"Democrats should accept victory humbly"

[jefferson_dem]

LOL! :rofl: :spray:

All together now ... Gimme an "F"...Gimme a "U" ... Gimme a "C" ...

Democrats should accept victory humbly
By Leonard Pitts Jr.

Monday, November 6, 2006

A letter to the Democrats:

Congratulations. If the prognosticators are correct, you are about to win a victory that will shift the balance of power in one or both houses of Congress. Of course, if the prognosticators are incorrect, you will soon be committing hara-kiri. In which case my only advice would be: One hard thrust and then pull up.

But this letter proceeds from the assumption that the prognosticators are right. On that basis, I want to make a plea.

<SNIP>

So, if you win power here, please don’t assume it validates anything you’ve done. If you win, it’s because of Mark Foley and Theresa Schiavo and Randy “Duke” Cunningham and Donald Rumsfeld and George W. Bush and Jack Abramoff and Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter and Dick Cheney and Hurricane Katrina and 2,800 dead soldiers and because, as my mom used to say, enough is enough and too much stinks.

More to the point, you don’t win because of you. Heck, I don’t even know who you are. Ever since Bill Clinton left town, you have been inept at defining yourself, communicating your ideals with all the clarity of, well, John Kerry trying to tell a joke. I don’t know what you believe, what you plan, where you want to take the country. I daresay most people don’t. A victory here just means that you were the only other game in town. And yet, it would give you a rare opportunity.

<SNIP>

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/nov/06/democrats_should_accept_victory_humbly/

EDIT: Please forgive that I have adjusted the subject line to clarify the contents. After a more careful reading of this column, at the behest of my DU friends, it seems Pitts does make a few reasonable points indeed. Nonetheless, i, for one, will NOT BE HUMBLE and will GLOAT like a mother fucker...for a few days at least!

EDIT AGAIN: to change "op-ed" to "column."

[tandot]

1. Like the idiot in chief who thought that 51% is a mandate???

(minus the votes they stole, of course).

[Cha]

43. The bushits acted like they

had a man-date in 2000. So, I hope the Dems are thinking "MANDATE"!

If the prognosticators are right and rove and cheney don't find another way to Steal it.

[endarkenment]

44. Minor correction: he said Man Date, not mandate.

You misunderstanderated him.

[MessiahRp]

2. Accept victory humbly while I insult you...

Oh and after years of Republican smears and taunts. FUCK THAT.

We should do exactly what they did to us. Not let their bills even get to the floor, dump off our bills that we plan to pass in the morning at their offices at 3am...

Turnaround is fair play and the way they raped our constitution the last few years we'll need to do everything in our power to turn it back quick.

Rp

[WCGreen]

3. I know where the Dem's stand...

Why can't anyone else...

Oh yea that's right...

They listen to talk radio or watch Faux...

No wonder they can't see what they stand for...

And oh by the Way, how's that contract on America Thing working...

Not so much, hey...

So perhaps it is better to formulate a long term strategy for the betterment of the whole country instead of developing a slogan right, detail light set of talking points....

[C_U_L8R]

4. ah geez- now they're gonna start lecturing us on winning

hey republicans... this is exactly what the world is sick of...
you and your big fatheaded opinions of what OTHER people should do.

If we win... yes it was because you are losers... but if you don't think
the winners of this battle played a superior game, then you are simply poor sports.
Go home and cry in your beer. Poor sports.

[Warren DeMontague]

25. If Leonard Pitts is a Republican I'm a world famous ballet dancer.

He's a good guy.

[C_U_L8R]

31. Are you with the Kirov or the Bolshoi?

hahaha... oops my mistake on Pitts..
but he sure does sound Republican.
If we win it's not because of anything we did???
That's just wrong.

[Warren DeMontague]

32. I don't agree with the tone of this column, but he is right that this election

is essentially a referendum on the GOP and how bad they've fucked things up. They've been running the show- we haven't really had a chance to demonstrate what we believe in or what we can do.

