I still stand by my hypothesis that the DNC, Dean and Pelosi are actively promoting Clinton behind the scenes and are only pretending to be dense. But we must consider whether an alternative explanation holds water. Enter Sean Wilentz in his recent article for HuffingtonPost entitled, Barack Obama and the Unmaking of the Democratic Party.
Wilentz’s tiresome recitation of indisputable facts lead us to the conclusion that if Obama is the nominee, the Democrats are going to lose because he and his DNC fan base are actively dissing working class voters in places like Ohio and the border states. Sigh. He argues with conviction that the party is denying reality by thinking it can just win with college educated, young and African-Americans and he uses history and past election results to back him up. Like we haven’t heard it all before.
Look, Sean, you are just harshing their mellow. They have the Audacity of Wishing Intensely. You are deliberately undermining their faith with all this annoying historical data and examples. They are not interested in hearing it. Everyone knows that their ideas were not properly executed in those past elections. But THIS year, they have the opportunity to do it correctly with everyone onboard, which they fully expect from the rest of us, even if they have no intention of respecting us in the morning or calling us ever again.
Just because it didn’t work in any other election since Grover Cleveland’s doesn’t mean their movement will meet the same fate as whole language, integrated math or cold fusion. We know that you are just one of those people who can’t wait for Obama to fail, you negative, racist, uneducated Princeton Professor of History from one of those “old coalition” Mid-Atlantic states. But wishing doesn’t make it so, Sean.
Filed under: Presidential Election 2008, snark | Tagged: history of Democratic party presidential wins, sadly Obama is not an outlier, Sean Wilentz |
The Confluence 
The OFB remind me of Marxist college types who are such purists they think the USSR and Red China weren’t truly Marxist-socialist governments and that’s why they failed.
Screw reality, it should work in theory!
ROFL too perfectly describes their attitude.
No, we’re not going to do anything for you, or give you anything, or give you any reason to vote for us. But how dare you suggest that you have any option other than whatever we tell you?
Under it all I hear taunting from the party bosses (and the wealthy men who apparently own them): “where else ya gonna go?”
I refuse to go to HuffPo. Why is something this good being posted there?
myiq, to quote the great modern day philosopher, Homer Jay Simpson, “In theory, communism works. . . In theory.”
I think its important that we get all this stuff on record. Many of us were sending out signals about Bush in 2000 and the Iraq war in 2003. The media pushed both on us and there was ample reason to be skeptical of the media then just as there is to be skeptical of them now. The only difference is that this time many on the left (or so we’re led to believe they’re on the “left”) are not only holding hands with the media, they are in the midst of an unabashed orgy.
Yes, MessyMarcy,
We seriously need an alternative to HuffPuff.
MessyMarcy: Umm, does she pay by the piece? I mean, I do it for free and you can probably tell from the quality of my work. Of course, I’d owe gary, kbird, BB, ronk, litigatormom and dotcom a ton of money. I just hope they continue the pro bono work.
Of course, if Sean Wilentz wants to post here, we will take it under advisement, providing he does it for purely altruistic reasons, like getting our little corner of the blogosphere some attention.
What? You don’t like Zsa Zsa’s Huff-n-Puff?
you mean Ahheeahhnah? Does she have any persian ahhheeah rrrugs?
gq- I can see the five-part series in the NYTimes. Then the movie will come out. (Who should play Riverdaughter?). I feel like I am watching some catastrophe in slow motion and there is nothing we can do about it. That is why it is so important that we band together and let the DNC know ahead of time that we are not on board, in fact we are under the bus. If we believe that what does not kill us makes us stronger, we are going to have a DNC on steroids after Obama loses all 57 states.
(giggle) & (snort), (giggle) & (snort) – Thanks for the levity, RD. Make my weekend, why dontcha! 🙂
Honora: I want Lindsay Lohan to play me. Physically, she looks a lot like me, er, before the tragic accident. Besides, she’s got the cocktail thing dead on.
Riverdaughter,
OK, now you have officially cheered me up with your exquisite snark. The Sean Wilentz piece was fascinating. I love that guy. In fact, I’m in the middle of reading an article by him on 1967 in an old copy of Rolling Stone. He’s brilliant. Of course he would support Hillary.
Charles,
Thanks for pointing out your piece on Crowds and Power. It was fascinating. I bought that book years ago and never got around to reading it. Now I’m searching the house for it. I hope I didn’t toss it out.
