The Democratic Party needs to listen to Teddy Roosevelt

[jswordy]

"It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly...who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt, 1910

[bluestateguy]

1. On domestic policy yes, on foreign policy no

He was an early 20th century version of a neocon. He would have gone into Iraq without a doubt. Though he was no chickenhawk. He fought at San Juan Hill and he lost a son in the First World War, and volunteered to raise a division of his own for the war, but Woodrow Wilson would not let him.

In any case, I prefer the foreign policy statesmanship and multilateralism of Woodrow Wilson to the belligerence of TR.

[jswordy]

2. It figures!!! How predictable

It figures. You completely overlooked the soul of the quote I posted, and went into a political harangue that had nothing to do with the post

]I REPEAT...THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEEDS TO LISTEN TO TEDDY ROOSEVELT

...and bluestateguy just proved why.

"It's NOT the critic..."

;)

[Old and In the Way]

3. Problem is, we can't get into the arena to do battle.

And the boyking could well use your quote to justify his Iraqi folly.

[vickie]

5. The quote (like TR) is magnificent. It's thrust is about having

the courage of one's convictions. That's the only way to have a prayer at winning. We have to be speak strongly and back up our words with deeds and the strength of our convictions.

This is jswordy's point -- and it should be taken to heart by all of us and all of our office holders. A current example of a Democrat doing this is Eliot Spitzer in his capacity as NY AG (now running for Gov of NY) - he is speaking forcefully, morally and using actions to back up his words. He is one of our shining stars.

[moggie12]

4. Hmmmm, let me think about this

Are you saying the Democratic party should stop bickering internally and take strong stands on principle regardless of the consequences? And that us little folks should stop throwing stones and see what we can do to help out our Party??

From what I've seen, that sounds somewhat improbable.