From the ABC preview of Hillary’s interview with Christiane Amanpour (I can hardly wait to watch my two favorites together this Sunday!):
Clinton also said she expects the Tea Party’s bark to be a bit stronger than its bite when it comes to its impact on U.S. foreign policy.
“Is it possible to have the president’s foreign policy agenda furthered, even if a lot of Tea Party candidates do end up” winning, Amanpour asked Clinton in the interview, which is scheduled to air Sunday on ABC News’ “This Week.”
“Well, I’ve seen a lot of people run for office and say a lot of things and then when they have the burden of holding office and the responsibility that goes with it,” Clinton said. “I’ve seen them become very sobered, very quickly, about the challenges we face domestically and internationally.
“You know, nobody said it better than Mario Cuomo, who said, ‘You campaign in poetry, and you govern in prose.’ Sometimes the poetry can get kind of hot,” Clinton said with a laugh, “and a little over the top, but the prose brings you down to earth.”
Isn’t that the truth, Hillary? Your consistency and intellectual honesty here is on full display. It’s not like you did not tell your current boss the same thing when he ran his OFA campaign and talked a big game about changing Washington.
“You are not going to wave a magic wand and have the special interests disappear.” –Hillary Clinton, February 2008
The Obama/OFA wing of the party still hasn’t governed.
Govern, Hillary, govern. Run that parallel administration of yours that all the delusional Clinton-haters feared you would, back when your name was first floated for SoS. (That’s snarkfont on this paragraph for the snark-impaired)
In all seriousness, though, Hillary is as always laser-focused. She zeroed in on the tea party’s real weakness.
I agree with Hillary that there’s a lot of bark stronger than its bite going on and that governing will sober up candidates to the realities of Washington if they win in November. I don’t expect all the tea partiers have the stuff it takes to resist the corporate cash trough and not sell their hard right base out.
I’m going to keep going with the theme I started with in my last post:
I don’t really care who wins between the malaria that is the Dems and the smallpox that is the tea party. I can’t choose between them because neither of them represents anything similar to where I am which is that government is a fact of life, so make the most of it to help the American people. I’m not a politician who has to convince voters of where I stand on that, and I really don’t think in terms of whether government is “small” or “big” or “socialist.” I care about the fact that right now it is dominated by corporate influence. More generally, my personal shorthand for my philosophy of gov’t is that I care about making gov’t work as efficiently as possible and about making policy that gives more people more opportunities to live their life, have their liberty and rights protected and respected, and pursue their happiness so long as it doesn’t infringe on anyone else’s life, liberty, or pursuit of happiness. Neither the Ds nor the Rs, nor the teapartiers, offer that as a choice as far as I am concerned.
Yes, the poetry of the tea party’s campaigning turns me off, but so does the prose of the Dems’ governance (or rather lack thereof).
Oh, and for the record, more from the writeup:
Clinton insisted that no matter who wins in November, she will continue to make the case that the Obama administration’s international efforts are “in furtherance of America’s interest.”
She emphasized that there is bipartisan support for national security, which, Clinton said, included not only defense but also diplomacy and development.
I still see no signs that Hillary has her designs on running for president ever again. The political realities are bleak on that front, and I don’t think Hillary owes it to anyone to run after the Dem establishment and the activist left spat on her just for trying to run in 2008. They called for her to quit all while she marched forward to become not only the first woman to win presidential primaries and caucuses but also THE person, male or female, to win the most primary votes in all of presidential primary history (tip of the hat to Shirley Chisholm here for winning a non-binding primary in NJ in 1972) . I never understood how on earth anyone could insist it was Obama who did all the inspiring and that Hillary was not an inspiring candidate. But, I digress.
Hillary gave it her all in 2008 and is letting the pieces fall where they will now. She transcended the 2008 election when she moved forward from her campaign. When one door closed, she did not let that stop her from opening the next door. If my vote for her in 2008 is the one and only one I ever get to cast for her, I cannot blame her for that.
And, yet… with the tea party storm a brewin’ and the purple prose governing of the current lot of Democrats, where neither aspect of that dynamic provides any light at the end of the tunnel… with all the teabagger/socialist culture wars distracting Americans from the corporate rot infesting our politics… and with the Dems and the left only sinking deeper and deeper into Mama Grizzly Derangement Syndrome and enabling the rightwing more than they are quelling it…
With all of that going on and none of it inspiring any confidence for the future, the idealist in me–the part of me hoping against Hope™–would love for Hillary to give me a chance to vote for her again. A wonk can dream.
