Safire and Broder on MTP have hit a new low

[troublemaker]

The discussion of Kerry delaying formal acceptance of nomination was the stupidest exchange I have ever heard on a network other than Fox. "The Democrats are destroying institutions..." WTF?

Neither candidate has 'accepted' his party's nomination yet, but the press is having little trouble covering the race. I think we can figure out who the nominees are.

There was a suggestion that the networks would refuse to cover the Democratic convention, presumably because with deferred acceptance it wouldn't be newsworthy. I don't think either convention is really "newsworthy", but assuming they are, how the hell could a convention be less newsworthy because a candidate deferred formal acceptance? That seems more newsworthy than the even more boilerplate tired predictable course of everything going exactly in accordance with 'tradition'

On edit: Pat Buchanan has been the sanest TV voice on this topic. "It's the smart thing to do and it shows the Democrats are starting to "get it"' Buchanan's a true fan of politics. In BALL FOUR Jim Bouton says there not bigger asshole than the American sports fan because they boo an opposing player for hitting a home run. A real baseball fan would rather his team hit the home run but can appreciate quality even when it run's counter to loyal fandom.


BTW appropos of nothing at all... I used to live near an insane elederly drunk who's favorite saying is an ideal slogan for the Bush 2004 campaign. Don't worry 'bout the mule being blind; just load the wagon

[trof]

1. Was especially surprised at Broder.

Maybe he got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

[The Zanti Regent]

24. Bob Somerby has exposed Broder for the Nazi Whore he really is

Just take a look at Bob's archives in the Daily Howler:

http://www.dailyhowler.com/

Broder always lies for the Nazi Party

[Jacobin]

2. The longer Kerry stays in the background

and is they normal guy waiting in the wings, the better off we are.

Come November, when IraqNam is further down the apocolyptic road, people will be looking to pull the lever for ANYONE other than Smirky.

[underpants]

6. The only problem I have with this is that it is jumping the headlines

ANYTHING Kerry could have given the media was going to be put above the fold which was a mistake IMHO.

I like it otherwise-not just the money situation but the FU to Bush we'll take your moment thank you. Kerry accepting IN Iraq? That would be pretty cool.

[Mountainman]

9. They are mad because Kerry won't let them in control of events.

The press and the repugs have been tying to control the events of Kerry's campaign and so far they have failed misserably.

Kerry is doing just fine. Let him run his campaign. He knows what he is doing.

[Radical Activist]

12. Their own polls are news but not the convention

Yes, they want to control the message. Heaven forbid Democrats be allowed to present their message without being filtered by a reporter or editor.
They prefer self-generated news they can control like publishing a new poll every couple weeks.

[rocktivity]

23. DING DING DING! Mountainman, you're our grand prize winner!

The press and the repugs have been tying to control the events of Kerry's campaign and so far they have failed miserably.

This is how desparate the right-wing media is for a weapon of mass distraction that can put their spotlight on Kerry's alleged shortcomings. They want to be able to blast any anti-Bush sentiment on Kerry's part as selfishly "politicizing the issue" just to get votes, and any pro-Bush sentiment as "Bush Lite"-ism. But Kerry isn't playing along, and he now has a bump in most of the polls to show for it! Stay the course, Kerry--keep your nose to the grass roots grindstone, and let the world continue to watch Georgie wallow in his own excrement!

By the way, Mountainman, how are things going on your job? You posted about a difficult employee a little while ago.

:headbang:
rocknation

[Warpy]

18. I have yet to see a quote from Kerry

..saying this is what he will do.

I've only seen quotes from right wing hacks saying this is what he "could" do in order to use his campaign contribution war chest for the longest period.

If you have a quote from Kerry or his camp, I'd love to see it, and in that case it would be a stupid thing to do. Right now, though, I see it as just more right wing garbage, along with a McCain vice presidency and Hillary Clinton being drafted.

[underpants]

19. If he doesn't do it expect "flip flop" charges

Geez these guys are so easy to figure out.

[MasonJar]

3. It's in Pugs best interest to get him to accept so Bush can really

nail Kerry with the extra money he can solicit. Dems should pay no attention to the likes of Safire.

[aquart]

We never do. He's still a Nixon apologist.

Hardly a recommendation.

[bahrbearian]

4. Not having the News at the convention would make it safer!

[TN al]

5. I have a coworker who recently said something very similar...

...any idea on the origin of it?

[charlie]

7. Must've been funny

watching those two old farts act like this was their first presidential election. There's never been a time in the history of the republic that the parties haven't elbowed and stretched the letter of the law for maximum advantage.

