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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Rude Pundit: Democrats Once Again Put on Their Coward Pants (With Exceptions)
Look, you can cavil all you want about Kentucky Democratic Senate nominee Alison Lundergan Grimes's refusal to answer whether or not she voted for Barack Obama. You can sit there all self-satisfied and pat yourself on the fuckin' back that you support the sanctity of the secret ballot and that, really, it's not all that important that she answer. You can pretend all you want that Grimes is correct to stand on principle or that, if she said that she voted for Obama, it would be used in attack ads endlessly by that unrepentant, smug cuntface, Mitch McConnell. You know that it's far, far more important that McConnell refuses to say if he thinks climate change is human-caused or that Kynect, Kentucky's Obamacare exchange, would be harmed if you got rid of Obamacare, something the governor of Kentucky ripped McConnell for. That's shit that affects the daily lives of Kentuckians, not what Grimes did in a voting booth.
But you know in your heart of hearts that what you're really thinking is "Oh, fuck, Grimes, just fucking answer the motherfucking question." Because, see, you know what else makes a good ad? Grimes hemming and hawing about her vote, looking like she just got caught drinking milk out of the gallon jug. And you know that that's what's gonna get the headline after a debate because the media isn't allowed to say that climate change is real and that you're a goddamn moron or a lying sack of shit if you say otherwise.
Nearly every election, we've gotta go through this. We gotta watch as Democrats desperately try to portray themselves as salt-of-the-earth right-wingers (cue the ads of Democrats shooting shit). This time around, like in 2010 and 2014, we get to see them do the distancing dance, saying that they're not nigger-lovers, oh, no. They're "Clinton Democrats," as Grimes and others have called themselves, which is one of the most bullshit, racist phrases the Rude Pundit's seen since "urban youth." Once more, we're watching Democrats try to appeal to the yahoos when they should just rip the heads off their opponents and use the head to suck them off or eat them out like a fuck puppet.
And then, if someone does put out an ass-kicker of an ad, Democratic pussies run away, acting like their delicate sensibilities were just offended. Take, for instance, Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis's ad against her wheelchair-bound opponent, the odious scum-eater, Greg Abbott. In "Justice," we see an empty wheelchair as a serious narrator tells us that Abbott sued the fuck out of someone whose tree fell on him and won millions of dollars and then, as a lawyer, fought against others receiving compensation for their injuries.
Yeah, Abbott's that special kind of hypocritical bastard, one who loves the taste of the sweat and tears of others: he speaks out against lawyers who try to get money for their injured clients.
So while Abbott gets to roll away from the substance of the ad, Davis gets excoriated. The Houston Chronicle called it "hamfisted" and "glib," while acknowledging that it brings up issues worth discussing. But discuss them? Fuck no. Wendy Davis did something mean. On MSNBC, Mika Brzezinski pointed her tits of outrage at Davis and fired. Andrea Mitchell went after Davis on her show That Thing with Andrea Mitchell, You Know, It's on MSNBC Around Lunch.
Davis is losing, so you could call it a "hail Mary," but it's a gut punch. Why are we not getting ads from Grimes saying that McConnell will take away people's health insurance? Is it because it will force Grimes to mention the-Negro-who-shall-not-be-named?
The other ad that's been causing a stir lately is from the Agenda Project (tip o' the hat to rude reader Jim on this one). It's a bad-ass motherfucker of one-minute thing that says Republican budget cuts to the CDC and NIH have fucked over the United States's ability to respond to a potential Ebola crisis.
GOP Chair Reince Prepubescent is stompin' mad about it. It's being spun that the ad "blames Republicans" for Ebola. No, that's not what it does. It says that if shit goes south, guess who held the purse strings tight?
The failure of Democrats to show that Republicans would take away health care from millions of people and are responsible for our crumbling infrastructure and slow jobs recovery is a failure of imagination, messaging, and leadership. It's cowardice, purely and simply, and it's once again allowed Republicans to set the rules of engagement. Texas could have used a leader for the 21st century, not the mid-20th.
Well, the only comfort otherwise is that it's not like the Senate will get any less done if it does go Republican.
http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2014/10/democrats.html
TDale313
(7,820 posts)So tired of Dems cowering.
PatrynXX
(5,668 posts)is Obama. so one sure fire way to lose is to run away from him. X_X
course Republicans are in the tank.. basically I figure they've given up if they deny obama.
6000eliot
(5,643 posts)Tommymac
(7,263 posts)Have ya watched Rachel? Did ya see where the Thurd Way and Hillary campaign strategists are planning to run against Obama in '16?
Until we get the money out of politics - we will not have true representation for The People.
