BlogHer - Democrats - Comments

Taking responsibility

Jill Miller Zimon — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:58:15 -0600

Yup - I agree with you too! Re: Joe made the choices, he should have been made to feel the consequences. It's not so hard for any of us to get the political nature of Reid's decision but that really doesn't make it any easier to take. And again I find myself asking, in any other arrangement - business, personal - would we do this? Why do we make different rules for politics? Is it the power? the control? what?

Jill
Writes Like She Talks

I totally agree

Jill Miller Zimon — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:52:43 -0600

I definitely see your perspective and could easily be persuaded that that's what needed to happen re: cleaning house. But I think your second paragraph also includes a lot of the reasons why they did what they did and again, we have to settle for saying, the voters will have the ultimate judgment. And - like Babz said and I'm suggesting, maybe he will just become impotent?

Jill
Writes Like She Talks

They need his vote, that's why

grannysu — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:39:32 -0600

Granny Sue Stories from the Mountains and Beyond www.grannysu.blogspot.com susannaholstein@yahoo.com

I think the Democrats' actions all boil down to being practical. The Congress is still fairly evenly split and every vote counts. They need this turncoat, unfortunately, for ihs vote, and I think that was the real bargaining chip he carried into those meetings.

I would like to have seen them show him the door in no uncertain terms. He chose to be an Independent and he chose to campaign for McCain. What is ambiguous about that? What it comes down to is Joe is for Joe and whatever he thinks will butter his bread. I can't even stand the sound of his voice. For me it's not a Democrat/Repulbican thing, it's an honesty thing. The man is sleazy and slippery, doing what is best for his own self-interest. Please, CT, vote him out!

Thanks for commenting

Jill Miller Zimon — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:18:58 -0600

Hey Oengus - glad to see you joined here.

I think you're right to say that people who work both sides shouldn't be discounted, but I do agree with others that the boundaries of loyalty sure got a workout from Lieberman. On the other hand, I have been a staunch supporter that no one should be ridiculed or shunned because they have friends who might have wildly different beliefs than we do. So - I need to stand by that, I suppose, and conclude that it's up to the voters in the end.

Jill
Writes Like She Talks

He makes the Dems look bad

Hatchet — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:57:46 -0600

The problem I have with keeping Joe is this: keeping him makes the Dems look weak. If we can't clean up our own house and get turncoats like Joe kicked out, then how are we supposed to do anything truly important like pass legislation?! Also, if Joe is that last vote needed, assuming the Dems all vote in a bloc (which they NEVER do), then perhaps that legislation isn't good enough?

The Dems need moderate Repubs to work with them in Congress. Both sides actually Need one another. They always have, they always will. It's the reality of politics. Not everyone thinks alike and they shouldn't. The main problem the Dems have is that because we're all individual thinkers, we can't actually vote lock step (Unlike the Repubs). However, keeping Joe for just that one extra vote seems like a waste of our time. Joe has shown his colors repeatedly. Why is Reid willing to keep putting up with him? Kick him to the curb already!

I have to agree and think

Oengus1963 — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:24:51 -0600

I have to agree and think that his roles and position in his chair are important considerations.

What are root causes of radical fundamentalisms? What legislation comes across the committee? What threats exist as that is what his chair is all about, that and the legislation related to national security.

What committees do and how they operate and who chairs them…

http://lieberman.senate.gov/about/committees.cfm

Lieberman is not that outside of the parties positions, neither is McCain for that matter. For Lieberman to support McCain probably only made sense to the two of them, moderates attempting to stick together?

The campaign is over and the real matters should be dealt with as real matters, not political matters, Lieberman is not going to undermine a process, neither will McCain and if they do then these instances should be looked at with less partisan perceptions. Do not discount those that work both sides of the aisle particularly the ones that have been doing it for decades.

Impotent

Jill Miller Zimon — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:21:41 -0600

In some ways, doesn't it almost feel as though he has made himself completely irrelevant, in trying to BE relevant? As though he's impotent now - maybe we'll have to wait to see how he functions in his chairmanship to really know for sure what impact if any his being the chair will make on anything. But it just feels like all the air has gone out of this one - we're all fatigued of him I think and it was almost more a test of the leadership than anything else, even though it seems like that shouldn't have been the case.

Jill
Writes Like She Talks

I know it's cliche, but...

Tacomamama — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:00:48 -0600

..."keep your friends close and your enemies closer." I am sick of his antics and would like him to go away, but objectively it's probably a good idea to keep him right where the democratic party can see him. At least as long as he remains in office.

