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Okay. Let's cut the bullshit.
I read our commenters here. They like you. You've staked out the most creative, progressive and politically incorrect ideas among the those in the top tier of Democratic hopefuls. Your anti-poverty agenda is heartfelt and really meaningful for what ails America. Your willingness to call bullshit on the "war on terror" is genuinely courageous.
But you're too gentle, so far, to be trusted. It's time to get your hair mussed. If you don't, you're going to continue to get this kind of hit piece coverage. The elites hate you and your anti-poverty agenda because they see you as a traitor to your class. They think you're a sanctimonious prig for calling them out on their own blatant hypocrisy.
The haircut issue is a symbol for your lack of willingness to pick a fight and win it. People who support you need less North Carolina gentlemanly Clay Aitken (dog whistle: wimp wimp wimp) and more Ronald Reagan: the ability to slip a stiletto in someone's ribs while looking them in the eye, smiling at them and making them laugh.
If you want to win, you have to show you can dish out damage, smiling, and never break a sweat. So far, you're not breaking through.
I get that you're banking on your superior organizing in Iowa to earn you a breakout moment, but you could do even better by playing offense before that happens. Kerry waited to try to throw a punch when he was swiftboated by the right and the media, and it was too late. Obama is campaigning not to lose: he's running a personality cult campaign, and you can't beat Hillary while you and he are splitting the "new wave" vote. You need to be more forceful in making your campaign about ideas that make a difference in people's lives.
The questions for you, if you really want to pay the price to make the changes you say you want to make, are: can you "hit" a woman? Can you beat up, politically, on a black man and not feel guilty about it?
If not, please, stop wasting people's time and money.
From what I can tell, you have the better ideas than the other top contenders do, but if you're not willing to draw some political blood to enact them, you're just not going to win the time and energy of the people I see in the base of the party who really want to fight for you. You have to fight for yourself first.
If you do that, effectively and deftly, then I suspect you'll have people at your back, providing covering fire. If not, well, you can always become a university president somewhere.
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Dear Pach,
fitz!
Pach, you called it exactly. He’s just too nice and polite. politics aint about that. politics is a KNIFE FIGHT.
I totally agree. Let’s cut the bullshit. Okay, I’ll let our friends know and read your article!
Hey Pach!!!
Bravo, Pach. My sentiments exactly.
I was taught that one should never bring a knife to a gun fight.
Edwards needs to learn that lesson.
Agreed, Pach. For now, Edwards is my man (that is until Gore jumps in) — but dammit John, you’re just too dang nice!
LoudounLib @ 8
It will be instructive to see how he handles the NYT assasination piece on his foundation yesterday. I consider that a ranging round by the rethugs to see if he’s Kerrybait or a real danger.
If John Edwards is the best you have to offer, we are well and truly screwed. He sucks up to Israel as thoroughly as the rest of them, and Israel is the root of all evil.
Suzanne @ 7
Remember the scene from Indiana Jones where the arab leaps in front of him and twirls the sword menacingly. Script called for an intricate sword vs whip fight. Harrison Ford had the Morocco Two Step that had gone through the who film crew and was just not in the mood. So he draws his pistol and shoots the guy, turns around and goes back to his trailer and stays there. Lucas though it was so beautifully done he kept it in the final cut. But it is also a perfect illustration of why guns trump knives, and swords, in most cases.
Nice Analysis, Pach! The smear machine isn’t necessarily coming from your Right all the time! He needs to protect his Left too!!! But, he must actively participate in the fisticuffs that a Presidential Race necessitates!!!
Kerry took the high road and look where that got him.
John and Elizabeth,
We love you! Don’t let the bad guys define you. You are really good people, but as Pach says, if someone is striking at you, show us you know how to strike back, harder.
Suzanne @ 7
Doh!!! ;-)
Looks like maybe I hit a nerve.
Hey, everybody.
