I have been up since 3:00 AM managing a product launch for my company and I'm blotto. I took a few minutes while trying to come down off the adrenaline buzz to read a few blogs and see what was on people's minds. This post is written on an incredible sugar & caffeine high and on only three hours of sleep. I'll try for something more coherent another day.
What I see is that something I've been blogging about since the 2006 electoral cycle (go read some of my archive posts and see) has finally sunk in - the unifying principle of netroots places like Daily Kos, FDL, TPM and HuffPo *is* destroying the Clintons as political actors in this country. Whatever they may have started out to do, this is what they have become.
What is more, as BTD at TalkLeft has been discussing over the last few weeks, these people have jackshit zero loyalty to the Democratic Party, even as they try to seize control of the power (and money, never forget the money) structure of the organization. If the party will not join them in political fratricide against some of the most loyal of party loyalists, then they will gladly destroy the party.
These are the same people who trashed Obama as part of the Clinton/DLC cabal in 2006. Was there a lick of truth in their words about him then? No. Is there any greater honesty in their adulation of the Precious now? Ha! They like Obama for the same reason Karl Rove likes the guy - he's their Clinton killer. Edwards didn't do it, so chuck that loser and his diseased wife (how dare she say anything nice about Hitlery! Just shows Elizabeth was always a pandering bitch...) over the side 'cuz now we got us some real ammo against those miserable HillBillies, yessiree Bob!
One of the reasons I refuse to relinquish the Democratic Party to these nasty little bastards is because they have nothing planned for the party except to use it as a tool for acting out their resentment and infantile rage. They don't even have the coherence of the Movement Conservatives who sure as shit know how to leverage power, even if it is in the pursuit of evil. This is why I named the netroots Jacobins, not democrats or liberals. As shown by their willingness to throw everything they allegedly stand for (health care, social security, defending the working class, intelligent economic policy) out the window for the chance to act out their tribal obsessions (Hmm, isn't that what Obama and his defenders accuse ethnic white voters of doing, even when those voters are choosing a candidate who will best benefit their material interests?), these cultural elitists show their stripes. As I've said before, they can afford to vote their pique and not their pocketbook, since they do just fine under Republican regimes.
These people are the Left's mirror image of the Movement Conservatives, not their opponents. They divide the Left for their own emotional satisfaction, and regard the party rank and file as internal enemies. And, like adolescent narcissists everywhere, they will blame their inevitable defeats on those who tried to counsel political wisdom.
Anglachel
20 comments:
Good luck on your project Anglachel.
These Obamabots have finally gone batshit crazy. They are on a witch hunt and plan to have the head of anyone who even questions their messiah. We are seeing that now with the attacks on Stephanopoulis and Charlie Gibson, the only journalists so far who had the guts to ask Obama the tough questions that will inevitably come up in the general election if Obama is the nominee. It only took 20 debates. Clinton might be staying in the race for herself but she is also saving the Democratic Party from total destruction. She knows as well as we do that Obama is an amateur who won't be able to handle the Republican Attack Machine right now. She was being nice when she said that she believed Obama could defeat McCain. What else was she supposed to say? His performance last night speaks for itself. If he can't answer these simple questions right now without being defensive how is he going to handle McCain, the 527s, FOX and the rest of the media who will turn against him in the general? I've said this before but I think the only way we can defeat the Jacobins on the net and the party elites is to just let Obama self destruct in the general against McCain. If it wasn't for the fact that Hillary is the best Dem candidate we've had since Bill I wouldn't give a shit about whether Obama got the nomination at this point because I know that he will lose. I wonder what Dean, Kennedy, Kerry, Pelosi and the superdelegates are thinking right now.
So after I posted a comment on your blog I read this on No Quarter. I guess this answers my questions about how Dean must feel right now:
Howard Dean Can't Take the Suspense
http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/04/17/howard-dean-cant-take-the-suspense/
So after Obama's horrible performance last night, Dean just wants to help him seal the deal once and for all rather than give Democrats a chance to vote for Hillary or have their votes count in MI and FL. What a wimp. He should resign.
