I am really, really sorry to see Alan Grayson go down to defeat . . . . but.

[Stinky The Clown]

I have zero criticism of of him. I liked his stances on issues. I liked his rhetorical style. I liked his left wing pugnacity. I liked that he was a lightening rod. I liked his impolitic descriptions of that which he didn't favor.

He was my ideal prototype of a left wing politician.

But just because I liked him didn't mean he was the model of a *successful* politician.

He was basically what I would be were I to have been elected instead of him. Or he was what many of YOU would be were YOU elected instead of him.

We're "the base". We have ideas and ideals. We're willing to fight for them. We have little tolerance for the right and anything they stand for. We're not so much interested in compromise. We see an asshole for what an asshole is: an asshole. We are unafraid to call an asshole an asshole.

Neither was Alan Grayson.

It was because of that he got beat. No one should be surprised. Add to that the nature of his district, and I'm actually surprised he even managed to get elected the first time!

Go Alan. We hardly knew ye and we need more like ye!

[The Wielding Truth]

1. I hope he is around in any form for many many years. We need him.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. I hope he starts a PAC

And I can go work for him! :-)

[Cant trust em]

3. I look at Russ Feingold as my model of what I'd like our leaders to be.

He was about the most principled person we could ever hope to have in public office. I had the great pleasure of meeting him in 2008.

[ChiciB1]

11. I SURE Could Join A Party Started By Those Two As A Start-Up! then

we could add several more for a viable coalition, then perhaps we could GROW even larger!

Sometimes I do DAYDREAM.

[andym]

12. Russ is terrific. nt.

[PeaceNikki]

25. yeah

this.

[JuniperLea]

4. The US wasn't ready...

Now, had he run in CA, he would have nailed it.

This is a slow battle, this progressive stance we take. There are certain sections of the US that just aren't ready, and we should support those who give the purple tint to many states. It's a "take it slow" situation, and it's frustrating.

We really need to get in front of the message... we have no message, we don't communicate. It's ridiculous.

[Raster]

5. There were other mitigating factors. He was probably the number one target...

for all the "anonymous" right-wing donors. The right railed against him at every opportunity and identified him as evil incarnate. Also consider that Florida, as a hole, is lurching even further to the right. It's doubtful Jesus Christ would have been re-elected in his district and in today's right-wing, tea-bagging, bat-shit crazy political environment.

[DirkGently]

7. Tell me that "as a hole" was a pun? Or ... ?

:rofl:


Seriously, we have problems here. We just elected Skeletor of the Fifth Amendment governor. I had the sound off, but he was literally rubbing his long, spindly fingers together Dr. Evil-style at his press conference.

[Raster]

18. It's Florida, you tell me.

[DirkGently]

19. It's unhole-y down hear lately, gotta say. 8)

[Greyhound]

14. That;s one of the points I was going to make as well. Yes, he was all the things Stinky wrote

and he was the number one target of the corporate bankster cartel as you wrote. But he was also the victim of "his own party". They didn't like him almost as much as the republiks for mostly the same reasons. He didn't "play ball" and pretend that membership in the club carries some duty to protect the criminals that hide within the edifices of DC.

Just read the ravings posted all over this board by "the faithful"; the election has already been transformed, in their minds at least, into a national repudiation of all things liberal and the Chosen represents the pinnacle of America's tolerance of liberalism.

[monmouth]

6. And yet his district loves their Failin Palin and outrageous opines..Go figure...n/t

[HereSince1628]

8. Yes, no organization really wants a warrior, they want good soldiers.

Good warriors frequently turn into fearless but dead warriors.
Good soldiers stay in the ranks, and divide their personal risk over the rest of the formation-it's why fish school.
Politicians mostly favor their personal survival, and it's why politicians conform to party expectations.

[xiamiam]

9. I absolutely love Grayson..and his reference to the Keats poem was brilliant

he is everything you say...more like him would get the younger voters out...and an anti war candidate.