Harsh words, but so true. The days of gentlemen’s campaigning (if there ever were a time) is over. The GOP is a political party bent on taking and holding power at any cost without any policy agenda, not unlike communist and nationalist parties in Europe. This isn’t a Stevenson versus Eisenhower kind of political world where the two sides have different ideas of how to govern. Since Nixon the GOP have been hell-bent on running the country for their own gains, and the current GOP has taken the criminality to an unimaginable level.
We need a Democratic candidate that’s a fighter. Better to go down swinging than get beat down with a smile on your face. So far I haven’t seen much fight in any of the candidates. It needs to get better.
Sorry, Pach — TradMed’s been baiting Edwards throughout the year, especially this second quarter, for just the response you are asking for. And I think he’s spot-on: he has called out Mrs Clinton for her vote and non-apology on the war. And when he’s talked about experience, he’s looked right at Obama when he said it. But he hasn’t gotten angry.
If he gets angry, the elites will get the image they want: they are dying to show him as the angry white man, to portray his gentlemanliness as a fraud, to expose his caring as politically motivated.
I trust Trippi, and Bonior, and Elizabeth: let John Edwards be John Edwards. Everything I hear about his Iowa organization is superb: it’s really happening there, because people are getting the message. Let the ego-driven vanity campaigns play out at the top; TradMed will destroy them both before it’s over, I’m sure. And there John Edwards will be, smiling and radiant, a new Happy Warrior for the 21st century.
Plus, he’s sent the wife to pander tomorrow:
CTuttle @ 12
Politics is not for the faint hearted and presidential politics, especially these days, is an all out, no holds barred blood sport.
Alfred Kelgarries @ 11
Superior Firepower!!! ‘Nuff said!!!
I like Edwards - I just need to know that he can defend himself - if he can’t stand up for himself, then he can’t stand up when others need him to.
I’m not talking about a dirty fight - brass knuckles, no holds barred - I’m talking about showing that he has the spine it takes to lead this country out of the quagmire it is currently in. Will take someone with a very stiff spine to clean house and put America back on track.
Would shaving his head do it for you Pach? :))
I saw John Edwards at DemocracyFest two weekends ago. He looked great and sounded a lot like Jimmy Carter, a President I admire as one of the best of the 20th Century…
Howard Dean was our last best candidate for the Presidency. Frankly, if you ain’t willing to pick up where Howard Dean left off, you ain’t gettin nowhere with the base of the party.
This is why I’m holding out for Gore/Dean. Until your candidacy is capable of standing on the shoulders of these giants…well, I’m just not that interested.
Mike Gravel was far more interesting at DemFest. He gave a populist speech and took a bunch of good questions. Edwards clearly came to talk AT us. Edwards and Dodd came for the conversation, and it showed.
I came to blow the room away.
Suzanne @ 7
those who live by the sword get shot by those who don’t.
(on the other hand, I DO believe in gun control.)
Where did I suggest an angry rant?
Edwards needs to get his hackles up and visible, and that means deconstructed hair. Like he just got out of a fight or out of bed. He needs “screw you” hair. A little flick up in front. In your face hair. His hair could stand to move a bit. Shake it. Braveheart hair. Yeah…..
ccmask @ 22
I’ll do it for $400! LOL!!!
ccmask @ 22
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
LS @ 28
Edwards and Jesse Ventura, the “chrome dome team”. No thanks. If I wanted that I’d pick Shatner and Stewart (Kirk/Picard in O8)!
Braveheart. I’ll bet it’s one of their favorite movies. Think about it.
It’s not about the hair. The hair is a symbol for a whole lot of other dog whistle slanders. But he’s not fighting back on his own turf sufficiently to counter the establishment narrative.
If he’s running on ideas, he needs to counter the personality cult campaigns above him and push his ideas, smiling, with humor, and with prejudice.
