"The Haves And The Have-More's"

[Syrinx]

"Some people call you the elite. I call you my base."

Why the HELL wasn't that a Kerry or Democratic or MoveOn ad? That clip largely sums up what this administration is all about. Why wasn't that clip put into a TV ad and play over and over from coast to coast? Guess we didn't want to play "class-warfare." :eyes:

[Hello_Kitty]

1. That and "My Pet Goat"

It would have been sweeeeet!

[drhilarius]

2. I believe they didn't want to be associated with M.M. n/t

[havocmom]

3. Would be great to see that on TV about 25 times a day, wouldn't it?

Especially in markets where the xian fundies are so hot to defend the values of the frat brat in the WH.

[Cobalt Violet]

6. That would've been great to rub in the face of the christain fundy trash.

If Kerry had said it it would've been 24/7 nonstop news and ads.

[Ruffhowse]

4. Kerry had wimps for campaign advisors until close to the end of the

election, then it was too late. I think Cahill and Shrum sucked, big time!

[politicasista]

5. Sucked is an understatement.

If I were managing Kerry, they would have been fired before the DNC. Give us peeps a chance to run the campaign.

[Syrinx]

9. I don't know much about Cahill, but Shrum... don't get me started

He's what, 0-8 in the big races? If I were a politician, I wouldn't want my campaign run by an eight-time loser... no-time winner.

[Erika]

7. Bush is a globalist who could care less...

about the American working class. He reeled them in hook, bait, sinker. As Bush continues to redistribute the wealth of America to the world elitists, maybe those Bushies will wake up. I doubt it. They might have to face their culpability and accountability for the havoc Bush has brought to this world. I don't think they are up to it.

[NYCGirl]

8. Perhaps because that line was meant as a JOKE at the 2000 Al Smith Dinner

It certainly does have a lot of truth in it, but it could be easily proven as a line said just to get a laugh.

Here's an article about where it came from (and it seems like Al Gore got all the best jokes, IMO):

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/10/20/al.smith.dinner/

Bush looked out over the well-dressed audience and declared it an impressive gathering of the "have and have-mores."

"Some people call you the elite, I call you my base," he said.

Both men poked fun at their own quirks and weaknesses.

Gore jokingly crowed about his strategy of using "real people" to illustrate policy points. "Like the woman who's here tonight, whose husband is about to lose his job. She's struggling to get out of public housing and get a job of her own. Hillary Clinton, I want to fight for you!"

[Syrinx]

10. Yeah, I've thought about it that way

Just a joke. Move on. But it tells so much truth. Played over and over, embedded into the American psyche, that clip could have been so effective. I can't believe that it wasn't used. It was a gift, and our side looked the horse in the mouth.

[NYCGirl]

11. But a gag line is too easy to debunk.

All they'd have to say is "you can't really believe that — it's a joke."

[Syrinx]

13. and then we say...

"They are laughing at you!"

[NYCGirl]

14. And then they say,

"We're laughing at ourselves. What's wrong, no sense of humor?"

The campaign was right not to touch that one.

[Syrinx]

15. I disagree

We can't let the evil ones set the parameters of the debate. That's where we've been going wrong for oh so long.

[NYCGirl]

16. There's plenty to debate about. So much that, IMO, we don't have to resort

to picking apart jokes from the Al Smith Dinner, where the candidates traditionally go to make fun of themselves.

Interestingly, neither Bush nor Kerry were invited to the dinner this year.

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Officials at the Archdiocese of New York have decided not to invite President Bush and Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry to the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner.

This year marks the second time since 1960 that the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates have not been asked to the annual charity dinner, which raises money for Catholic health-care services.

(snip)

"The tradition of the Smith dinner is to bring people together," said Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the archdiocese.

"Given that issues in this year's campaign could provoke division and disagreement that would detract from that spirit, it was felt best to proceed in a different direction, while maintaining all of the ideals and values of the dinner."

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/09/17/smith.dinner/

[Syrinx]

17. ok, so we disagree

I think Bush let an awful truth slip out in the form of a "joke," where he was surrounded by his ridiculously wealthy and privileged peers. If you say the Democrats were correct in allowing that to pass without serious comment, I'll respect your opinion. But being civil and "fair" has gotten us into the mess that we are in now, in my opinion. We need to start calling a liar a liar, a thug a thug, and a miserable human being an ex-President.

[NYCGirl]

18. Point taken.

You're absolutely correct about the fact that we should have been so much more direct in our criticism, that the lame campaign missed so many opportunities. It's a crying shame.

[Syrinx]

19. nice point on which to stop I guess

:hi:

[Radical Activist]

12. Because Kerry is a millionaire who takes millions in corporate campaign $$

so he doesn't do the whole economic populist thing. Corporate campaign money has compromised the Democratic message and agenda. Most Dems are also very afraid of the class warfare slander so we don't stand up for what we believe in. I hope we nominate someone in '08 who is able to make those kind of arguments better than Kerry could.