This has been a long time coming. I've kept quiet about it for awhile now, but many major blogs and bloggers are increasingly becoming unreadable for me... because I know they're getting outraged over the wrong things, at the wrong time and at the wrong people. I want to avoid specific names for the obvious reasons, and I know there's some irony in what I'm posting. In any case, I think my overall message is important enough, so here it goes.
Quite frankly, some of the major bloggers who have "access" to consultants (DC or not in DC), campaign staffers or Congressional staffers, have been getting played.
Voter suppression is real. It takes more money to turnout Democratic voters than it does for the Republicans to turn out theirs. (Ours are more likely to not vote because of voter suppression. Ours are more likely to need rides to the polls. Etc.)
Compared to the reach of insidious chain emails and the MSM, the reach of the progressive blogosphere, while growing, is small. To expand the reach of the progressive community, you need to communicate with friends, family and your community, particularly in swing states. Remember that not everyone has the internet, and amongst those who do, many do not use the internet like you do. Many use it only for email and news. I attended an event recently where Peter Daou spoke, and he talked about some of Clinton’s donors who used a credit card online for the first time when they donated to her. Neither of my parents have ever read a political blog. They use it for some news, email and keeping tabs on their stocks.
Quite frankly, Obama and progressives everywhere need to expand the reach of our message and donor base beyond the folks who use the internet the way you use it.
Yes, the media has been unfair to you over the years (as they have been unfair to many other Democrats over the years).
Yes, the media's coverage has been sexist (but you are hardly the only woman candidate who has had to deal with it and your chief rival for the nomination had to deal with racist and patently unfair coverage).
But that is not why you lost.
You lost because of Iraq, and you lost because you did not take advantage of all that campaign experience and put it to good use.
It's time to take some responsibility for your loss.
Progressive Media USA, the group organized to be the main soft-money advertising vehicle for Democrats in the fall, will dramatically scale back its efforts in deference to the wishes of the party's presumptive nominee.
I know everyone is marveling at the fundraising success that Obama, DCCC, DSCC, and Democrats down the ballot have had. (The DNC, however, could use some help.)
I know that some here would cast aspersions at the 527 and IE efforts on the Democratic side from 2004.
But let me make one thing clear.
We NEED an independent expenditure ad effort on the Democratic side.
You've probably all seen Hillary Clinton outright lie about her trip to Tuzla:
She's also tried to take more credit for FMLA being signed into law than any reasonable, knowledgeable person would give her.
Should either of these stories get a larger airing in the media, her perceived honesty gap against McCain (and against Obama, too) would likely become worse.
If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept.
That's right Geraldine.
If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. He would not have gotten Secret Service protection as early as last May.
Even under the rosiest of rosy scenarios for the remaining caucuses and primaries, it is next to impossible for Clinton to win the pledged delegate count outright under the current rules. She can't win the nomination without getting FL and MI seated and without getting superdelegates to flip the delegate count to her. Should Obama go to the convention with a pledged delegate lead (certainly of at least 50) and Clinton win the nomination by getting FL and MI seated and getting the requisite number of superdelegates, it WILL badly damage the party and her chances in November.
Al Rodgers originally started this weekly Saturday night party, and after his life got much busier, I became "permanent guest host." I'm busier at work and will continue to get busier as election season ramps up, and I feel that it is time to pass the baton to a new "permanent guest host," Sam Loomis, who is my current back up. Sam has substituted for me already, and he has performed ably. Thanks to everyone who has read and participated in Sunday Talk during my tenure. I've had a great time being host. You'll see me around these parts, as I'll continue to post comments.
Just two things about the Democratic presidential primary, Predictions, the Sunday lineup, TV Alerts, 2 flashback photos, The Simpsons, media info, ratings and more below the fold and in the comments.
How Newsie spent her caucus night & did she win her caucus pools? (as if you care); takin' on Bill O'Reilly; blind item, media info, ratings, and more below the fold and in the comments...
