A little reality check for my fellow Democrats: If we fail to win the Presidency, it will largely be because the leadership of our Party:
did the politically expedient thing and gave the then-popular President blanket authorization to start a war against Iraq
did the politically expedient thing and failed to point out early how disorganized our efforts were in Iraq after the swift “military victory”
did the politically expedient thing and started attacking the war when John Dean’s anti-war rhetoric was popular
did the politically expedient thing and sought “anybody but Dean” because they feared Dean’s approach to politics and/or thought he would surely lose the presidency if nominated
did the politically expedient thing and backed off on the anti-war talk as soon as the Kerry folk feared the swing voters would be turned off
etc., etc.
My point: If Democrat leadership had voted and acted wisely and courageously on issues relating to the Iraq war, we would almost surely be closer to victory right now (and the nation and world a safer, better place). Therefore, I’m hoping the Party (even those politicians for whom honesty does not come naturally), will learn the lesson that doing the right thing can be good politics, and feels better, too.
I’m sure that I’m not the only member of the electorate who would rather vote enthusiastically for an honest politician who almost wins, than reluctantly for a cowardly, evasive, or shifty politician who almost wins. [Nov. 2 better come quickly — “pithy poetry not prolix politics” is supposed to be our motto!]
speaking truth
the rainy season’s crack
of thunder
in poor soil
blooming courageously…
chrysanthemum
Issa,translated by David G. Lanoue
p.s. Please note that the Editor , David Giacalone, is solely responsible for all
commentary or opinion that appears in the postings on this weblog. The haiku
poets who generously appear here as Honored Guests do not necessarily — or even
presumptively — concur.
p.p.s. Post-election update post is here.
“bombfuse”
update (April 29, 2006): The folks at True Majority have started a campaign to
bombard Democratic Leaders with the demand that they Not Be Fooled Again
and that they stand up against the Bush Administration’s plans and arguments
for bombing Iran over its future nuclear weapons. Their Petition to Democratic
Leaders says:
Please, use all the influence you’ve got to convince Democrats to
find sufficient backbone to withstand any and all pressure from the
President or anyone else to go to war with Iran.
We wish would could agree that it was a lack of backbone and a problem
of believing bad information that got Democrats to vote to authorize the
Iraq War. It surely was the fear of losing votes from a public that appeared
to support the then very popular President. If Democrats do the “right thing”
now, it will surely be because voters are sick of war and its costs, and the
President is unpopular. I’d still prefer integrity to political expediency, but at
least politics should help prevent bombing and war this time, rather than
promote it.
FYI: you can find thesticker here
October 23, 2004
may I speak frankly about my fellow Democrats?
2 Comments
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I agree on all counts.
This may seem to be a bit contradictory on my part, but I’ve always felt that Kerry’s 2 biggest flaws are the fact that he did the politically expedient thing by voting for war, and that he is too liberal and not centrist enough to appeal to independent voters.
Of course, those 2 points are only “contradictory” if you believe that voting against the war was a “liberal” thing to do. It was not. Ask Pat Buchanan.
Comment by UCL — October 23, 2004 @ 8:03 pm
I agree on all counts.
This may seem to be a bit contradictory on my part, but I’ve always felt that Kerry’s 2 biggest flaws are the fact that he did the politically expedient thing by voting for war, and that he is too liberal and not centrist enough to appeal to independent voters.
Of course, those 2 points are only “contradictory” if you believe that voting against the war was a “liberal” thing to do. It was not. Ask Pat Buchanan.
Comment by UCL — October 23, 2004 @ 8:03 pm