If any “Democratic strategist” or progressive activist wants to scoff at that, to that person I say: “bless his heart,” “buck up,” and don’t come crying about how it’s necessary to vote for Democrats to stop the Mama Grizzlies. I don’t have to vote for a DINO to stop a Mama Grizzly. How can DINOs stop a Mama Grizzly in government when they can’t even compete with her on facebook? If you want me to vote for a Democrat who can stop a Mama Grizzly, then find a way to make Hillary Clinton the Democrat to vote for. Which you aren’t going to do, so don’t even bother with the Mama Grizzly red herring.
Democrats could have stopped Mama Grizzly before she ever got started if they would have just nominated the best candidate running for president in 2008. They were profoundly low-information and short-sighted in their choice of Barack Obama. The Democrats own the blame for Mama Grizzly. She is their creation. Mama Grizzly is the poetic justice that has resulted from the out-of-hand poetry of the 2008 campaign and the nonexistent governing from 2009-2010.
Filed under: General |
The Confluence 
Or they could have done what is usually done with VPOTUS candidates and ignored her, especially after the election was over.
Sarah Palin owes a lot to the Obamacrats.
if Hillary had been nominated, it would be irrelevant who John McCain picked and everything after that.
And, yep, Sarah Palin should give a big ol’ bear hug to Obama Whole Foods Nation.
I remember Hillary had the only classy response to Palin’s nomination. I can’t find the quote but I did find this:
Times Online:
You know they’re going to flip out over this too, she’s stepping all over their hysteria.
Oh I remember Hillary’s statement… it was about how McCain is wrong on policies (or some other standard Democratic line to that effect) but Palin brings an important new voice. Let me go grab it and I’ll post it here. Hillary is all class!
The first reaction of the Obama campaign to Palin’s nomination was really low-class and they had to walk it back.
Here ya go:
Bill was really awesome too when he was asked about Palin. He understood her populist appeal and never gave her base more ammo to shore her up even more.
Hillary has more class in her little finger than there is in all of Obamanation.
CNN:
Here it is:
She was Governor of Alaska, and they referred to her as “the former mayor of a town of 9,000.”
Palin didn’t even have a passport, how could she ever match the foreign policy credentials of a 4 year old in Indonesia?
This is sort of off topic but it’s about one of the Clintons, Bill. Just watched the extended interview on the Daily Show and goddamn that guy is smart.
I was furious with him occasionally in the nineties, and still am about some things, but his brains cannot be denied.
And neither can Hillary’s from what I’ve seen in her longer interviews. My admiration comes with the a similar caveat, though. Still furious with her for AUMF.
But whatever, let’s get a smart freaking president. When can we get one of those again?
You know, I was all happy in my disillusioned apathy but now you people have me all hopeful at the idea of a president who gets it.
Hope sucks.
He is a Rhodes scholar, which means smart and hard-working. But more than that, he really cares.
And Hillary — I think she’s probably smarter than him too.
as much as Bill is the best president of my lifetime, I have to agree with Chelsea that her mom would make a better president.
me too
but God Bill was indeed terrific in that Daily Show interview
Like Hillary, he speaks clearly, not dragging it out, and certainly doesn’t need a teleprompter
and he doesn’t talk down to the people, he’s one of the people
Hope sucks. lol
HONK HONK !!
You said it. Elections have consequences, and it’s ridiculous to forget that, act like you can burn bridges with abandon and then expect anyone to come swooping in to save you like they owe you. They don’t owe you a damn thing, you made sure of that. Own it.
act like you can burn bridges with abandon and then expect anyone to come swooping in to save you like they owe you.
I always said the new Dem think of the traditional Dem base as a parent. You shit on them all day and they still make you dinner . Nope, Sonny . If you shit all day, then shit is what’s in on the menu Consequences…obots hate them!
Why would they hate consequences?
They’ve never had to face them in their privileged lives.
lol! okay, they hate the idea of them….. but it would be more correct to say they can’t even grasp the concept. Hence the deer in the head lights look when obot meets meet consequence .
