We've lost our way.

[jocapo]

Why are we (DUers, Kerry, democrats, the media, etc.) wasting our time on all of this trivial BULLSHIT! Why are we lost in this ridiculous minutia when Rome is fucking burning?!? It's depressing. I stayed optimistic throughout the hate fest in NY and the Swift Boat Slimeballs for Lies because I expected it would blow over. For the first time in months and months I'm afraid it won't blow over. This is what the campaign is going to be about....stupid crap!

[private_ryan]

1. same here

did you see DNCs ad "Fortunate Son"? A sixth grader with a Mac could do a better job. Looks like we want to lose on purpose and this time we deserve to, because we aren't fighting to win.

[ClassWarrior]

28. Speak for yourself, skippy.

I'm frickin' kickin' ass for TWO campaigns, a peace group, and a voter registration group - in my "spare" time. And you tell ME we're not fighting to win?!!

What exactly are YOU doing to help us win?? Huh?? Are those crickets I hear??...

[LittleClarkie]

30. Besides Kerry ain't even talking about this stuff

The media might have covered him instead of this if it weren't happening, but somehow I doubt it.

I'm on 24/7 visibility patrol. I have a packet of issue papers that would choke a horse. I spent my birthday on a phone bank.

If you don't want to canvas or make phone calls, the least you can do is find out what supplies your local HQ needs and get it for them. Paper, envelopes, stamps, goodies for the peoples, soap, markers, anything really.

Get out there, dagnabit!

[ClassWarrior]

33. Amen!

The backseat of my crappy lil car is a warehouse of Kerry, Feingold, and Moore campaign materials. (For what it's worth, Feingold Packer schedules are my most popular line!)

[private_ryan]

42. I mean John Kerry and his million dollar advisors

They got into this and still don't have a message or th aballs to fight firw with fire. Get it Skippy?

[drdigi420]

2. somebody call the waaaambulance

[A-Schwarzenegger]

18. That is funny, did you make it up?

[skooooo]

3. I haven't lost my way.

Don't know where you all are going tho.

[Doohickie]

27. Nor have I

*bonk*

OW!

[spooky3]

4. Watergate was a "stupid" burglary committed when the incumbent had

a BIG lead in the polls. Many people thought from the beginning that it was trivial, that all politicians lied, so what if Nixon covered up something? Big Deal, they said.

It wasn't about the burglary.

Nixon resigned.

[Must_B_Free]

5. I apologize - i will commit thought crimes no more

tell me what is permissable to converse about, master

[dennis4868]

6. yep.....

and the media is going to give most of their attention to the CBS memos as long as Iraq continues to fall apart and the economy continues to go in the dumps....even though this whole AWOL issue makes me more angry at Bush and I feel he violated the law by not completing his duties in the Guard, this whole issue is taking Kerry and Bush off the news as well as the real issues that Bush does not want the media to talk about....I wish this AWOL thingy would go away and instead talk about the economy and Iraq that Bush must be held accountable for!

[Mr_Spock]

7. What's this "we" crap and how is Kerry involved?

I'm enjoying this little interlude as things heat up. There is still time after this is out of people's systems to talk issues. It is difficult to do that unless you are Clinton. News Flash: Kerry is not Clinton - he isn't as good at making issues seem interesting.

[girl gone mad]

8. It doesn't doesn't matter if we all stop talking about it,

because the media won't stop.

[David Dunham]

9. AWOL story is helping Bush. No one is listening to Kerry now.

[Mr_Spock]

13. Yeah, and lying military drop out flunkies make trustworthy Presidents!

lol - your logic - well, it just - isn't!!!

[mbali]

15. Yeah - they were listening to him with bated breath before this week . . .

[jocapo]

10. Does John Kerry have a vision?

Can you tell me what it is in one sentence? I can't.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

16. Would you vote for someone with a one sentence sound-bite vision?

I wouldn't.

[drdigi420]

20. A stronger America, respected in the world

how's that?

Not using our military might for evil.

Making the rich pay their fair share.

[Arugula Latte]

41. Technically,

"A stronger America, respected in the world" is a phrase rather than a sentence because it doesn't contain a verb.

