...I'm okay with being REALITY-based.




Saturday, June 11, 2005
      ( 12:05 PM )
 
Wanted: Democratic Backbones

This is old news around the blogs, but I'm just so sick and tired of the tearing down of Howard Dean. He is the head of the DNC because the PEOPLE wanted him. The Democratic leadership had to swallow their powerplays and accept that their voters actually should have a say in something - but they are never going to be populist, they are never going to see that their centric-focused mediocrity is never going to inspire or lead a new wave of democratic voters. I registered as a democrat in early 2003 because of Howard Dean. I had always been an independent until then. I didn't agree with all of his positions, he wasn't as progressive as I would have liked. But he spoke straight and he had a backbone, something sorely missing in the democratic party. And I worked hard for him. It was obvious that the establishment and media didn't want him from the start. No new blood, no honesty to rock the boat of the status quo - no, that wouldn't do.

Now, at the time when the media should be asking really hard questions about this administration's LIES and their manipulation of information in order to get us into a horrible war that has killed 100,000 or more people already - and their ongoing lies and dismantling of our constitutional democracy and the balance of powers -- but no, they have to continuously focus on Dean and a brief comment he made that was actually quite honest and forthright. And dems have publicly been dissing him and distancing themselves from him. I'm changing out my registration. I stuck in there, thinking there would be reform, but it doesn't seem likely. Progressive voices are vanquished and new ideas are eschewed. Truth? Who cares anymore? Taking care of the working people of this country? Bah - who cares anymore? I would almost wish that Dean would resign and simply go independent. I think that the Democratic Party might find that a new progressive independent movement would be a formidable challenge.

The Republicans have their own issues - they are breaking apart at the seams because of the tension between moderates (sane people) and the radical right that is forcing more and more indecency upon this country. But they so easily turn the focus on the Dems - and the dems continue to remain idiots about the use of the media, about taking advantage of their new and growing progressive media outlets, and of getting on the news. Instead, they feed the right's obsessive search to distract and obfuscate while this administration continues to ruin the future of our children. It may sound like hyperbole, but just take a step back and look at what's happening. It's disgusting. And I'm so sick and tired of Howard Dean being the punching bag when the Dem leadership should be following him.

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