The Democrats also need a candidate that can withstand comparison to the Myth of John McCain; my local NPR affiliate had a piece this morning in which a number of his supporters and detractors explained themselves, and to a one they used sound bites from the coverage of his failed campaign, either for him "He's a maverick, I like that" or against him "He's a maverick, he needs to get in line"... but no one is apparently paying much attention to anything he actually does or says, so it's probably time to assume that he's the GOP Anointed for 2008...

That may be jwer, but if we go nuclear against Iran, we may not make it to 2008.

Jwer, I have to respectfully disagree. W could run Andrew Jackson and they'd find a way to smear him as a washington insider who's soft on the "Indian Question." No magic bullet candidate can compete when the party's image as a whole is as a group of useless appeasers who simultaenously hate the military and hate defending the country. Especially when they're still too chicken shit to run on a message of pointing out republican corruption (not to mention the fact that their policies are just wrong, and liberal policies are correct)

What's worse is that Dems won't even run on their own platform. How can we hope that they'll stand up to Bush when they won't even defiantly defend roe v wade, sexual freedom, or free speech?

What we need is for the party to enforce rigid discipline, stop letting whorish traitors like Joementum speak for us, and speak with (as far as is possible) one voice against what must surely be the sickest and least justifiable idea since the last war in the middle east.

Don't worry, they'll puss out again. And we'll all suffer for it.

Marcus: agreed.

Mr Lincoln: I don't think we do disagree; at least, I agree with everything you've said. What I mean by a "candidate who can withstand comparison" is just someone who can be described favorably in a few sentences (unlike Kerry), but I by no means meant to imply that the party isn't broken.

Obviously a candidate that can stand up to such smears is worthless without a coherent party platform behind him/her. My point was simply that this imaginary candidate ain't Gephardt or Clinton or even Feingold, the first two because they ARE Washington insiders, the latter because the party as it exists wouldn't support him (also, like, he TOTALLY has a Jewish name).

I agree with your post 100% and it scares the hell out of me the Democrats won't have the guts to go after this guy and his party with a few well made 30 second spots that highlight the truth about them. They have enough material for a lifetime of campaigns.

I'm not a Democrat or a Republican, and frankly have no love of either. The fact is the Republicans are quickly destroying AMERICA as we know it. (Constitutional) The Democrats are the only Party with half a chance to do anything soon. ( Ain't much boys but its all we got) I'm a third party person and even I can see there is not enough of a third party anywhere able to strongly address our most serious immediate problem i.e. the soon to be invasion of Iran. Were I a hawk, which I'm not, I would still have to point out that this Administration DOES NOT have the talent to invade any nation. These are the Keystone Kops of the High Command. That's why I always propose not paying them. They don't know how to use it wisely and our TAXDOLLARS just get them and us in trouble. Of all the Democrats, Feingold Is the only one I would like to see on the ballot although I would be forced to vote Democratic for President no matter who, And it's really not for me to choose a candidate for either party. I truely believe that NONE of these people deserve to use our money.

All countries who aspire to nuclear weaponry should be penalized by the world community, both on economic and political terms. The United States itself should not be an exception.

Either everyone can have them (assuming the ability to make them) or no one should (which I'd prefer).

Of course, this is just me talking out my ass.

Any politician who doesn't have the guts to stand up to the Bush administration's warmongering over Iran will not get my vote. What is wrong with a politician saying we need to find a diplomatic solution? A military solution should be our last resort.

The problem with the Bushies and their followers is that they've put us in a box. They make it sound like defeat the give Iran anything it wants. It's an interesting negotiating technique to give Iran nothing they want and expect them to give us everything we want. I'm really afraid that Bush will make war or a nuclear Iran the only two options.

You have to admire the loony hawks though. They stand right up and say, "Sure Iraq was a bust but the whole world agrees that Iran is a grave threat." Then they bring up Ahmadinejad's promise to wipe Israel off the map and it's game over.

Better than figuring out how they'll vote on the Iran War Resolution they should figure out a better way to say they were against it before they were for it.

Yeah, those dang democrats, they're so lazy and incompetent that they won't get off their asses and go to their local party meetings and work with their friends to get one of themselves elected, and then send delegates to the county and state conventions to change the state party, and then throw the moneybags out and stop kissing local business ass and impose real penalties for breaking the law and infinging civil liberties... You get it? The enemy is us, guys. If you're too busy to go to a local political meeting, then you should be too busy to complain when you get fucked in the ass repeatedly by evil whore-hopping curs like the Democrats.
Either put up or take up the gauntlet. Back when I supported Nader in 2000 I put up with so much moronic crap...a lot of you still think you were right. Well guess what, we all pulled together for the Democrats in 2004, even though we knew better, and not only did they totally fail, they've gone back to the same old Republican-sucking they always pull, though under the circumstances it's even more gut-wrenching to watch.
Well, either take back "your" party, or admit you're too lazy to do more than vote. If you really think it'll do some good, you can go to your local DFA meeting, volunter at your congressional office...fuck, whatever you want to do. But I can't bring myself to vote for another Democrat... not this year, when they've all run screaming from Feingold, who merely proposed Censure... No, the Democrats are scum, and I doubt anyone's really got the time or the inclination to make the run for even one local office something serious, something that threatens to make civic life matter more than the raving of two clowns...sorry, just late night anger and frustration.

If you really think it'll do some good, you can go to your local DFA meeting,

I'm the lead organizer of my local DFA group and I'm working to get three candidates elected this year AND struggling to restore this sleepy country's vote, which is the only issue that really matters right now. I know you weren't talking to anyone in particular but I wanted to make it clear that I'm not sitting around.

Thanks, I'm glad to hear that.