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June 30, 2006
Muddled thinking, Kos, et al.
The Daily Kos, a hot political blog, is coming down hard on the New Hampshire primary. Check it out.
Here's what I think about Kos's case:
It wasn’t an unfair system that gave the Dems their nominee in 2004. It was a poor field. New Hampshire wasn’t a rubber stamp; New Hampshire voters just saw the same thing Iowa voters did. To be crisp but cruel about it, Dean crumbled in the spotlight, Lieberman had no pop, Clark was an amateur, etc., etc. Kerry was the best of the lot – and the best prepared to be president. He would have been president, too, if he hadn’t pulled a Dukakis when the Swifties came after him.
All this foolishness about trying to strip Iowa and New Hampshire of their traditional roles in the nominating process is just the Democrats stressing about something that doesn’t matter while they waffle about what does. What’s the Dems’ answer to “cut & run,” “the white flag of surrender” and “he was for the war before he was against it?” If they can’t agree on an alternative message that resonates for 2006, the Rove political ethic will continue to reign.
The problem for Dems in 2008 is not what state gets an early caucus or primary. It is this: Who is going to lead them in figuring out what they stand for?
Posted by Mike Pride at June 30, 2006 05:59 PM
Comments
Damn it, it is not "foolishness" to demand that all American citizens have a say in who their party's nominee will be, instead of a tiny group of people who are irrepresentative of the country as a whole. Whether you like to hear it or not, there is nothing special about what New Hampshire does. Absolutely nothing. You go to town hall meetings and you hear the candidates. That can happen in dozens of states around the country, if people had the chance. And it will. The arrogance you demonstrate here just proves that New Hampshire no longer deserves the first primary. Yes, that means that you, Mr. Big Shot Editor, will no longer have candidates come to kowtow in your office. Boo hoo for you. Democracy demands that nonwhite, nonrural people have a say in who runs for President. Your time is very limited, and the desperation with which you cling to your little bit of power is telling and unseemly. You've had more than your chance. Step aside and return democracy to all Americans.
Posted by: Rufus at June 30, 2006 07:10 PM