I have carried alot of water for Dean

[dsc]

and I love the man as much as anyone can love a politician. But I have to say this. What in creation what was he thinking when he decided to go on Robertson's show? I honestly don't give a damn what he said but Robertson is nothing short of a radical cleric who is exhibit A in what is wrong both religion and politics. Robertson has used the 700 club platform to call for the assassination of a foreign leader, blamed gays and feminists for 9/11, and a host of other insane statements.

Robertson is the equivalent of a KKK chaplain. In the 1960's no Democratic national chairmen would have ever dreamed of going on TV with a Klan chaplain so why go on with him? We can't make the case that the Robertson's of this world are extremists with no business being listened to, if our leaders go on TV with them. People like Robertson should be isolated, not pandered to.

Again, I love Dean. I gave money to Dean. I voted for Dean when the primary race was over. I was thrilled when he won the chair of the Democratic party. I am not calling for him to resign. But he owes us an explanation for this. Robertson is an evil bigot who has cloaked his bigotry in the holiest of books. That doesn't make him less of a bigot or less evil. It makes him worse.

Dean should know way better than this. What was he thinking?

On edit, this is very hard for me to have written. But I wouldn't let McCain get away with this, why should I let Dean do so?

[stepnw1f]

1. What's Up...?! This is the Second Time Now

a Dean bashing thread is started with misinformation about what the man said.

[dsc]

2. I started one thread

and I didn't say a thing about what he said but where he said it. Please point out one place in this thread, and again it is the only thread I have started on this subject, were I say anything about what he said.

[ldf]

5. pay attention

there is nothing in the op indicating anything dean said.

it is about where he was, and why the hell he was there to start with.

but hey, he may gain some votes, and he will mostly surely lose others.

but will it be a wash?

personally, i don't want those people anywhere near my party. they epitomize everything that is wrong with america, disguised as "christianity".

if we can't win without them, we don't deserve to win, period.

[stepnw1f]

7. You Pay Attention.... This is About SPECULATORY BULLSHIT

and smear... no facts. There is no WE when this shit goes on.

[dsc]

9. He was on Robertson's show

and that is my problem with what he did. If you are claiming he wasn't on that show, I will provide the link.

[stepnw1f]

14. I Don't Care if He Was on That Show

In fact maybe it was a really GOOD thing to expose himself to psycho boy's audience. You know... to break that bubble these door knob brainwashed freaks live in.

[dsc]

15. Then honestly make that point

don't dishonestly mistate what my point is. You have in every post of this thread, save this one, misstated what I said. First you claimed I posted two threads, which you corrected. You then claimed I misstated what Dean said, when I haven't even said what Dean said. You still haven't fixed that error. Again, honestly debate the wisdom of going on that show, don't claim I said things I didn't say.

[dsc]

27. kick for an honest answer

[stepnw1f]

30. thanks dsc

didn't reply right away because "I been away".

[dave29]

3. He was not pandering to Robertson

but I understand your frustration and shock.

[MuseRider]

4. Yes you have

and I always respected the fair way you represented him even when people like me argued with you about him. I thought about you a lot last night when all this broke lose. :hug:

I totally agree with you about isolating these people.

[dsc]

6. I was in total shock yesterday

and decided not to say a word. I decided to say something today after reading both what he said and where he said it. I can't say that this will be easy to forget. I appreciate that you found me a fair advocate for Dean. I greatly admire you for what you do in Kansas. You are doing God's work in the most literal sense.

[MuseRider]

16. I wondered where you were.

I have not ever thought that Dean sold out the community but this was a horrible thing to happen. Every time a group of people are spoken of as separate but not equal it sets us all back. I don't think he meant to do that but it certainly sounded that way to me, even if those were not his words. And on THAT show?!?

Well, whatever the work is I am getting far more from it that I can possibly put into it. Thanks. We ALL do what we can.

