That didn't take long.

[Skwmom]

Kerried Away
The myth and math of Kerry's electability.
By William Saletan
Posted Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2004, at 9:41 PM PT

http://slate.msn.com/id/2095311/

I think one of the reasons the media was hell bent on pushing Clark out of the race was they wanted to take out Kerry (or at least damage him significantly) without having Clark on the sidelines as a viable alternative. Notice the time this story was posted. This is like watching a chess game, but unfortunately the side that is the better player is ruthless and bad for this country.

[krkaufman]

1. Yes, most suspicious

As I posted last night, it was just minutes after I'd heard of Clark's intention to leave the race that I saw/heard the *FIRST* comments in the media (I was watching CNN) about an "anti-Kerry movement" within the Democratic Party.

And my feeling is the same as yours, they couldn't begin tearing Kerry down until Clark was out of the race.

(CT stuff, but it's all just too coincidental. Plus, gotta remember that Clark was looking to increase taxes on the wealthy and bring back the Fairness Doctrine.)

EDIT: Having read the article, I would guess the author to be an Edwards supporter or Clark/Dean basher. It is primarily an argument touting Edwards' GE electability over Kerry -- with little to no real consideration for Clark or Dean, Dennis or Al. Favorite line of cluelessness:

On "has the right experience," Kerry routinely whipped the field, and deservedly so, given his military service and his expertise in national security and foreign policy.

Kerry superior to Clark in these categories? Please. It's one thing to echo poll numbers, but to editorialize such hogwash is just propaganda.

[janx]

4. Clark wanted to bring back the Fairness Doctrine?

No wonder the media treated him the way they did. That's almost as challenging to the media as what Dean said about the conglomerates!

Both Clark and Dean are absolutely right, of course, but saying that aroused the wrath of the media and the DLC types who have connections with it.

[Skwmom]

12. Some RW talking heads have been talking up Edwards

for quite some time. I think they may have over killed Dean and are looking at taking out Kerry and replacing him with Edwards.

[bowens43]

2. Tin foil hat time.....

The media did not push Clark out of the race, Clark was never really in the race. He was always near the bottom of the pack. The media is not deciding the nomination, the voters are.

[krkaufman]

10. Keep tellin' yerself that

Sounds lak yer trine to kenvins yerself.

[Skwmom]

14. Tin foil hat?

There are even articles on how the media was trying to push out Clark. I don't engage in fanciful tinfoil hat theories. When the facts overwhelming demonstrate that something is up it would be foolish not to see that something is going on.

[democratreformed]

3. My prediction:

We will never see another poll showing that Kerry can beat *. That is, not unless one of the others starts gaining some momentum.

[theboss]

5. I like Clark, but let's be serious

Let me say that I seriously considered voting for Clark for a while. A long while. Then I went with Edwards.

The media didn't end his campaign. He entered the race late as a relative unknown. Add to that the fact that he was a Republican until very recently and this is not a formula for winning a primary.

As always, I go to my parents (life-long Democrats and former office holders for commentary).

Me: So what do you think of Clark?
Dad: I like him. He's tough. He's got that military background. But I'm not sure if he's really a Democrat.

It's hard to convince the really hard-core Dems who vote in a primary that you are sincere in a few short months.

[democratreformed]

8. Yes, many not only refused to accept him but actually ridiculed and

derided him as well. I am still pondering how I feel about this.

[Bread and Circus]

16. Post a lie, lose a vote.

Here's the lie:

Add to that the fact that he was a Republican until very recently and this is not a formula for winning a primary.


Here's the vote:

mine.

[theboss]

17. I'm just saying, it's easy to see why he didn't fare better

By all accounts, he WAS a Republican.

Reagan at one time was a Democrat.

I like the fact that the he switched, but he needed to earn his stripes, I think, before running for President. Reagan campaigned for Republicans for years before running for governor. Then he made his move toward the White House. By 1976, no one was wondering which Party he belonged to.

Clark needs to stay a high-profile Democrat. Maybe run for a state office. Or House seat. Or Governorship. Or join the Cabinet. Then by 2008 or 2012, the path may be much clearer.

We do need Clark. But I don't begrudge anyone for having doubts about him.

[SoFlaJets]

18. pretty good ideas there boss

but I personally would like to see Clark IN the JKerry administartion somewhere in the Pentagon like maybe with Rummys job

[theboss]

20. I hate the idea of generals as Sec of Def

The Secretary of Defense should not have an agenda or loyalties in the Pentagon and should clearly be seen as civilian authority.

