Advice to Democrats: Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

Question: What is the most important thing about the 2008 Election?

Answer: That the Democrats win the White House.

That prize has always been the most important thing. From day one. Whether the nominee was going to be the white woman, or the black man, or one of the white men.

Yet, some people who call themselves Democrats seem to have forgotten that imperative even though the rough and tumble of the primary season is past. Some Clinton supporters seem to still want to fight a war against Obama. Some Obama supporters seem to still want to fight a war against both Hillary and Bill.

My advice to both: Stop talking nonsense and wasting energy. Start thinking straight. The issue of whose side are you on is not a matter of Democrat versus Democrat. It's a matter of the Democratic Party against a party whose reign has produced a cesspool of ethical and financial corruption and incredible administrative incompetence in both domestic and foreign affairs.

There is a reason Bush's poll numbers have been so low for the last three years: He has lost the trust of the American people. There is a reason the Republican Party was battered in the November 2006 election. It lost the respect of the American people. There is a reason nearly 30 Republicans in the House and six in the Senate aren't running for re-election this year: They know the party's internal structure has collapsed from the moral rot of years of slash-and-burn politics.

I have some questions for those Democrats who want to wallow in the internecine squabbles of the primary campaign.

Do you remember that in November 2006 the American electorate sent a distress signal seeking rescue from the worst president and the worst administration of modern times? Do you remember Iraq and Afghanistan? Have you noticed the growing wreckage of the American economy -- and who's feeling the pain the most? Have you forgotten the tenure of Alberto Gonzales at Justice and the attempt to turn that and other federal agencies into dumping grounds for GOP hacks and gofers and right-wing religious fanatics? Have you forgotten the Bush administration's callous incompetence in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and its equally shameful indifference to the plight of wounded service men and women the Walter Reed Hospital scandal exposed?

Have you forgotten Tom DeLay's the K Street Project, and Jack Abramoff's ugly plundering, and Duke Cunningham's looting, and the GOP leadership's ghoulish behavior in the Terri Schiavo case, and its tawdry, look-the-other-way sexual politics the Mark Foley scandal revealed?

Have you not noticed John McCain's shameless bending of the knee to the worst policies of the Bush administration and his pandering to the worst elements of the right-wing?

Have you forgotten what the "prize" is? The prize is the rescue of the United States of America. The prize is restoring integrity and a sense of concern for ordinary Americans to the processes of the national government. The prize is repairing the enormous damage the Bush administration has done in every sector of American life and to America's honor abroad. The prize is preparing the American people for its ever more multi-racial future. The prize is the Democratic nominee winning the White House in November.

To those Democrats who want to keep looking backward, I say: face forward and follow the words of one of the most powerful anthems of the Civil Rights Movement. Keep your eyes on the prize, and fight on for the America Americans deserve.

Comments

[Chillinout]

Exactly. Get over the Hillary-hate.

[ouroborous]

"Question: What is the most important thing about the 2008 Election?

Answer: That the Democrats win the White House."

No, sir. No.

The most important thing about the 2008 election is bringing accountability back to government. It's bringing the rule of law back. It's stopping endless war. It's restoring the Constitution to primacy as the Supreme Law of the Land.

I do, still, think Barack Obama is our best hope for that, and I will still vote for him (even after his recent FISA debacle).

But I am not voting for a man, or for a party. I'm voting for a set of ideals. And if my candidate, or my party, betrays me in these ideals, I will not hesitate to oppose them.

"Win at any costs" is a frightening mind-set, and I oppose it strongly. Whatever happened to "always do the right thing?"

[mamajama]

Yes., and well said, Mr. Daniels.

But...

Fighting to restore our civil liberties (pressuring those who voted for the FISA amendment),

demanding accountability for those who conspired against our civil liberties (Bush, Cheney, Rove, Alberto Gonzales, the Justice Department, AT&T)

and supporting Obama for President are not mutually exclusive.

But we need to be smarter about how we do both.

[Adebukola]

Bill and Hillary Clinton, both should remind their supporters that the crucial decision of who is to be our next President of these United States will be made in November of 2008.
They can agree in principle; right now, to make sure that Barack Obama's name is called as the victor at that time.
History will decide after that where their place will be.

[TommyMcCarthy]

A great fan of Lee Daniels', dating clear back to WGBH days, I'm very pleased to find him posting here.