;-) (I'm just yanking your chain -- please feel free to tell me to shut up.)

[missouri dem]

11. all politics is local

The election I know about is going on in my neighborhood. I am going door to door talking to my friends and neighbors. We only get as much democracy as we are willing to work and fight for. Don't get depressed, register a new voter. There are millions out there unregistered waiting for us to give them hope and a reason to believe.

[spooky3]

17. welcome to DU and thanks for your work!

[ClassWarrior]

29. That's brilliant!

We only get as much democracy as we are willing to work and fight for. May I borrow that?

[NEDem]

12. as of 8:30 pm est this race was won

Kerry in a landslide. This TANG stuff dooms *.

[KingofRock]

38. Had some morphine today?

The media is ignoring TANG. WE have to press the issue!!!

[NEDem]

39. Excuse me?

Ever seen a media feeding frenzy. Step back and watch them rip * apart over this. * Gov. campaign has just been busted over the destruction of government records. The TANG memos are those 'destroyed' docs. Game, Set, match. See the Washington Post article.

[Heath.Hunnicutt]

40. I agree. Grandmas everywhere are staying home or voting Kerry

That woman's interview was watched by a lot of women just like her.

The best part was when she pointed out that Bush always accidentally called her by his father's secretary's name.

[seabeyond]

14. this is what wins and loses elections. not policy

kerry has spent the first 6 months telling people what he would do. people didnt listen

spent a month telling what bush did/didnt do wrong. people didnt care

but by gosh, give the people junk and numbers fall

[goodhue]

19. speak for yourself

Many of us are not wasting our time on the trivial and neither is Kerry.

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0915.html

When it comes to the economy, Kerry’s speech noted that George Bush has been the “Excuses President.” He wants Americans to believe that his failed record is the result of bad luck, not bad decisions, and that he’s faced the wrong circumstances, not made the wrong choices for middle-class families.

Kerry criticized the president for using excuses to cover up his wrong choices, and he outlined the Kerry-Edwards plan to build a stronger America where every family has the chance to work hard and get ahead.

“After four years of hearing no from this president – no, it’s not our fault; no, there’s nothing wrong; no, we can’t do better; no, we haven’t made a single mistake – it’s time for a president who will start saying yes,” Kerry said. “Yes to good jobs with higher wages; yes to affordable health care and middle-class tax cuts; yes to a government that lives within a budget and businesses that can out-compete anyone in the world.”

Over the past four years, middle-class Americans have faced difficult economic times as a result of George Bush’s wrong decisions. They are making $1,535 less while paying more for health care, gasoline and education. In Michigan, Bush’s wrong decisions on the economy have cost workers 245,000 jobs and 162,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs

The president likes to make up excuses for his failures, but the truth, as Kerry emphasized today, is that Bush’s failed record is due to his failed policies and choosing to put special interests over middle-class families time and time again.

“We know the truth,” Kerry said. “George Bush’s failed record is the result of George Bush’s failed policies. And he chose time and again to do nothing to improve our economy or ease the burden on middle class families. In fact, nearly every choice has made it worse. You can even say that George Bush is proud of the fact that not even failure can cause him to change his mind.”

[BillZBubb]

21. Every presidential campaign is essentially like this.

It's the trivial bullshit that gets the public's attention. Policy talk bores most people senseless. They go for big themes and personal character issues.

That's the way it is. That's the turf we have to fight on. Don't despair--get busy!

[Mr_Spock]

22. Yep, been like this since the beginning of our democracy

One of the niceties of free speech. There have been some really petty election fights over the years.

[Chili]

23. could it be because

...the media, who are responsible for dispensing information, not creating it, REFUSES TO DISCUSS ALL THOSE THINGS?

They REFUSE. Abu Grhaib? Iraq? Plame? Bob Graham's accusations? What's this to yet another chance to turn yet another negative against Bush back onto Kerry? In the meantime, people die, unnoticed.

All that's left is THIS. Chastising people on this board for the media NOT talking about all the other infinitely more important issues makes the junk issues tripley important - doesn't it? Because that's alllll they'll report, especially if they can turn it around on Kerry.