Anglachel and cutpeach: The handwriting is finally appearing on the wall---maybe. The Obama Nation and its king have an incredible capacity to manipulate messages and turn reality upside down and inside out so I can't tell what the damage or lack of is at this point. I think we will begin to really know April 22 in PA. But I do know Anglachel that you are absolutely ON IT when you say the raison de etre for the DKos et al blog attacks and relentless mean messaging is to kill off the Clintons. The parallel with the ultra conservative right wing and even the Jacobins is there (Jacobins may be a little over the top but they are getting there). I have tried to think through why there is such utter and complete hate for the Clintons from these people and I can not fathom it. What is interesting is that these two political universes who probably see themselves as polar opposites are united in this Clinton Crusade to the death. It goes beyond the Monica thing or the impeachment or Whiteater, Rose law firm etc. It is something deeper than that. On the Dem side I think you have come close in talking about the class divide; the intellectual, inbred elitism of a certain class of the party. It is Wilsonian perhaps in its historical roots and just as prissy, condescending, preachy and divisive as Wilson. Thanks for putting this out here for us to chew on and try to get our brains around it. Perhaps they could start a new party pulling together their fringe coalitions. I would be happy to donate to their going to another place.
I have just logged out of MyDD for the last time. Jonathan's last post put me over the edge - and the comments were unbelievable.
I will vote for Hillary under all circumstances. Whether as the Dem nominee or as a write-in. Never for BO. Never.
They want this country. They can have it. And in 4 years we will be forced to face the horror that is left.
Sad. So sad.
Leave Barrack Obama Alone
Funny video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khh5eBFDI04
And did you think about the SNL skit watching the debate about Bush a few years ago....
Poor Barrack, working hard, have to work Saturdays, have to answer questions, why won't Hillary just leave me alone, I hate Hillary, she's just like my mother, I am the ONE, Why can't Hillary see that, So what if I have been caught in a lie, they can't make me appologize, they can't make me do anything.
Boy, did you hit this nail on the head. It's not about being a Democrat, it's not about the Democratic Party, it's not even about what's good for the country. It's how big of a celebrity and how much money they can pour into their blog coffers from the unwitting but more than willing robots who flock to them.
For instance, they have whined and cried about the debate because Obama was asked a lot of questions that have to do with his character. And you can bet as he heads into the general election, it's just going to be one big helluva mess. Multiply his very heavy duty baggage by ten and you'll get some idea. It'll be non stop 527's on Rezko, Ayers, bitter gun toting racists, Wright and let's not forget his cocaine admission which is seldom mention.
Not that I would normally care, but I certainly can see the Republicans using it, asking parents one and all if they want a president who broke the law while they paint him is some kind of an addict. Do you really want your kids looking up to a president who abuses drugs? Yeah, that'll be part of it too.
If they really cared about the party or the country they would be begging Obama to drop out now. But they will stay with him to what will be the very bitter end. But it doesn't matter.
They've all lost their credibility a long time ago.
Policy indeed! How dare they whine because there wasn't enough policy discussion. If you go to any of those blogs, you'd be hard pressed to find one damn thing about policy or Obama's plans for the country.
Moi, I prefer calling them Faux-Liberal Manichean Naderitrs. Or sometimes Faux-Liberal Naderite Manicheans. Depends on my mood.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I couldn't agree more. Especially about the intellectual inconsistency of the blogger boyz. And they do intend to use power as a tool to for acting out heir infantile rage. Crashing the Gate reads like a hit list for people Markos intends to pay back when he gets some actual power, because he's perceived they treated him like shit while he was on his way up by not buying into every idea he had hook, line, and sinker.
I started noticing this dynamic in 2004, during the ABC boycott over "Path to 9/11." Americablog called the boycott first, and DK joined in, as well as many others. I joined in myself, as I was outraged that they would air this so close to the election and after geting The Reagans scrubbed from HBOs schedule, but I also thought, I'm going to watch. Less than a week later, without comment, John Aravosis started using ABC links again, and thus ended the boycott of ABC. And thus began my education about what the blogosphere actually was. They don't even talk about it anymore, or at least they didn't until last night.
Anyway, I've been reading you for a few weeks now, thanks to Riverdaughter and her Conflucians. I love what I'm reading. You are able to articulate what I'm thinking in a much calmer manner than I am thinking it. Thanks for that.
Everyone - please go to the tape of Obama's rally in Raliegh NC today where he flips the bird to Hillary Clinton . Talking about the debate - Hillary is in her element - middle finger to the face scratch.
I taught school for 35 years. Make no mistake - I know when some wiseass is giving the finger.
Check it out.
DESPICABLE.
SAS: you're right! Barack Obama is so ridiculous that it's hard to believe he has gotten to this position.
I love you, Anglachel and want to have your baby (except I think 2 is my limit and I've reached it and besides, you probabaly don't produce the ccomplementary gametes but I digress)
Seriously, your posts are exemplary in breadth and knowledge. And as a Tolkien fan, we are kindred spirits. I haven't done fanfic but I love the Tolkien crackpot theories page.
Anyway, I swear I am not a stalker but, to me, you are one of those bloggers who deserves to be pulling in the big bucks. Unfortunately, the Obamanable Knowmen have a lock on that at the moment.
