An Open Apology to Dem Strategist

[Kahuna]

Dear Dem Strategist:

Even though I gave you a hard time when you encouraged DUers to contact the media (because we've been doing that relently for 4 years), it was a timely reminder to keep up the media pressure. So, since your suggestion, I have resumed sending emails to the media.(even though I gave you a hard time. :D )

Some DUers came up with some good evidence linking the bushies to the Swift Boat Vets and a lot of us spent the day making media contacts that has made an impact on the Swift Boat Vets story, to our advantage.

So I want to give you your props for lighting a fire under us. It has made a difference.

Here's to you and to the fabulous DUers who went the extra mile and made a difference. :toast:

[slinkerwink]

1. ha, you say that now that he's gone...

go figure.

[Kahuna]

4. At least I know when to admit when I'm wrong.

Try it sometime.

[JI7]

5. he/she did say they will check in from time to time

[dmr]

9. I applaud anyone who extends an olive branch

Your comment was completely unnecessary and rude.

[madmax]

2. You're a mensch, Kahuna.

:hug:

Hear that Dem Strategist?

[TheDonkey]

3. True hero here is the DUers who made it happen!

Thank you all so much.
DU is a force to be reckoned with but only because the dedicated media hounds we have in our presence.

[Kahuna]

11. I agree 100%. I have given them their props in this thread and in

many other threads throughout the day. My props to DS is only in making me get off my butt and continue to pound the media.

[grasswire]

6. I respectfully disagree with your message

The stories that surfaced today were dug out by NETIZENS.

NETIZENS.

The people summarily and regularly dismissed as hotheads and hand wringers. The people who don't quite know as much as Beltway strategists.

The paid strategist was wrong. He/she should have LISTENED instead of trying to pin a busywork task on web dems.

From Josh Marshall to Atrios to Digby to DU to other bloggers and to all the posters --- the day was won by NETIZENS.

Hip, hip, hooray!

[DemBones DemBones]

10. DS may have encouraged some people to make more

media contacts. But you're right otherwise. (And maybe Kahuna is being a little sardonic?)

[KoKo]

27. I kind of agree with you. Dem_Strategist talked down to folks here, as

if we hadn't been working our butts off faxing, phoning and sending letters to the FCC Chairman (part of the movement which got Congress to halt more dereg) and working in campaigns to change the media.

I gave a pass to Dem_Strategist because of his/her "attitude" about us.
Just MHO.. They didn't seem to be believable to me that they knew what they were talking about. :shrug:

[volosong]

7. That's Great

I for one am glad that you are continuing the media attack.

The fact that you have been doing it for 4 years is laudable, but circumstances are totally different now as issues are coming to a vortex making media pressure much more likely to succeed.

[redstateblues]

8. The numbers have increased significantly- I rarely fired off

e-mails or letters til I connceted with DU. I truly believe we have have had an effect on Chris Matthews by staying on him. His ratings are up if anyone hadn't noticed.

[WilliamPitt]

12. Better late than never, I guess.

[Kahuna]

14. Don't get me started. I'm being gracious here. I'll just leave it at that

nt

[WilliamPitt]

15. Congratulations

[AmerDem]

19. PSSST

Please get started loud mouth! i'm game!!!

[GalleryGod]

17. Hi,Sir Will! Back from NYC!

Where the People of NYC...have collectively decided to "Git outta Town" whilst the Roaches Infest the Big Apple.:nopity:

[polmaven]

44. I always thought

it was WORMS that infested Apples!

[AuntPatsy]

13. You have to give Chris

his due, I've been watching that little interview replayed quite a few times today and enjoy it just as much as the first. But he got me back on track with his style when he stood firm against Oneill and then Thurlow...I Haven't enjoyed politics this much since 99

[troublemaker]

16. Dem Strategist, we hardly knew ye

Don't worry Kahuna. Dem Strategist isn't gone. Dem Strategist lives on in the hopeful smile of every child yearning for a brighter tomorrow.

Dem Strategist was something less than a god, but so much more than a man.

When you walk through a storm
Keep your chin up high
And don't be afraid of the dark.
At he end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark.

Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown.

Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never walk alone.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

32. I found this message from DS, in an old shoe box out in the barn

If there was a law, they was workin' with maybe we could take it, but it ain't the law. They're workin' away our spirits, tryin' to make us cringe and crawl, takin' away our decency.

I been thinking about us, too, about our people living like pigs and good rich land layin' fallow. Or maybe one guy with a million acres and a hundred thousand farmers starvin'. And I been wonderin' if all our folks got together and yelled ...

They'd drag me anyways. Sooner or later they'll get me one way or another. Till then ...Just, as long as I'm an outlaw anyways, maybe I can do something, just find out somethin', just scrounge around and maybe find out what it is that's wrong and see if they ain't somethin' that can be done about it. I ain't thought it out that clear, Ma. I can't. I don't know enough.