RD I was just thinking this morning that the world is backwards, when you write so well for free, and there are morons who can’t string three words together in a creative and thoughtful manner who are making 6 figure salaries, or better.
I am constantly amazed at your insight, acumen, and above all writing skills.
I applaud your efforts, as they are a part of a greatly diminished online source of sanity in a sea of madness!
Charles:
“Again I bring up the question of what dissent would look like under Obama. His plebian mob will attempt to silence critics by villifying them.”
No kidding. Just watch Olbermann’s “special comment” on Hillary’s “gaffe” yesterday. If Obama is elected, Olberman could be head of the propaganda ministry {{shudder}}.
Lanikai: Didn’t you see the “Please don’t feed the ego” sign? I’ll start getting delusions of grandeur, want my own personal assistant and be reduced to writing two columns per week.
myiq2xu — Obamanism might work “in theory” but … at least as yet … they haven’t presented a theory — just a pony-farm of claimed desirable outcomes.
It’s a “Theory of Change” election, but without a theory.
Charles:
I see Obama as more like G-Dub.
No politically, and he’s way smarter (isn’t everyone?) but they were both relative unknowns who became enormously popular within their parties for no discernible reason.
Bush was governor of Texas, but his record was weak, he had no resume, and yet he raised tons of money before the first primary. McCain is far more qualified than Bush (so am I)
In what rational universe does Obama stand a chance against Hillary, Dodd, Biden, Edwards or even Richardson? An empty resume, and yet he raised tons of money before Iowa.
ronkseattle:
I was thinking of their Electoral College theory.
Blacks and white elites, 86 the women, poor whites and other minority groups, forget traditional blue and swing states and go after solid red states instead.
In theory, it works. In theory.
RD: IMO, the quality of your site, in fact, of all the pro-Hillary sites, far exceeds that of the pro-Obama sites. But maybe I think that just because I generally prefer reality.
And, umm, I was really asking why Ahheeahhnah would allow something like this to be posted on her site. From what you say about the article, it does not seem to fit with their version of how events will unfold once The Precious is able to take his rightful place as the male heir to Kerry’s Kingdom. Does she just post a token sane article once a month or what.
I’m hoping the article gets posted at another site (cross-posted?) because I really don’t go to Huff-Puff, just like I don’t watch NBC/MSNBC.
MessyMarcy:
Zsa Zsa allows some pro-Hillary posts so she can claim her site is unbiased.
The ratio is about 10-1 in favor of Obama though.
Joseph Wilson has good posts on HuffPo too
IMO River Daughter is way more intelligent and discriminating than Arianna.
I read that Arianna doesn’t pay for contributions. She does have a paid staff to make sure that nothing that would dust Precious is posted. My browser crashes whenever I try to post, and absolutely zero of my comments have made it.
At first I thought the site was serious, but it soon turned into a link for tabloid coverage. The Obama rudeness has turned the site putrid.
Anyone who thinks that Newt (a Clinton-hater for Republican purposes) is a serious “intellectual” is not very critical in my opinion. Arianna used to worship at his feet. I once had the occasion to read his syllabus for his junior college course. It was mediocre.
P.S. Newt used to run as a Democrat–I would see his weather-worn flyers on poles in North Georgia, but he always lost. So he switched to the Republican Party after it siphoned off many in the post-Reonstruction one-party South.
Michigan is a must win state for the Democrats in November. Do we really want Florida-like protests to happen in Michigan too if the DNC doesn’t fix this. The only thing I want from Michigan is to let their vote count as they were cast or in a re-vote.
I think they really believe that we will all come around to Obama and vote for him in the Fall. And as they said, the losses they lose with us they will make up with more African American and college students participating in the process. They have a new model for elections, you see. We are throwing history out the window because we have a transformative candidate who appeals to the noble side of our nature. We are going to win Idaho and Kansas and Mississippi. What the DNC is doing is trying to eliminate their reliance on certain groups. The white working class are too fickle. So we can just trade them off for more African Americans and college students. The Rs had their coalition: Christian conservatives, fiscal conservatives, and national defense voters. Now the Ds have theirs. This is what they’ve always wanted. And now they have it.
RD: so you are brave enough to read HP, eh? Be careful, you may turn into a pillar of salt.
“It’s a “Theory of Change” election, but without a theory.”
…and chump change at that.
Now, MYIQ, could I ask you, respectfully, to not refer to TheHuffyOne as ZsaZsa? Please?
