We need to support Johnson now.

[Ken Burch]

Hank Johnson won. It was ugly and vicious, but he won. Anyway, he's the Democrat in the race and we need to support him.

Cynthia McKinney should NOT run as an independent. She would not win in such a race and would give the haters who beat her tonight even more ammunition. She needs to be better than they are.

Johnson, clearly, does need to make amends to the McKinney people. He needs to say that McKinney's ideals will be his.

This was not a vote for conservatism or DLC values. I'm not sure what it was a vote for, but not for those. This is vital to say, as Fox News will be gloating over McKinney's defeat all day tomorrow.

I hope the outgoing Congresswoman can grow from this and that the progressive movement will rise again. I believe it can.

Anyway, we need to work for Johnson.

Sorry if I sound bitter, but I've done better by Johnson so far than any Lieberman supporter has done by Lamont yet. I'm trying to believe that good will come of this.

Vote Hank Johnson in the 4th in November.

[Blue_Tires]

1. you're right

sadly Cynthia made too many enemies over the years and she couldn't fight them all off

[CottonBear]

2. Do you live here in Georgia or in Alaska? n/t

[Ken Burch]

6. I live in Alaska.

Cynthia's base of support extends far beyond the state line.

[Janice325]

3. Has McKinney said anything about running as an Independent?

I live in that district, voted for McKinney, but intend to support Johnson November 4th.
I'm not bitter. (really, I'm not, I figured Johnson was going to win anyway, not suprised at all he did).

[Ken Burch]

7. Oh, the Johnson people and the DLC types here have spread rumors.

nt.

[wyldwolf]

10. her FATHER said she would continue on as an Independent...

... and it was reported on a "PROGRESSIVE" website.

[Ken Burch]

13. I think we've established that her father doesn't speak for her by now.

And you got your way and she was defeated, so back off already.

Now Johnson will be elected(there was never any chance of an open Republican taking the seat)and he has two years to prove he won't be a silent, obedient drone who knows his place.

[wyldwolf]

14. LOL! Perhaps she should tell her father and her entourage ...

..to back off on the racist rhetoric. Funny, she hasn't done so, nor has she repudiated it.

Now a bonafide Democrat, endorsed by civil rights hero John Lewis, will take her place.

[Ken Burch]

15. Look, she lost. You got what you wanted.

(BTW, how bonafide are you if you back the FairTax and Neil Boortz endorsed you?
Give Me A Break).

Anyway, I endorsed the guy. It's ugly to gloat about something that was so totally vicious and unnecessary. Just leave it be, wouldya?

And there was never any reason to say that Cynthia WASN'T a "bonafide Democrat".
She was someone you disagreed with, and that's fine, but she wasn't disloyal to the party. Don't smear someone who's already lost.

[wyldwolf]

17. LOL!

BTW, how bonafide are you if you back the FairTax and Neil Boortz endorsed you?
Give Me A Break

LOL! Boortz was mistaken. The Johnson campaign said so. So who ya gonna believe? Neal Boortz?

It's ugly to gloat about something that was so totally vicious and unnecessary.

The irony!

And as I've told you before, the truth doesn't smear.

[Ken Burch]

18. "Friends" like you Johnson doesn't need.

Why are you STILL bashing?

You guys are supposed to magnanimous when you win.

[wyldwolf]

19. who am I bashing?

Someone quoting Neal Boortz?

LOL!

[Ken Burch]

20. Your attacking someone who conceded defeat and endorsed the party nominee.

Which is a lot better than Lieberman did.

There is no longer any justification for attacks on McKinney. It's enough that you beat her. You have no reason to continue to attack her. I don't care what you say about me, but leave McKinney alone. Attacking her at this point is senseless bullying and Democrats are supposed to be above that.

[wyldwolf]

21. someone who blamed white people, Republicans, voting machines...

...and the kitchen sink for her loss.

But if you'll notice, my beef in this thread isn't with McKinney, its with someone who first claimed Johnson was the DLC candidate, then claimed it wasn't a win for the DLC when he won. Its with someone who takes Neal Boortz's word over Hank Johnson's.

[Ken Burch]

22. It's enough that I've endorsed your candidate.

Why can't you accept a conciliatory gesture when it's offered? You can't deny that McKinney supporters have a right to feel bitter.

[wyldwolf]

23. because it wasn't a conciliatory gesture

It was fake and full of veiled and subtle trashing.

[Ken Burch]

27. Now you're just being childish and petulant.

It was as conciliatory as I could be at that time. Your insistence on trashing this thread serves no purpose.

What would have been fake would have been suddenly pretending that Johnson was perfect.

I was sincerely reaching out, and if you can't see it when someone is being sincere, well, that's your loss.

But I meant it when I said we should work for Johnson...and I mean it when I say that Johnson needs to make amends to McKinney and her supporters. Would it kill you to admit that winners should be magnanimous when the losers endorse them(as McKinney did)?

[wyldwolf]

29. your conciliatory post was childish and petulant.

