Consortium news
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2007/120907.html
Why the Democrats Could Lose
By Robert Parry
December 9, 2007
National Democrats are upbeat about their chances in Election 2008, citing George W. Bush’s unpopularity and the weirdness of top Republican presidential candidates bogged down in squabbles over who has the right religious outlook or who is the most hostile to illegal immigrants.
But the smug Democratic hierarchy may be inviting defeat, again, by ignoring the fact that many Americans want leadership that appeals to them on the higher plane of principle. Instead, Democrats often treat Americans more like consumers than citizens, selling them new social programs rather than articulating an uplifting national cause.
Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York summed up this consumer-over-citizen approach when she announced her health care plan on Sept. 17:
"We can talk all we want about freedom and opportunity, about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but what does all that mean to a mother or father who can't take a sick child to the doctor?" [Boston Globe, Sept. 18, 2007]
Perhaps a different question might be: why would a presidential candidate see the founding principles of the United States as somehow at odds with the desire of parents to want health care for their children?
With her dubious dichotomy, Sen. Clinton suggests that it’s an either-or situation – and that the founding principles must take a backseat to health-care policy.
One outgrowth of this pragmatism-not-principle approach is that national Democrats have shied away from rallying the American people around the ideals of the Republic, even when they have been under assault by Bush and his administration.
These Democratic leaders don’t seem to think that ephemeral notions – like checks and balances, the rule of law, and inalienable rights – matter that much to the average Joe. In this view, health insurance and other social benefits should trump all.
Iraq War Sellout
Congressional Democrats have operated in a similar fashion, teasing the American public with promises to stop the Iraq War but then treating the issue as just another bargaining chip, albeit one covered in the blood of nearly 3,900 American soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.
While many Americans oppose the Iraq War on grounds of morality or as a matter of legal principle, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, told the Washington Post that Democratic leaders were ready to drop their promise to deny Bush any more blank checks for the war if they can get another $11 billion for domestic programs.
“Everybody knows he [Bush] has no intention of signing anything without money for Iraq, unfettered without constraints,” Hoyer said. “I think that’s ultimately going to be the result.” [Washington Post, Dec. 8, 2007]
Ironically, however, the Republicans are now so accustomed to the Democrats caving in on Iraq War funding that the White House is signaling that it has no intention of giving the Democrats anything extra for their predictable collapse. Bush seems prepared to veto the domestic spending – and pocket another Iraq War blank check.
In contrast to this ever-waffling Democratic leadership, the Republicans do understand the political value of appealing to Americans on a higher plane.
The GOP – the party of tax cuts for the rich – has convinced millions of average Americans to vote against their own financial interests in order to advance their principles, from protecting gun rights to outlawing abortion to breaking down the barriers between church and state.
The Republican CNN/YouTube debate on Nov. 28 was dominated by questions and answers that emphasized right-wing goals over programmatic details. Though one may disagree with those priorities, they do go beyond the voter’s pocketbook and address a larger purpose for the nation.
Fear of Flying
National Democrats have been reluctant to engage on this higher plane for many years, beyond occasional feel-good speeches stressing non-controversial values like community and inclusiveness.
The Democrats shy away from standing up for constitutional principles, possibly because they see these concepts too abstract for common citizens.
Democrats have been weak, too, in understanding the value of truth in a democracy. Even when a Republican administration is on the hot seat, the Democrats have shown a proclivity to trade away a difficult showdown over accountability for some votes on domestic programs.
In 1993, the incoming Clinton administration and the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate helped Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush sweep under the rug the full story about national security scandals, such as the Iran-Contra Affair and the Iraq-gate scandal, both involving secret military shipments to the Middle East.
President Bill Clinton later explained that he felt it was more important to build goodwill with Republicans whose help he needed on domestic programs than to pursue the truth about those historical issues. [For details, see Robert Parry’s Secrecy & Privilege.]
As it turned out, Clinton got no help from the Republicans on his domestic agenda and no reciprocity when it came to Clinton’s own scandals. The Republicans won control of Congress in 1994 by rallying their base around the issue of Clinton’s immorality.
