how to judge at any moment which dem campaign is picking up momentum

[salin]

just read the number of current attack threads.... when Edwards started picking up some momentum - suddenly... he doesn't have experience... he should stay in the senate... he should bow out of the way because the field is too big... or some other response.

when clark picks up steam... rehash his 'role in x atrocity' (x can equal... kosovo... waco... school of the americas)... rekindle the 'he's really a repub' story... etc.

when dean regains momentum... draft dodging... too liberal... not really anti war... too anti war... etc...

when Kerry stopped the chaos after the campaign changes... he defected on the medicare vote... his 'war hero' record is questioned... his role in the IWR vote gets rehashed... campaign 'desparation' is trumped up.

*sigh* It really does read like we are not lobbying for candidates but trying to sabatoge candidates without acknowledging the danger of alienation of huge swaths of voters and likely campaign workers by the ongoing vilification (which runs much deeper than criticism) of various candidates. This doesn't even touch upon the oft marginalization of a few other upstanding candidates and by extension the marginalization of their supporters. Very depressing.

[Maple]

1. Not to mention

you're handing Republicans free ammo by the armful.

[salin]

2. but its sooooo much fun

to package it up with a tidy holiday bow... :shrug:

[Capn Sunshine]

3. It's politics in the new millenium

no question the googling monkeys are flinging the shit. The only question left is, will any of it stick?

[salin]

4. bigger question in my mind is....

what will be the internal damage - not due to an issue sticking - but due to preventing the massive mobilization of campaign workers - where we all take an active role on the ground - that will be required to fend off the media spending advantage and manipulation that bush's war chest is being built in order to mount.

If we disgust and discourage our own - will we be able to become the front line workers that we need to become?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

5. Rather than REBUT any of the candidate criticisms

which is basically pissing in the wind...we should be looking for the EQUAL atrocity present in Bush's policies...therefore when Dean's "draftdodging" is brought up Bush's should loom larger...when Kerry's IWR vote is brought up...Rummy's miscalculations should loom larger...when Clark's SOA is brought up....Bush's appointment of Negroponte who aided and abetted its graduates in breaking international law should LOOM larger.

[salin]

8. Excellent strategy!!!!

Are people listening?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

10. that would be a big fat NO!

[DUreader]

13. Yes, but a new thread on this strategy would reach more

Somebody more eloquent than me

[KittyWampus]

11. Yes I Am Listening Salin. However,

there ARE differenced between the Candidates regarding their histories, records and positions.

there are weaknesses the cadidates which IMO need to be addressed

on the one hand, bringing them up probably won't change anyones mind
on the other hand, NOT bringing them up seems unwise

this is a discussion forum after all

my preference would be to have such discussions in Politics and Campaigns

[buddhamama]

6. i am guilty of having participated

in a few(very few)of those threads.
not in an argumentative manner just stating how i feel on certain issues. i do, for the most part, try to stick with the positive.

while it can be depressing, the rhetoric expressed engages me more.
i may not comment on a thread but the 'fight' itself has led me to rethink a number of my own issues with the candidates, and not for the worse either. i have to grips with my somewhat hypocritical stances.

i don't know if others are reacting as i am.

(hey salin, i was wrong about Bayh and the medicare vote. someday i'll buy you a drink.)

[salin]

9. I would love that drink... I was pleased with his vote!

And had no idea how he would end up voting. Indeed his resisting the vote - esp with his long ties with Lilly - gave me pause. He played tougher than I expected - am glad I gave him some benefit of the doubt (at least in even raising that he could go either way.)

:D

While some of the candidate discussions are valuable. Most have turned very vitriolic - a tone which is very troubling and does not bode well for the job we have ahead of us to defeat bush.

[DUreader]

7. LOL, very funny

very true

[UTUSN]

12. Kick for Great Thread n/t

[creativelcro]

14. LOL

[Scott Lee]

15. The obsessive haters learned from rightwingers

It seeped in, slowly and effectively, over years of being exposed to hate radio, vicious GOP campaigning, the loss of civility in the election process and general spite. Whether we want to admit it or not, we have become them in some variation.

Bareknuckled politics is fine, and we have to do it at this point. But the obsessive, knee-jerk opposition to some democratic candidates daily logged on DU (and you all know who you are) serves no one but the ego of the author. The rest is damage to a movement, a party, and to a process that must be strong in order to right what has been so wronged over years of GOP abuses in government.