Seymour Hersh: "Oh man... If he's reelected, we're really in trouble."

[BurtWorm]

Quotes from the Washington Monthly's "What if he wins?" article as cited by the WP's Howard Kurtz:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59786-2004Oct24.html

"I think journalists will accept the judgment of the public and read the victory as an acceptance that the rules are now changed," says Washington Monthly Editor Paul Glastris, a former Clinton administration official. "The way they've been treated, the way the administration buries information and misrepresents almost anything they want to would just be an accepted fact of life. There will be a defining down of the acceptable standards of what government can do."


CNN's Paul Begala: "He and his allies are likely to embark on a campaign of political retribution the likes of which we haven't seen since Richard Nixon."

Columbia's Todd Gitlin: "I would not be surprised to see outbursts of political violence the likes of which we haven't seen since the Weather Underground of the 1970s."

Harvard's Elaine Kamarck, a former Clinton aide: "The beginning of the end of American greatness."

Blogger Kevin Drum: "One word: scandal."

Hyperbole, perhaps, but some on the right also see profound consequences. If Bush beats John Kerry and Republicans keep control of the Hill, writes conservative activist Grover Norquist, "the modern Democratic Party cannot survive."

It's hardly unusual for partisans to use tough language in a close campaign. But liberals have a way of talking about the president that fairly drips with disdain. If Bush wins, says Joe Conason, a columnist for Salon and the New York Observer, "I will be worried. I will be concerned for the world."

"Oh man," the New Yorker's Seymour Hersh said recently. "If he's reelected, we're really in trouble."

[wtmusic]

1. Au contraire, Mr. Norquist

The Democratic Party can and will rise to the challenge. Its best moments are yet to come.

[LoZoccolo]

5. Exactly, we will be so galvanized.

If we were down to 15-20% he could say that, but we're at least like 45% and pissed off. If we were gonna cave we would have done it a long time ago.

[BeatleBoot]

2. BeatleBoot: "Economic Depression"

[Mizmoon]

3. The only American politcal violence I've seen

in my lifetime has been from the right. Tim Mcveigh, militia types, survivalists, etc.

[kcwayne]

6. There were some instances of violence from the left in the 60's/70's

The Black Panthers, SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) and the Weathermen were often implicated in acts of violence. There was alot of controversy as to whether these groups were responsible, and rumors that FBI plants were actually doing the deeds to get bad press for the anti-war/anti-establishment movement.

But there were some violent acts. The ROTC building at the University of Wisconsin was bombed, and it killed a graduate student. There was a amored car robbery that ended up getting some of the guards killed. There was a major gun battle between the Blank Panthers and the police when the police attacked their home, and some Panther activists.

Also, the Unibomber is/was a leftist that committed violence.

All movements have people willing to kill and maim. Even Ghandi's peaceful revolution against the British empire had those in who followed Ghandi, but were killing Muslims and British soldiers anyway.

[krkaufman]

4. Hersh quote was from his Daily Show appearance.

That was just great, when Hersh was nearly speechless contemplating Bush reselection.