[ChiciB1]

10. I So Very Much Agree With You! Grayson IS MY KIND Of Candidate...

HIS views match mine to a tee! But too many Democrats these days run with their tails between their legs. Too AFRAID to tell the truth, too AFRAID to stand up and FIGHT, too AFRAID of what Repukes might "counter" with, too AFRAID of BACKLASH from "the people!" Too many Democrats have hunkered down against the Repukes who are using cannon balls against the "pea-shooters" the Democrats have on hand. I could say more, but Obama has been skewered quite a bit here since the election. Not that I don't agree, just gonna let it ride and say he's more to the RIGHT of me. Not even "middle" as I see it. COMPROMISE?? Well, I DID do it lightly, so smack my hand.

REAL Democrats didn't used to BACK DOWN like so many do now, and for this TOO many Democrats give them less support or respect. There are "some" who are still willing to take a stand, but OH SO FEW!

I heard something very interesting this AM and it made my ears perk up a bit. I don't usually watch Joey Scar, but while I was making breakfast my husband turned the TV on and since I had watched The Last Word, last night the channel was MSNBC. I didn't get the guy's name, but I did hear him talking about WHY more and more people are becoming Independents. And it was his theory that there just might be a REAL 3rd Party movement, as a viable Party... not one like the Tea-Baggers, but actually a Party that would bring intelligent, thinking people together who are sick of the two party system. My only question then would be this... "would it then have a left, middle and right wing?"

I think that's what been the problem all along, Independents are hard to read. But, I've thought many, many times that I want to switch to NPA, but here in Florida you have to register one way or the other to vote in primaries.

OH WAIT... so sorry, HERE in FLOR-EEE-DUH we seem to have ONLY one Party and ONE big MACHINE at that! Where once I was willing to say "maybe" about voter fraud, I'm just about at the point that I DO believe that this state is rigged just enough. Just enough to give Dems & Independents a certain amount of votes to look good, but in the end... REPUKES WIN IT ALL!

How Rick Scott could have won given ALL that was out there is STILL a mystery to me! But then I'm still conflicted about THE IDIOT in 2000!

[Demit]

13. Bit of a tautology there. Of course he wasn't the model of a successful politician.

He lost. You aren't admiring what makes a politician successful these days, are you? Which would be bending whichever way the wind blows, or running out in front of the parade to pretend you're leading it. Like, say, John McCain.

If more elected officials with principles banded together to fight for those principles they'd stand a chance of persuading the voting population that those principles are right & good. But too many in our party think the 'W' after their names is more important than the 'D'.

[treestar]

15. Why doesn't he get criticized for losing?

what must he have done wrong on his campaign? Why don't the usual DU rules apply to him?

This is mysterious.

Everybody gets blamed for losing the house except one house member who LOST!

[Stinky The Clown]

17. I am inclined to ignore your posts in my threads, but I will answer you on this one.

I will answer you because it is a great object lesson on we "far lefties" want in a politician.

He was UNAMBIGUOUS in what he stood for. He fought the good fight, unafraid of the consequences. While he may not have succeeded, his inclination and (for your benefit, particularly) DIRECTION was clear. His actions matched his rhetoric. No one felt he was talking only to get elected.

It is about direction and intent.

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[treestar]

23. Where did I saw it was Grayson or Obama?

The point is Grayson did what you want, but he lost. So much for claiming that's the way to go.

And his district couldn't have been purely red, or he wouldn't have won in for one term.

[glowing]

16. I hope he runs for senate.... Then we can all vote for him. He's in a really

coservTive district... It's tough.

[ellenfl]

20. remember though that his district may be changing.

floridians voted for fair districting this election cycle. perhaps that will help him. alternatively, it may be getting time for bill nelson to retire and alan grayson would be a great replacement, imo.

ellen fl

[glowing]

29. I agree... I've heard chatter to the idea of his retirement... Mind u it's just chatter.

[CreekDog]

24. He reminds me of Pete Stark-D CA-13

But Stark's Bay Area district seems to like his style.

[Dappleganger]

26. Koch brothers bombed his campaign.

In addition to what Grayson wrote earlier. He didn't have a chance.

[Naturyl]

27. That and the Taiban Dan ad was pretty horribly ill-conceived. (n/t)

[formercia]

28. Assholes are always Fair Game

Next time you ping on an asshole say:

"This one's for Alan Grayson."

[hippywife]

30. Almost exactly what I

was thinking when I heard of his loss. To be a successful politician, one can't be too polarizing and in your face with the rhetoric. It's a great tactic for a warrior, but not a winner for elected office usually.

Hiya, Stinks. :hi: