The Democrats have raised to a high art the ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

[Stinky The Clown]

Al Gore could have run on the greatest record of middle class advancement, peace, and prosperity in our nation's history. Instead, he chose to run away from it. As a result, the idiot son man child of a foppish murderer managed to steal the election and prevail on the Supremes to sustain him.

The Idiot Son declared war on an evil, but wholly innocent, American backed dictator and nobody even blinked. Rah Rah. Apart from that, he's managed to spend us into oblivion while cutting taxes on the richest few of us and burdening the middle class into near ruin. Bill of Rights? Hahahaha. Quaint.

Come the 04 cycle and we send up a genuine war hero and a liberal of long standing. An honorable man. He gets smeared and turned into a coward by a pack of rabid, junk yard dog liars. They throw everything at him and he ....... takes a month off and goes wind surfing. Another election gets stolen and on the day after, the war hero caves in and surrenders. I won't even mention the eerie Skull and Bones coincidence.

Except I just did.

Fast forward to 06. America is truly and completely sick of the Idiot Son. They can't forgive the abandonment of one of America's greatest cities. They can't abide the endless war. They can't take the national debt. They elect Democrats in numbers wholly unanticipated. Majorities in both houses of Congress. And what does the new Democratic majority do? Exactly nothing. Today we find ourselves deeper in debt, less well off, and more at war. Today there are more Americans fighting in that illegal, immoral, dead end war that at any time since we started.

But the stink of the Idiot Son is overwhelming. Even with all the failings of the Democrats, America still favors them over the Alternative. So instead of walking into the White Hose race with unity, we have two candidates hellbent on scorched earth. Would that they were fighting the Alternative.

No.

In true Circular Firing Squad fashion, the Democrats are far better at knocking each other off and leaving the Alternative unscathed and stronger by comparison. Many will cite the 68 campaign as our bloodiest ever. I remember 68. This is worse. Perhaps worse tricks were done then, perhaps dirtier deeds. But we are on the brink of a truly generational shift. And yet there the two stand, ambitious and arrogant and intolerant and belligerent and vitriolic and racist and sexist and just plan vile. They really seem to be conveying a sense of personal entitlement rather than Democratic IDEALS. A time for change? The only change is in the outrageousness of the incestuous, passive-aggressive vituperative exchanges we witness daily.

Instead of a generational change, we might see the start of The Republican Rule Era Redux.

I am less and less hopeful with each passing day. The Repubics anger me. The Democrats disappoint me.

Anger I can deal with. I can direct and channel it. I can be invigorated by it.

Disappointment? It can be insurmountable.

[Birthmark]

1. It is pretty disheartening, isn't it?

[Booster]

2. I get the feeling we had it in the palm of our hand, but couldn't

handle it. I, too, am really disappointed and fear the worst.

[Bobbieo]

3. To top it off - Some Demo group sent me a petition to impeach Bush.

For Chrissake Congress doesn't have the votes to override the Waterboarding veto!! We have lost it!!!!

[devilgrrl]

4. That's what happens when asshats like Terry McAiluffe run things...

and he'll help Democrats lose again in November. You watch!

[Rageneau]

5. We have met the enemy and he is us.

[GoneOffShore]

6. A brilliant analysis!

K&R

[karynnj]

7. How many times are you going to lie about John Kerry?

Took a month off to wind surf???? Kerry windsurfed for a few HOURS during the Republican Convention - when traditionally the other party doesn't campaign. It was a photo op and in a reasonable media environment would have been an excellent one - a beautiful Nantucket day, blue skies and sea, a yacht filled with Kerry aides, the media and Teresa. It very likely killed any Republican thought to do what a someone in Iowa did with a push pull saying he was dying of cancer. At any rate he spent the rest of the day, preparing for the debates.

Kerry, his wife, daughters and stepsons worked their hearts out in 2004 - as did his vets and other friends. They fought to get people to hear his proposals, many of which are echoed by the platforms that every Democrat had. Edwards 2008 was closer to Kerry 2004 than to Edwards 2004 - on foreign policy, health, and the environment. In every campaign there are things that go wrong, but a fair look at 2004 shows that Kerry was an excellent candidate working with many handicaps, most not of his making, in a time that would be hard for a Democrat to win.

The idea that he would work that hard, allow his "buddy" to smear a reputation for honesty and integrity that he built over his entire adult life is asinine as is {b]anyone who says it! If that's not enough consider what 2004 did to the far more fragile vets who were on Kerry's boats. In 2006, there was a premiere of a tv film on PTSD ("Hidden Wounds") where Del Shandowski (sp?) spoke - he, like many of them, had reaccurances of PTSD. Those guys loved Kerry and he returned that affection - The SBVT not only attacked Kerry - they attacked the integrity of every one of those guys - and that was what they expressed in their letter when a SBVT was nominated to the ambassador to Belguim.

When you write you whining self gratifying snark do you ever stop to think these are real people. Have you ever met Senator Kerry? Have you ever bothered to understand anything he ever did? I did meet him and Teresa Heinz Kerry and was struck by how intensely serious and committed they really are. Even though there were jokes and smiles, it was that depth that most striking.

