Dohiyi Mir
In Which NTodd Says His Peace
When, Oh When Will The Silliness End?
Tonight's Dem debate:
KOPPEL: I would like all of you up here, including you, Governor Dean, to raise your hand if you believe that Governor Dean can beat George W. Bush.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
...
Congressman Gephardt, you didn't raise your hand...None of you did.
Are you serious? First: Dumbest. Question. Ever. Second: as Atrios said, "you should be willing to say that a SLUG could beat Bush." Reason #512 I am not a Democrat. You people are absolutely clueless.
Here's how
I'll tell you why I didn't raise my hand in response to that question: This campaign for the Democratic nomination is fundamentally a referendum within our party about whether we're going to build on the Clinton transformation in our party in 1992 that reassured people we were strong on defense, we were fiscally responsible, we cared about values, we were interested in cutting taxes for the middle class and working with business to create jobs.
Howard Dean -- and now Al Gore, I guess -- are on the wrong side of each of those issues.
Nice, Joe. And how exactly are you strong on defense, because you voted for a quagmire? And have you been as fiscally responsible as the Good Doctor? By values, do you mean "gay rights"? Do you think that the bogus Bush tax cuts you support, and that Dean rejects, really go to the middle class? Can't you campaign without spreading lies about Dean and now your former running mate? Did you ever consider that Al gave his endorsement because Ho-Ho is on the right side of the issues? No?
Dean's response:
Let me just say a couple of things.
First of all, I think John Edwards is right, the people will decide, not Al Gore or anybody else.
Secondly, I'm going to give an invitation which I have not yet given, but I am going to do it now. If you guys are upset that Al Gore is endorsing me, attack me, don't attack Al Gore.
Al Gore worked too hard in 2000...He got 500,000 votes more than George Bush. And I don't think he deserves to be attacked by anybody up here. He doesn't -- he's not a boss**.
(APPLAUSE)
He's a fundamentally decent human being. We share a lot of values.
...
I think Al Gore deserves credit for being the kind of moral leader in this country that we have lost since the last election.
I agree with Dean. I wasn't thrilled with Gore in 2000, but I voted for him because I thought he was at least 5,000,000 votes better than Bush. Ever since his MoveOn speech, I've been thrilled with him, and lament that he didn't run a better campaign. Today he proved just how thoughtful and forward-thinking he really is.
Memo to all you other candidates: learn from Gore 2000 and Gore 2003. He ran the campaign you're running now in 2000, and lost. He has spent the last 3 years reflecting on that, found his true voice and in 2003 has raised that voice for a new movement. Get over your hurt feelings. It's time to embrace this force, and focus on taking our government back and our nation forward.
ntodd
* I am upholding my pledge to the best of my ability.
** Sharpton said "The Republicans shut us up four years ago. Al Gore -- no Democrat should shut us up today. Let the people decide on the nominee. Bossism shouldn't happen. I know that Governor Dean and Al Gore love the Internet; www.bossism doesn't work on my computer." Funny quip at the end, but I call bullshit. See below for more on the "Gore destroyed democracy" meme.