In 1998, Clinton was impeached by the Republican-controlled House for lying about a sexual relationship and – although acquitted by the Senate – his reputation was forever tarred. As Republicans hammered away at Clinton’s ethical lapses, the Democratic counter-argument boiled down to: Gee, look at the booming economy.
But that pocketbook self-interest wasn’t enough to save the Democrats in Campaign 2000. Texas Gov. George W. Bush managed to overcome public doubts about his competence by stressing his supposed commitment to restore “honor and decency” to the Oval Office.
That pledge – along with fond memories of the elder George Bush and some artificial scandals about Al Gore’s integrity – got Bush close enough to snatch the White House, while Republicans also continued to dominate Congress through 2006. [For details, see our new book, Neck Deep.]
Public Outrage
Finally, in Campaign 2006, the Democrats started giving voice to the public’s outrage over the lies that had justified the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Millions of Americans also were alarmed by how brazenly Bush was trampling the nation’s constitutional liberties by asserting his “plenary” or unlimited powers as Commander in Chief.
Trying to salvage the congressional Republican majorities, Bush played the fear card again and again on the campaign trail, essentially arguing that he would keep Americans safe so they could comfortably go shopping at the mall.
In effect, the principle v. self-interest balance tilted toward the Democrats. They were the ones with the more idealistic vision of the United States as a brave nation that would not surrender its Constitution in the face of fear.
The election result was a surprising victory for the Democrats as they won back control of the House and the Senate.
Rank-and-file Democratic activists began demanding that their new majorities stand tough against Bush’s open-ended war in Iraq and seek his impeachment if he continued his abrogation of constitutional powers.
But the Inside-the-Beltway Democratic consultants quickly began to reassert their influence over the national party. They called on the leaders to shelve proposals for curtailing the Iraq War and throw out any notion of impeachment, instead pushing for “kitchen-table” issues like raising the minimum wage.
"People are not looking to their individual members of Congress to solve the Iraq War," said Democratic pollster Celinda Lake. "For the House to be focused on it now would look like partisan bickering rather than getting on with the people's business."
Lake’s view of the Iraq War as a diversion was shared by several leading Democrats in Congress, including Hoyer and Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois.
Referring to Bush’s Iraq War “surge” and the need to focus on the Democratic domestic agenda, Emanuel said, "I know where support for more troops is, and I know where support is for the minimum-wage increase.” [Washington Post, Jan. 8, 2007]
But Democratic grassroots outrage forced the congressional leadership at least to pay lip service to stopping the war. So, the Democrats conducted what amounted to a phony legislative battle, putting up some symbolic anti-war resolutions and trying to attach timelines to war funding bills.
When faced with Republican filibusters or a Bush veto, however, the Democrats ran up the white flag. Instead of conducting their own filibuster to block another blank check for the war, the Democrats surrendered.
On the constitutional front, not only did they keep impeachment “off the table,” as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had said, the Democrats failed to mount any sustained investigations of Bush’s high-handed abuse of his powers.
Rather than launch Fulbright-style investigations of the disastrous Iraq War, Sen. Joe Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chose to make an unlikely run for President. Other committee chairmen held some scattershot hearings but nothing sustained and comprehensive.
Even with the new revelations that Bush’s CIA destroyed videotapes of alleged torture of terror suspects, the Democrats have mostly confined themselves to calls for the Bush administration to investigate itself.
To put it mildly, the Democratic behavior over the past year has not been inspirational. [For more on this pattern, see Consortiumnews.com’s “Democrats’ Year of Living Fecklessly.”]
Edgy Base
Now, the Democratic leaders are acting as if they’ll be guaranteed more seats in Congress and a return to the White House if they don’t offend anybody over the next 11 months.
But the Democratic base is edgy. They’ve seen this wishful thinking before – and it usually ends up with another muddled Democratic campaign and another Republican victory.
Since Hillary Clinton is seen as a chief practitioner of this politics of principle-avoidance, many rank-and-file Democrats are turning against her.
Some would have preferred Al Gore, who combines a depth of experience on key issues like the environment with the foresight to have opposed Bush on the Iraq War and his assault on the Constitution. But Gore has opted for a life as an acclaimed private citizen.
That has caused many Democrats who are uncomfortable with Sen. Clinton’s obsessive pragmatism to shift toward Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, despite his limited experience and his own tendency toward conciliation over conflict.