[Stinky The Clown]

9. Who's in the White House?

Who caved so fast it made heads spin? I called Kerry HQ on election night ..... when Rather called it for Bush. I asked if they intended to fight. They said yes. They didn't.

Snark?

Righteous anger ***and*** disappointment is more like it.

[karynnj]

11. On election night they hadn't conceeded

By the next day, the numbers weren't there - they had no case to make. From various accounts, had the number of provincial ballots been twice as high - he would not have conceded. If Kerry and the lawyers could not make a case of it, there was nothing they could do.
Kerry, at least as spoken of the election problems and advocated for fixing them. It was Kerry and Teresa, who were ridiculed for speaking of the problems in 2005 - when John (I wanted to fight) Edwards said nothing.

Do you seriously think the Democratic party would have stood behind him for a challenge - especially with no proof. Remember within 2 weeks, at the opening of his library Bill Clinton congratulated Rove on the race he ran. (This at a time where he didn't have a single kind word for John Kerry.)

This also does not address the lies and smears you cast at a good man.

[Stinky The Clown]

12. Objectivity and distance

Both are healthy.

[karynnj]

14. True - and you have neither

As to objectivity, even now - when Democrats have been the Gov and SoS in Ohio for over a year, there is STILL no proof that coulds have been taken to court to prove that Kerry won. That was what would have had to be proven by no later - and probably before - January 6, 2005. Even proof that there was provable fraud hasn't happened - and a trial to prove fraud would have taken at least a year and led to people in jail - but it wouldn't lead to Kerry in the WH. (In fact, unless if they proved that Bush and Cheney were involved - only impeachment would remove him and had this been done in 2005 or 2006 - it would have been President Dennis Haskert or Cheney would be removed first, a new VP nominated by Bush and then Bush impeached.

This was not like FL. Kerry was down 59,000 votes after all possible votes including the provisional were tallied. A recount couldn't and didn't find 59,000 votes. They were clever in how they stold votes - mostly it was by suppression - you can't count, much less recount votes that were never cast.

[Stinky The Clown]

17. Your steadfast loyalty to your guy is admirable

I won't argue with you any more.

[femrap]

8. The rich white guys who own 80% of

the Media have been told to use 'Divide and Conquer' on the Democratic Party. And it never fails to work on us. Pit the male against the female....black against white....elder against younger.

Then to see all the hate spewed....I don't even want to be a Dem anymore.

Our country has peaked and it's all downhill from here on...hell, I think the planet has peaked. I'm so glad I'm not young and that I don't have children to worry about.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Agree, and many of us have pointed this

yes even at GD-P

To no avail.

Say hi to President McCain and many of our "combatants" will blame the rest of us who have pointed out that they are doing it to themselves

Oh and off to the greatest with you

[alarimer]

13. I hate them all

I haven't decided whether I will even vote in November; that's how bad it is for me. I certainly hate both Clinton and Obama for being such perfect corporate tools. I hate Spitzer for being such a complete dumbass. When you have enemies gunning for you, why do you give them any ammunition?

I cannot stand the supporters of either candidate either, for being at each other's throats for no reason. Obama supports think he's the second coming or something, which, frankly frightens me more than anything about this election. This cult of personality is certainly not his fault. We know what happens to "inspirational" people. They usually die (JFK, RFK, King to name but a few). Or they become demagogues. An equally frightening concept.

But regardless of who is elected, there will be no changes made. Obama wants to work with Republicans. Good luck with that. We will never have universal health care or the end of the war on Iraq if we seek compromise with the GOP. Our best bet is to win large majorities in Congress and ram through those things without the participation of GOPers.

And Clinton will just sell us out to the highest bidder as per usual with Democratic Presidents of late (NAFTA, Welfare reform). Frankly I hate this election more and more everyday and am probably not even going to vote.

[Stinky The Clown]

16. I understand your feelings and share some of them ..... but we just can not afford to not vote

The alternative to the candidates we have to choose from are far worse.

[malaise]

15. Ignore the media circus

The Democratic party will wipe them out come November. Yes they will try to steal it bu tit will not work. Not this time.

The M$M hacks will try to spin it. Not this time.
Rethugs are history come November - they are hated by all but 19% of people - the Bush morans. You insult your own population if you beleive they have a ghost of a chance come November.

[OneBlueSky]

18. "The Repubics anger me. The Democrats disappoint me." . . .

at this point, the Dems anger me far more than the Repugs . . . because they should know better . . .

[SoCalDem]

20. I am pissed at the so-called super delegates

They could END this NOW.. if they just signed on with whomever they support.. If..and I say IF, enough of them signed on to BHO, that it were really impossible for HRC to catch up..FL & MI counting, or NOT.. they could put a stop to all the acrimony before she drops that lit match into the neck-deep gasoline-filled pool she's standing in..

They're just sitting back,playing coy..so they can have THEIR moment ..when they trickle out SD votes , one at a time..

to quote someone we all know...SHAME ON YOU SHAME ON YOU

[SoCalDem]

19. Exactly why I made this last week..

[Perry Logan]

21. We could help by not attacking our own leaders at this forum. It would take some will power.