Major Hogwash
(17,656 posts)Ever since about 1978, starting when President Carter was in the White House.
Go ahead and try to tell me that I am wrong, but it has been obvious for a long time that the media is in cahoots with the Republican party.
They have been for decades.
Grimes could no more control what Chuck Todd said about her last weekend on his television program, "Meet the Press", as she could control the sun's path while it travels along the elliptic.
And then of course, there is the infamous Citizens United decision from a few years ago.
No, there is no way that will change anytime soon.
Candidates have always been allowed to run ads telling lies about their opponent.
It's called political speech, and it can not be hindered because of the 1st amendment.
Political speech is in a special class of free speech, and it enjoys total protection from any kind of censorship.
But now, after the Supreme Court's CU decision, corporations can buy off political pundits on television, and then the entire political discussion taking place on television leans so far to the right that it falls over on its side.
People in this country used to be able to tell which candidate was better for them without having to read all of the bullshit political analysis done by editors of newspapers, pundits on television, or listening to some rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth, tub-o'-guts fat guy on the radio.
Tommymac
(7,263 posts)Major Hogwash
(17,656 posts)We can't prevent what other people say about our candidates.
We can't control what they say about us Democrats.
That's why President Obama dusted off the shoulders of his suit jacket that one time when he was giving a speech and he mentioned that the Republicans were saying bad things about him.
Things that were untrue.
Things that were crazy.
That's how you handle wild accusations.
Grimes will survive, you'll see.
The ground game is where we, the Democrats, have the advantage in Kentucky.
There's many more of us than there are of them in Kentucky.
Plus, Kentucky is unique among all of the states electing or re-electing Senators this election -- the conservatives that live there are split between supporting an establishment Republican like McConnell, or a whackjob looney Republican like Rand Paul.
I doubt if many of the Republican supporters of Rand Paul will even come out this year to vote, because they have nothing to gain by keeping McConnell in the Senate.
They have very little motivation to go to the election sites this year to cast their votes.
Their man is not in the game.
Plus, on top of that, if McConnell loses, well then, that is when the juicy side of looney Republican politics really gets sizzling, because that would make Rand Paul the senior Senator of Kentucky!
Ta-dah, just like that!!
And that would place Rand Paul in a much better position from which to run for President in 2016, don't chaya know!!
And his followers dream dreamy dreams about ol' Rand Paul being President some day!!
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)Because they are sooooooo stupid.
Proud Public Servant
(2,097 posts)Right on the money. Thanks for posting.
calimary
(81,612 posts)I am just LOVING this guy. He sure speaks for me, and rather loudly!
vlyons
(10,252 posts)It's an insult to women! Calling people "pussies" in place of cowards is no better. What are you, some kind of misogynist? Why do men consider female genitalia to be worthy of insults? I'm really tired of it. It's vulgar, and I guarantee you that such language does not sway women over to your side of the argument. You rant and rave about Grimes' mis-statement getting in the way of the real issues. Well guess what? Your vulgarity gets in the way of me wanting to consider seriously anything you have to say.
If you want to call Grimes a coward, ok do so. Frankly, I hate it when men try to bully me into saying who I voted for. Last I checked, it's a secret ballot. But yes, I agree that Grimes' response was a stumble. More artful responses could have been:
> I'll give you 3 guesses for whom I voted, and the 1st 2 guesses don't count.
> I always vote for the best candidates on the ballot -- Democrats of course!
> I voted for the winner! (my favorite)
mountain grammy
(26,677 posts)"I voted for the winner" I love it! My favorite too.
F4lconF16
(3,747 posts)He's dead on about so many things, and he can be really funny about it. Sadly, his continued use of misogynistic slurs and language is really off-putting, and it's sad that it's acceptable in a progressive forum. I guarantee if he was using racially charged words as casually and consistently as he does sexist ones, he'd get slammed down for it, as he rightly should.
Some of his writing is really, really good. He has some of my favorite pieces. It's unfortunate he hasn't figured out that this isn't part of a schtick, it's just misogyny.
Tommymac
(7,263 posts)Any other response, especially one given tentatively, is going to be spun as spineless, as the OP suggests.
RoverSuswade
(641 posts)He was a right-leaning chain smoking talk-show host. But he earned my respect when an audience member asked him who he was going to vote for (in 1988). He blurted out "I'm voting for Bush." And then he gave reasons. (Which I didn't agree with of course - but he earned my respect).
world wide wally
(21,762 posts)and forth about it with someone. Exactly where is the rule that says "Democrats must act like wimps during political campaigns"?
For God's sake Allison, those Republicans aren't going to vote for you even if you kiss Dick Cheney's ass in public. Your job is to get out voters who think YOU will be a good leader. Don't be so fucking afraid to let people know that you believe in something!...anything!