While Obama received high marks for his eloquent keynote address to the Democratic convention in 2004, it was striking, too, in its failure to criticize Bush by name or to articulate why the country should fire its sitting President.
As other Democrats joined Obama in pulling their punches, John Kerry emerged from the convention with an extraordinary zero bounce.
Still, a growing number of rank-and-file Democrats appear ready to gamble now on what they hope will be an uplifting Obama candidacy, over the prospect of a grim-and-grinding Hillary Clinton campaign.
More than anything, many in the Democratic base want to send a message to the Democratic leadership that –regardless of what the professional pollsters might say – principles do matter to Americans.
Full Version: Why the Democrats Could Lose
OLD American Century / White Rose Society message boards > Political Discussion forums > Politics In General
All the points made are, for the most part, oh so very true... sadly.
Does it not aggrivate everyone else that it feels like the Dems are "capitalizing" off our weak pocket books? I mean, it makes me feel like that guy who's "comfortably poor" but can't get some "overly-helpful but obviously doing it for the wrong reasons" humanitarian bastard off his back.
Also, the fact that now almost everyone is turning it into a race just between Obama and Clinton is sickening. It's also sadly true.
Anyone else ever just feel like packing up your shit and moving to Canada? I heard they have cheap medical care!
Does it not aggrivate everyone else that it feels like the Dems are "capitalizing" off our weak pocket books? I mean, it makes me feel like that guy who's "comfortably poor" but can't get some "overly-helpful but obviously doing it for the wrong reasons" humanitarian bastard off his back.
Also, the fact that now almost everyone is turning it into a race just between Obama and Clinton is sickening. It's also sadly true.
Anyone else ever just feel like packing up your shit and moving to Canada? I heard they have cheap medical care!
And if the Democrats lose, who will they blame, Sky? Will they blame their own behavior for their failure? Will they blame their party leadership for their failure? Will they just say the Republicans campaigned better than them or raised more money than them? I already know all the "progressives" will be blaming the "rigged" voting machines again, but who will the Democratic party blame? You seem like the person here who would know that, if anyone would. At least you can honestly speculate.
Also, you left off one major reason why the Democrats could lose: "Fear of Billary". Personally, I believe that Hillary will receive the Democratic nomination and her nomination alone will ensure a Republican President, as much as I don't want that.
Also, you left off one major reason why the Democrats could lose: "Fear of Billary". Personally, I believe that Hillary will receive the Democratic nomination and her nomination alone will ensure a Republican President, as much as I don't want that.
While the democrats could lose, lets not get ourselves into a shame spiral for little to no reason. The odds of the democrats losing is quite low and whoever the democratic nominee for president is, will most likely win by a comfortable margin.
IMHO, I don't think America is ready for either Hillary or Obama to be President. And while they have every right to run, nobody should be surprised at what the end result is. We'll see, Jack, which of our views is closer to what actually happens.
AFW, dude, I think Sky is as pissed off as you at the Democraps and their unbelievable full body splat into the empty swimming pool of political ambition.
Calling him out on every sign of the Dem's being as pathetic and enmeshed in the sinister machinations of the Machine is getting a bit tedious. C'mon. Sure, he still clings to a belief that somehow the silent and invisible Democrats will actually listen to the electors and shake off their staggering lethargy, slap around the feeble, wandering and lost souls that are trundling in circles in their party and roar in a voice of thunder that reflects the desire and wishes of over half the American people and the rage of the millions of Americans to come who will inherit the Bushevik disaster "ENOUGH !!" and tear the neocons squealing out of American Political existance by their oily, comb-slicked hair and stupid moustaches, drag the idiot "Decider" and his Dick off their clay thrones and down from the ivory towers and turn the whole fucking machine of filth and corruption on it's Goddammed head !!
You and I know that that's just wishful thinking, and I think Sky does too. But the men and women crushed and oppressed by the pompous puffed up poofs of the powdered and beruffled princes and kings in Europe also never thought that they'd ever see the day when the flag of Liberty and Freedom cracked and fluttered over a new dawning of Humanity.
