Houston Chronicle: Democrats' feuding is music to GOP hopes, could give Repubs playbook for fall

[Amerigo Vespucci]

March 8, 2008, 11:16PM

Democrats' feuding is music to GOP hopes

Attacks could give Republicans playbook for fall

By RICHARD S. DUNHAM

WASHINGTON — Remember Willie Horton? Back in 1988, Republicans tarred Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis with the heinous crimes committed by the Massachusetts murderer while out of jail on a weekend furlough program administered by Dukakis' state government.

"Willie Horton" became the symbol of Dukakis' out-of-the-mainstream liberalism and his perceived willingness to coddle criminals.

But something most people don't remember is that Willie Horton was first brought to public attention by one of Dukakis' Democratic primary opponents, then-Sen. Al Gore of Tennessee.

Twenty years later, Democrats are having Dukakis flashbacks. The reason: Many party activists worry that the wounds sustained during the rough-and-tumble Texas primary could come back to haunt the eventual winner of the family feud between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

[cornermouse]

1. Reality is that they've had their detectives and think tanks

working overtime for quite a while now. We're not going to come up with anything they haven't already thought of or discovered on their own.

[Horse with no Name]

2. The party is just getting started

anyone that believes otherwise is just naive.

[cornermouse]

4. I don't know.

Does politics get dirtier every year or does it just seem that way? I've been tracking down my family history and in the process have seen newspaper articles from the early 1900s and even earlier and in a way they're worse and in a way they're not. Or maybe it's an increase in the level of meanness today. I think I'm either exhausted or burned out. My candidate is gone and as I look around for a clothespin, I wonder if anything is actually going to change. Will we get out of Iraq? Will we be able to get our national finances back in order, retrieve our jobs, and restore our middle class? Can we push the corporate powers-that-be into switching over to solar and wind power? Will whoever wins be doomed to be a one term president followed by a return to the republican policies that have proved to be so disastrous for most of us?

[Horse with no Name]

5. I honestly think that BOTH candidates are damaged goods

obama supporters are NOT going to vote for Hillary and vice versa. Unless a unity ticket is done--or an entirely NEW candidate is put forward...we will lose in November and we will LOSE BIG.
Politics have been nasty for a long time--although the level of hate and vitriol between "democrats" seems to be worse.

[Craftsman]

6. Agreed.

Both of these two will not quit adn I have growing doubts on a unity ticket. To much bad blood, and I doubt if either will take a number 2 slot.

[Perry Logan]

3. They're just trying to cheer themselves up. The poor bastards know they're screwed.

[joeybee12]

7. This is good news, because...

...the media NEVER gets it right.

[KharmaTrain]

8. Let's Deny Reality A Little Longer, Shall We??

So many are scared of the big bad repugnicans. Run, hide...they'll have some big smoking gun or swift boat...Rove will wave his magic wand and "the math" will fall in place...if not, they'll rig the voting machines.

Well, welcome to 2008...a country ruined, angry and looking at whose responsible for the mess. Most aren't looking at Clinton or Obama...they're seeing georgie boooosh, corrupt House and Senate Repugnicans and their poster boy...Gramps McLame. The numbers of Democrats turning out in the primaries and the large amounts of money raised say Democrats will stay involved and most of us have eyes on some big prizes. The Obama/Clinton race will settle itself...and the Democrats will come out stronger than they have in any election in recent memory.

No one has a crystal ball as to what this country will be like in September or October, but I can venture a good guess in saying most of the messes we're facing now will still be around and worse. People will be more concerned about losing their house and job or endless war in Iraq than Tony Rezko or personal tax records. And standing alone, holding the "boooosh legacy" is Gramps McLame with more flip-flops than a Payless shoe store and a party broken and still in massive denial.

While some are enjoying the "bloodsport"...I suspect a large number of Democrats are biding time with a bigger picture in mind. The GOOP mighty wurlitzer no longer can crank up. The only thing that can defeat Democrats this fall are Democrats...and I don't see that happening.

[tanyev]

9. I don't know.

I think the people who don't usually pay that much attention are finding this exciting. It's looking like all 50 states are going to be important as the Democratic primaries sweep through, and turnout is at record levels. On the major networks, the story of Obama vs Clinton is much more interesting than whatever boring old man McCain said today. And aren't most of the polls showing that the average Democrat voter would still be happy with either candidate?