What Is The Message?

By Anita Thompson, Section Democratic National Convention 2008
Posted on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 09:14:52 PM EST
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Earlier today I attended the media round table and report on Katrina Recovery: Failed Promises...Future Prospects moderated by Ted Koppel with Mary L. Landrieu, Doug Brinkley and others. The talk was based on the major challenge facing the new administration which will need to convert this national tragedy into a triumph for the nation. "This fragmented recovery is a mirror on America," was one of the themes, which I will post in depth here and at Huffpo after I turn in a manuscript that was due yesterday.

Quoting Arianna yesterday produced so much venom in the comments that I probably won't do it again here! But, Fearless is a good book nonetheless.

How about a quote from Fear And Loathing on The Campaign Trail '72? [more...}

From Dark Interlude pg. 333 of my paper back copy by William Greider:

George McGovern, confronting a political crisis which could destroy his candidacy for the White House, moves like a sailboat headed down the bay.
First, he tacks in one direction, and this is reported. Then he tacks back the other way, and that too is reported. But the reports of these movements do not necessarily reveal where he is ultimately headed.

McGovern apparently wants it that way. Let others seem to speak for you.

-- from Washington Post, and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72

Sound familiar? So, now we get ready to see more speeches about Obama. Any minute comes Chelsea, then Hillary. Yes, Hillary will be criticized for not saying enough, or saying too much. But, whatever happens, hopefully there will be an actual message soon, besides "Obama for President."

< The Hillary Clinton Hour | Hillary's Speech >

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What Is The Message? | 10 comments (10 topical)

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I like today's quote better. :-) (5.00 / 0) (#1)
by Maria Garcia on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 09:20:03 PM EST

The venom comes from Arianna (5.00 / 2) (#2)
by Edgar08 on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 09:20:23 PM EST

I have always spoken out against personal attacks on Dem Party Politicians.

Oh do I miss Hunter's writing (5.00 / 0) (#3)
by dissenter on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 09:25:08 PM EST

He would have had a field day with this debacle. It makes me smile just thinking about it. He would have been brutal:)

On a personal note, I am so sorry for your loss.

: For their 16th birthday, I gave my kids (none / 0) (#9)
by Cards In 4 on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 09:59:00 PM EST

a copy of Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas along with What's Going On by Marvin Gaye. My way of saying time to start appreciating great art. Thompson really had a special talent.

Sideshow linked to this summary of what could- (5.00 / 1) (#4)
by jawbone on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 09:28:28 PM EST

should be the Dem message. Summarized in 12 words (plus explication, because we're Dems!) by Bernie Horne.

So what's our philosophy? Fair wages, fair markets, health security, retirement security, equal justice...for all. Let me describe each in turn.
Fair wages means that we recognize and will address the problem of income inequality. Everyone wants, and deserves, a fair wage for their work. We'll push toward this goal by increasing the minimum wage, promoting unions, and adopting a progressive strategy toward globalization.
Fair markets is the progressive response to free markets. Progressives need to employ this term to defend our economic ideology. There's simply no such thing as a "free" market. If we continue to let the term go unchallenged without a proactive alternative, we may never overcome conservative economic framing.
Health security is a no-brainer. Quality, affordable health care for all is both an essential policy and a wildly popular one.
Retirement security may be the next healthcare. Baby Boomers are retiring, Social Security needs repairing, and current jobs generally don't include any reasonable provisions for retirement pensions.
Equal justice encompasses many other values. This phrase is not only about justice in courts; we mean something broader--economic and social justice. After all, that's what government is for. As James Madison wrote in The Federalist, "Justice is the end of government."
Finally, for all represents the key distinction between progressive and conservative. Conservatives seek rights and opportunities for a select few. Progressives seek them for all.

Being Dems, there will be many possible versions!

Yesterday Brian Lehrer of WNYC public radio in NYC asked a Dem Congressional rep what the Dem response to the 6 word Repub summary was: She could not come up with anything coherent! This has been talked about for years--Dems need the soundbite for the MCM, for the quick summary, for the hook. Why don't our pols know that?

A memorable message is a good thing. (h/t to Martha Stewart)

actually, i've never been (5.00 / 2) (#8)
by cpinva on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 09:46:00 PM EST

impressed by ms. huffington, ever. the recent anti-clinton rants were mere icing on the cake. she's intellectually trifling, and her prose lacks substance.

no, there won't be, if sen. obama's past is any sort of prologue to the future, and i'm betting it is.

But, whatever happens, hopefully there will be an actual message soon, besides "Obama for President."

let's be blunt, it wasn't any solid message that got him to this point, only his "glow" as the chosen one. why change a successful schtick?

Quoting Arianna (5.00 / 1) (#10)
by Bluesage on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 10:53:18 PM EST

To rational and intelligent Democrats was probably not the thing to do. She is, to put it delicately, freakin nuts. There is no such animal as an ex-republican because you can never really shake all that nasty.

Anita....it may have to do with Arianna's (none / 0) (#5)
by PssttCmere08 on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 09:35:37 PM EST

being so one-sided and letting obamacans run amok while she was beating down Hillary supporters...other than that, I am sure she is a nice woman :)

Glad you are blogging...

Schweitzer even got the attention of the MCM ers (none / 0) (#6)
by jawbone on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 09:36:04 PM EST

by finally rousing this crowd!

Whoohoo! That is what's been needed at the convention.

The message is - (none / 0) (#11)
by Bluesage on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 11:29:27 PM EST

After listening to Hillary's speech I would say the message is the Democrats have really screwed up this year and we need to do a whole lot of housecleaning at the DNC. Hillary gave a fantastic speech and brought home the fact that we have the wrong people on the ticket. Obama now needs to convince the people that he has that level of competence and compassion for the people and the Democratic Party. He hasn't so far and the clock is ticking.