When Consequences Attack:
Coming to a theater near Obots across the nation November 2010.
They act like we should pay them for the privilege of being allowed to vote for them or something. This is so grassroots it’s not even funny. You get nothing, and expecting anything is rac ist–now shut up!
Seriously and Paper Doll … yep and yep!!
I often think, watching these fools behave this way, what kind of parenting did your parents DO? I mean how do so many people end up this way. I recall parents of these now-adults making a big deal about “consequences” as punishment. But the “consequences” the parents imposed weren’t real consequences, they were pretend consequences that were presented with the gravity as if they were substantive. And “consequences” seemed to be only for things like temper tantrums, not for things like lying or cheating or treating someone badly. And at the same time the kids were given trophies they hadn’t really earned and encouraged with “good job!” even when they fell short. So what were all the lessons learned? I think we’re seeing it now. Also there seemed to be a complete blurring of the line between adult and child, their roles and the expectations of each.
Bringing this from downstairs
http://edgeoforever.wordpress.com/2010/09/17/tabloids-poverty-up-michelles-hell-and-a-storm/
Remember when the Obots suddenly began defending Hillary because Palin said Hillary was whining? Only Palin didn’t really say that.
Yeah, and remember how those wonderful specimens of humanity suddenly became all concerned about Hillary’s future? Oh noes, if Palin becomes VP, it could destroy Hillary’s chances of becoming President!
Nah, they weren’t so much defending Hillary Clinton as they were attacking Palin (for something she didn’t really say) while simultaneously making ‘preemptive attacks’ on those most likely to take a liking to Palin, female Hillary Clinton voters:
“See! Bad, bad Palin. Badmouths Hillary! What’s to like?”
TERRIFIC post!
Yes, the poetry of the tea party’s campaigning turns me off, but so does the prose of the Dems’ governance (or rather lack thereof).
that’s posting poetry!
These days the C word is “okay” But actual governance is seemingly a filthy practice both ends of the political spectrum want ended yesterday
Private contractors is a stop along the way to a world with out social services…. the owners know they don’t work , they are counting on it.
State’s governments get off the hook by installing a private contractor…who, down the road can’t do the actual job, ( who could have known! ) The service will then be phased out…that seems the general plan
The amazing Hill….watch her defuse PR bombs with ease! She pricked the TP balloon without resorting to insulting TPers!!! I swear one of the reasons Hillary is SOS is the world insist on an adult to work with….they said “ok, destroy your own country if you want, but we have to have a real SOS to work with” …who else was there? I mean really
great points…
LOL! I love that.
It’s a sad day in America when, literally, there is only one person you’d want near the SOS office. Thank God for Hillary. Not only is she the only one, she just happens to also be extraordinary.
Between the corruption and incompetence of the Elephascists (aka GOP) and the corruption and incompetence of the DINOcrats, and the importance of the USA to the rest of the world, I wonder if the rest of the world is considering an intervention, or quietly doing so already, behind the scenes. 😕
I think she could be talking about Obama too.
that’s why I included her clip from 2008 and discussed Obama’s campaigning. It applies to Obama regardless of who she was talking about here. And, it gets to the core of the tea party’s weakness. They’re riding a backlash wave but they’re not prepared for governing, it’s all rhetoric, and talk is cheap. Same problem with O.
Oh yeah, definitely. The Tea Party isn’t about governing, it’s as you pointed out a grassroots movement indicating dissatisfaction with the status quo. The question is who’ll tap into that. Obama did last time, and I think the reason he was able to do that before a movement got going was because there was common agreement by then that Hillary would follow George Bush. But this dissatisfaction with the status quo has been brewing for a few years now.
“There was common agreement by [2008] that Hillary would follow George [W.] Bush.”
Yes, thanks to the Corporate Media. Heckuva job, “journalists”! 😡
She was clearly talking about Obama in that quote. I listened to that interview clip with absolute glee. She can make a comment like that about the sitting President because that’s just HOW correct her assessment is. She’s still amazing. Hopefully we’ll get another Presidential run out of her in ten years.
“the part of me hoping against Hope™”
This is a great line, Wonk! Great post.
why thank you. It’s been my motto since 2008. You may enjoy this…
http://letthemlisten.wordpress.com/hope-against-hope%E2%84%A2/
I went back and read that. I love everything you write, its content, style and form.