MTP: from NH; Sen. John McCain (R-AZ); Dem strategist Steve McMahon and GOP strategist Mike Murphy on caucus results & NH primary & debates
FTN: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
This Week: Mitt Romney (R-MA); Mike Huckabee (R-AR); John Edwards (D-NC); roundtable of Cokie Roberts, Sam Donaldson, Donna Brazile and George Will
FNS: Mitt Romney (R-MA); Mike Huckabee (R-AR)
Late Edition: Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX); Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM); Mike Huckabee (R-AR); Pakistani Amb. Mahmud Durrani; roundtable of Gloria Borger, John King and Jeffrey Toobin
MTP: in IA; Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL); Mike Huckabee (R-AR)
FTN: John Edwards (D-NC)
This Week: Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY); Sen. John McCain (R-AZ); roundtable of David Brooks, Donna Brazile and George Will; reflection of lives lost in 2007
FNS: Fred Thompson (R-TN); DMR's David Yepsen on the caucuses
Late Edition: Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT); Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE); ex-Sen Sam Nunn (D-GA); ex Def. Sec. William Cohen; Time's Mark Halperin
Updated to add specific FTN and Late Edition listings
MTP: Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX); CNBC & NYT's John Harwood and NBC News' Chuck Todd on the pres. campaign
FTN: Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL); Mike Huckabee (R-AR)
This Week: Rudy Giuliani (R-NY); roundtable of WaPo's EJ Dionne, ABC's Torie Clarke, Cokie Roberts and George Will; Caroline Kennedy (author, "A Family Christmas")
FNS: Gen. David Petraeus on latest Iraq report; pastor Joel Osteen; Worcester Health president Morrill Worcester
Late Edition: year-end special featuring clips of previous interviews
This Week: John Edwards (D-NC); Alan Greenspan; roundtable of Donna Brazile, Claire Shipman, Jay Carney and George Will; Brad Pitt on "Make it Right" initiative
FNS: George Mitchell on baseball steroids report; Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) & Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) on torture; Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis
Late Edition: John Edwards (D-NC); Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE); Pat Buchanan (author, "Day of Reckoning"; Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) & Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) talk intel; roundtable of Candy Crowley, Ed Henry & Dana Bash
Blind Item, 12 lies of Mitch McConnell, media info, ratings, and more below the fold and in the comments...
The Lineup (Pls link, if you're copying to another site.)
MTP: Rudy Giuliani (R-NY)
FTN: Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) & Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) on CIA tapes & Iran NIE
This Week: Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) on his campaign and Iran NIE; Newt Gingrich (R-GA); roundtable of Sam Donaldson, Cokie Roberts and George Will; John Cusack on "Grace is Gone," a film about a man who cares for his daughters while his wife is serving in Iraq
FNS: Mike Huckabee (R-AR); Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
Late Edition: Pakstani Pres. Pervez Musharraf; Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA); Rep. John Boehner (R-OH)
An Al Rodgers special on Giuliani, cartoons, flashback, media bits, videos, and more below the fold and in the comments...
Lineup (Pls link, if you're copying to another site.)
MTP: Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) on his recent Iraq trip; roundtable of CBN's David Brody, NBC's David Gregory, NPR's Michele Norris, and WaPo's Eugene Robinson discuss issues important to minority voters and the GOP debate Doesn't it seem as though the only time an MTP roundtable has more than one black participant, is when so-called 'black issues' are a major topic of discussion?
FTN: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ); David Axelrod (Obama08 strategist) and Howard Wolfson (Clinton08 comm dir)
This Week: Mike Huckabee (R-AR); roundtable of Peggy Noonan, Elisabeth Bumiller, Katrina vanden Heuvel and George Will; Steve Van Zandt of the E Street Band on bringing rock and roll to the classroom
FNS: Karl Rove v. DCCC Chair Rep. Chris Van Hollen on 08; FedEx CEO and founder Fred Smith
Late Edition: Pres. George W. Bush; Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX); Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT); Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno (a Cmdr. in Iraq); Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI); Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA)
I've been posting here for over three years, and I think most of you who have been familiar with my posts over this time would consider me a pretty even-tempered person.
But I have to say, I read that WaPo story, and my first reaction was: Is the Washington Post trying to get Obama killed?
It's well-established that Barack Obama has Secret Service protection, and that racist emails were sent to his office. Death threats have been made, too. Part of it is because he's black, but pushing rumors that he's Muslim is like striking a match for the crazies out there.
MTP: James Carville, Bob Shrum, Mary Matalin, and Mike Murphy discuss the pres. race
FTN: WaPo's Robin Wright, "Looming Tower" author Lawrence Wright, WaPo's Rick Atkinson, and retired Gen. Anthony Zinni
This Week: Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on Iraq; roundtable of Andrew Sullivan, Jon Karl, Cokie Roberts and George Will; actress Marlo Thomas on her work for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.
FNS: Fred Thompson (R-TN); Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Iraq
Late Edition: Mike Huckabee (R-AR); ex Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi; National Journal's Ron Brownstein; roundtable of CNN's Ed Henry, Hotline's Amy Walter and CNN's Gloria Borger.
MTP: National Journal's Ron Brownstein; WaPo's E.J. Dionne; PBS's Gwen Ifill; NBC's Chuck Todd; National Review's Byron York; a look at 60 years of MTP
FTN: John Edwards (D-NC); Politico's Jeanne Cummings
This Week: Fred Thompson (R-TN); roundtable of NYT's David Brooks, Donna Brazile, Jake Tapper and George Will; Kayce Freed Jennings on the new biography, "Peter Jennings: A Reporter's Life."
FNS: Mike Huckabee (R-AR); atty Billy Martin (represents Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID), Michael Vick and other bold-faced names)
Late Edition: Japan PM Yasuo Fukuda; John Edwards (D-NC); ex Pakistan PM Benazir Bhutto
Stay safe this holiday season everyone! Yes, the Christmas and Hanukkah decorations started going up in stores the day after Halloween, but it doesn't feel like the holiday season until Thanksgiving rolls around. So, try to eat healthy. Clip your coupons for Black Friday (or avoid the craziness altogether). Hug your families and friends. Maybe watch some football, or watch ...
