Reply #69: Poor us. Media victims.

[smoogatz]

Does the fact that the media is in bed with the rightwing mean we can't, or shouldn't, do a better job of defining ourselves, framing the issues, and attacking the opposition? Kerry did reasonably well in the debates, sure--who wouldn't look good in a debate with Bush? (Answer: Al Gore.) But debates alone don't win elections, obviously. And sure, the election was stolen in Ohio. But as I've said above, it never should have been close enough to steal. I am an ardent Roosevelt/Kennedy Democrat, and I gave money to both the Dean and Kerry campaigns in '04. I volunteered for Kerry in the days preceeding the election. I proselytized shamelessly to my students. But, much as I wanted to feel real enthusiasm for Kerry, I couldn't get past the feeling that he was forever talking out of both sides of his mouth. If I--ardent Democrat that I am--was disappointed by Kerry's apparent desire to be on both sides of every issue, imagine how Reagan Democrats and independents must have felt. It's great that we're united in our distaste for Bushco, but I think we need to demand much more of our leadership than we've gotten in the last two elections.