[dsc]

18. I am still amazed he did this

I just don't see any upside here. No one who watches that show is likely to be voting Democratic in 06.

[MuseRider]

22. I don't either.

Is it because Robertson ran for president that he is given a certain amount of respect? I am totally with you on the way I feel about this. We had this same discussion at one of our board meetings where one of our members was asked to debate one of the mega church monsters on a large TV station. She was pissed that we would not OK it. There is no reason to give them the opportunity to preach their hate or to turn things around on you. No reason at all to ever treat them like they have any credibility because they would never give it to us. Now a reasonable minister who is questioning and a real Christian, that is a totally different thing.

Even if he managed to pull some people in it still feels like he did it by using the GLBT community as bait. It just isn't right.

[AnnInLa]

8. I agree.....why legitimize these wacko's?

By appearing on Pat's show, he implies that Pat is someone to be taken seriously. It's the same as McCain appearing at the Falwell college.

[dsc]

12. Yes exactly like that

[libnnc]

10. I wondered what your take on this thing was.

I'm pissed too. I thought Dean knew better than to fall for a baited question from a hostile network like CBN. In my opinion, I think he should have just deflected the question instead of trying to finesse an answer on the fly. This whole thing sure has brought out the nastiness in some so-called hard core Dean supporters. I don't want him to step down either, I just want a detailed and sincere explanation and perhaps an apology.

[LSdemocrat]

11. He clarified his statement today:

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/05/howard_dean.html

"I misstated the Democratic Party's platform, which does not say that marriage should be limited to a man and a woman, but says the Party is committed to full inclusion of gay and lesbian families in the life of our nation and leaves the issue to the states to decide. The Democratic Party remains committed to equal protection under the law for all Americans. How we achieve that goal continues to be the subject of a contentious debate, but our Party continues to oppose constitutional amendments that seek to short circuit the debate on how to achieve equality for all Americans."

[dsc]

13. again, it isn't what he said

but where he said it. I am glad he clarified what the Democratic position actually is but where he said the mistaken position is the far bigger problem.

[LSdemocrat]

17. It helps break down people's prejudices against Democrats

There are people who undoubtedly only get their "news" from evangelical/openly rightwing sources. Some of them may do so innocuously not realizing that they are being fed hatefilled, untruthful tripe. Democrats making appearances on these types of programs helps to tear down stereotypes that Democrats are crazy anti-Christian nut-jobs. If even just a small percentage of their viewers open their eyes these appearances may be worth it.

[dsc]

19. I hope you are somehow right

but frankly I don't see anyway that this is possible.

[EminenceFront]

20. Maybe it was a good idea.

I'm not sure any evangelicals will be won over by Dean's talk of values, but giving an interview like this is still a very smart thing to do. For one thing it may help dispel the idea that Democrats hate evangelical Christians, a voting bloc that used to strongly support Democratic candidates.

[dsc]

21. There are plenty of ways to do that without going on that show

He could speak with more reasonable evangelicals. He could go to evangelical churches.

[libnnc]

24. exactly. There was no reason for him to court CBN.

He could have called for a "religious round-table" type meeting with Joel Osteen, Jim Wallis, and others. It could have been aired on Cspan.

[EminenceFront]

25. The 700 Club, for what it does, has a large viewing audience.

And the other options you mentioned are still on the table. It really didn't bother me, though. When you're working to at least try and scratch your way to hopefully be seen, it doesn't hurt to keep your options open.

[newyawker99]

29. Hi EminenceFront!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[msongs]

23. good thing jesus NEVER confronted his critics - put the bucket down nt

[dsc]

26. Jesus didn't go on the Pharisee's tv show

and grant them legitimacy.

[Toucano]

28. I had the same reaction.

It wasn't so much what he said about gay marriage, but the fact that he gave any legitimacy whatsoever to that program by appearing on it in the first place.

Viewers of the 700 Club are not going to help Democrats win elections no matter how many times Dean visits.