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In the movie, Ground Hog Day Bill Murray's character is stuck repeating the same day over and over and over until he figures out how to conduct himself as a decent human being and earn the right to move forward in his life. I read some of the divisive posts on this board whose sole purpose is to assign blame to some Democrat whose past action the poster disagrees with and I wonder, are we, as Democrats doomed to a perpetual Ground Hog Day of our own? Are we doomed to constantly look at each other and our candidates and elected officials as stuck in that one moment of disagreement, constantly reliving it, unable to move forward because of blame and recriminations that have no resolution and no end?
The last election saw a large turnout of young people, some of whom have come to DU in an effort to find other people who want to find a way to make America a better and more caring nation. I know of a few of them who couldn't take the arguments and the constant sniping and petty disagreements that cause one person to insult another person favorite Dem. Is this what we really want, to show out next generation that Democrats are unable to connect with one another in common purpose because we can't get over the disagreements of the past? This is no way to build a party from the grassroots up.
I didn't work or vote for Gov Dean in the last Presidential cycle. That no longer matters. I want Gov. Dean to succeed in his job as Chairman of the Democratic Party. I applaud his effort to get a Democratic organization on the ground and functioning in each of the 50 states. I love his innovative plan to have Democratic War Bonds and have those who can contribute $20 a month as a way to have a steady income for the Party. Gov. Dean is a good Democrat and his success is my success.
I wasn't all that familiar with Sen. Feingold before. Oh, I knew him as the co-author of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance measure and that he had voted his conscience in his vote against the Patriot Act. I admire him, and I like listening to him. He is a good Democratic and his success is my success. Regardless of what happens in the next Presidential cycle, I will support this good man and his fight to make the Democratic Party more responsive to the needs of real people and the need for government to be recognize it's limits and it's potentials.
I contributed money, as did many other people, to help Paul Hackett run for the House in Ohio. Mr. Hackett is more fiscally conservative than I am. However, I think he would bring a voice of experience and compassion to public office and that would be a wonderful thing. I think a Senator Hackett would be an undeniable voice when it came time to draft legislation that dealt with the military, our preparedness to fight actual wars, our desire to offer our troops the best protection we can and the moral obligation to take care of wounded and the families of those who have died in service to their country. I have every faith that Paul HAckett would be a good Democrat and his success would be my success.
This is not idle happy-talk. I know people who are going to have to make hard choices this winter about which bills to pay and where the hell the money is going to come from. I see, from time to time, the mother of a 22 years old kid who lost a leg in Iraq and the use of his left arm. I want to know that her son's needs will be met because he deserves that. I know the girl who was valedictorian of my daughter's class who excelled at science and who couldn't go to her first choice of a school because the aid package wasn't enough and with more kids at home, well, the parents just couldn't help. What is the price that our country will pay when the best and the brightest can't get a foot in the door of a good school because the grant and aid money is drying up?
So, I really want to get out of Democratic 'Ground Hog Day,' because there are people in this country who don't give a damn what happened in the last election and they need help. They want to know that change can come and that America can be there for them again, can be a hand-up that gives people time to get their act together and move forward. I want to support your candidates, all the good Democrats because when they succeed, I succeed.
I know who we are all against. I have read post after post about 'this person screwed up and I will never trust them again,' and 'this person voted this way and I will never forgive them.' I think I know who some of us are against. Can you tell me who you are for and what hope they hold out for making America a better and more fair place? Can we get out of this endless loop of recrimination and despair?
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