Reply #208: Honest discourse

[Donna Zen]

must be the hallmark of a healthy small "d" democrat. So what does it mean the a-b-c of the question? Is it a veiled negative_a less than forthright tone_hedging and shifting?

It is difficult to know.

Confession: I was not born with word Democrat emblazoned anywhere on my body. Since I chose to join the Democratic party...does that make me "less" of a Democrat? Maybe I should leave the party since it shuns people like me; people who joined the party.

Fit to be president? "Fit" What are the standards? Being dishonest would certainly make one "unfit" but what exactly makes one "fit"? Taking campaign donations for X number of years...smoozing...playing the insiders game?

And the position of president (I hope we can agree to exclude junior's name from any conversation here...turning over rocks to check the temperature of the slime doesn't become us) what are the qualities that make a person ready for that office. Intellectual brilliance...integrity...love of country...a committment to defend and protect the Constitution...an understanding of the issues. Okay?

Worthy? worthy? Sounds like a value judgement...odious things. We can argue for hours and never come to grips with that quip.

Wes Clark is a Democrat, and although his voter's registration date shows 1992, a length of time insufficient for many on this board, before that time he was an independent. BTW, I thought he was an independent all along, but someone has posted the form at DU recently and it would seem that the process in Arkansas is different than my state.

Gene Lyons, who has interviewed and knows many a Democrat, said that he thinks Wes Clark is the most qualified or one of the most qualified people to be president in the US.

You obviously dislike Wes Clark; I do like him. I don't know who you like but I have nothing to say about them unless it would be a policy disagreement. I think Clark is more in-line with my ideals about Democratic policy than many, many, many of the elected Dems. I think he is smarter and has leadership experience. Wes Clark has said things that I have waited my whole life to hear a politician say. In fact, I have never wanted to vote for any candiate more than I wanted to vote for Clark. He is simply an amazing human being.

Now I grew up with a mother who was an elected Democrat for 30 years. So throwing me out of the party doesn't bother me one damn bit. Go ahead! Because I understand what it truly means to be a small "d" and a big "d" Democrat, I'm not afraid of losing what I know to be true. If being a Democrat means you have to boast your ego or your candidates credentials by smearing excellent people, then I'm in the wrong party.