Guys, I'm going to have to take a break

[beachmom]

Somehow I think doing this diary today was a BIG mistake that did not help the senator, and I'm just pretty upset now. So I'm just going to take a break from the blogs. There's other stuff going on, too, like our newspaper endorsing the Republican for our congressional district, while our Democrat pulled a no show to two debates, so it's kind of been a bad day.

I'm not looking at my diary anymore. I'm just done with it. My apologies to all of you and the senator if I made things worse.

[WildEyedLiberal]

1. I don't see how it made things worse

You posted HIS response - the fact that SOME kos dittoheads are clearly invested - monetarily or otherwise - in furthering a known lie does not reflect on your diary. Reading through the comments I think it was pretty obvious that they were being unreasonable, childish, petty, and hateful.

And Aravosis is pure fucking sleaze with an agenda as obvious as the day is long. I'm starting to think that it's NOT Hillary's people behind this smear - but Aravosis and/or Kos and/or their little cronies.

[Mass]

2. Sometimes, people need to take a break, but do not do it

because of your diary.

dailykos is a hard place for a diary about Kerry, and I thought that, with this premise, the answer was fairly positive. The posters who reacted were mostly rabid anti-Kerry people and this was to be expected, and with the exception of Ezra Klein, the people who attacked Kerry on David Wade's answer came with no surprise (John at Americablog.com and dailykos). It seems clear to me from the response on DU and elsewhere that their attack was a flop.

I am a little bit confused why your democratic candidate did not show up for the debates. Is there any reason for that?

[globalvillage]

3. I didn't see anything wrong with your diary

Nothing that would have hurt the Senator. I'm just sorry I came in too late to comment. Doesn't make much sense on a 650 comment diary.
Don't go! There will always be haters. That's why we're fighting so hard.
Your diary rocked.

[Democrafty]

4. If you

pissed people off, it's BECAUSE you did a good job, not the other way around.

Seriously. You did good. You probably made hundreds of people happy today. Don't let the haters get you down.

[blm]

5. EVERY little bit helps - don't beat yourself up.

You'd be surprised what good even some foes end up absorbing.

[Island Blue]

6. You got tons of Recos on that one Beachmom.

I understand if you need to take a break form Kos though - I admire you for wading into that cesspool. I certainly don't think you did any harm with your diary today.

What was Kellam's excuse for not showing up at the debates? That's not good.

[sandnsea]

7. You do great work

This is just how it is. I don't understand why. There's nothing you can personally do to change the Kerry haters. It's completely irrational and always has been.

Maybe it would help to step back and think of the most far left person you know or can imagine, someone who calls themself an anarchist and protests with a towel around his head. That's who some of these posters are, so far left that nobody takes them seriously, even if the basis of their protest has a grain of truth to it.

You can't do anything to hurt the senator. Some of these people are just peeved that there are more people supporting the senator this time around, they aren't going to be able to kick him around unanswered like they have in the past.

[rox63]

8. I think your diary is a thing of beauty

Ya done good! Take a break if you need to. But I am absolutely certain that you did no harm to JK by spreading the truth. I think he'd be proud of you. :patriot:

[ProSense]

9. Making

assholes whine couldn't possibly be a bad thing.

Their arguments are completely weak. When sarcasm is the only response they can muster (or the snide "still ot enough"), they should know it's time to STFU!

All Democrats have their haters. Kerry haters are some of the most obnoxious. While some are wingnuts undercover, it's going to be interesting to see who the so-called Democrats among these jerks come out in support of during the primaries!

It was a great diary! So take a break, but not because you believe it made things worse. I thing it was extremely positive!

[MH1]

10. beachmom

Please don't think posting your diary was a mistake. There are a lot of haters at dailykos that will jump on anything positive and make it a negative. That is not a reflection on you, or on the Senator - it is a reflection on them.

I think you did a great job on that diary. I'm sorry I had to disappear for awhile, I have been having connection problems at home (Comcast is coming Friday morning and they'd better #^$*)%&* fix it. :grr:)

Last I saw, there were a lot of people complimenting you for posting it. But it always seems hate and nastiness have more energy than open-mindedness and rationality, sigh.

[wisteria]

11. I don't see how you made things worse. You got the truth out.

Your post served a good purpose.

[beachmom]

12. Thanks everyone -- I didn't mean to write a "woe is me" post and then

disappear completely, at least not from this forum. I think dinner and some nice quiet time with my kids was what I needed. I was just REALLY worried that my diary had kept the topic on the forefront, and that it forced Kerry into giving $500 K that he didn't want to, but I think that's just fog blog thinking, when you spend too much time on dailykos. Sometimes small things seem very bad when you get too close to it.

OTOH, what's happened in my district cannot be brushed away it's so bad. The Virginian Pilot endorsed Drake, and how could you blame them, when the Dem guy doesn't show up for debates? Here are the details on my congressional candidate Phil Kellam and his last minute backing out of debates:

http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=113141&ran=142995

Kellam pulls out of four debates with Drake
By JON FRANK, The Virginian-Pilot
© October 24, 2006



VIRGINIA BEACH — Congressional candidate Phil Kellam has pulled out of four scheduled debates with incumbent U.S. Rep. Thelma Drake.

His campaign blamed the decision on unspecified “backdoor shenanigans” by his opponent.

Kellam made the call Friday, the day before he was scheduled to appear at a debate in front of the Sandbridge Civic League.