The choices we have now are limited by our own obfuscation and the simple fact that the vast majority of people have been blind, deaf and dumb and let themselves be ground under the wheels of the Titan without ever waking up !
The bemoth is in place, and violent revolution is no longer an option, so all that is left is to do exactly what the neocons have done.
Dig under the foundations, burrow and infiltrate, usurp the machine, slide through the traps and pitfalls, and work until one day, one day, as the sneering and leering fools and smirking ghouls are gloating in their pit, the machine they were convinced they had mastered leaps up and bites them to the bone of their skinny, neocon asses.
But you gotta start somewhere. Throwing stones at the armor-plated hull of the machine won't get you inside....and the controls are behind the armor.
Calling him out on every sign of the Dem's being as pathetic and enmeshed in the sinister machinations of the Machine is getting a bit tedious. C'mon. Sure, he still clings to a belief that somehow the silent and invisible Democrats will actually listen to the electors and shake off their staggering lethargy, slap around the feeble, wandering and lost souls that are trundling in circles in their party and roar in a voice of thunder that reflects the desire and wishes of over half the American people and the rage of the millions of Americans to come who will inherit the Bushevik disaster "ENOUGH !!" and tear the neocons squealing out of American Political existance by their oily, comb-slicked hair and stupid moustaches, drag the idiot "Decider" and his Dick off their clay thrones and down from the ivory towers and turn the whole fucking machine of filth and corruption on it's Goddammed head !!
You and I know that that's just wishful thinking, and I think Sky does too. But the men and women crushed and oppressed by the pompous puffed up poofs of the powdered and beruffled princes and kings in Europe also never thought that they'd ever see the day when the flag of Liberty and Freedom cracked and fluttered over a new dawning of Humanity.
The choices we have now are limited by our own obfuscation and the simple fact that the vast majority of people have been blind, deaf and dumb and let themselves be ground under the wheels of the Titan without ever waking up !
The bemoth is in place, and violent revolution is no longer an option, so all that is left is to do exactly what the neocons have done.
Dig under the foundations, burrow and infiltrate, usurp the machine, slide through the traps and pitfalls, and work until one day, one day, as the sneering and leering fools and smirking ghouls are gloating in their pit, the machine they were convinced they had mastered leaps up and bites them to the bone of their skinny, neocon asses.
But you gotta start somewhere. Throwing stones at the armor-plated hull of the machine won't get you inside....and the controls are behind the armor.
Well said Rou. 
QUOTE(Jack @ Monday, 10 December 2007, 10:32 am) 
While the democrats could lose, lets not get ourselves into a shame spiral for little to no reason. The odds of the democrats losing is quite low and whoever the democratic nominee for president is, will most likely win by a comfortable margin.
Agreed, however it's a good idea to keep in mind exactly why it is many people are upset with the Democratic party.
In other words, in this case angry citizens is a good thing.
QUOTE(karen @ Monday, 10 December 2007, 11:13 am)
Well said Rou.
I see no good reason to expect any sort of accomplishment for anyone if we the progressive people accept the fact that we can't win nor can we really change anything, and simply roll over and accept our lot.
Fuck that!
QUOTE
That has caused many Democrats who are uncomfortable with Sen. Clinton’s obsessive pragmatism to shift toward Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, despite his limited experience and his own tendency toward conciliation over conflict.
Sometimes a decent and intelligent man who inspires others to rise to the challenges of the day is a very good thing. Obama gives a helluva good speech.
QUOTE(Rousseau @ Monday, 10 December 2007, 2:07 pm)
AFW, dude, I think Sky is as pissed off as you at the Democraps and their unbelievable full body splat into the empty swimming pool of political ambition.
Calling him out on every sign of the Dem's being as pathetic and enmeshed in the sinister machinations of the Machine is getting a bit tedious. C'mon. Sure, he still clings to a belief that somehow the silent and invisible Democrats will actually listen to the electors and shake off their staggering lethargy, slap around the feeble, wandering and lost souls that are trundling in circles in their party and roar in a voice of thunder that reflects the desire and wishes of over half the American people and the rage of the millions of Americans to come who will inherit the Bushevik disaster "ENOUGH !!" and tear the neocons squealing out of American Political existance by their oily, comb-slicked hair and stupid moustaches, drag the idiot "Decider" and his Dick off their clay thrones and down from the ivory towers and turn the whole fucking machine of filth and corruption on it's Goddammed head !!