Judging by Pitts' body of work, though, I do think it's safe to say he wants the same thing most of us want out of a Democratic majority- positive, proactive improvements as opposed to "more of the same".

[Sparkly]

37. Perhaps, but Democrats have fought hard, on all levels.

I think there's a meme going around that "If Democrats win, it's through no fault of their own." There's a constant insistence that our party's in disarray, can't get its act together, etc. etc...

Yes, we're seeing the answer to the question: "How BAD do things have to get before people wake up?!?"

But we're also seeing our party doing better at organizing, at fundraising, at getting out the message and hopefully, getting out the vote. We've got great candidates, Dr. Dean has done a great job, and we've got Democrats *very* actively supporting other Democrats all over the country.

Given that the GOP owns the media, owns corporate money, owns the bully pulpit, owns the "religiously insane" so-called "values voters" (I hate that term) and owns NO conscience whatsoever in what they do and say against Democrats, we've gone up against a powerful operation DESPITE the fact that they've screwed up everything they've touched. (They have a pretty long history of that, and people vote for them anyway!)

So yeah, it's a referendum on BushCo screwups. So was 2002, so was 2004. But let's also give props to the efforts within our OWN party for fighting the fight -- because it still IS a fight, and our side has worked hard and well to achieve what we have.

[Warren DeMontague]

39. Damn straight. You're preaching to the choir.

But I have to disagree with the characterization, in parts of this thread, of Leonard Pitts as a right-winger or a republican. His body of work certainly doesn't indicate any such thing-- He's probably one of the best columnists out there right now. This isn't his best piece, however.

[endarkenment]

45. A good guy suffering from DAED

Democratic Advanced Empathy Disease. This is usually manifested by trying to understand the motivation of the asshat who just kicked you in the balls and is know trying to stomp your teeth out. Also known as abused wife syndrom. See also: Stockholm Syndrom.

[Warren DeMontague]

57. Before you accuse him of having too much empathy for the GOP

you should read some of his other work.

[seabeyond]

5. doesnt know who "you" is cause ditto head limited thinker who doesnt

listen for personal reasons which has created this mess of seeing only one way. says nothing about dem. everything about the writer

not about what the dems have done? damn straight the foley, bushco, corruption, dishonesty and incompetence is all about what the dems HAVE done. they have not done corruption,incompetence, and dishonesty which leaves dems with having done integrity, honesty and competence

asshole

[William Seger]

6. "One hard thrust and then pull up."

Pitt's wife's description of their lovelife.

[Beelzebud]

7. Like the Republicans did in 2000, 2002, and 2004?

I usually like Leonard Pitts, but he's completely off base.

This crap is why people look at us as weak. Leonard: if you aren't willing to fight, then get the fuck out of the ring...

[DinahMoeHum]

8. A big fat FTS to that, Leonard Pitts. . .

(fuck that shit)

And if, God forbid, Joe Lieberman manages to con enough people to vote him back, rest assured, within a year or two, we will make him regret the day his momma gave birth to him; never mind his decision after the CT primaries 2006.

Fuck 'em - with a broomstick.

:nuke:

[bullimiami]

9. just like bush with his 'mandate'?

[Cobalt Violet]

10. I'm planning to GLOAT.

I'm just surprise it didn't happpen in 1996. I can't believe people were so stupid so long.

[Elidor]

11. I thought I was reading David Broder

That's how bad it is.

[kurth]

12. Yeah, don't forget to be bipartisan

Kiss my ass.

[marions ghost]

54. right

NOW it's time to play nice and be all bipartisan

:sarcasm: :puke:

[NOLADEM]

13. He ain't wrong

[in_cog_ni_to]

14. Oh yeah?

When HELL FREEZES OVER!:rofl:

I will GLOAT like no one has ever gloated before! "GET OVER IT!" will be my choice of phrase.