I'll be all around in the dark - I'll be everywhere. Wherever you can look - wherever there's a fight, so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there. I'll be there in the way guys yell when they're mad. I'll be there in the way kids laugh when they're hungry and they know supper's ready, and when people are eatin' the stuff they raise and livin' in the houses they built - I'll be there, too.

:grouphug:

[librechik]

33. seems to me Tom Joad would have been skeptical of Dem Strat

as I was. It was good entertainment though--I loved reading the threads!
Highly revealing of the groupthink up at DNC central.

[AmerDem]

18. Some of you people here KILL me!!!

I just love they way you state.."sorry i gave you a hard time"...then LOL bahaha it was so so funny. Hardly, you had someone come here with nothing but good intention and then people like yourself harp on the person over and over about issues that were more an ego trip on your part then what Dem_strat said. You see, Dem_Strat very rarely shows up here anymore because they feel there was too much animosity being generated..all because of chuckling (LOL LOL) people like you!

If it were me personally you were addressing after behaving like you did, id'e tell you to take your apology and shove it! Pathetic Truly Pathetic!:puke:

[Malva Zebrina]

20. oh please

in the time I have been reading DU for the past couple of years, I have seen more than a few repentant whiney apologies posted by the very posters who are being sarcastic to Kahuna here. And they were not as graciously done--

sheesh--it is funny almost.

People were attacked for being hand wringers and were attacked for being harmful to the KErry cause--honest posters were being villified and harm was done to them and it turned out, lo and behold, many strategists amongst the Democrats were saying the same thing--and it turned out the Kerry finally did what the hand wringers were pleading for him to do and it turned out that not another word against the hand wringers whose analysis turned out to be correct has been heard.

If anything, these persons who were attacked need to receive an apology from the bloviators who were telling them to shut up.

sheesh--it is funny almost.

[AmerDem]

21. get this thru your head

Dem_strat did not I repeat did not come here and say do things this way or no way at all! They came here to give their take on things and to SUGGEST ideas they felt would be beneficial to the campaign.

It was the narrow minded and ego driven agenda of these arm chair strategists that made mountains out of ant hills!

[Malva Zebrina]

22. and get this through your head

this thread is about the apology and the subsequent villifying of another poster.

You are carrying on a grudge and cannot let go of it

Let go of it.

People here who are the most vocal, are the people who have done exactly the same thing in the past as Kahuna has done and the following day apologize with their sodden tail between their legs and did not do so as gracefully as this poster.

It is hypocrisy , trite and vengeful

Drop it

[AmerDem]

23. no grudge ...

stating what events led up to this so called heart felt apology. speaks for itself.

[Malva Zebrina]

24. just take it for what it is ? How does that sound?

Beating a dead horse does nothing

[AmerDem]

25. ok we are at a point where

you are doing your damnedist to get the last word in. My case is made.

[Myrina]

26. Bingo, and thank you Marianne

for calling it like it is.

:hi:

[AmerDem]

30. hey , since Dem_Strat hardly shows up anymore...

Why haven't we heard anymore suggestions from you arm chair strategists on what Kerry needs to do to help his campaign? HMMMM, it's funny how all the suggestions stopped once there was no one with professional strategist experience for you people to polish and compare your talents (*cough*) against!

What a farce!:puke:

[Kahuna]

31. Hmmmm. Could it be because the campaign is doing what

we "armchair strategists" suggested??? Ya think! :eyes: What we wanted for him to do it hit the bushies NOW and HARD. That's what they're doing.

[AmerDem]

35. There is nothing more being done now then they

have been doing. I guess the only fault they could have at this point is they haven't contacted you for the ok.

[Kahuna]

29. Here Here!

:D

[Kahuna]

28. You still don't get it. But that doesn't surprise me so I won't waste

another moment trying to explain it to you. Because if I did, it would ruin the purpose of this thread. The purpose of this post wasn't to say, oh great Dem Strategist with your infinate wisdom come back and lead us. That's not the point. Try to find it. It's there.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

34. Kahuna, don't let the sarcasm bring you down.

Personally speaking, I flew "under the radar" of most of the DS stuff while he / she posted here. I read the first few posts and it just wasn't something that grabbed me. And please realize that when you get frustrated and say that you "won't waste another moment trying to explain" your point of view, you're only cheating yourself. When you say "That's not the point. Try to find it. It's there," some people...but not all people...might react by saying "no thanks."

So I re-read your original post, and with all due respect...and in an attempt to respond to you in a mature manner...these are my observations:

1). "encouraged DUers to contact the media" (I contact the media without the encouragement of DS)

2). "Some DUers came up with some good evidence linking the bushies to the Swift Boat Vets" (Yes, true, and whatever I contributed to this effort I did because I believe George Bush cannot have a second term in office. Whatever "evidence" I have posted is the result of my own conscience and inner compass based on "right" and "wrong" and not the result of DS posts on DU).

