The Anti-Dean Fifth Column

[benburch]

Full disclosure;

I'm a Kucinich man. I will vote for Kucinich in the Illinois Primary. I give Kucinich money. I don't think that any of the other candidates are even remotely as qualified as Kucinich. Dean is my distant second choice, followed by Kerry.

Now the meat of it;

I think those of you who are bashing Dean are playing right into the hands of George Bush and the GOP/Neocons.

Damn it, folks, can't you see that you are victims of a coordinated media maipulation? And they have moles. Some of the people posting Anti-Dean stuff here are operatives of the Republican Party.

They want a fragmented, bitter Democratic Party to come out of the Primaries. They want to kill the enthusiasm of the most effective activists. They want to create a general public sense of Dean as a shady character. They want to be able to "Slick Willy" him just like they tried to do with Bill Clinton.

You can hear it on Rush even now.

Those of you who tear down Dean are killing our Party and dooming your country to eternal GOP domination.

And worse, you are playing out Carl Rove's script.

He smiles when he thinks of YOU.

-Ben Burch
White Rose Society Webmaster

[markburgess]

1. I thought it was a "Fifth Column"

[benburch]

2. Right you are... Fixing the title...

.

[aquart]

3. Yup.

We have a slate of damned good people. One of them is going to go up against true evil (how I wish this was just hyperbole).

Come November, I will support ANY Dem against Bush in this fight.

Worrying about the specifics of programs we want and hope for is moot. The next President is going to spend every minute with a thumb in the dyke trying to prevent total collapse. We ARE NOT going to get the programs we want and we ARE NOT going to get the programs we NEED. It won't be possible with the unbelievable damage these greedy monsters have wrought.

My prayers and sympathies to the next Democratic President (please God). This poor creature will be worn wreckage by the end of it.

Let's get real here. This isn't any old election. This is the fight for our lives.

[Rose Siding]

4. Thank you, Ben

It seems very clear that this is what's happening.

[bread_and_roses]

5. I understand your intention but...

...I begin to think that we are so focused on the dangers of freedom and individual autonomy that we forget the dangers of repression and vested authority.

Let people say what they want, what they think. The right wing did a fine job on its' own before DU ever existed; I doubt they need us - or anyone - to come up with their talking points.

Democracy and free speach in action will include iconoclastic and even destrutive elements, but are worth it.

[mouse7]

6. GOP scared of Dean grassroots and fundraising strength

Dean's campaign is THE MOST successful anti-establishment campaign in decades. They are scared of it and will do anything to derail it.

[cprise]

10. Agree, except the GOP part

Democrats have been very profitable for conservatives in the past decade. It is a cross-party issue and the media corps will do what it can to ensure a Repub vs. RepbLite contest. At the very least they do NOT want media re-regulation; expect the press to start tipping its hand frequently in the coming weeks.

[liberalnurse]

7. This is why I love DU.....

In all the insanity there comes a voice which rises out of the insanity and makes "Hope" an option one again.

Thank you for the post. I shall bookmark it for a timely reminder tool to utilize in the future; when the moles infest our ranks.

[demothinker]

8. Why is it only the Dean bashers?

I see plenty of Clark bashers, Kerry bashers, etc. Any particular reason you're singling the Dean bashers out?

[cprise]

9. Because Dean's campaign is the most activist-oriented, and it is leading

We should also give attacks on pro-war candidates a wider berth, instead of echoing the usual big-media "I'm shocked" attitude which then goes on to discredit a candidate because he attacks.

Many DUers fell right for it. Non-Daschale-Compliant-Waterboy behavior is punished. The press said "Heel Democrats!" and these Dem supporters flipped out when Dean wouldn't shut up. They repeat the media-conglomerate mantra of "Dean gaffes" almost constantly.

Now we have campaigns dominated by "character issues", media-propagandist doublespeak for a Democrat who threatens their business model. Apparently they felt it worked well enough on Gore to try it again.

[YellowDawgDemocrat]

12. I don't see much difference in this election than I have seen in past

elections. Perhaps many people are paying closer attention for the first time. Maybe the INTERNET and the anonymity that it provides lends itself to impolite and uncivil discourse.

Much too big a deal being made about nothing. Remind yourself that DU is not a reflection of the average voter who hasn't even started paying attention yet.

[benburch]

13. Singled out?

Because they are doing the most damage.

I want folks to BUILD UP their candidate, not tear down the others!

[zulchzulu]

14. Very good point

I'm rather tired of this "Dean is a victim" chicanery.

If Dean had a better record in Vermont, shared the files like he said he would after he used his puffery to ask for Bush to show his, thought a bit more before he gaffed or pulled out such transparent pandering such as the religion card, let alone attacked the other candidates while moaning that he's being treated like a pin cushion, he'd not have anything for people to point out and put under scrutiny.

Rove is watching. So be it. It's Dean who gives him the weapons that will be used against him.

Those of us who see past Dean's transparent candidacy are also watching too. And we don't want to have such a candidate run against Bush and have the Democratic party lose in a landslide.

[Hoppin_Mad]

11. You're entirely correct -nt-