George Soros: more pessimistic about Dem chances??

[Gloria]

A few days ago the George Soros appearance on Booknotes was posted here, but I only got to see it this weekend on CSpan because we don't get the other CSpan channels here.

Listening to the discussion, I was struck by a couple of things. One, the fact that he had closed the Open Society offices that were in Moscow. I had known that they had been raided and the computers seized, but didn't know that Soros had actually closed the whole operation down. With the current news about Putin and the backtracking from democracy in Russia, it now makes sense.

In terms of the the 2004 election: when Soros wrote his book, he was quite confident that Bush could be defeated. To that end, he gave $10 million dollars for that purpose.
However, on Booknotes when Lamb brought this up, Soros said something interesting: He said that he thought that was true when he wrote the book BUT "the propaganda machine is working well now...of course, I'll do what I can....."

It sounded to me that Soros has become much less confident about the chances of getting rid of Bush. I recall that he also was pretty high on Clark. With Clark out of the race from various factors, plus the GOP propaganda gearing up, it seems that Soros is now much more pessimistic.

Lamb also asked him if he thought things were bad enough here that he was considering leaving the country (I nearly fell off my chair with that on). Soros said "not yet," that he still intended to fight. But he did say that Europe was a place he could see himself living in because of their type of democratic systems.

My question to Soros, if I had the chance would be this: if you really want to fight, why not earmark some money to some liberal media outlets?? Why not save IEAMERICA radio???

And my question to the Democratic Party remains: wouldn't helping out the UAW to meet its bills have been a way to help the party??? And give it more control and more outlets for the message against the conservative media?????

[mlawson]

1. It's March 2nd; he doesn't know. No one does.

May I list what I (probably) said about the GE, on March 2nd of the years I have been a political junkie??

1964: "LBJ can beat Nelson Rockefeller, IF he decides to run!"
1968: "McCarthy or Bobby will win, and they will end the f-----g war!"
1972: "Edmund Muskie MIGHT be able to beat Nixon, but I doubt it!"
1976: "That GA governor, Carter, can beat Ford, if he can get the nomination."
1980: "If Reagan gets their nomination, we are in deep s--t!"
1984: "Gary Hart can beat Ronnie, if the Dem party will allow him to get the nomination!"
1988: "Senator Gore might be able to beat Bush..."
1992: "Clinton will be elected; do not worry!"
1996: "Oh, yeah, we have to have an election this year. Yawn."
2000: "Bradley had better get the nomination. Gore will not be able to pull it off!"

[TacticalPeek]

2. In addition to the $10m, he also said he gave $5m(?) to MoveOn.

It's still early for smacking Shrub around too much, maybe.

Soros is realistic, and if he sees an opportunity, I feel sure he will act.

He struck me as very lucid and direct.

Really too bad about Russia. :(

[still_one]

3. That is not what Zogby says

[Gloria]

4. I thought he said the MoveOn money was included in the $10million...

but beside that....

He talked about his working with Wolfowitz and various other insiders.
Soros, I'm sure, knows a lot more that we do at this point about what's going on behind the scenes.

While he may not know what will happen, he sure sounded a lot less confident than he did in his book and he basically acknowledged that.
So, I think we should tuck that little insight away in our brains for now and keep being realistic about the Bush/GOP machine and all the power they have to manipulate the electoral process.

We know we have to fight hard. The question is: with a nominee who is walking away from the IWR and not really touching on 911, does the Democratic Party have the will to fight REALLY HARD??? I'm just wondering if we're shaping up for a repeat of the 2002 midterms when giving Bush a pass was the strategy...a strategy that failed...

[TacticalPeek]

5. Please pardon the link source, but it was handy, and it's $15m big ones.

From each according to his ability, heh heh. A million here, a million there, makes Karl a sweaty boy.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, George.

And who knows? When a little scandal blood gets in the water, and Shrub's numbers show him sliding toward the abyss, Soros is probably not beyond kicking in some more for the coup de grace.

And several other of the super-wealthy are contributing to the Dump Bush effort as well.

-----

"I'm ready to put my money where my mouth is. 2004 is not an ordinary election. It's a referendum on the Bush doctrine. The future of the world hangs in the balance," Soros said.

Soros has already contributed $15 million to anti-Bush Democratic causes such as the Web site MoveOn.org. When MoveOn.org (search ), as part of a competition to find anti-Bush campaign ads, posted an entry comparing Bush to Hitler, Soros condemned it. But he said he would continue bankrolling the site.

more
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,108199,00.html

[Gloria]

6. Thanks for clarifying the money question...

I still wish he could have given some to media....
IEAmerica was running $75,000 in the red every month.....so for about a million bucks, we could have had it on the air during an election year!

[Tellurian]

7. Ha! Ha! Ha!...

Why in the world would or should George Soros tell anyone his serious plans? Take a break and step away from politics for awhile. Bush is taking a serious beating from all sides not exclusively from Demos.

The CiA is not accepting the cavalier revelation of a covert agent lightly. Nor do they appear to have forgotten a betrayal by their former master is nonetheless a betrayal. Bearing in mind, Wilson's (own revelation) book is due out in May. The 911 Commission is breathing fire- with the help of a forthcoming Clinton/Gore assist-

Memogate is looming large...Heh...

Chaos is chaos- only difference is who is causing it!

[tobius]

8. "The future of the world hangs in the balance"

Didn't he mean it when he said that? He should put his money where his mouth is. If it is as he describes his money will be worthless, he must contribute more.

[Merlin]

9. Later on that night, Chomsky said much the same thing.

CSPAN was playing a previously recorded event at the UN Correspondent's Assn. They gave an award to Chomsky.

The Naom said he felt the Democratic candidate would get rolled in an avalanche of Bush money. He said the outcome was fairly predictable, and he would be very surprised if it were otherwise.

Just sayin'.

[Sugarbleus]

11. Well, now I AM paranoid...........I've posted in several threads

tonight that I have an uneasy feeling about this election. I also said I hope it's just indigestion. I have this fear that, in light of bushco's money, we may not win. A lot of people seem really down in DU tonight at Kerry's wins. He wasn't my first choice but I fear more at having Bush for four more years.

Are we failing somehow? After all the revealing info put out there, and all the republicans disenchanted with bush.......is it all for naught?
I was excited about whooping bush, now I'm depressed.

I think I'll just go to bed and forget today. :(

[Piperay]

12. Yeah, me too

I was on a high at first but the euphoria has died off and now reality is setting in. I am going to prepare myself mentally for getting trounced in the GE. :-(

[rhino91063]

13. Well the best thing you can do

Is work for victory. Give to the Kerry campaign, work for the campaign and spread the word of all the bad bush has done. This will be a hard faught battle for a nation's very soul, but it is a fight we can win if we are willing!

[ShaneGR]

10. UAW

That would be illegal. Labor-Party don't fit underthe current system.

[NewJeffCT]

14. I'm always pessimistic

I'd still be surprised if we won in November - we just have too much to overcome in the docile lapdog corporate media and the huge Bush trove of money. Not to mention that they have an army of religious wackos out there as their foot soldiers who will do anything to keep * in office - volunteer their time, do push-polling, distribute dishonest pamphlets, etc.

[mac2]

15. Who cares!!

[liberalpress]

16. Nothing to base this on,

just personal observation. Democrats, despite the bad blood of the primary, are united in their efforts to beat Bush. Independents and some Republicans are disgusted with him as well.

He'll get the rethug base, about 25 or 30 percent, and a few other strays. But the independents he needs, will either stay home or vote for Kerry.

Take it to the bank.