The other canceled debates include one scheduled for tonight in Hampton, one scheduled for the Eastern Shore on Thursday and one scheduled for Virginia Beach on Friday.

On Monday, Kellam would not personally answer questions about why he withdrew from the debates.

In a written statement, his communications director, Drew Lankford, said the “shenanigans” included efforts by the Drake campaign to get debate sponsors to change rules and false statements by the Drake campaign to the press.

“The Drake campaign has even stooped to distorting Phil Kellam’s statements to use in false campaign commercials,” Lankford wrote.

Drake’s campaign denied any wrongdoing.




There is no way I can spin this. Dick Cheney, George Bush, and Laura Bush have all come here to fundraise for Thelma, who has a 97% with Bush voting record. Her statements on Iraq are more pathetic than Allen's. And Phil Kellam won't debate her? I just don't get it. She's not a champion debater, and "shenanigans" are what campaigns are about. You think JK would be scared of a few debate shenanigans? He'd plow right through them and win anyway.

One positive thing to come out of this: after reflection, I started thinking back to our '04 candidate, fighting Dem David Ashe who LOVED to debate, and who wanted to run again but the powers that be got him a job working for Tim Kaine instead. If things turn out badly here, then people will be open to the fact that yeah -- sometimes you should re-run a good candidate who came up short the last time, if he's a good candidate. And believe me -- David Ashe was a good candidate and a good person. At one campaign appearance a veteran collapsed and David Ashe ran to give him CPR, until an ambulance came. That's the kind of guy he was, so if Phil crashes and burns, then David Ashe should be given another chance in '08.

Still, we have a chance to win because of Phil Kellam's name -- he comes from an old family in the area, and everything is named after them. So it ain't over, but damn -- he needed to run a near perfect campaign and a no brainer like showing up for debates is suddenly "too hard"? Ugh.

[kerrygoddess]

15. I think it was inevitable that JK & TK

would do this. Don't worry needlessly Beachmom - you give so much! :)

[MH1]

17. Your diary was excellent

You posted something that should have been of interest over there, and it was to many - the interview with BlueMass Group. Of course with the whole kerfluffle going on, it would draw the haters, but I think a great many people appreciated it for the content of the diary itself.

And ya gotta admit, the haters really did come off bad there. Did you notice how many people said, "I don't even like Kerry, but this attack was just wrong?"

That's the first step for some of these folks. They set aside whatever negative feelings they still hold about Kerry to stick up for what is right. That means they'll do it again. It also means that over time, they could be open to persuasion on other aspects of Kerry. Maybe it's just me, but I think that was some good ice to break.

IOW, you did a great job. Pat yourself on the back!

:yourock:

[fedupinBushcountry]

18. Beachmom

I loved your diary and so did many others, thats a big plus. It also brought out those who are so hateful that even regulars on Kos dissed them another big plus. You did JK proud today for standing up for truth, thats what is important.

As far as Kellam, I wouldn't put it past Drake and pulling all the punches for the debate, I do not fault him for not putting himself in a trap. Kellam does have a name a big name in V.B. and Drake is from Norfolk.

I wish we had David Ashe too, he was my type of candidate, I still have my yard sign for him in my garage, I was so looking forward to him running again.

Keep your chin up, politics is ugly and republicans and certain stupid so called Dems have made it even uglier.

P.S. I hope others in this area are as sick as I am with republican swift boat type ads and the sick fliers the RNC has been lambasting at us daily. IMO they have gone overboard and I hope it bites them.

[ray of light]

13. Hey, I thought your diary rocked!

And the usual bashers were there. But look at the number of supporters. And look at the number of minds who were either changed or at least took a turn towards listening.

Take heart! You did great!

[TayTay]

14. Stay darlin, stay.

When the going gets rough and the shitstorm arrives, make sure you have friends around you who have your back. We can get through anything as long as we support each other.

I got your back kid, as did everyone here. You were phenomenal and the idiots of the world are not your fault.

You did good today and I salute you:

:patriot:

For Beachmom: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :yourock:

[cadmium]

16. I have done that myself.

I over-reacted a couple places and made things worse. They are trying to make us petulant. I think the approach between now and the mid-terms it to be ultra - polite while disagreeing. Deval Patrick has been doing a great job of this in Mass while excellently deflecting viscous attacks.

They want us discouraged so I think it best just not to play their game.

[Island Blue]

19. Hey Beachmom, your diary got mad props

on the JohnKerry.com blog: http://blog.johnkerry.com/ (Along with the post ProSense made in GD-P yesterday.) :woohoo:

[MH1]

20. Your diary did some good - here's proof:

http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2006/10/25/21227/511/69#c69

After reading that diary on the rec' list... (1+ / 0-)

Recommended by:
MH in PA

I saw how much he had given before. Based on a couple other diaries it seemed like he barely gave any money. And it's not like I don't like Kerry, I do. My own two Congressmen haven't paid their dues, last I checked, so I'm not complaining so much about Kerry. I just named him because of those past diaries I read and his name being in the above diary. Not trying to troll. Plus I was told that I would be able to meet Republican governor candidate Chandler Woodcock tonight and get to ask him questions in a public forum and that turned out to be a lie. So yeah, my night kinda sucked.

I'm sorry...

by Kyle the Mainer on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 09:51:20 PM EDT