Children! Stop whining and eat your vegetables!
Clinton ally and circa 2004 Democratic National Committee chairperson Terry McAuliffe has a point- albeit not a very good one- when he maintains “We found that six debates gave candidates the platform they needed to showcase differences with their opponents while giving campaigns the flexibility they need to do other events, including joint-forums and appearances.”
Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia, who already had endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, did not have a good point when, Politico reports, he wrote
It’s time for a reality check fellow Democrats. Let’s end this pointless complaining and channel our energies into every facet of what it takes to win: registering people to vote, pushing out our message, raising money, and organizing and coordinating our efforts within this great big tent we call the Democratic Party.
Not feeling the "great big tent," Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, an ally of Hillary Clinton, set up a mere six debates, one of which is to take place on that great viewing night of the last Saturday before Christmas. It seems that some Democrats are not heeding the sentiments of Mrs. Schultz or Mr. Nutter. The Boston Globe explains
Deb Kozikowski, vice chairwoman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, said the chief of the Democratic National Committee, US Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, had done a disservice to grass-roots volunteers by allowing Republicans to dominate the airwaves for the last month.
“How do I tell these really dedicated Democrats who work really hard from top to bottom that debates for our presidential candidates are restricted, and they’re there watching all these Republicans get all this air time?” she said. “I think about the folks at the grass roots who work day in day out, no money no glory, because they believe in democracy with a small ‘d’ and the Democratic Party with a large ‘D,’ getting bombarded with all these Republican candidates.”
And they are getting bombarded. When she announced the debate schedule, Wasserman argued the Democratic Party is focused on "strengthening the middle class versus Republicans who want to pursue out of touch and out of date policies.”
But voters are not hearing that. They're hearing that: Republicans stand for fiscal irresponsibility and Democrats for higher taxes; Iran will drop a nuclear bomb on Iraq unless the USA withdraws its agreement with the nation; nations throughout the world have lost respect for the USA because of Barack Obama; the Second Amendment was practically written by God, who bears a striking resemblance to Ronald Reagan; Planned Parenthood must be defunded; and vaccination is a greater threat to global survival than is climate change. These are the messages because, notwithstanding minor differences, the GOP candidates are in lockstep on most issues.
As the Republican debates proceed, the GOP's perspective on issues, and hence the Party's credibility with the American people, is enhanced. The right wing is dominating the airwaves with a message than is only barely, and faintly, rebutted.
The major fault lies with Wasserman-Schultz. But politicians like Michael Nutter who want Democrats, those of "the great big tent," to "end this pointless complaining" are enabling the chairperson. To Michael Nutter, dissident Democrats are whining, immature children. To the Republican Party and conservative ideas, he is a dream come true.
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1 comment:
The fact that the Democratic National Committee is letting the Republicans dictate the pace of conversation leading into The Year Before is deeply troubling, and only serves to reinforce the notion that DWS, Nutter, and McAuliffe very much have a vested interest in Clinton emerging unscathed (which is disturbing in its own right, irrespective of any past allegiances: what in the world is she promising to everyone - or, perhaps more aptly, what does everyone fear from Sanders' proposed method of leadership?).
Unfortunately, six debates is plenty of time for Clinton's weaknesses to be readily exposed (she has never fared well in the debate portion of the campaign, which is a decided departure from her ability to mimic a Southern accent when it most benefits her), at which point the Republicans will be more than happy to exploit her.
Clinton's path to the Presidency is a lot bumpier than establishment Democrats would like to admit (particularly given how far off the cliff the right currently is), and trying to ignore the problem and wish it away is going to accomplish nothing outside of broken promises and dashed dreams.
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