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The truth about Avesil
Wikio
Get exclusive travel deals and book discount cheap flights
Comments from an AP history
and government teacher in Raleigh, NC.
e-mail betsynewmark AT gmail.com
Commissions earned from selling items through Amazon will go towards buying materials for my classes. Thank you.
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Saturday, January 28, 2006
(Updated and bumped to the top.)
Meanwhile, Jim Vanderhei writes in the Washington Post about the influence that leftist blogs and activist groups are having on the Democratic Party.Democrats are getting an early glimpse of an intraparty rift that could complicate efforts to win back the White House: fiery liberals raising their voices on Web sites and in interest groups vs. elected officials trying to appeal to a much broader audience.Some liberal bloggers are ticked off that the Democrats chose Governor Kaine of Virginia to deliver their response to Bush's State of the Union. They wanted Representative Murtha. The choice of Kaine demonstrates how the Democrats are going to try to downplay foreign policy as an issue this year and focus on domestic issues. A chocie of Murtha would have represented a focus on Iraq and Murtha's call to pull out. Such a choice would have been suicidal for the Democrats, but what do these bloggers care?
These activists -- spearheaded by battle-ready bloggers and making their influence felt through relentless e-mail campaigns -- have denounced what they regard as a flaccid Democratic response to the Supreme Court fight, President Bush's upcoming State of the Union address and the Iraq war. In every case, they have portrayed party leaders as gutless sellouts."The bloggers and online donors represent an important resource for the party, but they are not representative of the majority you need to win elections," said Steve Elmendorf, a Democratic lobbyist who advised Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign. "The trick will be to harness their energy and their money without looking like you are a captive of the activist left."I'm sure comments like those from Mr. Elmendorf, indicating that Democrats want the bloggers' money, influence, and energy to help Democratic candidates without giving in to what these leftists are really upset about will not endear him to those bloggers. The only way to make good use of that energy is to channel it into a negative campaign against Republicans in the way that these liberal activists were able to unite in their hatred of Bush and help John Kerry, a man for whom they had no real affection. So, expect to see more and more demonization because that will be the only common ground between the more pragmatic Democratic politicians and their extreme supporters.
The blogs-vs.-establishment fight represents the latest version of a familiar Democratic dispute. It boils down to how much national candidates should compromise on what are considered core Democratic values -- such as abortion rights, gun control and opposition to conservative judges -- to win national elections.
Many Democrats say the only way to win nationally is for the party to become stronger on the economy and promote a centrist image on cultural values, as Kaine did in Virginia and as Bill Clinton did in two successful presidential campaigns.
The new twist in this debate is the Web, which in recent election cycles emerged as a powerful political force, one expected to figure even more prominently as more people get high-speed connections and turn to the Internet for news and commentary. Unlike the past, the "pressure is conveyed through a faster, better organized, more insistent medium," said Jim Jordan, a Democratic strategist.
As someone who has long tired of such internal battles among conservatives, I will be happy to enjoy watching this intra-party squabble among liberals.
UPDATE: Well, I was right that Mr. Elmendorf's comments would not endear him to the leftwing bloggers. Kos has put everyone on notice about any candidates that engage Elmendorf's services.Mr. Elmendorf almost got it right. The trick, in reality, is to stop appearing like our Democrats are held captive to sleazebag amoral lobbyists.Feeling rather frisky with the sense of his own power, isn't he? Do the Democratic politicians like taking their marching orders from these bloggers?
Here's notice, any Democrat associated with Elmendorf will be outed. The netroots can then decide for itself whether it wants to provide some of that energy and money to that candidate.
There's nothing "extreme left" with demanding Democrats act like Democrats, no matter how much these out-of-touch and self-important beltway insiders think it is.
I guess that Diane Feinstein is fine with that. She quite quickly flip-flopped on filibustering Alito. Two weeks ago she was against a filibuster. Then Cindy Sheehan issued her orders from Venezuela that Diane Feinstein just better vote against cloture or Sheehan would run against Feinstein. Shortly after Sheehan issued that press release (and announced the days she'd be available for media interviews), Feinstein folded and came out in favor of the filibuster. The left is always accusing GOP politicians of taking their marching orders from the religious right, but it is quite clear that many Democratic politicians are just as available to be ordered around by their more extreme supporters.
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Comments:
(Updated and bumped to the top.)
Meanwhile, Jim Vanderhei writes in the Washington Post about the influence that leftist blogs and activist groups are having on the Democratic Party.
As someone who has long tired of such internal battles among conservatives, I will be happy to enjoy watching this intra-party squabble among liberals.
