaGreen]

16. It was Terry McCauliff who front-loaded the primaries

for the express purpose of giving a competitive advantage to the frontrunner, who was expected to be John Kerry, which is why the coronation was scheduled for Boston.

The party hacks went ape shit when Kerry was lingering in the single digits, and they hit the panic button.

Thanks to the Gephardt murder/suicide in Iowa, everything is back on schedule now.

[ShadowCabinet]

52. Bingo, we have a winner!

I'm glad someone else is seeing what went on in Iowa was a kamikaze-like attack by Gephardt on Dean to inflict maximum damage on the then front-runner. Knowing how the condensed primary season would play out, momentum would be key in carrying the Iowa and NH forward and propelling him to the nomination.

This compressed timeframe primary process really stinks. As a person in a state with a later primary, the race will all but be decided before I get to vote. What truly will be the point of my vote when the nomination is a lock based on things decided by March 2?

[Samantha]

25. Oh, I think we should give Al From credit where credit is due

When Al Gore was making noises about running, suddenly a poll was taken of DLC members. 50 percent, it was said, didn't want Al Gore to run again. The percentage within that 50 percent who were planning on making a run themself, was not presented to the public .... When faced with a public outcry at the arrogance of this statement, a clarification was issued. "While we do not actually choose the candidate the party will run, we do have a lot of influence over who that candidate will be .... "

As recently as within the last two months, the Washington Post ran an article citing "party leaders" were upset at the rise of Howard Dean in the polls. If the trend continued, they would do something to stop him. I posted the article here.

Stop Gore. Stop Dean. Stop Clark.

See a pattern?

[arewethereyet]

34. Stop Gore. Stop Dean. Stop Clark

They tried Gore once, didn't turn out very well.

Dean dug his own hole and then screamed at it.

Clark dug his own hole and didn't even realize it.

[For PaisAn]

40. Link?

I would love a link to that article if you still have one.

[Samantha]

54. Here's your link and part of the discussion

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43916-2003Dec7.html

This article starts out discussing Dean's comments about the Republican party seeking to divide the Country over "guns, God and gays." You have heard this discussion before. Rolls along to discuss Nixon's (hear that Pat Buchanan) dividing Americans against one another, stirring up racial prejudices "and bringing out the worst in people." That is the Repubicans "Southern Strategy" and they have used it since the days of Nixon.

but here is the show stopper:

"Secondly, a large number of influential Democrats, many of them former high-level advisers to President Bill Clinton and state leaders, are growing increasingly concerned that Dean's antiwar, anti-tax-cut campaign could doom the party's chances of winning back the White House and Congress. If Dean can't quickly exhibit an ability and willingness to broaden his appeal, especially in the South, these Democrats may join together in a campaign to stop him, several said." (emphasis added)

[Mick Knox]

10. "Thank you for ignoring the will of the people"

Seems to me this is being decided by overwhelming victories by Kerry in state after state by VOTE. "The will of the people" is served.. and his name is John Kerry. Now eye the prize.

[MariaS]

20. You are right

It is the will of the people. And the people got just what they deserved. John Kerry. So lets offer up congrats to the Sheeple of the United States.

[bhunt70]

23. elitist attitudes aren't the answer, nor is calling them sheeple.

[MariaS]

36. Elitist?

My son just joined the military. I needed hope that he would be safe. How do I stop being terrified now.

[Eloriel]

50. It's the MANIPULATED will of the people

Everyone knows I'm no Clark supporter -- but DAMN. If people can't see how Clark was built up then slam-dunked, how the primaries have been manipulated to high heaven by the back room dealers of the Party Establishment, then there's not a lot of hope for them.

Here's just one example, which came into focus for me tonight. A few days up to a week ago (exactly when eludes me), Terry McAuliffe was interviewed and came down hard on Bush's AWOL status. Now -- everyone please remember that it was Michael Moore and, to a much lesser extent, Wesley Clark who were instrumental in actually getting some mainstream press on this issue.

The information has been out there forever. Why was McA just now picking up on it? He hit it pretty hard. So hard I was kinda impressed (for a change).

Fast forward to tonight. While I was fixing dinner I heard just one snippet of a report (by Julianne Malveux? is that the right name?) on the AWOL thing, and the only snippet I heard was her saying that "the DNC said..."

Wha? The DNC said?

Why, after ALL this time, is the DNC choosing THIS issue to face down Bush with? And why now?

The answer: Kerry, with his "war hero" status. It would be great, I suppose, if Kerry actually were the nominee, but he's not -- not yet anyway.