[WinkyDink]

15. What a Borat comment! Mr. Pitts can kiss my white Democratic arse!

[Kurovski]

16. Republicans should accept our boot up their ass numbly.

Because win or lose, that's what the republicans are gonna get.

[Bitwit1234]

17. Because

And it is because of crooks like delay, frist, scanlon, libby, rove, cunningham, noe, ney, taft and all the rest. Aren't they some of the reasons the people in this country are prepared to vote them out.

These people were elected to office to run the government for the benefit of the people who elected them. They weren't elected to office to line their pockets with bribes, stealing taxpayer money, passing laws to benefit corporations.

THAT'S THE DAMN REASON THE DEMOCRATS ARE EXPECTED TO WIN, BECAUSE THE REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN PROVING TO SEX PERVERTS AND CROOKS. IS THIS GUY STUPID OR WHAT.

[havocmom]

18. Point might be: Keep the partying short and get to work!

We have two years to demonstrate solutions to fix what the neocons broke

The sooner we get on that, the more we have to stand on for 08.

In a way, accepting victory humbly is a good plan. What we toot our horns about is what we manage to get repaired and addressed in the next Congress.

THAT is where we puff up and feel proudest.

Election win is job one, but it isn't the whole war by a long shot.

[Demit]

19. Please note that the headline does not reflect the theme of the column.

This is another one of those threads wherein nobody, apparently, bothers to click the link and read the freaking piece before they express their opinion of it.

Nowhere in his column (Leonard Pitts is a longtime columnist for the Miami Herald, not an op-ed writer) does Pitts say that the Dems should be humble. He wants to make a plea, as he says, and the plea comes at the end:

"...Which brings me to my plea. By all means, enjoy the champagne and confetti. But once the bottles are empty and the floor is swept and it’s time to go to work I wish you would, for me, for all of us, remember to do one thing with this victory.

Earn it."


That's the point of his essay. Whoever wrote the headline for it—and longtime newspaper readers know that headline writers are different people from reporters/columnists who write the content—mischaracterized what was in Pitts' column. That's the person you should be heaping your scorn on.

[cwydro]

22. Thank you

apparently nobody is familiar with Pitts...he is FAR from conservative

[jefferson_dem]

23. Thanks. Point taken. n/t

[americanstranger]

20. And Leonard should humbly bite me.

Like I'm gonna make the least bit nice with these assholes who have been calling Democrats the US wing of Al Qaeda for two years now.

Sheah. That'll happen.

- as

[codjh9]

21. I don't think this is as clear-cut as many of you do -

I'm a hardcore Dem/liberal/environmentalist/half-Green, and so I'm not about to agree w/the usual criticisms of us. But maybe some of you are unfamiliar with Leonard Pitts, whom I have read many times and have agreed with probably 95%+ of the time. I think some of his criticism is true - not from OUR viewpoint, but because we haven't seemed (maybe a key word) to have enough of a coherent message - which I agree, as some of you say, is partly the fault of the NON-liberal media - and I don't think our leaders have stood up to Bush & Co. often enough, loudly enough, and in public enough.

Read Pitts more often and you'll see that he's nuked Bush many, many times. So don't mistake him for a conservative, or even vaguely close to one.

But I have to admit, no, I don't really think we should accept victory 'humbly'.

[Warren DeMontague]

24. Leonard Pitts is usually pretty right on.

I wouldn't crucify the guy over this. Read the whole column -- I did, this morning, too. It's not his best work, but I do get his drift.

[Demit]

26. Regarding your edit: It is NOT an op-ed piece!

For heaven's sake, first you post a link because the headline is red meat, and everybody responds to that alone, then you admit that well, maybe you didn't read the piece very carefully at first, then you persist in mischaracterizing the author. The reason nomenclature matters is that someone who writes a regular column will be seen in a different light than someone who pens an occasional op-ed piece. For example, a columnist has a body of work you can—and SHOULD—be familiar with so you can place his most recent essay in context.