I'd like to raise My voice in hearty support of Lee's fine essay, and suggest that, .......... while there are a great many things about which one might say "it goes without saying" or "it's a given",..............
perhaps, with the stakes so VERY high we should err on the side of repitition or simplicity and SAY IT ANYWAY....and then say it again,.....as Lee has done so eloquently here.

For once, there is no hyperbole in asserting that this is THE most critical election of my lifetime.

I was a STRONG supporter of Sen. Clinton, but I said repeatedly how pleased I was by the sight of seven EXCELLENT candidates at the early debates,....any one of whom I could gladly support for the presidency (and EVERY one of whom would be a QUANTUM improvement over the current posse of thieves and liars in the executive branch!).........

Our nation faces a host of VERY difficult challenges, and the consequenses of a failure to meet them would extend FAR beyond our borders, including the very survival of the planet we live on!

As well, the OPPORTUNITIES available are simply breathtaking!

If history teaches us anything, it's that a public engaged, and united behind an inspirational leader (as Sen. Obama has CLEARLY demonstrated his willingness and ability to be) can surmount ANY challenge and embrace EVERY opportunity.

Great collumn!..................................................tm

[IAM4CLINTON]

In essence you are asking that 18.6 Million of us should just "get over it" and follow the Messiah to the promised land notwithstanding that we were called old, uneducated, racist, and every insult possible for 16 months- count me out

[Adebukola]

Yes!

[ladyfractal]

IAM4Clinton:

No, you're not being asked to 'get over it'. You're being asked to put the country before yourself, before your party, before your candidate. In other words, you're being asked to behave like a patriot. I know that word is not much used on the Left, but we need to start thinking like patriots. Is there ANYTHING from the last 7.5 years of national nightmare that you want to see continue? Anything at all? If the SCOTUS is packed by McCain with conservative justices of the Sam Alito or Antonin Scalia mold, what will you say then? McCain isn't going to do the country the favor of nominating old justices with one foot in the grave but hale and hardy fifty year old people with twenty or thirty years on the bench. You are willing to risk that? Honestly?

If the primary had turned out differently then those who supported Obama would have to do the same thing, put the good of the country first. You don't get to choose between Clinton and McCain anymore, that's over, it's behind us your *only* choice is between Obama and McCain. That's it. You might as well buck up and grasp that reality.

Please, explain this to us. Convince us how McCain would be a BETTER choice for Democrats. Thanks in advance.

Cheers
LF

[Eoin45]

I was insulted and called a woman hater, misognist and anti-feminist by Clinton supporters. On either side I suspect it was a minority doing the name calling. So let's call it even. If you opt out, you are de facto supporting a candidate who is the polar opposite of everything Hillary & Obama stand for - in essence cutting off your nose to spite your face. If Hillary had won I would have acted like a grown up and supported her. You need to do the same with Obama.

[TommyMcCarthy]

A hearty "here, here" to "ladyfractal" and "Eoin45".

While I found all the Democratic candidates plausible.........I STRONGLY supported Sen. Clinton.

Moreover, by way of backround, my family was very involved in the Civil Rights movement, and I myself am a lifetime progessive who supported Jesse Jackson in '84 and worked in his '88 campaign.

Suffice it to say: there were DEFINITELY some hurt feelings and resentment watching the Clintons (and her supporters) tarred as some kind of closet racists in the name of political expediency!
To Obama's credit, I never heard him PERSONALLY level such charges, but I can understand 1st hand the bruised feelings IN BOTH CAMPS.

It is my own belief that these statistics that suggest that 15, 20, or 25 percent of Clinton supporters will vote REPUBLICAN (for God's sake!) are vastly overstated.

No offense to anyone, but I think voters who would actually DO SO refer to themselves as "Clinton supporters" merely as a polite way of saying they were ANTI-Obama.

To vote for more war, corruption, incompetence, environmental degradation, and the continued FLEECING of working Americans runs counter to everything the Clintons have worked their whole lives for.

It's also a mighty selfish position to take when you consider the stakes.

I'm actually quite excited about the prospect of the Obama administration (with increased majorities in both houses of Congress to boot!).....
...and he'll have my full support, not to mention Sen Clinton's and, hopefully,every other progressive American.