Thanks for what you do.
I’ve never seen anything as sick as Palin’s, Angle’s and O’Donnell’s stance on Women’s Rights. Never. Look up their ideas for Rape and Incest victims.
As for Carly Fiorina — was she ever a surprise. She wants to overturn Roe v Wade.
I hope Hillary Clinton speaks up soon, on all of this. For women in this country. On that note? Maybe Michelle Obama can too.
It’s time to see what kind of Democrat she really is. She’s following Hillary Clinton as First Lady in the public eye. Globally.
Maybe Oprah can help her. Or Whoopi.
Check out Bart Stupak.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-levine/needed-a-democratic-tea-p_b_720806.html
Nice to see a man weigh in…
“…The government they want to shrink does not include the military or the bloated national security state, and Tea Partiers have had no problem with, for example, Arizona’s “papers please” law or with other racist, nativist and islamophobic inspired assaults on privacy and freedom. Many Tea Partiers would even deploy state power to proscribe abortion in all circumstances, including incest or rape…”
Read Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaids Tale.”
So ahead of its time.
Better watch this… Maddow takes it on.
Rape and Incest. You need to see.
Oh, yes, read Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.” It is so chilling and one can’t read it without thinking of U.S. religious fundamentalism and the way it is skewing the whole political and public sphere.
And when you’ve read The Handmaid’s Tale, read Jeff Sharlet’s The Family. We’re closer to a Christian theocracy than is comfortable. The fools who bleat about “sharia law” are dupes whose function is to create a distraction from the real threat.
Please make spammy let me go. I made a reference to “s-law.” Will abreviate in future.
Lemme go, spammy! Will abbreviate “s-law” in future.
Thanks, Okasha. I will get and read that book. The topic is one that concerns me greatly.
Bart Stupak is a member of The Family. He’s also a Democrat.
just now ordered it from the library
I see it’s about that C Street gang
Bart Stupid (as I prefer to think of him) isn’t the only Democrat, either. The prize for worst, though, goes to Inhofe, who is partly responsible for the Ugandan bill to institute the death penalty for homosexuality. Brownback runs him a close second, though.
No, I don’t need to see. I know what their views are and I don’t agree with them.
But calling them “sick” accomplishes nothing.
One more little tidbit from yesterday on O’Donnell:
and condoms!
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42288.html
“anti-human”
I need to add that my concerns about Feminism date from the era the tail end boomer has lived. Heterosexual? Post Roe.
Heterosexual feminism is a different animal — it applies to male/female relationships.
Not all feminists are hetero?
I am. My generation has been very silent. I do not agree with Obama’s stance on late term abortion. I agree with Hillary Clinton’s stance. You can read that here:
http://www.ontheissues.org/hillary_clinton.htm
The Handmaid’s Tale is a great book. Another one I like even better along that line is Sheri S Tepper’s “The Gate to Women’s Country.”
I know that book, Gate To Women’s Country! I found it by chance almost twenty years ago, in college, in the bookshelf of a local pizza place, where the owner had books for the taking.
It got under my skin and hasn’t left yet. Until now I’ve never heard it mentioned by anyone else. For better or worse it has informed and affected my relationships with every single woman in my life since, though none of them know of the book. Mother, sister, friends, girlfriends, in-betweens, everyone.
Wow.
Tepper is a very powerful, though sometimes too painfully bitter, feminist science fiction writer. If you can get a copy, my other favorite novel by her is Grass.
Don’t forget who Stupak passed the torch to in order to get the conscience clause into law…..Lipinski.
Or the 63 Democrats who’d rather a woman risk hemmorhage or preforated uterus then recieve a medical procedure.
I’ve made my views about their politics known, don’t have to look it up.
Don’t think Hillary should waste her time when Sarah is neither the problem nor the solution.
Well here’s the answer about Elizabeth Warren. She’s onboard with Obama. Time will tell if she drank the same kool-aid Paul Krugman did. I hope not.
She finishes her post sounding, to me, like Hillary. So I’m going to risk being fooled again and hope.
I am glad for Warren to get her foot in the door and do whatever she can wherever she can, but this appointment is a cop-out on O’s part and the post itself sounds temporary.
O’s a cop out … period.