You see, I’m ZsaZsa. Just to my grandson and his handlers, mind you. ButButBut…. I’m warm, and cuddly, and lovable, (in his eyes at least). And she who shall not be named is NOT!
N.B. I realize that the original ZsaZsa was/is(?) no paragon of virtue. However, it is unlikely that one will ever show up on the little one’s radar.
Obama’s “new” coalition is looking like every past failed Democratic Presidential nominee. Like Begala said, we can’t win elections with just eggheads and African Americans. As for young people, we won them in 2004, which brought lots of high fives from the left, but we lost every other age group.
To win in November, Dems need to be unified including the Reagan Democrats and Obama just does not appeal to that group. Again, Clinton can win the nomination if they just let Democracy take its course and counting every vote and contest.
If Ariana allowed that article to be posted either someone was asleep at the wheel to let it pass or they are attempting to entice Hillary supporters back into the camp to display their “fair and balanced” theme. It won’t work. Too much crapola has been allowed in there and well thought out posts which are not written on behalf of The One are deleted.
You know you are not dealing with mental giants who respond in the worst way to a Hillary supporter. If this is an example of the “creative class” then your first impulse is to put as much distance between you and the poster as possible.
Tavis repremanded Ariana for using a private conversation to capitalize on her political agenda. Makes anything she espouses completely dismissable.
I noticed that Webb gave a speech on race. Hmm, he hasn’t declared his SD vote as not to make either side angry.
Obama-Webb — two misogynist, Reagan-loving “Dems.” Can you feel the unity?
Thanks, Riverdaughter, for your wonderful site! An island of sanity in the midst of “a world gone mad!” The events of the last 24 hours have even further astounded me. Just when I thought none of their minds were left to lose!
Jacilyn….“where else ya gonna go?” When you wrote that, it summed it all up for me. Obama, his supporters, and the DNC have become the abusers. “Yes, where else ya gonna go?” As for this life-long Democrat, straight to McCain!
Charles,
ok, it’s sin verguenza. What is the basis for your claim that this is a sexual slur in Spanish? Is this something recent?
The Messiah has p***ed off Lou Dobbs over immigration. Hispanics are not buying his crap either.
wow…he’s already W’ing.
Is that a verb? To do the W?
Does he keep his protesters in cages too?
hlr and charles: I do not know how it is used in the Caribbean or in Mexico (or other parts of the Spanish speaking world for that matter) but in the Peninsula, “sinverguenza”, does not mean a “fucking whore”. It “may” be interpreted as promiscuous if applied to a woman, but its main meaning is “shameless”.
UpstateNY: but its main meaning is “shameless”.
I 100% agree.
Remember, “sin verquenza” was directed at Mexican Americans, and the meaning in Mexico is a shameless woman, i.e, a whore or slut.
The HuffPo comments to the article were revealing. The only state that is going to be won this year is the State of Denial.
Let’s face it, we would all be together under the “great uniter ” if we would just shut up and go quietly to have our obotomy.
I wanna know where in sulfuric HELL Plastic Jesus is getting all that money, because I do NOT believe the official story that he’s getting the bulk of it from a network of small donors.
Charles, based on your column from a few months ago, I picked up Canetti’s book and have made a start. Thank you for introducing me to this fantastic book. I also stumbled across Gustav Le Bon’s much much older work The Crowd; study of the popular mind at Project Gutenberg.
There’s an old union song that runs “There are mean things happening in this land” and that’s what I’m seeing in all of this.
I’d like to know how an unknown state level politician was allowed to get national airtime at a democratic convention to make a speech.
I’d like to know why a relatively inexperienced state level politician would be so careful to keep his voting record free of any positions that would provide the republicans meat for an attack for a run at the White House. Did he decide this on his own after watching the swiftboaters or did someone coach him?
jan, it does have Manchurian Candidate feel to it, doesn’t it? Sorry, don’t mean to get all black helicopters/grassy knoll… but the facts are so strange that it does sometimes make my mind go there 🙂
Has there been any serious investigation of his “small donation” money? How can it be accounted? I doubt that it is, I agree with previous posts that there may be a giant loophole there.
myiq2xu: Remember, “sin verquenza” was directed at Mexican Americans, and the meaning in Mexico is a shameless woman, i.e, a whore or slut.
No, I don’t agree. Sin vergüenza is benign, and in Mexico, there is a particular expression that uses sinvergüenzas (adj) with respect to the behavior of politicians, i.e., políticos sinvergüenzas.