I don't even like generals as NSA. Again, you don't spend 30 years in the service without forming strong biases that should not be on the civilian side.

I could see him in homeland security. That's going to be a high profile office for many many year. And a military background could help there.

But I may even put him in something odd, like Transportation.

Still, I think it may be best for the party for him to find some weak Republican Representative, move there, and win the seat.

I've always felt that candidates for President should have won a general election at some point.

[Julien Sorel]

21. Actually, 'by all accounts'

he voted for Clinton twice and Gore once. Hell of a Republican, here.

[mikehiggins]

6. I can't say who it is without getting into trouble with the DU powers that

be but somebody just got added to my ignore list.

There is just something about an obsessive/compulsive need to denigrate a candidate that rubs me the wrong way.

I have encountered it before, in other races, and it never ends well.

[King of New Orleans]

7. kaus and saletan

over at slate having been attacking Kerry for eons now. I haven't read much Saletan stuff, but I've developed a distaste for Mickey Kaus' opinions way before election 2004 began.

Quite frankly Mickey Kaus' opposition to Kerry makes me more likely to support Kerry.

9. regarding electability

This connects to something I've been thinking, which is that Kerry's doing well in the South yesterday doesn't prove a thing about how well he will do in the South, because it was Democrats voting in the primary and Everybody votes in the election. Even if 100% of Democrats wanted Kerry if they only make up 40% of the population in the South (or wherever)it doesn't make a bit of difference that he is more "electable". It's all just double talk double talk. But nothing wrong with doing whatever you can to give your candidate an edge this way. Just see it for what it is.

[SheilaT]

11. What's so scary about Kerry 's

sudden jump to presumed nominee, is that once no one else is left standing, the Republicans will be able to go after him full force. And he's not going to have the money to do the ads needed to counter the lies that will be coming out.

The DLC and the DNC assume that a candidate they want to have is the best possible candidate, which is why Kerry is their guy. Never mind his negatives. Never mind that the Bush cabal will do anything possible to win the election. Claim that Kerry is the man with the "electability" and don't worry about his lackluster Senate career, his corporate masters, his shaky personal history. Just don't let anyone who's not of the DLC and DNC anointed (which include Clark, Dean, and Kucinich) present any real threat to their choosing of the Democratic nominee.

Clark and Kucinich, with all due respect to their devoted supporters, were never really viable candidates. Kucinich has always been a fringe person, and Clark came into the Democratic party too late and with too much baggage.

Dean, with his solid record as Governor (even if of a small state in New England) and his willingness a year ago to speak out as representing the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party and his capturing the minds and hearts of so many of the disaffected, and his brilliant use of the internet, was a threat to the entrenched powers of the party. So he had to be destroyed. And he was. For the time being he's still in the race, and I hope he can somehow pull it off, but I've nearly lost all faith.

I try to tell myself that a President Kerry will be very different from a President Bush, but I fear it will only be in small ways.

Having read both Generations and The Fourth Turning by William Strauss and Neill Howe, I realize that we're probably simply at the beginning of a long period of crisis that will probably take two decades to complete. But I wish it didn't have to be that way.

[Skwmom]

15. My take on the DLC/DNC

It's like the blind leading the blind. Does anyone wonder why the Republicans control the SC, the WH, and Congress? They are morons.

[polpilot]

19. The DLC site appears Rove inspired. They are exactly where Rove

wants them to be.

[LTR]

13. I do think they're worried about Edwards as well

He is the unknown factor. Squeaky clean guy who passed through the nasty Helms smear machine unscathed. Genuinely likeable.

It seems like the media target now is Bush. They are starting to finally grow spines and see it as safe to attack the president.

In November, A Dem has a great chance of winning the White House, regardless of nominee. Because George W. Bush's greatest enemy is not Kerry or Edwards or Dean. It is George W. Bush.

He is simply a flawed president who will hang himself with his own rope just like his father.

[PAMod]

22. Even if its "self-fullfilling prophesy", it works to Kerry's advantage...

in the GE.

If all Democrats can be brought around to witness for his "electability", we can elect him.

Might be tough as hell to pull off, but it's looking like he's the only horse we got.

Keep your eyes on the prize, folks!