One can say the handwriting is on the wall but in this case its more like a neon sign. The Democrats lost Anthony Weiner's seat to a Republican, a seat the Democrats have held since 1923. Even Ed Koch, the former Democratic mayor of New York endorsed the Republican.
Its justifiable payback for the continued spineless approach to politics practiced by Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid and as the new chairperson of the DNC, you can add Debby Wasserman -Schultz to the growing list.
Too add to not only Democratic gutlessness, but to their arrogance, Weiner's constituents had made it clear they didnt want him to resign. Obama, Pelosi,Reid and Wasserman -Schutlz decided what his constituents wanted didnt matter and forced Weiner out. His constituents let them know what they thought of that.
And what was it really all about? Morality? Hardly. It was what passes for Democratic leadership whining that they couldnt get their message across because of all the press attention being paid to Weiner. The Democrats cant get their message across? This is new? This is Weiner's fault? The Democrats do not and have not had a single strategist worth 2 cents nor anyone associated with the Democratic party who knows how to even formulate a message much less get it across. If the Democrats succeed at anything politically its always because Republicans find a way to lose, are incompetent, or overplay their hand, not a result of Democratic strategy or knowing how to get a message across. Which is made even worse because Democrats are usually right on policy but short on the backbone to see it through.
Weiner was more valuable to the Democrats than Pelosi, Reid and Obama combined because he was honest, stood for the right things, was a fighter, and took nothing from the Republicans. Or from Obama and what has been passing for Democratic leadership the last 3 years either for that matter. He stood up where Obama, Reid and Pelosi sat down.
They threw a valuable member of their caucus under the bus over a harmless mistake involving Weiner accidentally making public a racy photo of himself intended only for the eyes of one person he had known for some time and Republican strategists knowing the press would whoop it up and Democrats would cower in a corner. Yes Weiner was married so yes there were issues but those issues should have remained between Weiner and his wife. Instead showing the kind of political cowardice that has marked the 3 years of Obama's administration and the caving in by Pelosi and Reid, they were quick to throw Weiner over the side instead of chastising the media for making an issue of something so trivial.
They could have said the issue is between Weiner and his wife and we wish them well in resolving it but that it doesn't at all relate to Weiner's duties in congress. This wasn't Republican Duke Cunningham taking bribes. It also wasn't the Republican party official in Orange County California who sent out the email showing Obama's face pasted on the body of a baby monkey with two adult monkeys behind him with the words "Now you know why no birth certificate".
That seemingly wasn't offense enough for Obama and Democratic leadership to demand her resignation but Anthony Weiner in his underwear? He had to go.
He had to go because once again Democratic non-leadership couldn't and wouldn't stand up to Republican and journalistic triviality. Once again, Obama, Pelosi and Reid buckled.
And once again they and the Democratic party has paid a big, but justifiable price for the non-leadership of Obama,Pelosi and Reid.
And dont overlook the fact that according to polls at the time, more than 60% of Weiner's constituents wanted him to remain in office. He was forced out by Pelosi, Reid, Wasserman-Schultz and Obama. So there is also the possibility of some angry Democrats in Weiner's district voting for the Republican as payback for forcing Weiner out adding to their anger at Obama.
While Israel and disillusionment with Obama's polices towards Israel played a large role in the Democrats defeat, it has to be clear by now that very few Democrats running for office anywhere in the country will have even Democratic voter support if they are seen as supporters and defenders of Obama and his policies on anything. Not because he went too far but because he didnt go far enough and sold out the entire Democratic agenda even though for his first two years in office he had a 60 vote majority in the senate and the biggesst congressional majority of any president in 60 years. Somehow George W. Bush, as catastrophic as his polices were, still managed to get all his priorities passed with only a 52 vote majority in the senate. It should be noted that it was reported that at Bob Turner headquarters while celebrating his victory,when Obama's name was mentioned, the crowd began to chant "sell out! sell out!". Its unlikely it was rank and file Republicans who felt that Obama had sold out.
Adding Jews to the long list of those disgusted, fed up, dissatisfied and disillusioned by Obama and his handling of the presidency is not a good sign in New York. Democrats cant win the White House without New York and they know it. And they will get drubbed again next November unless the Democrats finally get the kind of real change they need. And that change can be only one thing -- someone other than Obama as the Democratic nominee.
The Democrats must hold an open primary and ignore Pelosi's fears of disunity which is what forced Obama down the throats of more than half the Democratic party who voted against him in the primaries in the first place, and encourage credible Democrats to challenge Obama for the Democratic nomination. If that happens, there is no doubt Democratic voters will choose someone other than Obama as the Democratic nominee. And then the Democrats can not only retain the White House (though with a different inhabitant), they have a chance to reclaim congress as well as long as the new candidate and congressional Democrats repudiate Obama's first term and his failure to deliver what was promised.. If they don't, and Obama is the nominee they can expect more of what they saw in New York all over the country. And probably worse.
