Dem. Candidates snub the DLC

[cynatnite]

Not a single one of the eight presidential candidates plans to attend the Democratic Leadership Council's summer meeting, a snub that says less about the centrist DLC than it does about a nomination process that rewards candidates who pander to their parties' hardened cores while ignoring everybody else.

"They have tunnel vision," DLC founder Al From said of his fellow Democrats.

From said he has nothing against Clinton's wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, or the other seven Democratic presidential candidates. He even understands why they won't attend the DLC meeting.

But that doesn't make him worry any less about the future of his party.

"Presidents are elected in the middle and they are elected by being bigger than their party. Neither parties' activists alone can elect somebody president," From said in a telephone interview from his Washington office. "Democrats have a long history of nominating people, including people who have lost badly. The challenge for Democrats is to nominate somebody who can win the election."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070725/ap_on_el_pr/snubbing_moderates

I know there are quite a few here who don't like the DLC, but the entire article is worth the time to read.

[xchrom]

1. as well they should. n/t

[LWolf]

2. That's good to hear.

If some of them publicly "divorced" the dlc and had their names taken off of the now "yanked" "New Democrats Directory," I might even consider taking them out of my sigline.

Yes, I know there is at least one candidate in the sig that has already done so, thanks. That one would have to scrap his entire platform and start over to have a chance.

[Hidden Stillness]

3. This is Wonderful!

Despite the typical, but unbelievably outrageous stupidity and dishonest slant of the writing--"a snub that says less about the centrist DLC," "a nomination process that rewards candidates who pander to their parties' hardened cores while ignoring everybody else"; (do these operatives posing as reporters have no sense of decency at all, or at least a sense of embarrassment?)--this is still a wonderful and hopeful story that deserves a little more attention. Finally; I think the official Party has turned a corner, and is now being forced to direct themselves to the American citizenry, and away from the Republican "D"LC and its corporate lobbying firm...I hope. Still, a nice story.

[sandnsea]

4. Oh, Bill will be there, not to worry

"Today, the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) announced that Former President Bill Clinton will address the 2007 DLC National Conversation in Nashville, Tennessee. President Clinton was chair of the DLC from 1990 to 1991, when he resigned his position to launch his successful run for the presidency."

http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=85&subid=108&contentid=254400

[shadowknows69]

5. "They have tunnel vision?"

Coming from the myopic DLC that's almost a compliment.