Reply #14: Yes we do...

[ConservativeDemocrat]

And I'm glad you acknowledge that.

The division between us (and strong-left vs DLC generally) isn't issue based. It's tone. And rest assured, we do disagree on that.

To win, Democrats need to persuade people who voted for Bush to vote Democratic next time. Calling them stupid or evil for voting for Bush doesn't accomplish that. Neither does focusing on Bush personally. (In three years the man will be gone, and the GOP will put up someone else who will pretend he's not exactly the same.)

And certainly, neither does using strong rhetoric that can be distorted by the almost-entirely-Republican-owned media.

Funny enough, I supported Howard Dean very early in the primaries, sending him a not-insignificant check. His positions - pro balanced budgets, willing to use the military to defend our national interest (he was one of the few Democrats for Bush Sr's defense of Kuwait), a strong record of efficient government, match my own almost perfectly. The problem was that the man simply didn't understand the degree to which Democrat statements will be picked over to look as scary and extremist as possible.

This happens again and again. Al Gore's "Earth Tones". The "Dean Scream" (gasp! he YELLED at a Pep rally!). So even though he's a lot more liberal than I'd like, Kerry won my heart when he presented such a small target to the GOP that the press had to attack him for being a Vietnam war hero.

And the truth is that he did amazingly well. Knocking off a sitting President in Wartime is no mean feat. (I don't believe it's ever been done in the history of this country.) Yet Kerry came within a hair of actually doing it.

Which is why I'll probably end up supporting him in the primary next time. I can't count the number of independents I know who are having buyer's remorse on Bush right now. The only way the GOP can win is if they can find a new fat target to lie about. But Kerry's inoculated, and that means more to me than the fact that I think Clinton's pro-"liberal business" policies were much better than his will be.

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community