Autoegocrat, whose passionate endorsement of Rosalind Kurita was what inspired me to endorse her, is just as angry as I am over her departure from the race. Not at her, of course, but some of the things that led to it.
I have learned from my sources that EMILY'S LIST would not return her calls. WTF??? So much for the idea that they support progressive women. This kind of bullshit is what led Markos Moulitsas and Jerome Armstrong to write Crashing The Gate, which I have not quite finished.
It's about how the DC-based consultants and Party staff are destroying the Democratic Party from within. This is the kind of bullshit that Howard Dean is fighting by building the state and local parties from the ground up.
Anyway, back to Autoegocrat, with a terrific excerpt:
If I'm Rosalind Kurita, right now I'm asking myself why my own party stabbed me in the back. In actual fact, I am not Rosalind Kurita, but I still have the same question.
Let's be absolutely clear about what just took place here. Rosalind Kurita now becomes the second eminently qualified Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate whose candidacy was torpedoed by Chuck Schumer. First it was Paul Hackett in Ohio, now it's Rosalind Kurita in Tennessee.
Chuck Schumer lives in New York. That yankee rat wouldn't know the Appalachian Trail if he was squatting on it, he wouldn't know the Mississippi River if he was drowning in it, and he wouldn't know a Ripley tomato if one hit him in the face. And yet, that son of a bitch gets to decide who does and does not get money for their campaigns in the Volunteer State.
For the record, my position on Ford stands: I will not vote for an Uncle Tom Democrat, and the day I let some party apparatchik from New York tell me who to vote for is the day I stop being an American. Uncle Junior's got Chuck Schumer's help, so he clearly doesn't need mine.
Damn skippy.
8 comments:
Wow, is the racism and playing the Republican base really necessary?
Senator Kurita made a choice and I respect her for that.
Harold Ford Jr. will be the Democratic nominee this fall and we should all support him.
To continue to try to say that he sides with Republicans all the time and all that stuff does no one any good. It is not true and will not stand.
As Democrats, we need to come together and unite to defeat the Republicans in the fall. Too many people in this state are hurting too bad and need help for a few people to try and divide our party because their person was not the nominee.
So please, just cool off and think about it. I know you are upset, but you are a good Democrat and we need you in this race! I am sure Senator Kurita would agree.
Chris
Racism? Playing the Republican base?
Chris, that is exactly what your candidate is doing. If you think I'm racist, just wait and see what's in store for Ford this fall.
I'll have more to say on this when I get home from work.
I'm not going to go in for strategic voting or being told who to vote for.
How is that not fascism?
Sure, its supposed to be "my" party but it is increasingly just taking my vote for granted or ostracizing me for not wanting to "go along".
Look at how someone is always saying that we should just support them because their D's. BS
I may be a squeak to them but they aren't going to make me vote for Ford.
This is why the Democrats are not going to take the Senate. Voter turnout may be a little higher this year in Memphis because Ford being on the ballot, but I do not think turnout will be higher than in 2002 in genral. People do not think their Parties, Democrat and Republican, represent them. Voters are losing faith that their votes actually matter. Party leaders have always tried to pick the candidates they want to run, the difference is voters recognize this beavior more now than in previous years. Almost 50% of the voting population no longer believes voting and therefore democracy actually works. American democracy is neither healthy nor vibrant and Chuck Schumer is playing a small part in this loss of faith. It is sad to think average people think their votes count more in American Idol than the American political system.
Also, Chris Jackson, I suggest you rein in your condescending comments. Almost everyone who reads this blog is older and have more political experience than you. Most of these readers have had the misfortune of actually being represented by Harold Ford Jr. and his collection of dysfunctional family members. All politics are local and perhaps some people in Shelby county view the loss of Jr in the senate race as a positve development because the Ford machine is weakened and new voices may begin to be heard in the Democratic party. The Ford machine has cost Democrats the control of the Senate because it made us take Ophelia, not to mention the hijinks of John. Memphis is already the whipping post of the rest of the state. The Ford machine has made that even worse. So stop trying to tell us we are irrational for not supporting Ford because you can somehow see the big picture all the way out in Lawrence County. Plus, your words carry no meaning because you are sychophant sniffing the steam off of Jr's piss in hopes of a letter of recomendation or an internship in DC. Are you really so dillusional to think people can't see that from across the state?
Polar Donkey, there is nothing condesending about my comments. I simply asked why was there need to use racial slurs (Uncle Tom) and references to the Congressman's family, as if he can control what they do.
Also, I asked for unity, as we need to come together and win this seat. Kurita had a shot. The majority of the people chose Harold Ford and she saw that. If she would have stayed until August, she would have been beat at least 75-25. I am sorry, that is just the reality.
I the majority of you here do not like Ford, for whatever reason, but I humbly ask that you look at for what he is: a great man of integrity who has a big heart and is working for change in this state and nation.
And just for the record, I may be younger than most the readers here, but that does not mean I am ignorant of political expereince. I am the Vice Chairman of my county's Democratic Party and I will also become a County Commissioner this August, as my filing date passed last Thursday and no one filed against me. So once again, even though I am young, that does not mean I do not know what I am talking about.
I do know that we need everybody's help and vote come this November.
Harold Ford Jr. is right for Tennessee and we must get him to the U.S. Senate!
I have to stand up for Harold. He is a good man. He may not be as liberal as I would like, but then again someone as liberal as I would like would not win a statewide race in Tennessee.
You can say what you want about why Kurita is out, but the fact is that Harold has been getting his ducks in a row on this for years. He's planned this out and has formed relationships with a lot of people. You may think that is undemocratic, I call it politics.
When Kurita decided to run, she knew what she was up against. She might have thought it would end up better, but somehow I doubt it. I think she was getting he name out there for future races. Which is fine. I wish her luck, but she was running against my Congressman who I know to be a good person and who I will support against anybody not named Al Gore.
In the end, it would be great for someone from Memphis to be elected to the U.S. Senate. While I don't think it's likely he could win, that has never stopped me from working for people.
I also ask the same question I asked yesterday. Do you believe Harold would have a better shot if he was more liberal and more partisan? Really?
I don't blame him for planning ahead, for heaven's sakes, I blame the DSCC for taking sides and working AGAINST Kurita.
We'll never know what Ford could have done if he had taken a more progressive tone, because if he does it now, he will be accused of flip-flopping.
Go read Polar donkey's comments in the newest post;THAT sums up why we are SO opposed to him.
Hell, I knew when he ran for Congress that he was going to run for Senate some day, I just never thought he would abandon Democratic values to do it.
It seems like Ford supporters want everyone to come together and unite as long as it means we all come together and unite under Ford as he goes the state trying to convince Tennesseeans that he really isn't a Democrat.
Tell me why I should unite and come together in support of bullshit.
I have an idea. Why don't we all come together and unite and convince Kurita to get back in and be the Democrat that she really was?
Come on, y'all. We need your help and your vote. Whattya say?
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