"I'm not nice. I'm good. But I'm not nice."

[mondo joe]

Said to me by one of my co-workers yesterday.

And she's right - she's fair, she works hard, she does GOOD things. But she doesn't give a shit about being nice. She doesn't take crap from others, she won't bend over backwards to accomodate inappropriate behavior, and she's not interested in whiners.

And that's what I want out of the democratic party - a strong, firm CORE that is GOOD but not worried about being NICE.

[Melynn]

1. Sounds like Howard Dean to me. Good but not nice.

And why should the Democrats play nice. The neo-cons don't.

The Democratic party has Bush on the run as little W has stumbled over issues like "Social Security Reform" and Terri Schiavo. Plus the economy is going in the tank and Bush is going to get well deserved blame for that. All the Dems have to do is step up and show some gonads and they will start winning.

[wtmusic]

2. Howard Dean is very nice

About as nice as you can get.

Don't mistake "nice" for "weak".

[mondo joe]

3. I think he's more GOOD than NICE. That's why I like him.

And nice can be an effect of good.

But I think when NICE becomes the goal, we lose the GOOD.

[Melynn]

4. How nice is Howard toward the Repugs. Not very, I hope.

I'm sure that Dr. Dean is a very nice man on a personal level. On a professional level he needs to take the fight to the neo-cons and it seems like he does which is why I like him.

[wtmusic]

8. I hope Dean is extremely cordial with the Repugs

I also hope he slams them on issues. Again and again -- a "velvet hammer". Hard to not like a guy like that.

[goodboy]

11. I've only heard the term 'velvet hammer' from one other person...tell me

where did you pick up that phrase?

[Doctor_J]

6. If more of our Senatos had Dean's attitude,

we would be on the road to recovery. I don't know why our people are so reluctant to use words like "liar", "tyrant", "election theft", "hypocrites", and "corruption". Call a spade a spade, for chirssakes.

[Jade Fox]

5. I love that distinction.....

Doing the right thing often involves not being "nice".

Niceness is usually about seeking approval. It is utterly useless in the face
of the kind of organized power-grabbing we are experiencing from the
facist Right in this country.

Your going to have to stop being nice, Dems.

[southernleftylady]

7. sounds like my hubby ;) lol nt

[0007]

9. ....or you a good girl or a nice girl? She's old but firm!

[goodboy]

10. Yeah, we were 'nice' at our convention...look where that got us...

being nice never got nobody nothin'


goodboy...not 'niceboy'

[libodem]

12. Right-on

that's the way to go!

[Just Me]

13. Often, "being nice" precludes "being" fair or just or right or good.

I agree with ya',...I want the democratic party to BE strong and courageous enough to get over their compulsion to BE nice especially when it comes to confronting those predatory vultures who are the opposition.

[mondo joe]

14. When I see posts about how we should be the "compassionate" party

or the "caring" party I feel like I want to run away.

I think those issues get too tied up with being kind or nice or whatever.

I want to be a party of STRENGTH that protects our individual RIGHTS moreso than I want to be the party of FEELING.

[Just Me]

15. Without "Champions" of human rights, compassion cannot exist,...

,...can it? :shrug: "Compassion" is just an empty noun unless human rights are enforced,...which turns "compassion" into action IMHO.

[mondo joe]

16. I couldn't agree more. eom