Bark Vs. Bite [Dem candidates at DLC vs. YearlyKos conventions] (Barf & Laugh Alert)

CBS News ^ | July 31, 2007 | Kevin Drum

[2ndDivisionVet]

Dan Drezner, commenting on the fact that the current crop of Democratic presidential candidates are passing up the centrist DLC's summer meeting in favor of speaking at YearlyKos, says: The fact that YearlyKos matters more than the DLC seems like pretty damning and uncomplicated evidence to me of where the party has traveled over the last four years. Actually, I think it is a little more complicated than the simple "left vs. centrist" spin that most people have put on this. In substantive terms, after all, the three main Democratic candidates this year are only slightly to the left of DLC big dog Bill Clinton himself.

Rather, it seems like this is mostly about optics. In the 90s, Democrats were still fighting the countercultural backlash of the 70s and needed ways to demonstrate their willingness to abandon old orthodoxies. Hanging with the DLC was a terrific way of signalling to both the press and the public that the party had reinvented itself.

But that reinvention is a done deal. As far as the optics are concerned, the DLC isn't really necessary anymore. YearlyKos is.

But it's not because the average Kossack is to the left of the average DLCer. The real difference is that the average Kossack is obsessed with Democrats having the stones to stand up to the modern Republican machine. Presidential candidates get trashed in the Kos diaries not so much when they take disfavored policy positions (though of course that happens too), but when they're viewed as backing down from a fight. The median Kossack may indeed be to the left of the median Democrat — it would be shocking if an activist group weren't — but mainly they just want their candidates to show some backbone.

I suppose in some sense this is a distinction without a difference. A median Democrat who stands up to the GOP and refuses to budge is, willy nilly, going to end up to the left of a median Democrat who looks for bipartisan compromise. But let's face it: if YearlyKos were genuinely more substantively powerful than the DLC, you'd see the big three candidates taking public positions considerably to the left of the party's positions ten years ago. If that's the case, though, I've missed it. No one's talking about rolling back welfare reform. No one's proposed a healthcare initiative even half as comprehensive as the 1994 Clinton plan. All three candidates continue to claim they're personally opposed to gay marriage. Their rhetoric on guns and abortion is much more muted than in the past. They mostly agree that some of the Bush tax cuts should be allowed to expire, but not much more. They want to get out of Iraq, but that's a thoroughly mainstream position, and none of them are willing to commit to a complete withdrawal in any case.

So has the Democratic Party moved to the left? Probably a bit. There are more misgivings about trade policy; more concern over rising income inequality; and, for obvious reasons, more skepticism about foreign military interventions. In policy terms, though, the response to all of these things has been pretty muted. Speechmaking at YearlyKos vs. the DLC is far more about bark than bite.

[2ndDivisionVet]

If you weren't convinced the MSM are democrats, this article should take care of that.

[bassmaner]

So has the Democratic Party moved to the left? Probably a bit.

{snort}

[MrB]

One thing I noticed that we have in common with the Kos moonbats -

we want a candidate to stand up on his hind legs and tell why we’re right and the other side is wrong.

[hsalaw]

There are more misgivings about trade policy; more concern over rising income inequality; and, for obvious reasons, more skepticism about foreign military interventions.

Well, that describes the dem party quite neatly: protect unions, redistribute income, and appease our enemies. What an indictment.

[Kerretarded]

modern Republican machine

Why? Why use this tired "machine" label? Is it like Hitler's War Machine? I know the feeling they are trying to create with that word and that word alone exposes so much of their true bias.

[ObadiahLynch]

Being smart about how you use your military isn’t appeasing your enemies.

[Kerretarded]

No one's proposed a healthcare initiative even half as comprehensive as the 1994 Clinton plan

Oh, you mean Hillary's FAR LEFT SOCIALIZED MEDICINE PLAN? How can you really go to the left of socialized medicine?

So has the Democratic Party moved to the left? Probably a bit.

Hillary wants a new POLITICAL ACADEMY. That left enough for you?

[smoothsailing]

[hsalaw]

Sure. Okay. Whatever you say. Right.

[Kerretarded]

Being smart about how you use your military isn’t appeasing your enemies.

LOL! You honestly think that Hillary, Obama or Edwards would be smart about how to use our military? You honestly think that any of these three would even use our military? Please tell me how these three Democratic frontrunners would have been smart with our military.

[Beagle8U]

“Being smart about how you use your military isn’t appeasing your enemies”

A smart military kills people and breaks things. Which DemonRat do you think will do that?

Sorry, liberal pukes don’t have the stones or the brains to ever direct the actions of the military.

[ObadiahLynch]

I was just responding to the line “more skepticism about foreign military interventions.” being reinterpreted as “appeasing our enemies”.

And to tell you the truth, I’m not sure how any of the current crop of contenders, from either party, would do in the face of an actual CAPD.

[telebob]

You’ve just stepped on the third rail.

I’ll get the popcorn...

[ObadiahLynch]

Enjoy.. try it with Parmesan.

[jedward]

He knows his hours are numbered...

[telebob]

"...try it with Parmesan."

Ah, a cheese eater.

[Beagle8U]

“He knows his hours are numbered...”

