You're right about "Trollop" and "Dumbass", but the rest is perfectly valid criticism. Also, this letters page is an informal gathering, not a national convention. There is a difference. -- Lawrence (no relation) Libby III

"Parasite" is valid criticism? I don't think so. Did we hear any of the other words I highlighted in speeches last night?

As for this not being a national convention, that's true. OTOH this is a valid reflection of the rank and file far left, and how they think. One would assume such people are self-aware enough not to do exactly the same thing being criticized by the original blogger. But no, they aren't. That tells me that the "angry left" has passed beyond reason.

And cheerful viciousness.

Stab 'em in the front with a big grin on your face.

Let McCain have his say tonight. They will shot back after that.

Democrats have clearly decided (yet again) to cede that lowly playing field to the GOP and are hoping (yet again) that those personality and cultural issues are not enough to outweigh the country's dislike of Republican policies

I hope (for their sake) they are correct, but the facts of recent history show otherwise. They disclose that enough negative and personal attacks DO work, and the Ds end up losing because they continue to treat politics like a debating society instead of warfare. (In the parlance of Rampton and Stauber, the authors of Banana Republicans

Just once, in one year, I'd like to see the Dems mop the floor with the repigs and take no prisoners and leave all the caracasses in "body bags". However, I am not holding my breath. As Joe Klein noted in his last TIME piece, it is simply not in the Dems' DNA.

So it's September. The 4th quarter is starting. The 'creative class' of pencil-neck's and skelo-feminazi's, with the few good seats, have been noshing quiche and wine and watching O&B play defense, halo's around their heads, and have built a slight lead thru 3 while talking the issue talk to M&P. The jocks and 'their gals' beer buzz is starting to peak in the upper rows as Palin subs in with the call to run-and-gun with a power game. There are no referees. P talks some trash and knees O in the nut-region 2, 3, 4 times and the beatific smile barely leaves his lips as he crawls to the sidelines just in time to be joined by B trying to dislodge a MIG from his ass. The layups start rolling in. Game Over. M&P bitch slap O&B a couple times before taking the hardware at center court. The beer flows as the popular rankings tally 60-40 against the folks puking in the corner.

The dems are not playing with the same strategy and tactics as the last two elections. They have actually taken another strong strategy of the republicans and made it their own. This is the moral framing of issues. When democrats lash back, they lose, when they don't, the lose. The problem is that they focused too much on reason and rationale deliberation of issues...as though those would silence the attackers and elevate their moral standing. But all it did was play a game for which the republicans wrote the rules and played the referee. What I think is happening here is the democrats are trying to sieze the republican playbook at a deeper level than attack dog responses. They are "reframing" the basis for political action. (see Lakoff)

What is happening here is more subtle than liberal "pussy politics." Obama did a magnificent job of highlighting first of all the moral basis for progressive politics and approached policy from an emotional standpoint rather than an analytical one. This is how you get people to actually identify with your positions and, more importantly, begin to approach politics like a moral crusade and not a debate club.

Biden and Obama do not need to attack, attack, attack. Let surrogates do that. What they need to do is keep identifying those progressive American values and virtues that middle and lower class people accepted and embraced for almost a century. It sounds wishy-washy, but it is not. They do not need go back and forth with the republicans. The less they dignify them with a response, the more out of touch with the moral underpinning of America they will seem.

One showboat technique that the dems should continue to use is the Triumph of the Will spectacles like the one in Denver last week. What was more impressive for the tribal American than any words apoken there was the POWER that was projected by this new political morality. Keep packing stadiums and waving flags and the banter of school yard bullies will fade into irrelevance.

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=^DJI

Oh, dear.

Everyone relax. Take a deep breath. Don't let the trolls rattle you. That's all they are here for.

Cheerful viciousness.

Obama's team is the best there is. They may have a few strategists. They don't have the troops or the cash.

Relax.

I tried to post this on your previous blog but it didn't take.

First, Joe Klein writes a column on how dare John McCain try to stop the press from doing its job. Then, after Palin's speech, Brian Williams reads part of Klein's column on air, including all of the Repub lies about her record, ending with Klein's call to his colleagues to stand up to McCain. He's seconded in this by Tom Brokaw.(?!?) Today, Jay can't-remember-last name--who did the Time interview with a crabby McCain--is interviewed on MSNBC where he takes out Nicole Wallace (McC press person)for daring to suggest that asking Palin questions isn't a perfectly reasonable effort--Jay really displayed a lot of contempt towards the MCC camp for a mild mannered press guy.

I attribute all this to you Glenn, going after Klein so hard--it's WORKING. And I'm sure the media is pissed off that their boyfriend McCain is being so ungrateful. If he loses them, he is toast, I think.

That said, I do wish SOMEONE in the Obama camp would really go after Palin--she is George Bush 2000 and we all know how well that worked out, don't we? But she is just preaching to the choir--the lunatic people who still approve of Bush-Cheney. According to the focus group reports I read today, Palin played very badly with independents. But Obama needs to step it up--and I am sure he is capable of that. And HRC needs to talk out--her supporters apparently don't dig Palin at all.