An internet diary
How to demolish a political party
Published on November 16, 2005 By IanTyger In US Domestic

From OpinionJournal's Best of the Web yesterday:

Here's party chairman Howard Dean, talking with Tim Russert on "Meet the Press" Sunday:

Russert: What is the Democratic position on Iraq? Should we withdraw troops now? What do the Democrats stand for?

Dean: Tim, first of all, we don't control the House, the Senate or the White House. We have plenty of time to show Americans what our agenda is and we will long before the '06 elections.

Russert: But there's no Democratic plan on Social Security. There's no Democratic plan on the deficit problem. There's no specifics. They say, "Well, we want a strong Social Security. We want to reduce the deficit. We want health care for everyone," but there's no plan how to pay for it.

Dean: Right now it's not our job to give out specifics.

Really, who needs specifics? After all, other than in 2002, 2003 and 2004, Democrats have done very well running on a platform of "Bush is a poopyhead." Why just last week they held onto the governorships of New Jersey and Virginia!

Really... "It's not our job to give out specifics"? How about just giving out any information. I don't know what the Democrats positively stand for. (I know what they negatively stand for - if President Bush is for it, they're against it). Give me a reason to vote for the Democrats, not just against the Republicans. I already know why I want to vote against the Republicans. But right now, I prefer the devil I know.


Comments
on Nov 16, 2005
The typical democratic party. Complain and offer no solutions or alternatives, but we should vote for them.
on Nov 16, 2005
This has been their policy for a while. I remember Pelosi over a year ago stating at a press conference that it wasn't their job to have a plan for social security, it was their job to oppose the President's plan. They've really taken the attitude that the minority party's job is simply to stonewall the majority.
on Nov 16, 2005
I'm constantly having this discussion with staunch Democrats: "Why should I vote for the Democrats?" I never can get an answer beyond "Republicans are evil!". Errr...I know that; I have some serious disagreements with very right wing Republicans. But I need to know what I'm voting for, and at least the Republicans tell me that. I know that after I vote for Republicans I should go give money to a few charities (ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and the NRA...not necessarily in that order ). But I have NO idea what I'll get if I vote Democratic. It's just utterly puzzling. I know I'm not the only one with this problem.
on Nov 16, 2005
"Why should I vote for the Democrats?"


Because he isn't George W. Bush! I seem to remember someone quoted as saying they would rather vote for a ham sandwich for president before they'd vote for George W. Bush. If that is the Democratic platform, and I can only assume that's it, since they are hesitant to put out any specifics of their actual platform, then what do I have to vote for? How can the voter be swayed?

Unless one's sheer hatred for W causes one to vote against him out of spite.

Didn't A. Whitney Brown say on SNL back in the 80's... (paraphrased)
Back in the days of Washington, you voted for the person you liked the most.
Somewhere around Herbert Hoover, you voted for the guy you disliked the least.
Now you vote against the guy you dislike the most.

How true that is today.
on Nov 16, 2005
Exactly - I know what I'm getting, more or less, when I vote republican. I'm not so sure with the Democrats..
on Nov 16, 2005
*boggle* if I didn't know any better I'd say singrdave was defending the practice as reasonable... maybe not. Either way, democrats are going to keep losing as long as they think hatred of Republicans is enough to make them attractive
on Nov 16, 2005

I am going to call this:

Dean: Right now it's not our job to give out specifics.

Deanism #15 in my series!  No wonder he wont appear on stage with Mehlman!

Damn, if I had not been in class all day, I might have beaten you to it!

hats off to you!