You and I know that that's just wishful thinking, and I think Sky does too. But the men and women crushed and oppressed by the pompous puffed up poofs of the powdered and beruffled princes and kings in Europe also never thought that they'd ever see the day when the flag of Liberty and Freedom cracked and fluttered over a new dawning of Humanity.
The choices we have now are limited by our own obfuscation and the simple fact that the vast majority of people have been blind, deaf and dumb and let themselves be ground under the wheels of the Titan without ever waking up !
The bemoth is in place, and violent revolution is no longer an option, so all that is left is to do exactly what the neocons have done.
Dig under the foundations, burrow and infiltrate, usurp the machine, slide through the traps and pitfalls, and work until one day, one day, as the sneering and leering fools and smirking ghouls are gloating in their pit, the machine they were convinced they had mastered leaps up and bites them to the bone of their skinny, neocon asses.
But you gotta start somewhere. Throwing stones at the armor-plated hull of the machine won't get you inside....and the controls are behind the armor.
Calling him out on every sign of the Dem's being as pathetic and enmeshed in the sinister machinations of the Machine is getting a bit tedious. C'mon. Sure, he still clings to a belief that somehow the silent and invisible Democrats will actually listen to the electors and shake off their staggering lethargy, slap around the feeble, wandering and lost souls that are trundling in circles in their party and roar in a voice of thunder that reflects the desire and wishes of over half the American people and the rage of the millions of Americans to come who will inherit the Bushevik disaster "ENOUGH !!" and tear the neocons squealing out of American Political existance by their oily, comb-slicked hair and stupid moustaches, drag the idiot "Decider" and his Dick off their clay thrones and down from the ivory towers and turn the whole fucking machine of filth and corruption on it's Goddammed head !!
You and I know that that's just wishful thinking, and I think Sky does too. But the men and women crushed and oppressed by the pompous puffed up poofs of the powdered and beruffled princes and kings in Europe also never thought that they'd ever see the day when the flag of Liberty and Freedom cracked and fluttered over a new dawning of Humanity.
The choices we have now are limited by our own obfuscation and the simple fact that the vast majority of people have been blind, deaf and dumb and let themselves be ground under the wheels of the Titan without ever waking up !
The bemoth is in place, and violent revolution is no longer an option, so all that is left is to do exactly what the neocons have done.
Dig under the foundations, burrow and infiltrate, usurp the machine, slide through the traps and pitfalls, and work until one day, one day, as the sneering and leering fools and smirking ghouls are gloating in their pit, the machine they were convinced they had mastered leaps up and bites them to the bone of their skinny, neocon asses.
But you gotta start somewhere. Throwing stones at the armor-plated hull of the machine won't get you inside....and the controls are behind the armor.
Just a thought:
Don't let the Elites choose your candidate.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/volatile1.html
QUOTE
Yes, Antiwar Movement, There Is a Santa Claus
by Donna Volatile
You may not like the gift wrapping but the contents are what you wrote on your wish list: End the War, Bring the Troops Home Now, No War For Oil, or for Israel, Do Not Attack Iran, Restore The Constitution and The Rule of Law, No to The Patriot, Homeland Security, Military Commissions Acts and No to The Homegrown Terrorism Act, No To Torture, Rendition and Illegal Military Prisons and there's even some extras that most of us wouldn't mind seeing like putting an end to the Illegal Federal Reserve and doing away with the illegal personal income tax on wages.
That all of these goodies happen to be the essence of Congressman Ron Paul's, Republican Presidential candidate from Texas, campaign platform is surely a shock to any leftist's/progressive's system.
Ah be careful what you wish for, you just might get it...
The only question is will you accept this gift?
Perhaps the wrapping paper isn't right, perhaps there are some extra things in the box that don't fit your political criteria but hey, it's the thought that counts, isn't it?
Even Dennis Kucinich seems to think so, there is so much buzz in cyberspace about the possibility of a Dennis Kucinich/Ron Paul ticket, it is stunning. Dennis has even raised the prospect himself as has his wife Elisabeth. Who ever thought we'd see the day?!