[Ken Burch]

30. You were hoping I'd respond to that by saying

"Was not", weren't you.

Look, Johnson needs McKinney people in the fall. He needs to make amends. Why can't you accept that?

Winning candidates are conciliatory and try to unify the party.

[wyldwolf]

31. no, Ken, I have no hopes for you

Johnson will win easily in the fall with Democratic votes - not "McKinney people."

[Ken Burch]

33. Your obsession with derailing this thread only hurts YOUR position.

Give it a rest. What you're doing here is silly and pointless.

[wyldwolf]

34. MY position was Johnson winning - no chance in hurting that

[themaguffin]

36. When does SHE take any responsibility

Jesus, I feel like I am reading fucking Freeper candidate excuses.

It's not a conspiracy, it was an implosion triggered by her actions/antics.

[peacetheonlyway]

24. too late, she had to have filed earlier in cycle to be Independent

but a Write In Candidacy is not off the table....

[ISUGRADIA]

4. Can she even file as an independent?

I think the deadline for general election filings was a few weeks ago, I think it's even past the time to run as a registered write-in.

[GraysonDave]

5. Independent candidacy would be futile

Just my opinion, but that wouldn't work at all. The district spoke, I can't imagine them changing their minds for the general election.

Who knows whether Johnson will be an effective Congressman. For now, though, he deserves full support from the 4th.

[unda cova brutha]

8. I would still like to see cynthia fight

there is talk that her name was not on somoe ballots. I think she got deebolded. She should demand and be given a recount.

[peacetheonlyway]

26. trust that she is fighting

she is planning to contest her election per a press conference on the same day Donzella James is contesting her race. THE grounds are the lack of a paper ballot and therefore no chance of recounting or discovering how voters truly voted (Diebold's problem of no verifiable/auditable election results).

>http://www.atlantaprogressivenews.com/news/0077.html
>BREAKING: McKinney Pursuing Legal Challenges to Elections in Georgia
>
>*By Matthew Cardinale, News Editor and National Correspondent,
>AtlantaProgressive News (August 10, 2006)
>*
>
>(APN) ATLANTA -- US Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) is pursuing numerous legal
>avenues to challenge the so-called "results" of not only her recent Primary
>and Runoff Elections, but also the fundamental reality that the current
>E-voting system in Georgia does not provide us with "results" that are in
>any way meaningful.

[Ken Burch]

28. I don't think an eighteen point margin could be the work of Diebold alone.

They can swing three to five points, but I don't think they can cause something like this.

There was a lot of resentment against McKinney in her district, and the meaningless incident with the cop was played like a Fender Stratocaster by her opponents.

[wyldwolf]

9. now, that's just absolutely funny

People on DU were preaching Johnson was the DLC's candidate.

But he wins, and you say "was not a vote for conservatism or DLC values?"

If he'd lost, you'd be spinning it as a loss for the DLC.

As for the " haters who beat her," and don't see any of them using racial and anti-semitic slurs as McKinney's people are.

[rinsd]

11. Ken we crossed swords many times the past few weeks

and sometimes it got vicious. In the spirit of this post I wish to bury the hatchet.

This is one of the bravest posts I've seen on DU and you are a better man than I for posting it.

[Ken Burch]

16. Thank you, rinsd. I appreciate your response.

nt.

[MGKrebs]

12. June 30 was the deadline to get qualified.

Cynthia McKinney can run all she wants, but she cannot be on the ballot and any votes for her will not be counted.

Here, see for yourself:

http://www.sos.state.ga.us/elections/elections/candidate_information/default.htm

She did qualify as a Dem, but she did not qualify as an independant.

I am familiar with this because for a long time I thought our best chance to find out if electronic votes were being manipulated would be to have a hacker produce a bunch of votes for "Mickey Mouse" or something. Alas, they wouldn't count or report those votes since they are not for a "qualified" candidate.

[peacetheonlyway]

25. I appreciate your post

but my fear, Ken, my fear is that the same GOP machine that got 14,000 GOP voters to crossover to oust a McKinney victory, have already 'scheduled' the GOP candidate to win.

perhaps for the best. Mr. Hank makes us all nervous. His funders and his GOP talking points on the middle East are more Fox News like than real thinking man points. The man is dumb as rocks.

it's important to consider the source. a man bankrupt twice does not deserve office even if he is a democrat. That speaks to integrity or lack thereof to meet financial obligations.

It's important to understand the larger GOP picture. the Nov. election in District 4 is over. the GOP candidate wins. and the citizens of dekalb who voted in huge #'s to put McKinney back into office are the ultimate losers.

it ain't over till the fat lady sings and I aint singing yet....

[wyldwolf]

32. LOL! fantasy. Pure fantasy

[Laelth]

35. No way a repuke is winning that district.

Johnson has it in the bag. While I am a big fan of Cynthia McKinney's voting record, and I could care less how many cops she wallops, I have every reason to believe that Johnson is a progressive too. He's got to be better than my DINO, anyway.

Peace. We're all on the same side, here.

:dem:

-Laelth


Edit:Laelth--clarity.