If he wants to fight for the poor and for everyone else not in the top 10% of wealth, then he needs to bloody some noses, but he needs to do it while smiling. Smooth is good, if you can draw blood while doing it.
puppethead @ 17
Hillary’s not putting up with any BS, far as I can tell.
LS @ 26
He has the personal fortitude and spine necessary to get the job done! However, I think the homefront battles have taken a toll on his Presidential aspirations!!! :-(
Pachacutec @ 31
Bill Maher. (I KID the (fill in the blank)! It’s from LOVE!)
Pachacutec @ 31
Argh. Rugged is good. And women like it too!
Pachacutec @ 31
The iron fist in the velvet glove.
Pach, I agree with every word you wrote-but the importance of fighting cleanly in the primaries has to be respected. Remember the debate in ‘92, when Jerry Brown first started throwing the Rose Law accusations at BClinton? We CANNOT do the Republicans’ work for them. The cause is more important than any one individual-and all of the Dem candidates need to understand that.
Teddy, Alice B. Toklas. Who did a song about her in the 70’s? I didn’t even get it.
Braveheart. The story is there.
LS @ 26
Lt. Colonel John Sheppard hair. permanent bed head. *evil grin*
But we don’t want him to end up like William Wallace…
RonD @ 37
That’s why it has to be about ideology: ideas, not personality cults.
LS @ 26
That’s it! Next event, he should wear dreads. After that, Woody Woodpecker hair, etc. Brilliant, LS!! //s
aliasofwestgate @ 40
Yeah. Willing to be scrappy…
Pachacutec @ 31
but what if it’s just not his style to be a blood-drawing street thug?
Do we have to give him up for lost because of that?
Isn’t there something to be said for just being who you are? God knows most of these wannabes are so busy playing by the so-called rules they wouldn’t know who they are from a hole in the ground at this point.
Not saying you’re wrong, as a matter of practical politics…..just, that it is at least debatable whether a candidate should have to play to the game, so to speak.
LoudounLib @ 41
He won’t.
Edwards needs to show that he can fight the GOP smear machine and not let them do to him what they did to Kerry, Max Cleland, and other Dems.
If Edwards does NOT respond, he just invites more attempts to draw blood and his candidacy will die the death of a thousand cuts, just like Kerry suffered.
Pachacutec @ 25
Missed that.
LoudounLib @ 41
Definitely not. Drawn-and-quartered is NOT the way I like my presidential candidates (or at least the Democratic ones). ;~)
KKKarl is jealous of his hair. That is clear.
I really like the way Edwards campaign is handling emails, updates, action alerts, etc. Especially like the way he produced an anti occupation television ad and asked everyone to donate directly towards the commercial buy time just before the last round of supplemental votes.
But I hear from others that his health plan falls short in significant areas like pharmaceutical costs etc..
Loo Hoo. @ 43
And then he can go on American Idol !
Yeah ! :) :)
A-fucking-men!
I was an early contributor.
Slip in the shank, Dude.
Maybe it was Gore hangover. Or the two Americas (which is on the mark) meme.
Bur my disappointment with JE is bleeding over to the other candidates.
C
William Wallace’s revenge. Score.
He’s got all of the elements….
He’s gonna win it or lose it on his own terms, that’s for sure. He’s the only one who’s ever run before on our side (running for First Lady doesn’t count) and he’s decided to do it exactly the way he wants to.
So while I’m sure all our advice might make us feel better, I’m pretty sure he’s gonna do it his own damn way.
Twain @ 52
OMG. Not…Sanjaya Edwards…AHHHHHHH…
LS @ 56
Spoil sport !
I wrote a post on Edwards’ media problem. Yeah, he’s gotta hit harder. Gotta ante up if ya wanna win, Ed! Time to take the gloves off!
If he’s a loser, unwilling to take charge of the dynamic of the primary race, then I’m sure he’s a nice person, and he means well. But to answer your question, if he won’t step up and fight for the people he wants to help in a way that gets beyond North Carilina gentlemanly deference, then, yes, he sould be left behind. Otherwise, he’s using up scarce resources that should be allocated elsewhere: locally, perhaps.
