MAD Democrats – Walter Cronkite on the primary campaign

[pruner]

You might remember MAD - the Cold War policy of Mutually Assured Destruction in which the United States and the Soviet Union each planned to obliterate the other in the event of a nuclear attack.

Well, among themselves, the Democratic presidential candidates have triggered their own version of mutually assured destruction.

If the economic gains being reported now prove to be a genuine start of recovery, it could put a big dent in the Democrats' 2004 campaign plans. But right now, they are facing another formidable danger.

For some weeks now, a visitor from Mars, observing his first election campaign, could be forgiven if he thought the leading candidates for the Democratic nomination were advance men for George Bush, so eagerly have they been tearing each other down.

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~29003~1765105,00.html

[E_Zapata]

1. Gee, of all the articles Walter could write.........

about the administration and the whore media......THIS is the one he takes to the mainstream. Seems even HE is trying to be part of the club. Very disappointing.

Gee......I remember a rather contentious mud slinging fight between our CURRENT resident and McCain. Oh...that wasn't even about policy or records or anything. It was an insinuation that McCain wasn't psychologically fit for office due to his prisoner of war experience. Did Walter write an article debasing Bush for that? I don't think so. Gee.....we got a chickenhawk due to that mud slinging.

Sorry......but this is a fight.....and I don't much like the backlash against the Dems for not being 'nice enough.'

[w4rma]

8. Sorry, but Walter Cronkite exactly correct.

Note, the editorial is a slam on Dems slamming Dems which is something that is going on which is *really* teeing me off.

[LastKnight]

2. the 'recovery'

riiight, does anyone else realize that these 'created jobs' are most likley the start of seasonal part time hiring for the holiday season, and alot of them will be terminated by early january. and even if they arent, bush* hasnt even created 1/3 of the jobs hes lost.

i know this isnt the main topic of the thread, but im tired of everyone not seeing what these jobs most likley are

-LK

[Dagaz]

3. Walter is senile

It's a campaign - I'm sure someone could wake Cronkite up and show him most presidential years to remind him that it gets nasty. Gore is the one who brought up the Willie Horton issue that Bush 1 used but I've seen nothing even close to this dirty yet.

This isn't a friggin coronation so let everyone battle it out and then unite like it's always been done.

[Touchdown]

10. Gore brought up the Mass. furlough program.

he DID NOT bring up Willie Horton. He criticized Dukakis for the program itself, not mentioning Horton, or even the race of the convicts. Lee Atwater brought up Horton by name and pasted his race-baiting picture on all the ads.

Try not to fall for that distortion.

[jonoboy]

4. it will be all soon forgotten

when the candidate is eventually chosen. What makes Cronkite or anyone else think the general public could retain this info.

And don't worry, the economy aint gonna get much better.

[RC]

5. Walter Cronkite is correct.

Instead of fighting amongst themselves, why not take on the object of the candidates running in the first place and express it right up front.
Who would be the best at undoing the damage of the criminals in the White House? What will the Dem candidates do to see that the criminals answer for their crimes.

The answer to these questions are what should keep this country busy for at least the next 4 years.

They are so busy fighting each other over differences of opinion, we don't know what they will do if perchance they do make the Oval Office.

Oh yes, they criticize bu$h and his administration, but what will they do to clean up the mess and keep it from happening again? Except for sound bites, we don't know.

On Edit: Just what have any of the Dem candidates said or done about the Diebold electronic voting machines? Why is that not a big issue with them? The fact that the CEO of Diebold is on record as supporting bu$h should be made into a campaign slogan.
Why are they mostly silent here?

[jonoboy]

6. you are correct here

this is one of the greatest threats to the vote.

[Arugula Latte]

12. I think Dean said something about it

and hinted he'd talk more about it down the line.

[SoCalDem]

7. Democrats have been guilty of this one ...FOREVER..

I call it the .."We're Gonna"....

They always seem to use what precious little air time they get, by either attacking each other or announcing to the world what particular strategy they plan next..

There is a time and a place for all of this, but it is most assuredly ...NOT in front of a reporter or a camera..

McAuliffe has to be the owrst leader that ever existed..

As soon as the slate of candidates was set, he should have called them ALL into a PRIVATE pow-wow, and laid the law down..

1. No attacking each other.. if you cannot differentiate YOUR programs and ideas from the others in a convincing way, maybe you are not ready to run for president..

2. No divulging YOUR or any OTHER candidate's plans..

Just tell people where YOU stand on all the issues , adn let them decide who is best for the job..

EVERY nasty thing that they have said will be in commercial form, during the general election.. I can see it now..

Let's say that Dean is the candidate:

cue commercial... "Even John Kerry says that Dean is a big fat liar...on ??/??/03 , he said .."....... .... ..."..

Bradley was responsible for the "Al Gore is a liar" stuff..

They should have never agreed to the funky "debates" either.. They are stupid, lame, and serve no purpose ..

They should have presented themselves in 15 minute speeches, uninterrupted.. where they could lay out complete thoughts, and tell us what they believe..

These faux debates are nothing but soundbyte generators..and a vehicle for the "moderators" to get their mugs on tv.

Shame on McAuliffe...Shame on them too

[blm]

11. Dean started this whole tone on Jan.23 and never let up.

The problem is that too many on boards like this applauded Dean for his mean spirited attacks on the other candidates, and he kept up the assault throughout the spring and summer.

Now those same people complain that the other candidates are reciprocating.

[rasputin1952]

9. Walter has been around a long time...

and he knows what's going on. The situation is, the candidates ARE torching each other, and that is not necessarily a good thing.

The field should have been thinned by now, but I will not fault anyone of the candidates for not dropping out. Bottom line, their credibility in the fiture is on the line.

In any case, once a candidate is chosen, things will pan out. There are some pluses to the larger field, the bushistas have to watch more than one front. If they zero in on, say Dean, the others have relatively free rein to attack administration policies.

My concern is that once a candidate is chosen, I hope he/she has the sense to take the best points from all of the candidates, and mold them into a workasable platform.

:kick;

[ComerPerro]

13. He is right

The infighting is sickening.