My two cents...Regards.......................................tm

[mrqapla]

What party has a majority in Congress, or occupies the White House is totally irrelevant. And this absurd committment to parties is responsible for many of the problems in our society. The Democrats are FRAUDS. They are a WAR PARTY. They are JUST LIKE THE REPUBLICANS.
Now there are exceptions, people who really understand Democratic principles like DENNIS KUCINICH and MIKE GRAVEL. But you aren't interested in principles. You want more war mongering, corporate shilling, constitution trashing politicians, as long as they have a D next to their name.

[ladyfractal]

And this, kids, is why the Democrats are famous for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. At the end of the day, we don't want to *win*.

Cheers
LF

[Eoin45]

"What party has a majority in Congress, or occupies the White House is totally irrelevant. " So there was no difference between Bill Clinton's presidency and George Bush's? Your post is devoid of reasoning and your accusation that those who want to win this election are not interested in principles is scurrilous and insulting. You're part of the problem.

[Scarllatti]

You can blow all the hot air that you wish. You cannot count your chicken before they hatch. There has to be a Democratic President in the White House before we can make a judgment about what will or will not change. Since we "selected" a King George Bush, you can pass all the legislation that you wish but he can strike it down with a stroke of the pen, aided by his conniving Republican members of Congress.
Denis Kucinich, though well-intentioned, has to face the reality here. Remember he is a politician with a price tag on his head just like the rest of them. There is something called LIFE AFTER GEORGE BUSH. I am looking forwards hopefully to that time.

[knighthowl]

I notice that you fail to address a single factual assertion in this piece. Of course, I know and you know that you cannot. Instead, you launch a mindless attack which simply maintains that the Democrats are just as bad. This opinion is also unsupported by a single fact.

Keep your uninformed opinions to yourself unless you are prepared to support them with reason and fact rather than foolish blathering.

[USAdaughter]

Lee Daniels!! I'm thrilled to see your blogging here, I'm a HUGE fan!!

[FearlessFreep]

For "pragmatists," it isn't really a matter of "Obama knows best." What it comes down to is, Obama doesn't HAVE to know best. But Democrats have to consistently act as if he does.

[several]

*applauds*

*stands. continues applauding*

[Oldtimer]

Duh, am I missing something here? Of course the most important thing is that the Dems win
the White House. Having stated the obvious I would like to move on to something people are
NOT aware of. Obama may or may not win by a landslide because after all a winw is a win but
what I keep saying is that he win with a super majority. This is the motherlode year.
Don't think Mitch McConnel, Kindsay Graham and Orin Hatch are not waiting to play
obstruction. These guys are unmatched in their ability to stop reform the country hungers for.
Howard Dean, Chuck Schume and Rahm Imanuel have to IMPROVE what they started on 06.
A super majority in Cingress with Obama in the Oval Office will achieve greatness the likes
of which we have not seen since Franklin Roosevelt. Obama will look good on a three dollar
bill. Don't you think? We need to keep thinking outside the box. Keep pushing Howard.

[marktarheel]

I love the word "reform".it has replaced the word..."investment'.when..using code for."higher taxes"

[CtJean]

Would you rather have your taxes go toward killing people - in Eye-rac or here?

How many billions already? That's billions with a "b". Your great-grandchildren will still be paying down this debt, and if M - clown gets in, they will paying with their lives also.

Get a grip.

[Snowball]

There is no underestimating the predictable disastrous consequences of allowing another Republican regime to occupy the White House. The future of American democracy and the fate of the world hang in the balance. We must consider what one to two more far right Supreme Court Justices would mean for civil liberties, civil rights, the environment, the growing economic divide and the imbalance of power between the public and powerful corporations, the wealthy elite and the effect on the environment. On foreign policy, we must consider what four to eight more years of belligerent nationalism and unilateralism will mean to the world and how many more lives will be sacrificed to war and poverty.

Let's get it together. The Democratic party is not perfect, but consider the alternative.

[jhamm1]

The worldwide conglomerate of homosapiens are currently divided among two seperate factions, culmniating in the rest of the world, and the American Republicans, the latter of which is committed to nothing more than plunging the world into a hundred fold extremity of complete chaos.

Clearly, the world ain't big enough for both of us.

[RRonin]

Amen, Bruddah! And let's elect a big majority in the House and Senate! Let's win this one for Teddy!!!!

[Johnnn]

You're absolutely right. So let's get Hillary on the ticket and vote the OBAMA/CLINTON ticket in a landslide, 350 electoral votes strong.