Has the Democratic Party missed the opportunity of a lifetime?

[texanshatingbush]

Over the last decade, the American public has seen the rePublicans for what they are: a party which, when placed in power, is willing to ransack the country for the benefit of themselves and their associates (the "K Street crowd" et al).

Right now, the American public will vote for just about anything which is "not rePublican".

So what do the Democrats do? Field a seasoned veteran who can lay the groundwork for the long-term future of the Democratic Party (Biden....Dodd)???? NO!

Instead, we narrow our options down to:
1) a woman who is THE symbol of divisiveness, and in my opinion VERY UNLIKELY to win this election if she has the opportunity; and,
2)an African American who is an unknown quantity in terms of what he can really deliver. If he can't bring together a top-notch staff that can deal with the rePublican Party's attempts to undermine anything he does, as well as the SERIOUS issues now confronting our country, he will be considered another Jimmy Carter--a nice person who never had a clue.

I am mystified how we could have passed up the quality candidates who were available to the Democratic Party, simply to be able to promote ourselves as the first party to present the electorate with a choice between a white woman or a black man.

And we continue to congratulate ourselves that we are presenting to the American People two quality candidates, when the reality is that the rePublicans have brought the bar down so low that just about anyone else is welcome relief.

[monmouth]

1. The media decided very early. I miss Joe Biden...n/t

[K Gardner]

4. Agreed on both counts. n/t

[blm]

2. If we had an honest media working for the people we'd have had a Pres. Gore or Pres. Kerry.

.

[griffi94]

3. biden would have been good

i don't know enough about dodd to have an opinion. i agree with you about what's left.
hillary will only be the most divisive until obama gets the nomination. then the repubs will point the slime machine at him and he'll be the most divisive. i'm afraid we may have already blown it for 2008.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Wow....

Out comes the race and gender cards. The fact that the electorate made known who they wanted between the early states and Super Tuesday, had nothing to do with the party.

What is with some in this party who continues to be divisive and seeks to tear the party apart by calling attention to a person's phenotype?

[bowens43]

6. It wasn't

"simply to be able to promote ourselves as the first party to present the electorate with a choice between a white woman or a black man.
"

Why would you think that it was. Race and gender never was a factor for me or for anyone I know. I've supported Obama from the beginning because I think that he is exactly what this country needs right now.

[SOS]

7. Answer to question: yes

2008 is already over.
Time to move on.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

8. Clark or Gore would have been great but Clinton/Obama got all the media attention

n/t

[DJ13]

9. I think too many people are prematurely scared by right wing talking points

The OP could have come from any of a dozen RW websites the way it reads.

[Beregond2]

10. Veterans

It's the "seasoned veterans" that got us into this mess. If that were what America wanted, Kerry would have won.

[BluWtrLynn]

11. Yes, a great opportunity wasted.

Think of the Democratic Party as a poorly run business in a competitive market. The Super-delegates are the employees of the company. That is, they are those folks who work full time and get paid (either $$$ or in power). They have managed to get themselves a sweet contract where they have a big say on the board of directors. This is a wonderful hedge against the sort of change that will lose them their positions. They take care of a customer when that customer is in their face, but largely think of the company as working for their benefit. In the corporate world, this is an entitlement culture. It is a recipe for decline and mediocrity. If you don’t think it dominates today’s Democratic Party just suggest term limits or real reform measures to your local platform committee. Just look at how our flaccid Congress spends it’s time.

The Super-delegates will support Hillary because she is perceived as the candidate of keeping them on the gravy train. The new constituency drawn by Barrack will be squandered to keep business-as-usual. This is nothing new. This is why the party whose espoused ideals are representative of the vast majority of Americans could only win three presidential elections in the last 40 years. Hillary will get the nomination and McCain will win.

I support Obama because I cannot support Sen. Clinton. I campaigned for Dennis until he quit. I would be far more comfortable with Gore, Biden or Dean but they could not overcome the inertia, and the DLC's support of Clinton any more that Dennis could. They did not have her insider access to the machine. Obama is only here today because he did an end run around the Democratic establishment. Don't blame the media. If it were not for the media love affair with our first real black contender we would have crowned Hilary in February just as the DLC planned.