Yes, Wonk, that’s the way it has looked and felt to me.
Wonk,
Please don’t keep saying that she will never run again or that her odds are impossible. It breaks my heart and I refuse to believe that her political future in elective politics is over.
Additionally, as the dems continue to to snub women and the working class, the tea party and the established rethugs are seizing influence with these groups. For one thing, pro choice women are no longer buying the meme that the dems give a shit about women’s reproductive rights. I think we will find that all these women popping up via the Tea party are in direct response to the misogyny slung at Clinton and Palin during 2008. Without the female inthusiasm on the left, the dems will begin to lose elections. I had to pull myself to the polls the other night to vote in the dem primary. It was difficult voting for Gillibrand knowing that she supported and voted for the anti-choice healthcare scam. But I just decided to vote female down the line, whether I know much about them or not.
I didn’t say she will never run again or that her odds are impossible. I am saying *I* am pessimistic and I can’t blame her for never running again. If I were in her shoes, I wouldn’t want to run. People can’t spit on her 2008 campaign and then expect her to come save the party in 2016. That is just too late. Why would she sign up to go through this abuse at near age 70 when the Dems abused her at age 60? This rotten lot of Dems and activist left has its head so far up its ass they will actively work against any grassroots Draft Hillary 2012 campaign. I’m not saying this because I want it to be so, it’s because that’s what we are dealing with and it sucks.
KendallJ, I did the same, voted female down the line. I decided I will only vote for women. If no woman is on the ballot, I won’t pull the lever — or in the case of our new voting machines, fill in the little bubble — for any candidate.
Luckily this time I could vote in both races in our primary. Last time I voted I nearly cried at the dearth of women running — only 3 on the entire ballot.
As someone who has voted (and voted Democratic) in nearly every primary, local and general election in the last 30 or so years, it’s a huge change for me and incredibly disheartening.
Love this post, Wonk!
But I have to say that O didn’t disappoint me – he’s done and not done everything I expected. 😕
And what the heck? Is Michelle looking to start and international incident with the French by making Bruni out to be a liar???
I’m reminded of a Tea Party precursor, our own Rick Santorum and how he first ran and got elected Senator as an outsider. It didn’t take all that long for him to become assimilated by the Borg … er Washington Culture.
Dissatifaction with the missteps of Bush the Lesser and Tricky Rick’s Penn Hills School School district scandal gave us Reagan Democrat Bob Casey Jr.
How long will these Tea Party darlings resist until they become what they say they despise?
As far as a President Hillary Clinton, that train has left the station because not only will she have to face the hatred of the MSNBC crew abd the rest of the media but the apathy of many Democratic voters.
After all, it’s one thing to brag about your vote in a historic election of the first black man into the White house .. but a woman President?
Not so much.
2008 was our chance at Hillary and Hillary was our chance in 2008.
Could not be a better week for Hillary to resurface and comment on domestic politics.
Mr. Mike,
That’s right, women, 52% of the population, don’t need or desire representation!!! Their Oppression is meaningless and they should sit down and shut -up!
Its not historic for women to run, regardless of the fact that we waited 50 years after black males were granted the constitutional right to vote and we still are not afforded equality under the 14th amendment or anywhere else in the constitution. A man’s right to practice his misogynistic religion takes precident over a woman’s rights to be treated as human.
The dem misogyny has created the female frankensteins of the right. Backlash is a bitch and you never know exactly what form it will take. Its like the wolf who will chew off his paw to free himself from the hunters trap. He’ll die in the wilderness without his paw, but he feels there is no other option, and you know, he’s probably right.
Why do you think I did something that I thought I would never do in my life?
I voted republican in 2008 as my way of saying thanks for the misogny.
Love it. You are so funny and so right at the same time.
The DINOs are just pathetic.
Love Hillary’s comments — she wields words like a sword. Slash, and the Obamanation is bleeding when they don’t even realize they’ve been cut.
Still praying for a Hillary vs Sarah 2012 presidential match-up. So epic.
The man-tanned blo-dried Ron Burgundy’s* at MSNBC and the rest of the media wouldn’t know which candidate to select as the target for their vitriol.
You might even see them tout a male third party candidate as their choice.
* and Rachel Burgundy.
They’d probably crawl to Obi Wan Bloomberg: “Only you can save our manly bits!!!!”
