Advertisement
“A dream you dream alone is only a dream; a dream you dream together is reality.” — Yoko Ono
Oct
28
Democrats: We can’t go a week without proving that we’re hopeless
Filed Under 2008 election, Democrats, assholes, politics | Posted by Cara |
Just what I love to see first thing in the morning: that all of my worst fears are coming true:
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Nearly 3,000 Democrats rallied around their top politicians and party leaders in Florida Saturday, but the biggest impression was made by who wasn’t there: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards and other presidential candidates.
The candidates skipped the convention to honor a pledge not to campaign in Florida because the state violated party rules by setting its primary date before Feb. 5.
Well, not all of them.
”Mike Gravel for president!” shouted state Senate Democratic Leader Steve Geller, announcing his support for the former Alaska senator and the only candidate who agreed to come. Geller had previously endorsed Edwards, the former North Carolina senator, but withdrew it because of the Florida boycott. . . .
On Saturday morning, Florida Democratic Party Chairman Karen Thurman took the stage to raucous applause as she sang along with a recording of rock star Tom Petty: ”I will stand my ground, and I won’t back down.”
Idiots. Every last one of them, all of the candidates and all of the the Florida Democratic delegates who are proud and think that they’ve somehow won something are a bunch of fucking idiots. It boggles my mind. I mean, I really should not have more basic common sense than the people I hope will run the country.
And if you think that voters switching to truly hopeless candidates like Gravel is either an isolated incident or the worst that can happen, think again:
Many of the 2,600 Democrats gathered conceded the candidates’ absence could already be hurting the party’s chances of capturing Florida next year, with the Democratic feud showing signs of angering some voters.
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson cited a new poll by Quinnipiac University that shows 22 percent of the state’s critical independent voters say they are less likely to vote for a Democrat because of the clash between the state and national parties.
“The average citizen in Florida can no longer see their candidates for president,” Nelson told the delegates. “The party bosses have barred them from campaigning here except for private fundraisers. This is unacceptable.”
What’s that? If you show voters that an equally obscure and ridiculous principle is more important than their vote — or apparently, the desire to win the presidency — they’re going to vote for someone else? Someone who might bother to do even a shitty job of pretending they care? Who would have thought? Other than, you know, me. And every other clear thinking person who still happens to be in existence.
I really have tried to believe in these people. I really, really have.
It’s 10 a.m. on a Sunday, and I need a damn drink.
Comments
10 Comments so far
Subscribe to The Curvature
“Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less.” — Susan B. Anthony
I wonder a lot these days if they’re not trying to throw the race – and everyone else to the wolves.
It’s certainly a question worth asking, isn’t it?
As I understand it, the candidates are under pressure of losing all delegates from any violating state, i.e. Michigan and Florida, if they don’t boycott. The candidates themselves are hamstrung on this particular matter by the national party. It’s definitely a shitty time for a feud, but I could understand why a state would want to move its primary up; no one wants to cast a useless vote after the field has already been whittled down by New Hampshire, Iowa, S. Carolina, etc. (it’s actually completely unfair to every other state and is upheld because of tradition alone).
Some have proposed a solution where all the states put all candidates on the ballot and let the people decide all at once, but that could cause divisiveness when your frontrunner is nominated because they took 27% of the vote or something like that.
I think a rotating primary system would be great; give all states a chance to cast meaningful votes.
WOW! All I have to say is that politics have become so petty! Have you noticed that nothing in this article (and situation) mentions the views and policies of the campaigners? Only about their stubborn refusal to campaign in places they don’t like… I mean HELLO! It is Florida. The place that has caused Democrats to lose the election twice in a row… If I were running for president, I would be kissing the ground they walk on! This situation is double ironic for me considering that I spent my entire life in Michigan and moved last year to Florida. Go figure.
well you called it when they pulled this shit in michigan. i guess a few ass hattish policies are more important that voters in swing states…fuck them dude…i no longer know who i am going to vote for…
i don’t understand something though…and this probably proves my naivity, how the fuck does some stupid tradition allow for these arbitrary rules? so someone wants their state to count, and that means that eveyone gets punished? who the hell decided this random 05FEB rule? and why is it apparently illegal to want a primary b/f smaller states? as i understand it, w/ a presidency as unpopular as this one, the dems should have a solid chance at a win…way to throw it to the fucking dogs…
ugh!
*hits head on desk for second time today*
Brandann, perhaps this article will offer some clarification on the reasons behind the current primary system, though it probably won’t make you feel any better about what’s happening.
link
thanx, rich. that did clarify some things for me…and you are right, it did not make me feel any better at all.
basically, as i see it, the dem party is giving the bird to voters in two very important states. the way primaries work has never made sense to me…politics are far too political.
it would be nice to see someone actually care about voters. another reason i can’t stand the electoral college…
Yeah. So it’s exactly what I thought. The candidates are choosing loyalty to the party bosses over loyalty to the people whose votes they need to win.
Which is the most stupid fucking thing I’ve ever heard in my entire life.
I agree with you that they should have gone to Florida. I hate it when candidates write off entire populations. But I wouldn’t call violating primary rules and setting early voting dates an “obscure and ridiculous principle”. As someone who has lived the majority of their life on the west, I can tell you for certain that federal politics are ruled by the east. I’ve always strongly felt that federal elections should be held at the same time for the entire country, even down to the minute. It’s not a democracy when some of the voters votes count more than others.
I should have been more clear: the obscure and ridiculous principle I was referring to is that NH and Iowa are somehow entitled to their early primary date.
I am confused though as to whether you’re mad at Florida for violating the rules, the rules themselves, or both.
I stand by my opinion that the Florida delegates don’t have anything to be proud of — they are technically in the right, but violating the party rules aren’t the wa to go about change, and there is a point where being right is not worth the farther-reaching negative consequences.