Forgive me, but I want a real primary race, not a manipulated one. If the process is that the people (Democrats) are supposed to be entitled to choose their nominee then, by golly, that's what should happen.

So I definitely think Clark got a very raw deal. Of course, he's not the only one I think that about, but I do indeed think he did.

And before anyone asks me why I didn't say anything about this before, it's because my focus has NOT been on Clark and this realization has only been dawning on me in the last several days (2 or 3). As I've said, I didn't favor Clark, but I definitely didn't want him (or anyone) to get a raw deal.

[Carolina]

51. ditto

[funky_bug]

26. How 'bout eyeing this?

Was THAT the prize, or the lump of coal we got when Kerry voted IWR?

[Carolina]

53. I hear ya, wife

this is why I left Kerry for Clark. I still can't get past this mess, and many House and Senate Democrats did not take a principled stand against this. They cared too much about elections that they continue to lose!

Now they say they're against this and they are against Bush. But we wer against Bush from the git go. Besides, we need something to be FOR.

ABB will get my vote but not my heart, not my money, not my energy.

[KaraokeKarlton]

17. It sure does suck when you believe so much in a candidate

and you know in your heart of hearts that he would be a phenomenal president who would truly represent people like you and me...and to have the Party elite move heaven and earth to destroy them. Even though I support Howard Dean, you and I have a lot in common. We've been facing these same conditions and shunning by the party leadership for ages. I know you're in pain right now, so I'm not going to push. Just keep in mind that the best way to get back at the assholes who is doing your guy in is to try to help prevent them from doing the other grassroots outsider in. Hang in there and do what you must to deal with this...but always remember you do have somewhere else to go to fight the powers that be should you decide that you want to do that.

Be proud of your hard work, it's not in vain.

[knight_of_the_star]

29. Those assholes don't deserve either of them!

Without Howard Dean, they wouldn't even be CLOSE to being able to contest Bush, and Clark could have carried the banner that Dean was bearing up until he was shot in the back by the DNC, but they refuse him again. I will not be cowed, but I know this much:

They just lost a Democrat on this night. Regardless of how the primary turns out, the only way I would even THINK of staying in the party is if Wes wins the nomination. I will still vote against Bush, but not as a Democrat.

[MariaS]

39. Here Here

I'm with you 100% percent. I will write in Wes's name in NOV because I will have the satisfaction of knowing that I voted for the best that ever could have been. I guarantee there won't be another like Wes Clark in our lifetime.

[For PaisAn]

42. Never thought it would happen

but after what's happened in this primary with the DNC & the media I'm feeling the same way about "our" party.

[KaraokeKarlton]

44. I'm an Independent, and the party sure hasn't given me reason

to join, that's for sure. If Clark is out, it's because he was pushed out by the powers that be, not because you guys didn't bust your hump working for him. They're doing their best to do the same thing to Dean, too. I'm really glad Dean is a scrapper and stubborn as hell. He'll definitely stay in as long as he possibly can. I honestly think the GOP is just waiting with baited breath until the DLC dolts push everyone else out before they go in for the kill against Kerry. He's got TOO much baggage and is so vulnerable to attack. The stupidity in the party leadership astounds me in this area. This makes me glad I stayed an Independent so I don't have to act ashamed. It really chafes my butt.

[HoosierClarkie]

18. I feel your pain, but

didn't Clark say he loved this party tonight. It made me think twice about things. Even though Democrats voted for Kerry and Edwards tonight, they also voted for Clark. Clark believes in the PEOPLE of this party. By voting third party you would be hurting the people that Clark has put so much faith in and frankly have supported him.

Not all of us "earned it".

[KittyWampus]

27. Actually, They Were Open Primaries. So There Were Lots Of Republicans

voting for Kerry and Edwards.

Front loaded primaries with states that allow republicans to pick our candidate.

The Democratic Party is impotent.

[HoosierClarkie]

48. I agree

and I fear there will be 4 more years of Bush now. Wes was the only candidate to really stand up for the people. I am going to work hard to change this party to what General Clark thinks it can be. :)

[knight_of_the_star]

31. I'm not voting 3rd party

I will vote dem to get rid of that fucking chimp, but not as a Democrat.

[For PaisAn]

I for one agree with every word you wrote

It was not up to the rightwing media to do the right thing-not gonna happen. It was up to our party and they failed, again.

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[eyeswideopened]

38. I second that

[Carolina]

43. I third that

my enthusiasm and inspiration is gone.