[sonicx]

24. Since when is Kerry talking about AWOL? he did a big speech today...

about Bush and the economy.

[Chili]

25. right

...and the media IGNORES HIM. Ignores it ALL.

And there's nothing, nothing we can do about it. Letters, emails, boycotts, criticism, angry rants - NOTHING will divert the media from their primary purpose: to make money, and to continue to make money. And if bias against Kerry will accomplish that goal, they will do it, unashamedly. If anyone doubts that, just watch CNN for one day, just one.

That's why WE have to be the media to the public. But that doesn't change the dominance of this "forgery" story this week.

[no name no slogan]

26. Because we can't talk about Iraq and the "war on terror"

Two HUUUGE issues where the Democrats could be pounding the crapola out of the Repubs, if only our candidate had positions that were significantly different enough than those of the pResident.

I read an article in the Strib today where a swing voter in Minnesota was interviewed. Here's a quote that stands out in particular-- all emphasis mine (full article here).

"I've got to do some soul-searching," said Rebecca Banat, a Northwest Airlines employee from Lakeville. "I've flip-flopped in a way. I'm going to have to look at them both again."

She has qualms about the war in Iraq and doesn't see a significant difference between Bush and Kerry on that issue. While she agrees with Kerry on some social issues, she sides more with Republicans on abortion - but that in itself isn't a deciding issue.

"I'm crosscut on a bunch of issues," she said. "It's frustrating."

She is not alone on this, either. Most Americans now agree Iraq was a mistake, yet we STILL can't use this issue-- because Kerry has refused to differentiate himself from Shrub!

[Hardball]

31. Perhaps, but...

You've got a point but IMO voters won't focus on the important things with the sorry state of investigative journalism today. I know that's sad but as we saw with the Swift Boat Liars these stories move the poll numbers. This is the RNC and Rove's worst nightmare come true: that the Dems actually start getting down in the mud with them. Two can play that game and it's about time the Democrats learned to play it.

You just know Karl Rove is sitting in the White House, sitting back, following these AWOL papers forged/not-forged stories and saying to himself with grudging respect, "Good one... very good! That's just what I would do... What took you so long?"

Like I said, I generally agree with you, but this election is too important to lose. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that the fate of our freedoms and the core principles of our democracy might be hanging in the balance here. We've got a criminal enterprise going on in the White House and it's imperative to move the numbers against Bush and his cronies. I mean Cheney and his cronies. Many members of this administration are guilty of high crimes: they graduated misdemeanor school years ago.

The poll numbers are already showing an effect whether or not the AWOL papers are forgeries or not. I sincerely hope we see a totally unrelated story come out of left field before this one blows over. Something in the genre of a girlfriend's abortion, DUI coverup, drunkenness, or even drug abuse would be just about right. Maybe a whole string of stories spread out every couple of weeks between now and election day. That will move the poll numbers too. These sleazy stories are all the papers and TV talking heads are interested in these days. Just look at the crap on TV that consistently pulls in high ratings.

John Kerry is too good a man to go down to defeat to these thugs and the fact is stories like this help him. It's appealing to the lowest common denominator, true, but it's the only thing that seems to matter these days. The real issues are deeper than these petty pissing contests, no doubt, but it's a fact of life in this country today that he who slings the best mud wins. Sorry if that sounds cynical. Actually, I'm sure it does, but them's the facts.

[redstateblues]

32. Lost Our Way? Speak For Yourself Please-Get Off Your ass

and make a positive contribution to the campaign

[Leilani]

34. NBC Evening News had a really good piece on Kerry

& his economic speech today...they played long, significant clips, & did not editorialize.

They said it is a new feature, from now till election...the candidates own words.

For anyone not knowing Kerrys positions, it was very informative.

[Chili]

35. excellent!

...thank you, Leilani - it might actually be safe to wade back into the network news waters again.

[Leilani]

37. Maybe they looked at the calendar

& decided to cover some real issues.

Finally!

[KingofRock]

36. And you wonder why they call us spineless...

Why don't we all give in to Bush and the Empire. If one person thinks its hopeless then it must be hopeless. Fighting till the end is what changes history. There will not be 4 more years of this crap.