With a posting history to the left of Rooty Toot...lol

[jedward]

Yyyyyyyyeeeep!

[Beagle8U]

Perhaps Spiff will fire up the bug zapper?

[ObadiahLynch]

With a posting history to the left of Rooty”

You think I’M a leftist? Frankly, that’s weird.

[Beagle8U]

Yes, I think leberals are wierd too.

[Beagle8U]

*liberals

[hinckley buzzard]

it seems like this is mostly about optics.

Who the hell is this "Drum" character and why is he obsessed with "Optics"? Sheesh. MSM has gone middle school.

[jedward]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1103363/posts?page=1229#1229

If that doesn’t offer an out while keeping some pride, then that would be entirely justified.

[rock58seg]

The only difference between Democrats and the French. The French are, cheese eating surrender monkeys.

[Beagle8U]

LOL good work!

It didn’t take long checking back to see there was nothing but masked Moonbat there, and not masked very well.

[jedward]

My pleasure :) You’re right...not masked well at all. I had to go outside of FR to connect the alias dots, but that was 5 minutes well spent too :)

[ObadiahLynch]

Someone else thought I’d been here before. Bykerbabe maybe. I haven’t — you’re both wrong.

Dunno who renaissance or whatever is. So, the rules around here are if you disagree with someone, even in tiny degrees, you try to get them booted? Is that how it works?

[jedward]

Seing as I remember the last 5 hands, you surely don’t have enough chips in front of you for what you’re holding. Funny thing too, I’ve never tried to get anyone booted. That’s the jewel of it, people always do themselves in.

Bye Bye now :)

[ObadiahLynch]

Hands? Chips? WT.. what are you on about?

You know what? Nevermind. It’s not important. Here’s the thing — I JUST GOT HERE. First time I laid eyes on the site was the first day I posted. I dunno who renaissanceman is, and I don’t care. I’m sorry you can’t believe that.

I won’t argue with you, though, if you want to insist I’m someone that’s back after getting booted. See, I really don’t care that much what you think. I’m merely.. striving for accuracy.

[jedward]

lol...good luck and all that :)

[BykrBayb]

This makes twice I've caught you talking about me without pinging me. Both times, you misspelled my name to make it less likely I would find out. The first time I caught you, I told you that you are supposed to ping another FReeper when you talk about them. So when you posted this, you knew exactly what you were doing. This time, you did it on a thread I had not visited, and wasn't likely to visit. I should not have to monitor your posts for references to me. If you need a babysitter, you don't belong here. So I'm telling you a second time, if you talk about me, ping me.

Yes, that was me who said "I suspect you’re a retread." Notice I said it directly to you. I didn't go to a thread that you weren't on, and say it about you, without pinging you, while spelling your name wrong in hopes you'd never find out. But then, I'm not a coward.

[jedward]

http://www.freerepublic.com/~obadiahlynch/

This account has been banned or suspended.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Conservatism is a beautiful thing.

[Kerretarded]

And to tell you the truth, I’m not sure how any of the current crop of contenders, from either party, would do in the face of an actual CAPD. Good try new one. If you are going to make accusations such as you have, you better have ammo. Claiming ignorance is no excuse. For example, I can give you numerous examples of how good CONSERVATIVE candidates would handle our military. I am not sure what you mean by a CAPD.

[Kerretarded]

Yes, that was me who said "I suspect you’re a retread." Notice I said it directly to you. I didn't go to a thread that you weren't on, and say it about you, without pinging you, while spelling your name wrong in hopes you'd never find out. But then, I'm not a coward.

You are my hero. Time to unleash a few viking kitties.

[jedward]

meow :)

[jedward]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1103363/posts?page=1229#1229

There was a little research on our former poster. You can find a few of the highlighted thoughts of his at the post above.

[Kerretarded]

Spent the last couple of minutes reading the exchange. What a waste of space.

[BykrBayb]

Shhhh! I'm hunting twolls.

How about a little music to celebrate? Click the image.

Rain

[jedward]

I agree. Flying under the radar for a while I guess. Grounded now it seems (lol)

[BykrBayb]

The kitties are licking their chops.

[jedward]

Come quick!!!!!!! :)

[jedward]

I can’t stop laughing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bwaaaaaaa Haaaaaaaaaaaaa Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

[jedward]

No vocals? What in the world was that???? I think I’m sick now...

[BykrBayb]

Isn't that just about the most hideous "music" you've ever heard? Supposedly this blend is something that any Emcee can vibe to. It sounds like it was put through a blender alright.

[BykrBayb]

This is what it sounds like
When trolls cry

[jedward]

It had sort of a distorted techno-Renaissance feel or sound, or...annoying effect, or something like that. I’m lost for words :)

[jedward]

“This is what it sounds like
When trolls cry”

Wiping tears away now (LOL)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can hear them, I just listened again (lololol)

[BykrBayb]

I can think of a few. Brusque. Curt. Offhand. Rude. Terse.

[jedward]

At the beginning you have to listen carefully, but you can hear the trolls dragging there little slipper feet on the ground in rythem, as if marching. Sort of like a closed symbal tap, but these were definately troll scoots (lol)