Twain @ 57
Alfred made me say that. He held the taser to me.
TeddySanFran @ 18
“TradMed”? Who’s that?
Is there need for anger at this point? What would he be angry about?
Nobody wants that mess do they? It wouldn’t show Edwards as he truly is.
I’d say that’s an essential issue at this moment in response to that article.
Do YOU trust Edwards to be President?
If you do, then you don’t have to see this NYT article as a danger. You don’t have to see it as a threat. It only shows up the desperate face of a weak opponent who doesn’t show his face and takes a stab in the dark, hoping he’s found a weakness.
But, if Edwards is sound he has nothing to fear. He can use a bit of aikido and turn the Times’ energy into a weapon against his enemies!
They want full disclosure? They can’t handle full disclosure!!
Let Edwards dribble out a brief description of his organizations and their cash flows. That’ll tempt the sharks and they’ll naturally attack. But, if everything is kosher, and I’m sure it is, all they’ll find is good organizations which benefit a lot of people and keep the Edwards campaign going non-stop.
Edwards campaign, meanwhile can challenge the Clinton campaign (for example) to release all their funding sources and amounts.
Let them eat their own challenge!
What it tells me is the Edwards campaign is feeling fairly good about the early primaries and is going on to the other big primary states to build for a long campaign, longer than just Iowa for certain.
Suzanne @ 47
Absolutely. You cannot ignore these attacks or else they slowly, but inevitably, drag your campaign down. That is exactly what happen to both Gore and to Kerry. Much as we would like to have a “nice guy (or gal)” win, it ain’t gonna happen.
Pachacutec @ 31
Some of my friends are university presidents, and the best of them know how to do exactly what you describe. Public university presidents do this with state legislatures; private university presidents do this with donors; all university presidents do this with their boards.
Pick your battles, stake your claim for what you believe matters, and call for folks to join your battle. If you are right in your vision of the world, they’ll sign up and take up your cause. But not a one of them will do so if you don’t stand up for yourself.
Of course, there are other university presidents who have no clue about such things. What’s it going to be, John?
LS @ 60
I told you, TRex took it away from me on jane’s orders through suzanne. I’m innocent! The Swift Tasering of the Spook!
I am looking for a candidate who can win and kick Republican ass after the win. To me that person would be Al Gore; if he doesn’t run..then I don’t know. Edwards has the best progressive policies but he can’t win the general election; George McGovern would have been a good president too. Obama wants to be the bipartisan, his mentor, Lieberman light. I have watched Hillary since 1982 and I really don’t know what her politics are. I thing the wingers are right and she is a lefty..but will do or say anything to win. Is that what we need? I don’t know but if she is elected, she will have revenge. My sister is for Hillary, but doesn’t want her to win; she doesn’t thing the wing-nuts will let her survive the campaign. She may be right.
Suzanne #47,
Absolutely-in the general campaign, against the Republicans, no holds barred. Every tool in the toolbox. But in the primaries, the Dems MUST refrain from personal-destruction campaigns against each other. To send a candidate into battle with the R’s after a bloody primary campaign, carrying personal attacks that may have stuck, is the worst possible development.
Thomas Ware @ 10
The root of all evil? Huh.
I support John Edwards, I’ve even given money to his campaign, but I have to agree with this blog entry, I know he has the best platform and I agree with most of his positions on the issues but he’s just not inspiring me. I find myself supporting John but waiting for Al.
ccmask @ 22
That would be a powerful statement.
Remember G.I. Jane, the scene in which Demi Moore has had the f*ck enough and commits herself? She grabs the electric shears and cuts her locks off herself.
Powerful.
