Please, please, let's take all smears with a grain of salt

[question everything]

We, of all people, know that we need to look at so-called facts that attack our representatives.

There is a hit piece on Senator Klobuchar that she mistreated her staff. Yes, from HuffPost, so what?

One "fact" claims that she had the highest turnover between 2001 and 2016.

Except, Kobuchar did not join the Senate until 2007!

For me, this negates the whole story. Hope it will be the same for you.

[SunSeeker]

1. It's basically just more bullshit about women being unlikable.

I guess they couldn't find a picture of her in blackface, so they got desperate.

I am so sick of this shit.

[question everything]

2. And, I suspect that had she been a man

demanding perfect performance would be viewed as tough and admirable.

[SunSeeker]

6. Of course. nt

[oasis]

3. AK is A-Ok by me.

[Apollyonus]

4. It is all coming from the people

who want to discredit all the candidates except their chosen messiah.

I am cringing at the thought of thousands of Russian trolls and bots amplifying it like before.

We democrats must protect our wonderful slate of candidates including Senator Klobuchar.

(I couldn't fit Senators Klobuchar and Gillebrand in my signature line because I ran out of space!)

[LakeSuperiorView]

9. People need to carefully consider the sources of the hit pieces.

[Apollyonus]

10. I completely agree n/t

[dalton99a]

5. Kick

[theboss]

7. And it's presidential primary season at DU.....yay

Okay, guys. Democrats are going to say mean things about fellow Democrats for the next 18 months or so. And this is the first time in a long-ass time that we've had a crowded primary field - let alone THIS epic of a primary field.

Every person running for president has two goals right now:

1. Figure out how to stand out in somewhat, because ten percent of the total vote in early states might actually win you the freaking presidency
2. Thinning the freaking herd, because.....good lord.....

[brooklynite]

13. As the poster of "the smear" allow me to respond.

I don't bash. I don't smear. I don't insult.

I DO post stories (good or bad) about candidates that have a possible bearing on their ability to win elections. That includes policies, political tactics, campaign message, past history and temperment. If Sen. Klobuchar has an management style that rubs staff the wrong way, that's a potential risk for the management of a critically important Presidential campaign and I will take it into account. You can do what you choose.

Consider as well, the following story:

Trump is hated by everyone inside the White House,” a former West Wing official told me. His shambolic management style, paranoia, and pattern of blaming staff for problems of his own making have left senior White House officials burned out and resentful, sources said.

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/02/the-state-of-the-union-left-trump-stoked-but-some-of-his-staff-are-miserable

Same anonymous sourcing. It is an attempt to "smear" Trump? Or do you accept it because it's about someone you don't like?

[theboss]

14. Oh, I like these stories. I enjoy this part of politics

I think the point of running is to win. And you win by increasing your positives while increasing your opponent's negatives.

My working theory is that Kamala Harris has targeted both Warren and Klobuchar for pretty obvious reasons. You can't five six people be the "Female Senator on stage." And she seems like someone who is going to be pretty ruthless in a race like this. And that makes me like her more.

[brooklynite]

15. How do you see Harris "targeting" Warren and Klobuchar?

[theboss]

16. If I were running her campaign, that's who I would go after first

This is an incredibly crowded field, and it's going to be difficult to get breathing room. I would not want to be in a debate where I'm one of four or five female senators. I'd want to be able to distinguish my candidate in as many possible ways.

[brooklynite]

17. But what is it you think she's doing?

[theboss]

18. Oppo research

Someone found that bar association card and leaked it.

And the person that did it deserves a raise.

Someone is starting a whispering campaign about Klobuchar.

That is honestly far less impressive.

I think all of these things are in bounds. (To use the most abused word on this board at the moment, there is no ratfucking here).

By the way, Kamala Harris - whom I am in love with - is going to take her shots too, particularly when it comes to Willie Brown.

That's fair up to a point.

[brooklynite]

19. I would NOT suggest that without evidence

Implying that a Democratic Presidential candidate is intentionally dropping oppo on other candidates is a pretty serious accusation. Warren and Klobuchar abe both announcing this weekend, so they would both be the subject of a lot of journalistic profiling.

[theboss]

20. I actually had a post removed for suggesting that and I don't get it

If these people aren't dropping oppo on each other, what the hell are they doing running for president?

My intro to politics occurred when I was 5 years old. My mom had to win a landmark ballot access case in order to run for office. The local leaders - all Dems - waited until right before the ballot deadline to tell her she didn't qualify. She eventually won the case and the race.

Her winning is one of the proudest moments in our family history. At the same time, I sorta admired the sheer ruthlessness of her opponents.

I don't take this stuff personally.

[riverwalker]

8. Amen nt

[PatSeg]

11. Thank you

We've been through this many times and we should know better by now. This is the season when such stories suddenly appear out of the ether. We know they are coming, but we certainly don't need to repeat and reinforce them, unless they are significant or verifiable.

Also we should take note that such stories tend to only surface when the candidate is a real threat to the right. There are republican operatives working overtime to undermine any and every decent presidential candidate we have and they know we'll usually take the bait. Also it deflects from the many real scandals in their own party.

We should be smarter than this.

[pangaia]

12. It's the ole' "9 car pile up on the highway" that makes the news..

not the "truck driver AVOIDS hitting 3 children crossing the street by stopping at a red light."