The Firewall

The Republicans have built a firewall. It extends from Virginia, to Tennessee, to Missouri. It winds along the border between the northeast/midwest blue states and the southern red states. And this is the front where the war between progressive and regressive politics is being fought in the fall of 2006.

All we have to do is look at the candidates to see the stark contrasts between these two ideals.

Let's start in Virginia:

The racist privileged son of a former NFL football coach against a decorated vietman vet, former Secretary of the Navy James Webb, who has opposed the Iraq war from day one and yet watched his son go to Iraq and did nothing to stop him (although he clearly could have) because of his sense of duty, honor, and country. How is this even close?

Now let's look at Tennessee:

A wealthy real estate investor who continued to do real estate business while he was mayor of Chattanooga (raising considerable questions about his ethics) against the son of a prominent Memphis african american family, Harold Ford Jr, who, if elected, would become the first popularly elected african american Senator from the south in United States history.

Now let's finish with Missouri:

A beneficiary of Abramoff and DeLay who has raised almost $20mm to date is in a dead heat with a former prosecutor and state treasurer who has raised less than $5mm to date. Why, because Claire is a tough pragmatic honest woman who mixes midwest values with progressive instincts. I've given all I can to Claire, but wish I could give more.

Vietman vets, african americans, and mothers against the established white country club boys club.

I sure hope we break this firewall. Because if we don't I am going to be sick with disgust.

Comments

[Rick]

Firewall. Give me a break.

As if the lot of us out here in red states can't think for ourselves.

[bryan]

so... privileged county club boy, i guess you'll never run for office.

if so, i expect that we'll never look past the color of your skin or who your parents are.

stick to the technology.

[fred]

Rick - I am not suggesting you don't think for yourself. I am simply telling you what I think. Why don't you tell me what you think instead of throwing out useless comments like that one.

And Bryan - I am not going to "stick to technology" because I care deeply about where this country is headed and right now it's headed into the shitter, led by elitist country club boys who don't give a shit about anybody other than themselves.

[David]

He can stick to technology if you stick to logic. What the hell are you trying to say? You know very well what the 'old boys club' represents, and you know that Fred certainly wouldn't fit that mold despite his skin color.

> As if the lot of us out here in red states can't think for ourselves.
I don't want to start a war, and I mean this is the nicest possible way, but obviously you can't. You voted Red to lower your taxes? But spending wasn't cut, which essentially means a tax increase, since the tax that has been deferred till later will have to be paid with interest. Aggressive foreign policy? Iraq was illegal and immoral to begin with, and quickly became a nightmare so great that no one knows how to get out. Let's not waste space here: email me at david927 at gmail dot com if you have to respond. I apologize for not having thicker skin today.

[Rick]

I think the congressional elections are about the individual campaigns. They aren't about sending a message to President Bush or about a ballot on Iraq.

These elections are about local issues and good candidates. The races you highlight are a perfect example.

But I disagree with the notion that Karl Rove's firewall controls the way people out here vote (in the fly over states).

[JB]

"The racist privileged son of a former NFL football coach"???
Yo Fred, what are you talking about?? I think you've lost it. That is a serious low blow to George Allen, a very successful and upstanding politician.
The macaca incident was blown way out of proportion, it seems like you are the only one who is still using it as a campaign issue. Webb has moved on, why can't you?

Any comment about the head of the "prominent Memphis african american family" Harold Ford Sr., who called one of Corkers campaign workers a "cracker" yesterday?
http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/g/b3704d7c-ece3-4897-9d3d-1d09790dfe03
Unfortunately, crap flies both ways in an election.

I truly enjoyed your blog, and I put up with your political postings, but now I think you went off the deep end.

This post sounds like the last gasps of a desperate man who is realizing that these races are all but lost.

Allen will win, Corker is polling higher lately, and he will probably win. And Talent is consistently up on McCaskill in the latest MO polls, so he looks like he will win also.

The Dems may take the House (although I doubt it), but they aren't taking the Senate. Not in '06.