There is a larger point to be made here and perhaps the most important one and that is there isn't a whole lot of difference between the wants, needs and desires of the anti-war traditional conservatives and the anti-war leftists and progressives. We just all need to get over ourselves. If Dennis Kucinich would consider Ron Paul as a running mate isn't it time for the anti-war movement to dig a little deeper to see what is going on here?...
(I have always supported Dennis Kucinich, whenever possible but after the 2004 Convention and his failure to stand up at the Convention against the war and support the peace activists who were hauled off the convention floor, with their anti-war signs, and given his inability to run a strong campaign, I can no longer back him. I do respect his positions on many issues.)
A few activists like myself have crossed over to support Ron Paul but far too many others have not. Far too many from the left, far too many progressives and liberals and far too many anti-war activists have not.
We have so much in common but many on the left ridicule Ron Paul and his supporters. They are so stuck in their positions, they do not see the monumental things we have in common.
For many on the left it is Ron Paul's stance on abortion, or his stance on health care and the list goes on...
But as we face another election year and perhaps the most critical and important election year, I ask what cause can be more important than the cause of PEACE? Without it, we have no chance at all.
For years, since the Bush regime stole power, we have all been looking for a Peace Candidate and now we have one.
The democrats have been co-opted and fail us at every turn. The third party has been decimated, largely due to the democrats in 2004 and their fear mongering tactic of "vote democrat or else." And here we are again, facing another Presidential election at the most critical time of our country's history and indeed the world and what have we to choose from? The same damn pot that calls the kettle black and they all want the same thing, they all have the same agenda and we are left with voting for the lesser of evils or not voting at all. Is anyone really going to fall for this routine again?...
But what if all of the disenfranchised people got together, pulled their forces, their energy and supported a true candidate for Peace? Would Peace not then be possible?
Are we to forever be held back by issues, such as abortion or even National Health Care, an issue that never gets delivered in the first place (we are no closer now than we were way back when)? These issues are by design. Abortion keeps us divided. National Health care lends us false hope.
This is no ordinary election year. This is our last real chance to try and get our country back on track and to prevent a third world war. Will any of us risk losing this chance over our own personal issues versus the common purpose and the Universal good?
We need to start somewhere and Ron Paul is a good place to start.
For me, supporting and voting for Ron Paul is the most "radical" thing I have ever done in my political life. It is something I do with comfort and good conscience. I support peace and I can only vote for a candidate who wants to stop this war and prevent a larger war from happening.
Ron Paul has a tremendous groundswell of grassroots support, people from all walks of life, people from all over our country, giving of their time, their money, their hearts and their energy to support this man. I have never seen nor experienced anything like this in my life!
I encourage leftists, progressives and the anti-war movement to check Ron Paul out for yourselves, Google him, watch his YouTube videos, listen to what he has to say and how he says it.
Ron Paul is the Peace candidate we've all been looking for. He answers to the people, not corporate or political lobbies.
Perhaps the Ron Paul Revolution is best defined in his own words: He is honored to be a part of our revolution.
I appeal to all of you to consider this. To think about it, process it, digest it, meditate on it, do whatever but above all find the higher meaning.
December 11, 2007
by Donna Volatile
You may not like the gift wrapping but the contents are what you wrote on your wish list: End the War, Bring the Troops Home Now, No War For Oil, or for Israel, Do Not Attack Iran, Restore The Constitution and The Rule of Law, No to The Patriot, Homeland Security, Military Commissions Acts and No to The Homegrown Terrorism Act, No To Torture, Rendition and Illegal Military Prisons and there's even some extras that most of us wouldn't mind seeing like putting an end to the Illegal Federal Reserve and doing away with the illegal personal income tax on wages.
That all of these goodies happen to be the essence of Congressman Ron Paul's, Republican Presidential candidate from Texas, campaign platform is surely a shock to any leftist's/progressive's system.
Ah be careful what you wish for, you just might get it...
The only question is will you accept this gift?
Perhaps the wrapping paper isn't right, perhaps there are some extra things in the box that don't fit your political criteria but hey, it's the thought that counts, isn't it?