UPDATE: Well, I was right that Mr. Elmendorf's comments would not endear him to the leftwing bloggers. Kos has put everyone on notice about any candidates that engage Elmendorf's services.
I guess that Diane Feinstein is fine with that. She quite quickly flip-flopped on filibustering Alito. Two weeks ago she was against a filibuster. Then Cindy Sheehan issued her orders from Venezuela that Diane Feinstein just better vote against cloture or Sheehan would run against Feinstein. Shortly after Sheehan issued that press release (and announced the days she'd be available for media interviews), Feinstein folded and came out in favor of the filibuster. The left is always accusing GOP politicians of taking their marching orders from the religious right, but it is quite clear that many Democratic politicians are just as available to be ordered around by their more extreme supporters.
0 comments
(Updated and bumped to the top.)
Meanwhile, Jim Vanderhei writes in the Washington Post about the influence that leftist blogs and activist groups are having on the Democratic Party.
Democrats are getting an early glimpse of an intraparty rift that could complicate efforts to win back the White House: fiery liberals raising their voices on Web sites and in interest groups vs. elected officials trying to appeal to a much broader audience.Some liberal bloggers are ticked off that the Democrats chose Governor Kaine of Virginia to deliver their response to Bush's State of the Union. They wanted Representative Murtha. The choice of Kaine demonstrates how the Democrats are going to try to downplay foreign policy as an issue this year and focus on domestic issues. A chocie of Murtha would have represented a focus on Iraq and Murtha's call to pull out. Such a choice would have been suicidal for the Democrats, but what do these bloggers care?
These activists -- spearheaded by battle-ready bloggers and making their influence felt through relentless e-mail campaigns -- have denounced what they regard as a flaccid Democratic response to the Supreme Court fight, President Bush's upcoming State of the Union address and the Iraq war. In every case, they have portrayed party leaders as gutless sellouts.
"The bloggers and online donors represent an important resource for the party, but they are not representative of the majority you need to win elections," said Steve Elmendorf, a Democratic lobbyist who advised Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign. "The trick will be to harness their energy and their money without looking like you are a captive of the activist left."I'm sure comments like those from Mr. Elmendorf, indicating that Democrats want the bloggers' money, influence, and energy to help Democratic candidates without giving in to what these leftists are really upset about will not endear him to those bloggers. The only way to make good use of that energy is to channel it into a negative campaign against Republicans in the way that these liberal activists were able to unite in their hatred of Bush and help John Kerry, a man for whom they had no real affection. So, expect to see more and more demonization because that will be the only common ground between the more pragmatic Democratic politicians and their extreme supporters.
The blogs-vs.-establishment fight represents the latest version of a familiar Democratic dispute. It boils down to how much national candidates should compromise on what are considered core Democratic values -- such as abortion rights, gun control and opposition to conservative judges -- to win national elections.
Many Democrats say the only way to win nationally is for the party to become stronger on the economy and promote a centrist image on cultural values, as Kaine did in Virginia and as Bill Clinton did in two successful presidential campaigns.
The new twist in this debate is the Web, which in recent election cycles emerged as a powerful political force, one expected to figure even more prominently as more people get high-speed connections and turn to the Internet for news and commentary. Unlike the past, the "pressure is conveyed through a faster, better organized, more insistent medium," said Jim Jordan, a Democratic strategist.
As someone who has long tired of such internal battles among conservatives, I will be happy to enjoy watching this intra-party squabble among liberals.
UPDATE: Well, I was right that Mr. Elmendorf's comments would not endear him to the leftwing bloggers. Kos has put everyone on notice about any candidates that engage Elmendorf's services.
Mr. Elmendorf almost got it right. The trick, in reality, is to stop appearing like our Democrats are held captive to sleazebag amoral lobbyists.Feeling rather frisky with the sense of his own power, isn't he? Do the Democratic politicians like taking their marching orders from these bloggers?
Here's notice, any Democrat associated with Elmendorf will be outed. The netroots can then decide for itself whether it wants to provide some of that energy and money to that candidate.
There's nothing "extreme left" with demanding Democrats act like Democrats, no matter how much these out-of-touch and self-important beltway insiders think it is.
I guess that Diane Feinstein is fine with that. She quite quickly flip-flopped on filibustering Alito. Two weeks ago she was against a filibuster. Then Cindy Sheehan issued her orders from Venezuela that Diane Feinstein just better vote against cloture or Sheehan would run against Feinstein. Shortly after Sheehan issued that press release (and announced the days she'd be available for media interviews), Feinstein folded and came out in favor of the filibuster. The left is always accusing GOP politicians of taking their marching orders from the religious right, but it is quite clear that many Democratic politicians are just as available to be ordered around by their more extreme supporters.
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