So, who is our Party Leader now?

[mlawson]

Assuming a miracle doesn't happen and last night's results are not overturned, who is de facto leader of the Democratic Party now, with Daschle gone? I don't mean head of the DNCommittee, of course.

Teddy Kennedy? Bill Clinton? John Edwards? Hilary? Biden? Who?

[madmax]

1. Skinner, Earl G and Elad n/t

[aintitfunny]

2. Bill Clinton n/t

[Flammable Materials]

3. Isn't that a lot like asking who is the leader of McDonald's Playland?

It's about as relevant.

DISCLAIMER: Author is drunk on Belgian ale. But many a truth is spoken in a state of inebriation.

[democracy eh]

4. mmmmm Belgian Ale

nobody does beer like Belgium

[Flammable Materials]

9. Tell me about it.

A bottle of La Chouffe, with a bottle of Chimay Cinq Cents as a chaser.

[progressivebydesign]

5. Howard Dean. n/t

[ibeplato]

6. Dean vs. Hillary vs. Nancy Pelosi

One of those three I suppose.

[Sannum]

7. Bill Clinton

[NavajoRug]

11. Bill Clinton is the one guy who is NOT the party leader . . .

Has anyone noticed that almost every prominent Democrat in the last 12 years has ended up in the sh!tter EXCEPT Bill Clinton? Both houses of Congress, many state legislators, and many governors' offices have gone to the GOP since he was elected in 1992, and I don't think that's just a coincidence.

I believe we've made a terrible mistake and overestimated the guy's appeal.

[TahitiNut]

8. Wait for the Republicans to tell you.

After all, Democrats sure don't want the Republicans to attack the 'leader,' do they? :eyes:

[PieMaster]

10. No one

There isn't one.

Throw everyone out and start all over.

[mlawson]

22. On a day like this, I agree.

I wish it were possible. But let's do keep Teddy Kennedy.

And maybe bring back Harry Truman, Sam Rayburn and Hubert Humphrey? I'm living in the past this evening, as I so often do...

[Mountainman]

12. Dems have no leader now, I don't see one on the horizon

The only name that comes to mind is Hillary Clinton. She is the only one who could get all of us together in my estimation. She could lead the unloyal opposition.

[Jack Rabbit]

13. The de facto of the political party

The de facto of the political party is its last nominated presidential candidate. In this case, John Kerry.

In reality, defeated presidential candidates usually descend into irrelevency long before the medi-term elections.

[neener3]

14. Joe Lieberman

He brought more votes to Gore than edwards did to Kerry.

He can touch the middle and holds the Jewish vote.

[hatrack]

16. Yes, his unstoppable Joementum make him the clear leader!

Puh-leeze.

[JerseygirlCT]

20. Joe will be lucky to stay in the senate in two years

yuck.

[silvershadow]

15. My party leader is Howard Dean...no matter what his party is next time

[xkenx]

17. WES CLARK, THE ULTIMATE WEAPON

We should all be begging Wes Clark to once again serve his country, to organize the opposition to the criminal in the White House, to
serve = Clark '08. Clark was always the one who stood up to W, even before Iraq. Clark has an all-American background--middle American, up from poverty, war hero, moral values,4-star General, international leader, Democrat. Clark chews up Repugs for dessert.

[diatribe]

18. Me?

[no name no slogan]

19. Joe Liebermann (n/t)

[diatribe]

21. We have to start local....

We're spending soooooo much time focusing on National Issues where we have really very little say.

What ALL OF US NEED AND CAN DO is to get involved in your neighborhood political scene. It is run by those you don't like BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT DOING IT.

I represented Moveon on Election Day and every single Boro Council member - who are all repubs except one - was there. They all said they had a more favorable impression of Moveon after seeing how respectful I was of the process. In my town of 4,313 people there are about 100 people that run it all. That's where I'm going - local.

I realized that all the time I was spending bitching about Bush I could have been working the scene locally - just like the Republicans did. The sheer strength of their party should be respected because they did a better job than we did. Plain and simple.

If we plant our ideas in our own neighborhood instead of shouting messages at Washington, we'll have a much better chance of seeing change. And it won't be temporary change it'll be permanent because most of us are young enough to start NOW and do it for the love of the game or make it a career.

Just think, some years from now we could all be sitting in Congress discussing how to better this country via Bills that WE'RE going to pass.

Don't be a victim to change. Adapt and overcome. Start NOW.

diatribe

[WindRavenX]

23. Hillary

Realistically, I'd say Teddy. SOMEONE with some fucking fire.

[lynne k]

24. You are. Get to work.

[msongs]

25. how about this?

Give our man Howard Dean some influence, eh? New blood at the national level.

Msongs
Dean-Obama 2008 t shirts!!
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[Gyre]

26. What about Kerry?

Tell him it's ok to be the guy we know he is. Get rid of the DNC/ Clintonian handlers. Quit trying to play the American people as marks and fucking RELATE to them like no chimp-lover ever could.

1st of all, get rid of the shitbags who've lost 3 elections for this party in a row.

Gyre

[bobaloo2]

27. asdf

The same as it apparently has been, nobody.

[Dukakis88]

28. Paul Krugman

Seriously, he has a lot of respect from me. Then again, we need him in the media.

[blackowl]

29. MOVE LEFT OR DIE

November 3, 2004
Smoke Signals from Portland, Oregon
Karmic Blowback and the Democrats
By spArk

But back to the real story of the 2000 race, which is also the real story of 2004: voter disenfranchisement, whether through fraud before, intimidation during, or electronic manipulation after ballots were cast. I don't for a moment believe that Kerry actually lost the popular vote. Of all the votes lost -- with partisan scrub lists, at-the-polls shenanigans over IDs, etc., and Diebold hackings, or just plain thrown out -- a majority would undoubtedly have voted for Kerry and put him over the top. What happened was simple: last time, the Republicans stole it by the seat of their pants, so this time they ratcheted up their efforts and stole it big. They got away with it this time because the Democrats never called them on it last time. Instead, the Democratic leadership and their national support groups spent four years building the myth that the blame was with Nader. Considering who was disenfranchised, this lack of action was nothing less than Racist with a capital "R".

snip

The resistance we met with the Green Party leaders was an echo of the Democratic Party's refusal to make an issue of Florida. When Jesse Jackson started making noise, they called him off. When the Black Congressional Caucus sought support, it was rebuffed. Given a choice between fighting or ignoring a serious injustice, the Democratic Party leadership chose to look the other way (belated mentions near the end of this year's campaign notwithstanding). The Party got what was coming to it on Tuesday when the number of disenfranchised and unrepresented voters grew in number, in just the right states.

snip

Leaders don't usually do the right thing unless they're forced to. As was pointed out in CounterPunch, on indymedia, and elsewhere, it was a raw deal that Democratic rank-and-file made with Kerry: we'll vote for you without making any demands of you, and be silent when you stomp on what we stand for. Kerry met little grassroots opposition from leftists; everyone was too afraid of Bush. In the four years after the 2000 coup, Democrats recieved little urging to restore rights to voters and reform crooked systems. The result is another stolen election, with even less room to wiggle.

spArk works at a food co-op and activates for indymedia in the part of Cascadia temporarily known as Portland. Email: [e-mail]

[JFW]

30. yep

..

[Carolab]

31. DEAN

Goes without saying.

[Democat]

32. That is a great question

With no obvious answer. :(