Tacoma Mama

Same page

Jill Miller Zimon — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:54:15 -0600

I'm totally on the same page - I think making people face the people they've walked away from or hurt or crossed is far more challenging than banishment, esp. when the voters can have the ultimate say. I don't see how his staying on actually hurts anyone anymore than he has already hurt anybody, if in fact has has (and given that Obama won, it's hard to see the damage).

On the other hand, it would be naive for me to think that the whole ricochet that he's gone through hasn't impacted us at all - but honestly, I feel like whatever impact it had has been temporary and that he will ultimately be the one to feel the consequences of his choices. I know as a parent, that's what I'm always trying to teach my kids. Amazing that I'm talking about Lieberman in that way!! Oy.

Thanks for the contribution - and nice new photo of you, yeah??!

Jill
Writes Like She Talks

Eating Crow at the Winner's Table

Lovebabz — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:29:22 -0600

He has to sit in a Chair that the DEMS so graciously allow him to sit in. He has to live with that fact everyday.

Come on, He has to sit in the chair that the winning team holds out for him. You know Homeland is going to change in scope and authority and he will have to MAKE those changes.

It will serve the DEMS in the long run, because Lieberman has already shown us who he really is. So now he has new masters to serve. And he will skip, jump and sing to a new tune...and he will.

Eating crow at the table of those you deserted is just desserts indeed.

Be loving & Be in LOVE

Maybe We Can Put The "Bradley Effect" To Rest

Megan Smith — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:24:54 -0600

Hi Michelle,

After Obama's win maybe now we can put the whole idea of the "Bradley Effect" to rest.

You're right, the McCain campaign was responsible for picking Palin in the first place and they should bear the burden for making such a bad choice.

As far as her performance during the debate, I think she benefited greatly from the pre-debate lowering of expectations. I'm also not sure why more people didn't call her out for the ridiculous winking at the camera she did during the debate. I have a feeling it was so bizzare, the pundits didn't even know how to criticize it, so they just left it alone.

Megan

BlogHer CE, TV/Online Video

My Personal Blog: Megan's Minute

I Posted The Night Before Election Day

Megan Smith — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:16:52 -0600

Hi Jill,

You might have missed the post because I posted the night before Election Day and you, like so many others, might have been a little busy around that time. :)

I thought the video clip linked to in Eric Deggans article was particularly good act showing some of what went on during the campaign.

Megan

BlogHer CE, TV/Online Video

My Personal Blog: Megan's Minute

Partly A Desperate Competition For Ratings

Megan Smith — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:08:58 -0600

Hi Kim,

I think a lot of the hyperventilating reporting---I'm talking to you Wolf Blitzer---the fast talking, the urgent tones, were an effort to get ratings. Barbara West, for example I think was simply trying to make a national name for herself.

Unfortunately, some of the other stuff, the racist comments, the sexism, the pandering to the audience---I'm talking to you FOX News---was a grab for ratings but also was an actual snapshot of how some of those pundits and guests really felt.

These were white men---for the most part---who saw their grip on power being snatched away by a woman and a black man. It was a new and very uncomfortable feeling for them and their insecurities and biases came out in full force.

On the flip side, so many good and reasonable people of all races and sexes were appalled by the lows, that can only be seen as something positive.

Megan

BlogHer CE, TV/Online Video

My Personal Blog: Megan's Minute

Partly A Desperate Competition For Ratings

Megan Smith — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:08:57 -0600

Hi Kim,

On the flip side, so many good and reasonable people of all races and sexes were appalled by the lows, that can only be seen as something positive.

Megan

BlogHer CE, TV/Online Video

My Personal Blog: Megan's Minute

Bradley effect

Southerngirl — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:05:44 -0600

If I hear about the Bradley effect one more time I am going to SCREAM! That has to be one of the lows for me. There are quite a few Black canidates representing mostly White districts. This alone should have been enough to keep this from being a consistent conversation for the pundits. My other low was Palin's debate performace. Great, back in the game, showing she can hold her own. I was wondering what debate they were watching as my son did better with his second place finish in his 6th grade debate.

The lowest for me is that I do now feel the need to defend Palin. The responsibility for picking a running mate was squarely on John McCain's shoulders. He failed, this failure is not hers to bear alone. That is why canidates are vetted. There is probaly some brillant small town mayor or school board member out there going WTF? That person would have worn her T J Maxx and Marshalls finds on stage, gave great speeches with the chops to back them up and made even me agonize over who to vote for.

Michelle

I blog at http://www.mommycan.blogspot.com/