After further review and agonizing soul-searching (which explains why I didn’t write a diary yesterday), I have decided that I can no longer support Russ Feingold for President. I am well and truly beaten. I did not realize that a twice-divorced candidate would be such a big liability. I fear that it would be such a great liability that we would be beaten even worse than McGovern and Mondale did.
As much as we might agree with Feingold 100% on the issues, he is simply not electable. People want a candidate who represents America, and they would always go for the man who best represents their ideals. This includes having a traditional family. After all, if a man can’t run his family, then how can he run this country?
So now, let me look at the other candidates. First off, I will try Hillary. After all, she is the front-runner, she would be the first woman president, and you would get her husband as well. Oh, wait. I forgot. She is too hysterical and angry. Rove is looking on her with relish, ready to create his magnum opus by unleashing the dogs of war on her.
Next comes John Kerry. After all, he is a true Patriot who served his country well. Furthermore, he did well by almost unseating a sitting President in wartime. Oh, wait — He rambles and flip-flops. People are too scared of him. He says things in 100 words that he could have said in 10. And he was for certain bills before he was against them. So, while his record of public service is impressive, he will never be able to live beyond that moment.
Then comes Mark Warner. After all, he is a brilliant politician and campaigner who is an excellent consensus builder. Oh, wait. He has no foreign policy experience, which is exactly what we need during these troubled times with the Iraq War. I’d better look for someone else.
Then comes Wes Clark. He is one of the greatest generals of modern times and won the Kosovo War in 78 days without the loss of an American life. Oh, wait — he was once a — gulp — Republican. How are we supposed to know he is not a Republican in Democrat’s clothing?
Then comes Jon Edwards. A man with an inspiring story, he has the charm to take it all. In addition, he addresses problems that none of the other candidates do with his anti-poverty initiatives. Oh, wait — he is a lawyer, and everybody knows that he will just serve as an enabler for those who will file frivilous lawsuits. Even if he didn’t, that is a clear image problem.
I guess that all of these people have achilles heels that simply make them totally unelectable. I guess I will just stay home from the polls on election day.
You see what is wrong with what I was just advocating? People come to me all the time and complain that Russ Feingold is unelectable because he was divorced twice. But the same logic can be used to rule out voting for any other candidate. Therefore, if we are going to use such issues as an excuse not to vote for someone, we might as well not vote at all.
And by the way, that argument is nonsense. Everybody said that about Reagan as well.
Great minds think alike.
Thank you! This needed to be said. It’s hard to believe that some would dump Feingold because of personal difficulties.
Voice-over from an anti-Feingold ad: He’s twice divorced and < gasp > Jewish!!! Is this the kind of man we want for our president?
A big fucking yes!!!
The right-wing talking heads will have a field day with this:
Hannity: So Mr. Smith (Who Knows So Little About So Much), you follow the polls, is America ready for a divorced man?? What does this say about family values?
Mr. Smith: Well, Sean, I’ve been divorced a few times…but I don’t think Americans are ready for this. What message does this send to our youngsters, especially those who have signed the abstinence pledge! Sleeping with more than one person; Sean, most Americans won’t vote for this kind of lifestyle.
Hannity: Ok, next topic. I know you have strong opinions about WMDs. Last night, I told my loyal puppydogs that the weapons are hiding in Syria. Do you agree? Oh, I forgot, before you answer that question, I know you’re an expert on child support. Don’t you think men should decide whether they pay child support?
(I’ve been watching too much cable news. It’s like a wreck. You don’t want to look, but you can’t help it…)
Thank you HOpe. I feel like you do…Hell I am divorced twice and I am just as likable as any other person. I do not hold it against him….but I can see where othrs might. It is up to us to see this gets no further than this place..now lets get busy…I like Russ…I really do, unless he has something in his closet that I know nothing about right now.
The problem is, usually these people vote Republican and listen to Emperor Dobson. Hell would freeze over before we got one of these people’s votes.
I don’t support any of those candidates for various reasons, with the exception of Russ. But you forgot one who actually could stand up to the noise machine and who would have an inspirational “what if” marketing campaign behind him… Al Gore.
Lobby to get him in or do stay home or vote for the Republican in GOP clothing (which is that whole list with the exception of Russ).
I think that’s what you meant.
I don’t think Al Gore is going to run, no matter how much people want him to. And I have to say that I’m in favor of the man who’s led the charge against the so-called Patriot Act since its inception, because it’s a big reason why I have any interest in politics in the first place. The fact that he voted against it twice and did his best to organize an opposition makes me feel that if he is elected he’ll do everything he can to dismantle it and put some reasonable anti-terrorism measures into place.
Like — oh, dare I dream? — not provoking people into hating us enough to commit acts of terror in the first place?
Anyway, not what we expect.
yeah, that is what I meant… I was at work and just kept thinking about how much I can’t stand republicans.
Nice stealth attack, Eternal. You had me all in a hissyfit ’til I saw what you were doing. I agree one hundred percent.
Why is it that the Dems worry over this petty shit until they dissolve in frightened tears? The GOP doesn’t. Try your approach with a couple of Republican candidates:
Reagan: divorced, takes his cues from astronomers, wrecked California’s education system, mentally impaired, no experience with anything except B movies and whoring for GE. –Did that stop the GOP? Did it send him down to defeat?
Bush: spoiled rich frat boy who failed at everything he ever tried. Addicted to alcohol and other substances. Former member of satanic cult. AWOL from his military obligations. Brags about not reading anything except kid books. Dumb as dirt. –Did that stop the GOP? Did it send him down to defeat?
The bottom line is, the Dem PTB, unlike the GOP one, can’t seem to function unless it has a charismatic one-of-a-kind phenomenon handed to it on a platter. Feingold can win in a landslide, but first we have to dump the chronic losers who still manage to market themselves as Dem “strategists”.
Being divorced twice should be seen as a positive qualification!.
I think it matters a lot less that he was divorced once, twice, whatever — than how he responds to Republican efforts to make his marital history an issue in the campaign.
No candidate is perfect. That’s never stopped anyone from being elected. It’s how the candidate (and the candidate’s team) answers the allegations, the insinuations, the outright fabrications… that the opposition tries to turn into obstacles. There are a lot of issues that only become obstacles when the candidate allows them to.
Which I guess is the entire point.
Everybody said that about Reagan as well.
Not to mention that he was too old.
BTW, I’ve seen several interviews in which Orson Welles talked about how some of his political connections — he was in with the Roosevelt gang — had tried to persuade him in the forties to run for Senator from his home state of Wisconsin. They thought that with his commanding presence, powerful speaking voice, and liberal convictions, he’d be a natural. Post-Reagan, he was amused to recall pointing out to them that he was a) an actor and b) divorced, so nobody in America would ever vote for him.
He was also a little rueful. The Republican he would have run against had he won the nomination, who won his first Senatorial election that year, was… Well, you can guess.
Bob Kerry married my cousin. My cousin is Bob Kerry’s first wife. They have great kids and my moms family loves Bob utterly completely except for Uncle Ben. My Uncle was her first cousin and loved her very much….that generation was very close knit. She dermabrades her face though until it looks like something “not good” and when the dishes are dirty she throws them away…..I guess she doesn’t like doing dishes. I am told that Bob still cares deeply for her as a person and friend and I think their kids are a big sign of who they are married or not married. I think it’s possible that my cousin would be very hard to be married to. Some people are just that way. Bob Kerry seems to do okay with a divorce under his belt. I know his in-laws sure love him…..except for Uncle Ben.
I guess I’ve had Kerry on my mind a lot and not Kerrey for a long time. I hope my cousin doesn’t read blogs.