Riverdaughter,
As always, thank you for a refreshing take on this mad, mad party goose-stepping to an abysmal defeat this fall. Who knew so many lemmings would tear themselves away from X-box, don nose plugs and take the plunge.
Myiq2xu, on May 24th, 2008 at 4:49 pm offered an observation that was also a part of Jan’s post:
I see Obama as more like G-Dub.
No politically, and he’s way smarter (isn’t everyone?) but they were both relative unknowns who became enormously popular within their parties for no discernible reason.
Here’s my take — power loves a vacuum. Both were ripe for hijacking by those coveting a seat at the table. Not to bring anything to the table, but wanting to be at the table for the sake of being at the table.
In many ways this primary season’s subtext is pure irony — the BO sychophants rail against the very thing they are propogating — riding a one trick pony to grab the golden ring of power.
At the risk of using a real tired analogy, a rudderless vessel is easy to move, but dangerous in the throes. Neither W nor BO have their rudders deep in the water and are as philosophically challenged as the last person with whom they talk.
When a state legislator votes over 100 times “no vote” how can you expect him to blaze any real course. When a debate blunder of “no pre-conditions” suddenly becomes the Obama doctrine can ill-conceived action be far behind. When a speech to an anti-war rally as a state legislator becomes the centerpiece of judgment a coin toss seems safer. When every ill-conceived policy position is blamed on “staff” where will be buck stop. When those who disagree are deemed uneducated or racist you begin to wonder about tolerance.
As “Titanic” was nothing more than a date movie to this generation, it will come as an unwanted jolt to realize that it indeed really happened. It happened in no small part because it failed to have an adequate rudder. I can’ t but be drawn to the same conclusion about this primary — it might be fun to watch, but reality bites after the credits roll.
You can only wonder if those who chant, “Yes, we can,” will take the time to ask, “but should we?”
BTW, Dude is brilliant. Click on that for what he said last Nov.
Hey, Pacific John – good to see you here!
About the money…
At the 39th LD caucuses (feels like a billion years ago), we noticed the Obama caucus team selling Obama flare/flair at their table. If you bought a tshirt, you had to fill out a donor form.
Bascially, it sounded like by buying a tshirt, you were donating to the campaign. If you bought a button or bumpersticker, you were donating to the campaign. So that could be where they’re getting the large numbers of “small donors.”
But I’m just guessing about this as I haven’t investigated. I do believe that if you buy Clinton flare from her campaign directly, that is also considered a donation. But I’m not in anyway expert on this, though I bet someone here knows what the law is regarding this—if Heide Li shows up, she may be able to speak to this directly.
(And for the record, any JD/PhD who is busy writing a scholarly article on the legal aspects of bullshitting is a-okay in my book.)
I will say that on that day, many Clinton supporters were upset they couldn’t buy a full range of gear at our table. The Clinton campaign dude told me that her campaign does not sell flare/flair at such events. Some gear is sold and a lot of stuff given away, but the money is income for local Dem parties.
Basically, what the local Dem gal told me was that the Clinton campaign donated to the local party some stuff (or it was donated by someone else), or they made the stuff themselves (there were some iron-on transfer tshirts and buttons) that they sold as a fundraiser.
Ok, I showed up! Here’s the deal regarding purchases and donations. If you purchase campaign related items directly from hillaryclinton.com that counts toward the your $2300 per person max to a presidential primary candidate. If you go over your $2300 max either by directly donating to Senator Clinton or by buying gear, you will be sent a letter asking whether there is somebody else who can accept the money as donated in his/her name – that is meant to allow the contribution to come in under your spouse’s or domestic partner’s name if s/he has not maxed out and wants to support Senator Clinton. That letter also gives you the option of letting Senator Clinton retain the excess money for certain politics-related future activities (e.g. another Senate run by her or her reelection as POTUS in 2012 (as I expect and hope will be the need)). Finally, the letter will offer to refund your overdonation to Senator Clinton’s primary run.
As for sales of merchandise: Senator Clinton and her team decided right from the outset that they were not going to use funds to buy buttons, etc. to give away to supporters. Labor unions have been marvelous in funding the manufacture of buttons that they then give to campaign offices to give away. Some election “gear” is made in-house by volunteers.
Bottom line: Senator Clinton is not trying to use you as a billboard. Of course, I’m sure she’s happy if you act as one for her.