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Of all the people we can blame...I place most of it on Weiner for making such idiotic choices in his behavior. He should have known better.
IMO, the Dems wanted Weiner out, because he dared to stand up for once-upon-a-time Dem principles, even against our transcendent leader. So they used Weiner's bad judgment and narcissism against him. And we all know Obama hates to be crossed and always gets even.
However, they did not expect to lose the seat, even though, by forcing Weiner out, they were going against the will of the voters. So, as well as being evil, they are incredibly stupid.
"...I place most of it on Weiner for making such idiotic choices.."
Weiner's ongoing relationship with a woman online, one that had been going on even before his marriage was hardly idiotic. And between him and wife, not him and you and not him and Wolf Blitzer. The picture being made public was an accident on Weiner's part not a choice. The choice came down to whether the Democratic leadership was going to once again show their lack of backbone, lack of understanding what true morality is or actually stand up to the press and Republicans who were the ones making the true idiotic choices.
Notice the difference between the idiotic choices Pelosi Reid and Obama made on Weiner and the fact that David Vitter, the married Republican senator caught having been a client of the DC madam is still in office and backed by Republicans.
Weiner was a very public figure, that was his choice. Along with being a political leader goes responsibility. Part of that is to take care not to provide enemies with ammo. Weiner was an idiot to forget he had enemies who could not care less about privacy or fairness and he became careless. Weiner will go along just fine without us....it is we who suffer the loss.
The point here is that we need to work to persuade Obama NOT to seek re-election, so a real Democrat can be the Party's nominee.
That's what matters now.
"Weiner was an idiot to forget he had enemies who could not care less about privacy or fairness and he became careless."
Weiner was careless but no more careless than Vitter and a lot less careless than "Wide Stance" Republican senator Larry Craig who didnt resign either.
Weiner did have enemies. He and we just didnt know some of them were named Pelosi, Reid, Obama and some nameless incompetent Democratic strategists who strategized the 9th congressional district to the Republicans.
If Pelosi Reid and Obama would only follow Weiner's lead then it would all be worth it.Those who wanted to see the Democratic agenda fullfilled suffered a lot more because of those three than they did because of Weiner.
"The point here is that we need to work to persuade Obama NOT to seek re-election, so a real Democrat can be the Party's nominee."
Thats true and whats more I have some good information that most congressional Democrats know it and even say as much to each other and still they do nothing. What they are afraid of I have no idea but if getting buried by the Republicans is the only way to clean house and get the Democrats new leadership then so be it. In the meantime hopefully enough in the Democratic party will come to their senses to find a new candidate before its too late.
Enough with the defense of Weiner. I like reading your posts but your position on Weiner is bizarre.
This guy, sending unsolicited pictures of his underwear, is a narcissist, one who needs psychiatric help.
Weiner made his own choices and now the moron democrats will have to live by their decisions.
The problem with liberty is that no one wants the responsibility part of it.
Weiner was brazen in his behavior.
The democrats were right to flush him away.
Good riddance to another misogynist.
As John Adams noted, our Constitution was written for a moral people - it will not hold up under an immoral society.
And we are not a moral society today. Further, Americans have got the notion of morality all messed up.
There is nothing inherently immoral about taking a picture of anything on one's own body and sending it to someone who is of age and interested in seeing it.
On the other hand, our society reeks with actual immoral behavior. Bankruptcy, for instance, should be a shameful and rare last resort but it's become commonplace with barely a tinge of shame attached. If I buy something with the promise to pay, failing to fulfill that promise is immoral. It's true unforeseen hardship may happen but it's way too common today to be truly unforeseeable, and today people declare bankruptcy and keep all kinds of luxuries for themselves like TVs and computers and cars - a moral person, at being shamed by failing to meet an obligation, would sell everything that isn't completely essential to make good on their debt.
There are countless examples of immoral behavior having become acceptable in America while at the same time Puritanical outrage explodes over nonsense like pictures of a penis.
I have only the most minor criticism about this perfect post: Debbie Wasserman-Schultz was mentioned at the start but should be listed every single time Reid Pelosi and Obama are. From what I remember she was first and most persistent in her busybody attacks on him.
"This guy, sending unsolicited pictures of his underwear, is a narcissist, one who needs psychiatric help."
First you dont know they were unsolicited since he sent them to a woman he has known for years.Secondly, aside from the issue of being married, sending the pictures in and of themselves was nothing immoral. And you didnt see Republicans throw Louisiana Republican senator David Vitter under the bus when he was caught cheating on his wife with Washington DC prostitues. And he was re-elected.
The Weiner episode was a morality play ironic for exposing the gross immorality of everyone who attacked Weiner from Pelosi, Reid Wasserman-Schultz and Obama to the press. It was Pelosi who said the public option was the centerpeice of healthcare reform then caved in and sold it out to Obama and health industry lobbyists. Weiner fought for the public option. That puts Weiner beyond all of them when it comes to true morality. Losing Weiner's seat to a Republican is poetic justice since they cost the Democrats the seat not Weiner.
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