I think Edwards needs to seriously consider doing the same thing. It’s only hair; it will grow back, he should say directly into the camera. But these residents of the 9th Ward? their homes won’t grow back. These senior citizens choosing between eating or paying for their medicines? their savings and health won’t grow back. These mothers of sons and daughters in Iraq? those years lost to a miserable failure in foreign policy will not grow back. And cancer patients, like his wife, and other sufferers of chronic or terminal illnesses that could be treated by stem cells? Well, their hopes aren’t growing back under Republican policies.
It’s just hair. Use it to get their attention, change the subject in a way that they can no longer manipulate on their own terms.
Scarecrow @ 67
Um, I think the “do not feed the trolls” sign is still up somewhere here…?
LS,
The whole point of LtC Sheppard’s hair is that it’s blatent disregard of regulations for hair. A permanent middle finger to the establishment of the USAF. *grins* Hence my liking of it. And why it’d be perfect for the ultimate establishment of a POTUS candidate.
Be a nice guy (Sheppard’s an asshole born though), but the messy hair? Nice little bit of snark at the ‘clean cut’ image that’s so important to running.
Howdy Yall!
bullseye, Pach…
wassup Cassie?
SnarKassandra @ 72
hey cassie! there are Trolls about…and some serious hair commentary. And I don’t have the taser.
Alfred Kelgarries @ 11
Maybe so, but it was also a metaphor for the neocon’s view of American superiority over anyone from the Middle East. Turns out it wasn’t very helpful.
Evening Cassie. How’s your weekend been going?
Loo Hoo. @ 32
That is true. But unfortunately her triangulation on issues undermines her image as someone who fights for something. It’s hard to tell what she’s standing for. But she does seem to have the fight in her, and she is approving a bit by getting away from the play-all-angles-to-be-safe DLC playbook.
TeddySanFran @ 18
Spot on T. I’m sticking wit’ John. Let’s not forget the man was a consummate trial lawyer and kicked the shit out of some mean bastards on the other side. Further, Edwards has been the quickest to respond to any issue appearing in the corporatist press often putting out a solidly progressive response while The Hill and Obama-the-Mama are still ‘conferring’ with their union-busting, machine politic DCCC scumbag mutherfuker asshole consultants. See us Edwards supporters can be jes as nasty as Ol’ ‘ MudCat’ Saunders.
And where is Ol’ ‘Mudcat’ anyhow. Thought he was gonna drop by and shoot the shit with us ‘Coastal Opera Elites’.
As fer Edwards haircut Kos said it all. How about we move on and construct a nice narrative fer Romney, crazed Nazi Loon, or Fed Thompson, tired, fat, flat-footed cop on the take, or Rudi, Coke-snorting Tranny wannabe who has a lot of crooks fer friends and whose own children can’t stand him….
I find this willingness to engage the ReichWing memes for the purpose of ‘combating’ them tedious and more than a little dumb. Why are we using bandwidth to talk about the stupid shit they are pumping out.
I say kick them in the goolies and then, once they’re on the ground, kick ‘em in the head until they cannot get up.
Remember:’Progressive’ means never apologizing for who you are and cold-cocking the first ReichWinger who shoots his mouth off with a lie about ‘liburuls’.
Some may find my language a little over the top but I’ve spent much of the day at dKos listening to everbody whine about why the Democrats haven’t cleaned out the Bushean stables yet. Bunch of children infesting the place today.
Seriously, let’s get off this kick Edwards kick and start hammerin’ some ReThuglican heads.
Scarecrow @ 76
It only works retail. Wholesale, its a disaster.
OT..but the reason we don’t need any bipartisan bullshit from the Dems. After 01/20/09 prosecute and send the fuckers to prison.
Cheney ordered Secret Service logs destroyed, paper reports
A massive piece in Sunday’s Washington Post reveals the true extent of secrecy Vice President Dick Cheney requires.
So clandestine is the Vice President’s work that he has created a new secret document designation: “Treated As: Top Secret/SC
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/....._0623.html
Great weekend. We had some sun today and I got to go swimming with some friends. And I was here at the lake for a little bit. Didn’t do a thing to my blog yet though. That is tomorrow.
