The First Democratc Candidate has entered the Race. Who will be the next & who should s/he/they be?

[H2O Man]

42. Well said!

You raise a number of solid points, and with a good sense of humor.

I think that everyone in the DU community recognizes that the republican party is a machine .....most republicans put no more thought into their actions, than a lawn mower does in cutting grass. The party's success depends upon people doing what their told -- including not only voting, but thinking as well -- without question. To be a "good" republican requires one to suspend thinking for one's self. And, in the most literal sense, when one suspends thinking for her/his self, they have betrayed the greatest responsibility that our constitutional democracy requires of citizens.

Fewer here seem to recognize that, for a variety of reasons, the Democratic Party has a current machine nature, too. Indeed, there are numerous historic examples of that, as well .....with the elder Mayor Daley of Chicago serving as an example that illustrates both the good and bad that can result from a machine's nature.

It's funny: many years ago, when I was relatively new here on DU, I was contacted by someone from Emanuel's machine. This was in response to some essays that I had posted about the Plame scandal; it served as one of a few examples that convinced me that aides to various politicians do read internet sites such as DU. Anyhow, I wasn't really familiar with Emanuel at that time, and so I asked a person here for her opinion of him (DUer "Me," who left this site years ago). She told me that he was a petty dictator, and to avoid contact with his people.

I've mentioned that I've long felt that way about Andrew Cuomo. I had the honor of meeting Mario Cuomo, who I always thought highly of, on Native American issues. He was always honest with us. But his son, who served as a top aide, always struck me as cold and ambitious (in the negative sense).I haven't changed my opinion of him in the years he has served as governor. Being friends with his ex-brother-in-law provided me an opportunity, in the context of debates on fracking, to say that he (Andrew) appeared to represent the Dick Cheney wing of the Democratic Party. I was told later that he considered that a "cheap insult." And here I thought it was the truth! Still do.

I'm looking for Eugene Debs' famous quote about his fearing that Clinton is too far to the left to warrant his support. It's gotta be here someplace!