Hill shines in this horrid political mess. Even my die-hard republican colleagues are saying we should have pushed for Hillary.
The fact is that O did give up after a few weeks in office – he had the big house, the plane, the helicopter, vacations and (wait for it) the puppy; so he was ready to leave – and then, the nerve, they actually expected him to do some work, attend meetings and all that prezidintin stuff? They are going to have to offer him some reeeeeally good stuff to stay for another term – or even to finish this one.
If it’s Friday, it’s DUdies time:
http://edgeoforever.wordpress.com/2010/09/17/dudies-for-september-14-17/
I’m thinking loud and proud liberals should hijack Stewart and Colbert’s march on washington.
Wouldn’t it be somewhat hilarious if the most raucous criticism of this administration came from ACTUAL liberals?
The media will be paying attention by virtue of the faux journalists being the organizers, providing the perfect opportunity to “party crash”.
http://www.rallytorestoresanity.com/
Here’s our chance folks.
Instead of the pithy snarky signs meant to mock the right, we could show up with dead serious signs criticizing Obama.
Exactly what many of us have been pushing for. The best way to neuter the tea party is to drown out their rightwing criticisms of Obama/Dems/RINOs with louder opposition to Obama/DINOs/GOP from a liberal perspective.
Now that could send a really loud messge, willyj
Haven’t read all the comments yet, but just wanted to say: Wonderful post, Wonk. Well put, indeed. A wonk can hope for Hillary–it’s hope for our country, isn’t it– and I’m right there with you.
I don’t see a news thread here, so I’ll put this, from The Department of Schadenfreude, here:
Total “creative class” FAIL in DC Fenty debacle
Talking point: Obama == Fenty.
That’s a really good post.
The disconnect runs two ways. I’m of the opinion that the voters bear the most responsibility for the state of affairs. The voters have the most to lose when they don’t choose the people that would best represent them or don’t tell politicians what they want. Being busy is not an excuse.
The post above is canceled. Voters don’t have time to call representatives that don’t have time for voters.
Lady Gaga makes her pitch to repeal DADT on video. At the end of the video, she calls Schumer, and after the phone rings forever, she gets the message that the voice mail box is full, and a “Good Bye”.
The link for Lady Gaga video.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/09/ad-of-the-day-a-message-from-l.html
I agree with WTV about another run for Hillary. But I never discount karma and the Universe doing their thing. It’s not a hope thing with me, but rather, I know that I don’t know. So many times I’ve been amazed how events develop out of nowhere with even more amazing results. When Russia fell apart, without a shot being fired and nations were given back their destiny, I learned that anything I might expect is based on what I know, which is nothing. On that note, below is a poll confirming what I just said. I just read another poll. Obama has 60% disapproval in Ohio. Hillary took that state, but O won it in November 2008.
Political Wire:
Absolutely, Dario – just leave it to the universe and – Karma happens!
Tsunami comes ashore in November.
This was interesting…the viewpoints of the German response to the Tea Party Victories:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,717845,00.html
“The success of the Tea Party candidate Christine O’Donnell does not bode well for the Republicans, nor for the Democrats (even if they see it differently at the moment), nor for the whole American political machine.”
“Obama has underestimated the frustration in the country and the power of the Tea Party movement, which gives the prevailing disillusionment a platform and a voice. It is by far the most vibrant political force in America. Obama’s left-of-center coalition, which got young people and intellectuals involved and which appealed to a majority of women, blacks and Latinos, has evaporated into nothing.”
And I thought I would post this link here as well:
“Female Candidates Treated Differently?
Do women who run for office get fair shake from media, pundits?”
http://video.foxnews.com/v/4340171/female-candidates-treated-differently/
In this interview, Sam Bennet, President of Womens Campaign Forum talks about Name it Change it….
Take a look…and don’t be turned off by Megyn Kelly or the Limbaugh clips…Please listen to what Sam Bennet is saying….
As a resident of Ohio, I’m glad that senator Sherrod Brown isn’t up for re-election this year.
Governor Ted Strickland and lt. gov. Lee Fisher(running for senator) will most likely lose thanks to Obama’s policies or lack thereof.
It kills me that so many fine public servants will be thrown out of office because Obama and Washington Dems failed to deliver.