Even Dennis Kucinich seems to think so, there is so much buzz in cyberspace about the possibility of a Dennis Kucinich/Ron Paul ticket, it is stunning. Dennis has even raised the prospect himself as has his wife Elisabeth. Who ever thought we'd see the day?!
There is a larger point to be made here and perhaps the most important one and that is there isn't a whole lot of difference between the wants, needs and desires of the anti-war traditional conservatives and the anti-war leftists and progressives. We just all need to get over ourselves. If Dennis Kucinich would consider Ron Paul as a running mate isn't it time for the anti-war movement to dig a little deeper to see what is going on here?...
(I have always supported Dennis Kucinich, whenever possible but after the 2004 Convention and his failure to stand up at the Convention against the war and support the peace activists who were hauled off the convention floor, with their anti-war signs, and given his inability to run a strong campaign, I can no longer back him. I do respect his positions on many issues.)
A few activists like myself have crossed over to support Ron Paul but far too many others have not. Far too many from the left, far too many progressives and liberals and far too many anti-war activists have not.
We have so much in common but many on the left ridicule Ron Paul and his supporters. They are so stuck in their positions, they do not see the monumental things we have in common.
For many on the left it is Ron Paul's stance on abortion, or his stance on health care and the list goes on...
But as we face another election year and perhaps the most critical and important election year, I ask what cause can be more important than the cause of PEACE? Without it, we have no chance at all.
For years, since the Bush regime stole power, we have all been looking for a Peace Candidate and now we have one.
The democrats have been co-opted and fail us at every turn. The third party has been decimated, largely due to the democrats in 2004 and their fear mongering tactic of "vote democrat or else." And here we are again, facing another Presidential election at the most critical time of our country's history and indeed the world and what have we to choose from? The same damn pot that calls the kettle black and they all want the same thing, they all have the same agenda and we are left with voting for the lesser of evils or not voting at all. Is anyone really going to fall for this routine again?...
But what if all of the disenfranchised people got together, pulled their forces, their energy and supported a true candidate for Peace? Would Peace not then be possible?
Are we to forever be held back by issues, such as abortion or even National Health Care, an issue that never gets delivered in the first place (we are no closer now than we were way back when)? These issues are by design. Abortion keeps us divided. National Health care lends us false hope.
This is no ordinary election year. This is our last real chance to try and get our country back on track and to prevent a third world war. Will any of us risk losing this chance over our own personal issues versus the common purpose and the Universal good?
We need to start somewhere and Ron Paul is a good place to start.
For me, supporting and voting for Ron Paul is the most "radical" thing I have ever done in my political life. It is something I do with comfort and good conscience. I support peace and I can only vote for a candidate who wants to stop this war and prevent a larger war from happening.
Ron Paul has a tremendous groundswell of grassroots support, people from all walks of life, people from all over our country, giving of their time, their money, their hearts and their energy to support this man. I have never seen nor experienced anything like this in my life!
I encourage leftists, progressives and the anti-war movement to check Ron Paul out for yourselves, Google him, watch his YouTube videos, listen to what he has to say and how he says it.
Ron Paul is the Peace candidate we've all been looking for. He answers to the people, not corporate or political lobbies.
Perhaps the Ron Paul Revolution is best defined in his own words: He is honored to be a part of our revolution.
I appeal to all of you to consider this. To think about it, process it, digest it, meditate on it, do whatever but above all find the higher meaning.
December 11, 2007
Kucinich has no intention of running on the same ticket as Ron Paul. He's not after the coveted David Duke or StormFront endorsement.
Anyone else think Highstreet is a paid Paul shill?
Anyone else think Highstreet is a paid Paul shill?
QUOTE(maxanne @ Tuesday, 11 December 2007, 3:34 pm)
Kucinich has no intention of running on the same ticket as Ron Paul. He's not after the coveted David Duke or StormFront endorsement.
Anyone else think Highstreet is a paid Paul shill?
Anyone else think Highstreet is a paid Paul shill?
I have considered the possibility.
Ron who ? 
QUOTE(maxanne @ Tuesday, 11 December 2007, 5:34 pm)
Kucinich has no intention of running on the same ticket as Ron Paul. He's not after the coveted David Duke or StormFront endorsement.