Please take more care that you have the facts straight when you start a thread! Please!

[jefferson_dem]

28. Um. Ok.

Cheers!

[Demit]

29. Haha! You're very affable. I like that.

Cheers back at you :)

[Bake]

27. Bear in mind that ARROGANCE is doing in the Pukes.

Arrogance. Look how much we despise it here. Just about the worst thing you can call a Puke is arrogant. We decry the arrogance of power that the Pukes have wielded. So there's some truth in Pitts' comments.

But that SURE AS HELL doesn't mean we ca't lead. Or that we should continue to bend over for the Pukes.

Bipartisanship? I got two words for the Pukes: SUCK IT.

Bake

[Hamlette]

30. right, and do nothing so he can say we do nothing!

the hatred is palpable...it does remind me of the 60s "generation gap". We should work as a society on ways to stop it. It's easy for ppl like Pitts to demonize us, and when ppl read it, they might think it is true because they don't know any dems! They only know ppl they go to church with and churches have become too political.

Damn. Bridge clubs. that's what europe did in the 60s to bridge the generation gap. To get ppl to sit down in a neutral area so they can come to respect each other.

Damn. What a mess the GOP has wrought. First with Carter (why they hated him I'll NEVER know), then impeachment and now with the most devisive prez ever.

[Warren DeMontague]

33. It's pretty safe to say Leonard Pitts does NOT want us to "do nothing"

nor does he wish for the Democratic Party to fail.

[porphyrian]

34. When we want your opinion, Leonard, we'll ask you in court. - n/t

[Warren DeMontague]

40. ?

Do you know who Leonard Pitts is?

[porphyrian]

51. Why should that matter? - n/t

[Bridget Burke]

52. Did you even read the whole article?

That matters, as well.

[porphyrian]

55. Read? Oh no, I'm American. - n/t

[Warren DeMontague]

56. Erm. Context. Like without context, a statement like "we'll ask you in court"

is just plain, well, silly.

[okieinpain]

35. you mean dems shouldn't go running through congress screaming

that's my office, my office.....

[SoCalDem]

36. So we have to play by different rules? When we gain power

we are expected to share it? When we gain power we are expected to "play nice, let bygones be bygones, turn the other cheek"?

not THIS time baybee!!!


We did it during Iran Contra and look what happened...

we should have had that weasely GHWB and his forgetful friend St Ronnie UNDER OATH FOR DAYS..WEEKS..MONTHS if necessary and they should have been made to OWN that mess.

we "cut and ran" (as in cut them slack and let them run) and look what it got us...

[MazeRat7]

38. Not just no, but HELL NO!!! I am not going to be "gracious". Not this time.

[MoonRiver]

41. Not me!

I plan to gloat and rub it in their loser fascist faces! :evilgrin:

[Cha]

42. Well, Fuck you, too.

Is that suppose to be reverse psychology? Make us bad winners?

I think it's a good idea to be humble, anyway..not like the first monkey and his fucking man-date.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

50. *whisper*

"They stole the 'W's' off the keyboards!" Day One.

The bullshit began on Day One.

It hasn't stopped for 2000 consecutive days!.

Feck 'em.

[Greyhound]

46. Just like "they" did in 1994... Grandstanding fuckheads.n/t

[mmonk]

47. Screw humble. Screw gloating.

I'm talking about a horn tooting, fireworks displaying, dancing in the street PARTY.

[Dr Fate]

48. Is drinking beer & dancing to Rock & Roll music all night humble enough?

Is calling in sick on Wednesday humble enough?

How about walking arounf with a HUGE smile on my face all day Wednesday? Is that humble enough?

[TallahasseeGrannie]

49. A big smile says a lot

you don't even need words.

[Vinca]

53. Humbly? No, I don't think so.

I'm currently considering neon lights for the car and robocalls to Republicans at all hours of the day and night.