And Safire's got the harrumphs over the Democrat's convention in-name-only, but he's peachy cool with Dubya's Iraq sovereignty in-name-only? Twit.

[troublemaker]

8. and the most noteworthy break with 'tradition' is

Bush holding his convention after kids go back to school. If you're going to absolutely fuck up the lives of working people in Manhattan a decent person would do it in August. (Manhattan is a ghost town in August... it's creepy)

[underpants]

15. NBC reported on how roads would be closed in Boston

and how the restaurants etc. were counting on the income and they weren't sure how people would get to work. If Kerry doesn't accept AT the convention all these people would be inconvenienced and the businesses would lose SO much money.

Um no mention of what is required for a convention and the POTUS in NEW YORK CITY!!!

[ljm2002]

26. Precisely!

It's absolutely infuriating that they are allowed to make a comment about "breaking with 200 years of tradition" and there is no one to counter with your point, which is that the Republican convention was pushed waaay back for maximum political and fundraising advantage -- in a "break with tradition". Well, at least it now looks like the "maximum political advantage" may come back and bite 'em in the butt. Meanwhile they can still fundraise... so the Dems and Kerry are getting smart about it. Good for them!

And I'd really like to know how much "tradition" is being "broken" here? Are these guys goofy, or what???

[Cocoa]

10. the phoniest of phony issues

Kerry is driving the whores NUTS.

[Vickers]

20. This is my opinion, too

If it's driving the chimps bananas, it's A-OK.

And like MountainMan said above: Kerry has been in this game a LOOOOOOOONG time, and he knows what he's doing...heck, he was serving in elected office back when Georgie was snorting coke and getting DUIs and driving girls to get abortions!

[DoYouEverWonder]

11. They were just about threatening Kerry

that the networks might night cover all 4 nights of the convention, if he postpone accepting the nomination. The part about Kerry destroying institutions was surreal. These are intelligent, old warrior, DC insiders. They couldn't possibly not see how ridiculous they sounded.

I saw something similar happen the other night on the Gwen Ifill show. They all looked like they were at a funeral for the first 20 minutes of the show and then at the end when they got to the bash Kerry segment, they all livened up. They went right into bashing Kerry for the most insignificant transgressions but at least they were on turf where they could fell safe.

The contrast is astonishing. On one hand you have a pResident who is the worst, most incompetent miserable failure in history, and on the other you have a good and decent man who can turn things around and all they can do is try to put destroy the good man.

[underpants]

13. Safire mentioned the "200 year tradition of conventions"

I don't know if they had conventions waaaaaay back in the day but I would suspect if they did it was a few people in a room.

Safire-how does this guy have a career?

[Radical Activist]

21. No such tradition

Around 1800 it was members of Congress who essentially chose the Presidential nominee for their faction. In more recent times it was a few power brokers in the party who chose the nominee. For some periods it came down to a floor fight for delegates. None of that resembles the coronation that conventions have became in the last three decades.
What a stuipid comment on his part.

[troublemaker]

14. self delete

[DemBones DemBones]

16. Doncha love it? Kerry's driving them NUTS!

I loved the sputtering about the Democrats being all about money, moving the primaries up just so the candidates could raise more money.

Not a peep out of anybody about the fact that Bush* has an obscenely large war chest, being financed by all the rich fuckers (and the wannabe-rich fuckers who think the GOP will do something for them by depriving somebody else.)

[kentuck]

17. But Kerry did not say emphatically that he was going to do that ??

Right? It is under consideration, was my interpretation? Am I wrong about that? If that is the case, why are they talking like it's a done deal already??

[kerry-is-my-prez]

22. Good for the Dems: "Institutions are made to be destroyed"

Just as "Rules are Made to be Broken." That's always been my philosophy of life, anyways.

If an institution or rule isn't working for you and it doesn't harm anyone to get rid of - then by all means - flippin' get rid of it. I hate that attitude "We're doing it becasue that's the way it's always been done." That's a Republican attitude - not a Dem one.

[DaveSZ]

25. Why can't we move our convention to a little later?

Even though Safire is a jackass, I thought that was a good idea.

[dsc]

27. While the arguments were disingenuous

it is hard to feel to sorry for Kerry on this given the disingenuos crap that both he and his supporters spouted when Dean opted out of public financing. Sometimes what goes around comes around and this is one of those times.

[Sparkly]

28. What did he say?

I don't remember any of that. Kerry opted out, too. Was he critical of Dean's decision?

[dsc]

30. Yes

Dean was destroying CFR, trying to buy the election, and making Kerry opt out by doing so. Sorry but sometimes Karma bites you on the ass in a big way.

[Sparkly]

29. I think the very thought of Democrats having money,

either individually or as a party, freaks them out.