Anyone else think Highstreet is a paid Paul shill?
Anyone else think Highstreet is a paid Paul shill?
Paid or otherwise, shill fits.
QUOTE(maxanne @ Tuesday, 11 December 2007, 6:34 pm)
Kucinich has no intention of running on the same ticket as Ron Paul. He's not after the coveted David Duke or StormFront endorsement.
Anyone else think Highstreet is a paid Paul shill?
Anyone else think Highstreet is a paid Paul shill?
Volunteer Shill
Oh....wait, that's an oxymoron........Correction......just a Volunteer!!
One of 86,000 and growing.
Which candidate do you know that has that many volunteers, or paid shills?
QUOTE(Highstreet @ Thursday, 13 December 2007, 9:43 pm)
Woo, it's back!
I've just browsed around in Dr Paul's sack of goodies, and it's actually a bit grim. Not so much WHAT he says, as what he DOESN'T say.
I can see why Stormfront and other clowns busy buffing their boots could get wood over him.
Shame, really.
Never mind. There's always Dennis, Highstreet. He's got principles too. And Stormfront go all limp around him....
I can see why Stormfront and other clowns busy buffing their boots could get wood over him.
Shame, really.
Never mind. There's always Dennis, Highstreet. He's got principles too. And Stormfront go all limp around him....
I have already attempted to explain to Highstreet that this forum is pretty much populated by Liberals. And the Values of Ron Paul are anything but Liberal. Even those conservatives on this forum are enough forward thinking that RP for them seems to be little more than a passing curiosity.
However, we are all against the war in Iraq and Ron Paul is also against the war in Iraq.
Since Highstreet has a product to sell, (Which he does voluntarially for all the virtue it's worth) the fact that the anti-war card is just about the only thing most of us might agree with about the man, he's gonna focus a 1,000 watt search light on that one single issue, while trying ever so hard to ignore the entire rest of Ron Pauls locker of dark goodies, and will hope that we aren't really as smart as we think we are and we won't notice that somebody is trying to sell us something we don't needs, and even more that we do not want.
Ron Pauls complete voting record, including the parts Highstreet doesn't want you to talk about,
or if you do, he want's you to consider them to be unimportant or even irrelivant.
It's the war baby!
http://www.oldamericancentury.org/bb/index...showtopic=17616
However, we are all against the war in Iraq and Ron Paul is also against the war in Iraq.
Since Highstreet has a product to sell, (Which he does voluntarially for all the virtue it's worth) the fact that the anti-war card is just about the only thing most of us might agree with about the man, he's gonna focus a 1,000 watt search light on that one single issue, while trying ever so hard to ignore the entire rest of Ron Pauls locker of dark goodies, and will hope that we aren't really as smart as we think we are and we won't notice that somebody is trying to sell us something we don't needs, and even more that we do not want.
Ron Pauls complete voting record, including the parts Highstreet doesn't want you to talk about,
or if you do, he want's you to consider them to be unimportant or even irrelivant.
It's the war baby!
http://www.oldamericancentury.org/bb/index...showtopic=17616
Highstreet is not the only one on here selling a product voluntarily, is he, Sky? Before I even set foot on this board you've been trying to sell the Democratic Party, unsuccessfully, to everyone else here.
QUOTE(AntiFlagWaver @ Friday, 14 December 2007, 11:54 am)
Highstreet is not the only one on here selling a product voluntarily, is he, Sky? Before I even set foot on this board you've been trying to sell the Democratic Party, unsuccessfully, to everyone else here.
I DO admire tenacity.....
QUOTE(AntiFlagWaver @ Friday, 14 December 2007, 9:54 am)
Highstreet is not the only one on here selling a product voluntarily, is he, Sky? Before I even set foot on this board you've been trying to sell the Democratic Party, unsuccessfully, to everyone else here.
You sir are mistaken.
What I am selling, you haven't ever even slightly demonstrated the slightest clue of understanding for.
whatever.
QUOTE(AntiFlagWaver @ Friday, 14 December 2007, 10:07 am)
whatever.
Uh huh. Pretty much what I thought.
Goooooooooooooooooooooooo, Democrats!!!!!!!!
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