3). "I want to give you your props for lighting a fire under us" (Great. Admirable. DS lit a fire under YOU. DS did not light a fire under ME. When you post an "open apology" on DU, when you use the word "us," anyone who does not consider themselves to be a part of "us" is gonna step up and let you know that. You speak for Kahuna. As long as you do that, I believe most people will respect that).

4). "It has made a difference." (Great. Once again, if it made a difference for you, DS is to be commended. If it made a difference for others, all the better. It made no difference for me. Others on DU may share that opinion, or they may not).

Perhaps, in my own short-sightedness, I allowed myself to be short-changed when it came to the DS experience. Perhaps I didn't. All I know is that if you are genuinely committed to making a difference you stick around until the difference is made..."this just didn't work" just doesn't work for me, you know?

Just my personal opinion. I admire and respect your willingness to post your thoughts.

B_E_B

:toast:

[Kahuna]

39. You are correct. I should not have said, "us." I meant only to

speak for myself. :D My bad.

[AmerDem]

36. No one has ever said that or behaved that way

It's just your paranoia! Really, you are paranoid!

[Kahuna]

40. Umm. Still practicing armchair psychology.

I thought you had given it up since last week when you made a fool out of yourself.

[AmerDem]

46. you are parnoid!

Seriously look into it. Everything you have brought up here in the defense of your behavior towards Dem_Strat never happened.

[Kahuna]

47. You are a stalker.

Seriously, look into it. And furthermore, what defense of what behavior to DS? When did I say I needed to defend my behaviour???? Duh? You need stop trying to read things into matters that 1) don't concern you, 2) are none of your business, and 3) that you can never understand until you mature a few years down the road.

[AmerDem]

48. prozac

nuff said

[madfloridian]

37. DUers have been doing such research, and reporters have been reading here.

This was going on long before DS came here. Many reacted the way they did because of one reason......they did not want any more spin.

I appreciate your apology, but I don't think a lot of us need to apologize at all.

We want the truth from the party, not just strategy and spin. There is just too much at stake now.

There are many intelligent people here who feel that we don't need to be told how the party or campaign will handle things. This triangulation stuff is causing my head to spin, and it is tiring.

I think that the research has gone on so long here that it caught a lot of people off guard to be asked to stand up to the media. We have been doing that. There has been a fire here, and it used to be against the war. We did wonderful research on that Iraq invasion. There were and are overseas folks who contributed and some still do. They shared things we seldom see here in our news.

I guess it was just too much to be asked to do the things we are already doing, and to realize the party was really unaware of what has been done here and at Bartcop and other sites.

[Kahuna]

41. Really, the point of my apology was only to thank DS for making me

personally start back sending emails. I agree with a lot of you about your criticisms. Trust me. I was only trying to be gracious in one small regard. I promise to never be gracious again. :D It didn't go over so well. LOL. If I were to rehash my earlier criticisms it would undo the purpose of my thread. But if somebody starts another thread, I'll be glad to stick by some of my earlier criticisms. Alas though, since D.S. has fled, I don't really see the point of that.

[madfloridian]

42. I saw your point. Please keep on being gracious.

I was not critical of you...just standing up for my own stance. I got blasted out of the water by some.
:-)

[KoKo]

50. Actually, on the "goodbye thread" Dem_Strategist said they would check

in with us. They were sorry their efforts hadn't worked out here. Although most of us have been onto what they requested since "Selection 2000, I guess Dem_Strategist wasn't made aware of that before coming here and suggesting tasks we might want to involve ourselves in. :shrug:

Glad to know they will spend a little time here lurking, though. Maybe what many of us do here, will seem more worthwhile at a distance.

[KoKo]

49. Well said, madflouridian. That was exactly my problem with Dem_Strategist

but I never said so on any thread when they were here. So, now I guess it sounds like I'm trashing them behind their back...but I found their posts offensive (given our many DU media efforts), and read them and moved along for just the reasons you stated and as I stated in my post in reply to "grasswire" above on this thread.

Dem_Strategist was "talking down to us." I didn't know who they were but their condescention was annoying. :shrug: MHO..

[never cry wolf]

38. Cheezus, I take Friday off for a golf outing and see what you kids did?

I guess I just can't leave you home alone anymore.

I had to do a search to find out what happened, and I didn't even get to say goodbye and good luck. Wish it would have worked out.

[swag]

43. Mods, I commend this thread (with a big rock tied to it) to the Lounge

[H2O Man]

45. Wow!

I thought that the last few "Plame Threads" were severe, but you folks give them a run for the money.

[rumguy]

51. Could someone explain to me why DS was so controversial?

I understand he may have been condescending. But what specifically did he say that was so?