I’m with Teddy on this, let the man run his own campaign.
Hi Cassie!
I like John Edwards better than Hillary and Barack. I want to see good things about him in the news, but I think the news is anti-Democrat for all of them.
aliasofwestgate @ 71
Snarky hair! The I’m not worried about my hair, why are you, hair. Argh…hair…that is why I say Braveheart. When all is lost or at risk, you don’t care about your damn hair. You can shave it off, but that is somehow caring, it requires maintenance. I say, go the other way, in your face, make my day, eat my hair, hair!! At least shake it loose. Even JFK got that. He had that “shock” of hair..when others wore it buzzed.
But he does need the vocal snark to riposte the attack dog media. He’s losing ground with the complete nice guy thing.
Steve @ 65
Steve, I don’t think the wingnut contingent has anything to say about it. Who among them could possibly beat her? I agree that there is some compromising that any dem candidate will have to do in the general election to win. Step One: Win the Primary.
Think about how important our next President will be. It’s mind boggling.
Millineryman @ 83
I am more than willing to let him run things his way, but if he wants my money, my time, and my support, he needs to prove that he is willing to fight for what he believes. That is what politics fundamentally is, fighting without actual bloodshed.
Steve says 8:51 pm
Ding!
Steve @ 81
Can’t we just arrest him, since he doesn’t work anywhere in the government?
Rayne @69: It really would be good for his campaign to bravely shave his head and market himself as a BALD EAGLE FOR AMERICA
Teddy, I like Edwards’ positions, and I love the fact that his wife will be at Pride Not Prejudice tomorrow. But he’s got to step up and call “bullsh*t” on the hair jokes and such.
Almost every night for the last two months, Jay Leno’s mocked his ‘do . . . and there are lots of folks for whom that will be their biggest thought about Edwards unless he steps up a bit more.
Loo Hoo. @ 88
My sister is worried about bullets not ballots. Wing-nut hatred of Hillard is off any rational scale.
TradMed = Traditional Media
And the Edwards campaign has made clear the NYT didn’t want to interview beneficiaries of his organizations, so it’s clearly a hit piece. One of many. More to come.
And Dems lead in head-to-head matchups; but Edwards leads best.
And let’s not forget which PrezCandi was first in Connecticut for Ned last year.
Pachacutec @ 42
I would submit to you P. that ideology is the wrong frame. Let the debates be about policy and the people will see that Edwards has the policies this country needs to fight poverty, fix health-care and all the other things that need fixing. First among which is….
The current debased political debate where no candidate talks about the issues that matter and tells the voters what he/she would specifically do to address same. Not what they look like or assessments of their character all, all utter bullshit which even a lousy actor like Reagan or Bush can put on like a cheap suit to discard later after it is no longer needed.
Talking about ‘haircuts’ and how Romney’s shoulders are ‘wide enough to land a 737 on….’ is the ReThuglican frame.
We wanna talk about why you, as an American, can expect to die sooner than the citizens of any other western democracy, why that is, and what we as citizens need to do to fix that.
First thing, say I, is to demand that candidates start talking policy not personality or looks.
SnarKassandra @ 85
That’s the Main Stream Media, cassie. They are all big corporations now, only interested in their profits, not in telling people important facts and providing accurate information, about anything, really. That is why the blog you and your friends are running is so important. we have to reach people and tell them the lies of the MSM and the truths of the real world they aren’t hearing. And blogs are a very important way to do that. When we say you are our future, we are not just saying nice things to you. we mean it. (and the vibe here is a bit rough tonight because supporters of many candidates come to the lake and talk about their reasons for supporting and not supported the candidates. But in the end we are all progressives and democrats (for now) and that’s what matters.
You know, I’m not sure I can even WRITE a post that isn’t a frakking short story. Note to self: be less long winded.