Russ, We Hardly Knew Ye
Russ Feingold has decided not to run for President in 2008. On the one hand, that's a good thing for the USA -- he's a way out lefty, and father (with John McCain) of the speech-stifling campaign finance "reform." On the other, he is, at least, a guy with a modicum of integrity -- he voted for Chief Justice Roberts, despite howls from the moonbats.
Anyway, with his dropping out and Kerry's virtual implosion in the final days of campaign '06, only Al Gore is left to compete for the lefty vote. It would have been interesting to see him and Feingold duke it out, but perhaps ceding left field to Al will make it easier for Gore to go after Hillary, given that he won't be worrying about having his base constituency stolen by Feingold.
And it's worth noting that Barack Obama really should be classified as a lefty, along with Feingold and Gore. It's a testament to his ability to project a moderate image -- and the power of the press' unadulterated adulation -- that Obama is considered somehow middle-of-the-road.
Anyway, with his dropping out and Kerry's virtual implosion in the final days of campaign '06, only Al Gore is left to compete for the lefty vote. It would have been interesting to see him and Feingold duke it out, but perhaps ceding left field to Al will make it easier for Gore to go after Hillary, given that he won't be worrying about having his base constituency stolen by Feingold.
And it's worth noting that Barack Obama really should be classified as a lefty, along with Feingold and Gore. It's a testament to his ability to project a moderate image -- and the power of the press' unadulterated adulation -- that Obama is considered somehow middle-of-the-road.
posted by LadybugUSA at 8:05 PM
5 Comments:
I'm continually astonished at how the press and the public in general are ignoring a potential Gore 2008 run. After all, the guy's won a general election before, hasn't he? He also was right on Iraq, unlike Hillary--and in my opinion with the movie and choice appearances/speeches has been running a brilliant, albeit stealth, candidacy for a while now...
www.minor-ripper.blogspot.com
Carol, you and I don't agree on a lot, but I like your blog. You present your ideas in a clear way and you allow for folks further to the left (like me) to comment here and add our voices to the mix -- which is commendable.
I clicked on your link to see what the "moonbats" (your word) had to say -- expecting that you had found some crazy, foaming-at-the-mouth leftie who would embarrass even a center-left guy like myself -- but instead found a clear, articulate, well-reasoned argument.
So, Carol, here's the thing: Moonbats? There are clearly some on the left (and the right, lest we forget) who earn this kind of derision, but I was fairly surprised at the name-calling in this instance. It doesn't solve much, in my opinion, and it certainly doesn't encourage reasonable liberals to value or even consider your point of view.
After all, the guy's won a general election before, hasn't he?
No, actually. But that's the way the Electoral College crumbles.
Red,
First off, I think you need to chill on the "moonbats" labelling. Though we as posters are limited in the terms we use and when we can use them, (it is generally meant for how we treat each other) I don't think you should take too much offense, nor assume such use dimishes Carol's credibility. Thin skin is not a plus. Let's all lighten up.
Secondly, as to whether the appelation is appropriate for the linked piece, I'd say without a doubt, as the tone of it lists hard to port. The author, as well as both Kennedy and Feingold, assumes the position not taken by Roberts is the right one. This is very subjective, which in and of itself isn't a problem, but that they believe they are correct in a "written in stone" kinda way is a bit arrogant on their part. As I recall from the hearings, most, if not all, of the questions Roberts didn't answer were those with which he was within his rights not to answer. These questions strayed from the parameters of their purpose. Just as Ginsberg declined to answer every question at her hearings. It is that attitude that earned them the moniker "moonbats" in this thread.
Oh. I would also add, that if Feingold found Roberts to be qualified, but then said he was perturbed by Robert's non-answers, wouldn't that be moonbat-like even to you?
Finally, I'd like to say I appreciate the overall tone of your posts. So far, quite classy.
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