Thanks for being here.
Yours in fellowship,
Riverdaughter
A post this outstanding on short rest is the mark of a real pro.
I've dropped KOS and TPM from my daily routine, have been making very brief stops at Buzzflash for non-campaign story links and will only quickly scan Alterman and am about to drop Atrios. Atrios had several whining posts about the debate and included ABC contact info. This is something he didn't do for Clinton in all past debates when she was being repeatedly savaged.
Anglachel is right. These people have no interest in the Democratic Party and it's been apparent for some time.
I've added your site, Talkleft, Correntewire and the leftcoaster to my daily.
I noted a comment by Shainzona about writing in Hillary Clinton.
Shainzona might be interested in a conversation I had at a county Democratic Party meeting a few nights ago. A fellow Hillary supporter said to me in a low voice (can't really say much out loud in that environment) that the way things were going he wouldn't be able to support the top of the ticket. I told him that I was in the same position and that I would write in Hillary given the opportunity. I have friends and acquaintances who, if necessary, are doing the same.
Shainzona, you have company.
I can't possibly vote for a man I consider to be destructive to the Democratic Party.
Shainzona: I only read Jerome Armstrong on MyDD. He has a lot of good analysis:
http://jerome-armstrong.mydd.com/
sas: I just read up on Obama giving Clinton the finger on several blogs. I don't care if it was intentional or subconscious. It's so incredibly inappropriate and classless for a man running for president. I believe it was intentional. He just lost a ton more Clinton supporters. Anyone who was on the fence as to whether they would vote for Obama or McCain in the general (if Clinton doesn't win the nomination) will vote for McCain after this as well as the Obama cult crying foul about the ABC debate.
Even people who don't follow up on politics or use the internet like my mom is freaked out by these crazies. She won't vote for Obama either. Obama is destroying the party. Seeing that video of Obama giving that vulgar gesture made me so angry I almost felt like screaming and I'm at the library right now.
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/04/obama_fingers_a_gotcha_debate.html
Copy and paste and watch this ...especially at 1:20 and on
If he isn't flipping the bird I don't know squat. And the rest of his comments are horrible. What a crass and passiv e aggressive individual. Not ready for prime time!
Wow, Anglachel, I'm impressed that someone finally just came right out and said it. It's so obvious. Yes, these lunatics really don't give a damn about progressive ideals. They care nothing about what they've been giving lip service to for years. It's all about money and power for them. And it's about destroying the Clintons.
I really can't figure out the why of that. Clinton has often defended the Netroots, while Obama has not. Clinton voted against censoring Move On, while Obama did not. I can even recall back in January Kos saying good things about Clinton. Then suddenly, everything seemed to change and DK became a totally intolerable sewer of the vilest comments, while you couldn't say anything good about Clinton without getting lynched. They seemed to turn on a dime, without Clinton having done anything that would have merited it. I've never been able to figure that out - particularly when I compare the 2 candidates and Clinton is so obviously more qualified and has a far better grasp of how to solve the problems awaiting us. So it can only be about money and power. What else do people trash their principles for? That's one of the reasons I have so much respect for the few blogs that support Clinton, or have managed to stay neutral.
I do think this war is starting to get out there and be talked about. I was watching a little bit of Fox tonight (yes, how weird is that?) and John Kasich on Hannity & Colmes was talking about how the Democratic establishment at this point knew that Obama was unelectable, but will choose him anyway to keep Clinton out. If this is obvious to Fox commentators, then it is out there.
What is so inconceivable is that losing this nomination is going to destroy the party and probably the country, to say nothing of the peril the whole world will be in if nothing is done about global warming the next 8 years. I couldn't be more depressed about what is happening.
you're absolutely right, anglachel. i just wrote a heartbroken letter to gov. dean and removed myself from their mailing list. i told him that i didn't leave the party, the party left me--in order to crown the fraud who hijacked it.
obama is an independence party candidate masquerading as a democrat. it’s actually been something of a relief to arrive at this conclusion, because all of a sudden it makes all of the aberrant crap this season make sense.
it’s particularly contemptible of obama to leech off of the goodwill of the democratic party in this way for his own self-serving amibition. he knows he’d stand a snowball’s chance in hell of winning as an independence party candidate—hence the need to masquerade.
Add this plan of Rove to the mix and things get even clearer about how the Dem Party is being manipulated to nominate BO.
http://www.thecityedition.com/
Pages/Archive/Winter08/2008Election.html
Nance,
I too wrote to Howard Dean who was the gov of my state for many years. Glad to see that others are doing it too.
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