Same to the rest of you.
zentrum
(9,866 posts)Needa Moment
(56 posts)We have to re-experience the same bullshit every time. where the hell do they get their money grubbing campaign managers from and how come the candidates are not drilled for these time rehashed moments. come on!
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)the first place. Time to move on from this non-issue!
JackHughes
(166 posts)The reason Republicans and the pundit class are so offended by the Wendy Davis ad is because it is true. Nothing offends those people more than reality.
As for Grimes, there's a lot of Democrats who apparently do not understand the concept of "political party."
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)Goddddammmit he knows what he's talking about.
ballyhoo
(2,060 posts)lordsummerisle
(4,651 posts)In a while from the rude one.
whereisjustice
(2,941 posts)Yes, they do. And it's more than words, it's Fracking, Torture, Wall Street, War, Social Security, Job Killing Trade Deals - increasingly Democrats are choosing the wrong side of these issues and defending their behavior as some sort of multilevel chess - you know the kind where we all get fucked over as pawns for the "greater cause" of a permanent power structure which answers only to the rich.
Every year it gets worse. Democratic Party is now exactly 180 degrees out of phase from where they should be.
WHEN CRABS ROAR
(3,813 posts)joeybee12
(56,177 posts)bearssoapbox
(1,408 posts)It doesn't matter how nice the Democrats are, the reTHUGliCONS will kick and stomp them, just, well...
BECAUSE!
Because that's how many of them are.
Because that's how Faux Spews and 24/7 hate radio tells them they should be.
And because they don't give a shit about anyone else but themselves no matter how much it hurts people, the country, or the world.
The Democrats take spells where it seems that they have a spine and a few, a very few, tell it like it is no matter what the right thinks.
We need more with backbone more often.
Not this.
?
Oilwellian
(12,647 posts)It was my signature pic for years. Perhaps I need to put it back up.
whereisjustice
(2,941 posts)d_legendary1
(2,586 posts)Unfortunately all these corporations are in bed together and if anyone wants to fuck with their wallets by writing meaningful legislation then they pull out all the stops to make that person look bad. Remember "Angry Howard Dean?"
bearssoapbox
(1,408 posts)Democrats acting like sane, intelligent people are portrayed by the media as assholes and hounded about it over and over again.
Republicans acting like assholes are portrayed by the media as normal and hardly ever taken to task for their actions or, no matter how crazy sounding, their ideas.
Chathamization
(1,638 posts)that any candidate who doesn't think Reagan's wonderful and Social Security needs to be cut isn't conservative enough for the media, and they'll smear them 24/7.
world wide wally
(21,762 posts)MontyPow
(285 posts)You can't run liberal Democrats in red states. Hell, you can't run Democrats in contested states like Florida.
Get with the program. Only Republicans and Republicans in Democratic clothing can win in red states.
So stop your whining.
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)the oligarchs have free reign. Democrats should stand by their principles and take what comes. By selling out they justify the lack of action by those that won't vote. We will never reestablish our democracy if we continue to kowtow to the conservatives.
MontyPow
(285 posts)My post was all
The Wizard
(12,556 posts)will fall for anything.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,424 posts)if she hadn't voted for Obama - that would be used to paint her as lazy (not voting at all) or a turncoat. People are seriously saying that a Democrat saying she voted, along with the majority of voters, for the Democratic president, would hurt her?
However much she wants to distance herself from Obama, all she has to do is say "look at the jerks the Republicans put forward - a man who had no idea how to deal with a financial crisis, and who chose a quitter for his VP; and then an entitled git who despises 47% of the country for not having a rich father like him".
demwing
(16,916 posts)I wish ignored users were ignored on DU's Home page.
ctsnowman
(1,903 posts)Dont call me Shirley
(10,998 posts)heaven05
(18,124 posts)to me, he's a prune face.
Dont call me Shirley
(10,998 posts)heaven05
(18,124 posts)my bad.
Dont call me Shirley
(10,998 posts)Dont call me Shirley
(10,998 posts)such as who they voted for. What a stupid " gotcha" question to ask Allison. Did they ask Mitch if he voted for Rmoney? Then turn that against him? We need grown up debates, not schoolyard bully debates.
heaven05
(18,124 posts)to describe the current state(last 6 years for me) of our Party. Pretty disappointing what they are doing to Grimes. We still need her in the win column. Ten four on "less done". Great OP! Oh I don't like 'bluedogs' in any respect, yet pragmatically, we need her in the win column. We can try to change her political philosophy LATER.
Response to meegbear (Original post)
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