BobSmith - "The reason I'm not a Democrat, is that I don't like many of the things they preach. I also think the often the don't believe what they preach. They simply say what they think people want to hear. I'm annoyed by dishonesty. "
Could you give some examples?
I'll be honest. I listen to people within the Democratic party, and the issues are all over the board. So sometimes the candidates do say things to the party base that they may not act upon. But it's unclear to me how Republicans are any different, don't they placate certain special interest groups by dangling a carrot in front of them that says "We may or may not vote on your issue, but we can guarantee you the other guys won't"?
Just curious... I think that's what politics is largely about.
"And, of course, I don't do well when Clinton is defended. "
I don't know that there was any other choice. He was attacked unfairly. I think the mistake Democrats made was not in not defending him vigorously enough. Considering the accusations made by the Republicans towards Clinton were fabrications and lies(Whitewater, troopergate, travelgate, filegate, Vince Foster, yada yada)... they should have stood up and just said "Look, we are sick and tired of this!"
But the problem was that the evidence that these were all lies didn't come out until well into his Presidency. It took people like David Brock leaking the Republican manipulations to really understand where all this stuff was coming from. But by then it was too late, the meme was planted, and you and many others believed it, including many Democrats.
They did the same thing to Gore in 2000. How many times have you heard "Gore invented the internet" as a joke? Well you know what, he did help in it's creation. Vince Cerf who did invent the internet agreed, he said Gore was the only Senator who would listen to them and sponsored the bill to fund it.
And parker is just continuing the trend here through 2004.
Oh yeah, and I'm sick and tired of it! To my mind that means standing up for what we believe, and putting out better candidates to advocate those positions. i.e. not wimps like Gray Davis, but not loudmouths like Newt Gingrich either.
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