In my state that means awful retreads like John Kasich and Rob Portman. Ugh.
We are so fooked.
It’s happening all over the U.S.
Whoosh! Great essay, Wonk. And I love dreaming “that” dream, too, even though I don’t see it in the cards. And yes, Hillary Clinton is honest in her response that after the thrill of the campaign, all the promises and fire will take a hit, when and if, these Tea Party candidates win seats. And their supporters will have to deal with that.
On the other hand, I do not like the message, particularly the extreme elements, nor do I respect the over-the-top furor and rhetoric, whipped and fanned by the ultra-conservatives. We’ve seen and heard this nonsense before. There’s no way I’m voting for an out-of-the-mainstream, unqualified candidate to get back at the Obamacrats. That’s cutting off your nose to spite your face. I’ll vote candidate qualifications and specific positions this year and if I’m ultimately dissatisfied with both party offerings, I’ll vote Indy, 3rd party, or not vote at all.
Interesting times we live in! But I do love that dream.
You know the best part of that dream for me is when Hillary finally takes command and kicks ass. No tee times. No constant vacays. No word fogs. No waffling. No shitty legislation. No welfare for the wealthy. And, best of all, no freakin’ gender apartheid. It’s a beautiful dream and easy to love.
I have learned not to give up. That stuff happens – and sometimes what seems like an awful nightmare leads to better than we could imagine.
Soooo, don’t give up on your dreams. If we all aligned on that one thought…hmmm, it could happen. 😉
Yes it is–Lambert’s post is wonderful, as usual. It’s almost as if the real country mind melded. The collective said ‘throw them out–this is the only power we have left.’ And if they continue to only service the big boys, then throw them out again–eventually they will get it.
You know what I wish? I wish the media would stop calling them the “tea party”. They are not a separate political party. They are republicans. They are running as republicans.
They should merely be called the RRR, for the Radical Republican Right. If they are even worth distinguishing at all.
The media really is confusing things, rather than clarifying.
the tea party is an arm of the GOP. It’s faux grassroots like MoveOn. Which isn’t to say that there haven’t been a lot of genuinegrassroots supporters caught up in MoveOn or the tea party…. there have been. But, both are arms of existing parties and just recruit members back to the legacy parties so the grassroots can be sold out again. A genuine vehicle for the grassroots would be trying to take votes away from both parties and mobilizing them to form a voter coalition completely independent of the legacy (D/R) parties.
exactly.
they should not be called separate, when they’re not.
I don’t believe that the Tea Party are just Rs. The Tea Party voters are using the GOP to change the political system. Many of those voters are people who voted for Ds in 2008.
They are running as REPUBLICANS. Until they form their own party, they should be addressed as republicans.
For the media to be pretending that there’s any kind of “tea party ticket” is extremely misleading to the public.
As long as they’re running as republicans, they’re officially republicans. End of story. It’s not a question of belief.
You are right about the candidates, but not the voters, imo.
Yes, I know some rabid Dems who have become active TeaPartiers
What they are doing is quite smart IMHO. They are taking over what they perceive as the weaker of the two major parties now. Once they have it, if they can kick the current GOP leadership out, we’ll see what they do with it.
It’s the only way for a 3rd voice to have a say in this country of the big 2 party system. I suspect Dick Armey may find himself in an alley one day wondering what the hell happened.
What were the Ds thinking?
Heckuva job, VORI!
When, oh when will the NYT hire an editor – or at least writers who can do arithmetic?
Okay, that was weird – I was trying to comment on dakinikat’s econ post and it ended up in this thread.
Don’t remember if it was you Wonk, or some other fab Conflucian who said that Hillary Clinton was the closest to “What you see is what you get” you’d ever find in a politician, but I fully agree.
Following her I’m reminded of how, sinceThe Beatles split up, Yoko Ono was endlessly blamed, still never, ever spoke up. Then I learned that she lives by “Don’t attack – don’t defend”. A pretty awesome and admirable ‘rule of life’, and pretty impossible if you’re not incredibly strong. It seems to me that Hillary Clinton in a way follows that ‘rule’ too.
Maybe that’s why I never really liked her speech in the video you posted. I don’t like people mocking other people’s way of talking, walking, looking, laughing. Besides, however much I admire HRC, a comedienne she is not – and no need to profess to be either. 😉