[Barry Graubart]

"I've given all I can to Claire, but wish I could give more."

Luckily, Rush Limbaugh's vitriolic comments on the Fox commercial have probably done more for Claire this week than any amount of money could have. At least when Frist used video to "diagnose" Teri Schiavo, he could claim to have medical expertise. But what does Rush know about medicine and drugs (oh, better not go there)...

[Helmar]

Red or Blue, this is for you:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8810949184378664013

A 16min (63mb) rapid-fire take on US politics. Enjoy!

[Jerry]

"stick to technology"
Why do some folks harp on Fred's commenting on things other than venture capital and technology? I can understand disagreeing with his politics (or his music reviews for that matter) but why deny him--or anyone--the right to comment on anything on HIS blog??? Are we all supposed to be one-dimensional robots, forbidden from stepping over some arbitrarily drawn line? Isn't personal articulation the whole point of blogging?? Sheesh.

[jackson]

It seems the truth does hurt.

What I find shocking is that people get more upset about insinuations about their past voting decisions than they do about the people who they voted for who turned around and sold them out.

If your gonna get mad, get mad at the folks who put us back into debt, waged an absurd war, and care more about the unborn than the living.

[Josh]

Fred apparently thinks corruption is limited to one party. I have some news for you - they both suck equally.

Do I really have to list the Democratic scandals when they controlled Congress?

Vote for the right candidate, not because they are of a particular party but because they represent your beliefs.

Not all Democrats are good and not all Republicans are bad.

[Gordon]

Vote for whomever, but it's unfair to say that Allen is a racist without mentioning Webb's association with Tailhook (or, at least, rampant sexism in the Navy).

Similarly, to allege Corker is a crook and ignore the misdeeds of that fine upstanding Memphis family is, well, not fair either.

McCaskill-Talent? Oh I don't know. She seems fine. And he probably is another money-grubbing pol.

What bothers me is how partisanship trumps fair-minded analysis these days (on both sides). Throw the bums out? Sure, let's do that. Both sides. So John Dingell and Charles Rangel go to the retirement home along with Reynolds and Hastert.

But of course, that won't happen.

A pox on both their houses, says this frustrated independent.

[EthanB]

For Fred, and for JB, who was standing up for George Allen:

George Allen is an incompetent politician. I grew up in VA and graduated from U.Va. w/ a finance degree in 2001. I'd love to give more specifics, but if you watch him debate or speak publicly, you will get the idea...

He is not a thinker. He used his celebrity in a state obsessed with the Redskins [don't get me started] to ride into office, and did a horrible job. The proof is in the pudding: two successive DEMOCRATIC governors in VA since the Allen debacle.

There is no doubt in my mind that Allen has at least been a serious racist in the past, which is bad enough for me. Even thought U.Va. is a prestigious, liberal, and respected institution, there are STILL major race problems among the student body, in 2006. There is absolutely no way George Allen, who flew the "stars and bars" in the governors mansion, wasn't calling black people "niggers" until waaaaaaaay too recently.

"Macaca" blown out of proportion? HE CALLED A BROWN SKINNED PERSON A MONKEY! For lack of a better term: lol. It is a huge issue because southern states continue to look past racial insensitity and elect politicians with hostility towards minorities. Viva affirmative action in these states.

If I could say one more thing on the "the Dems are no better than the GOP" line: the Democrats NEVER changed the House rules like the Delay and the GOP leadership have. I certainly am not one to adopt any kind of constitutional constructionism, but the exclusionary parliamentary procedures in place since they took control is a serious affront to the spririt of democracy.

Bravo for taking a stance on this, Fred. Sorry my first post here had to be political.

Best,

Ethan

[jackson]

At least we're on the same page here Ethan.

[James Gross]

+1 Fred

[Jamie]

Thanks Fred, keep up the good work. We appreciate it.

[dave]

What we have here in this exegesis on political America is a manifestation of guilty wealthy white man syndrome.

See Lamont, Ned et al.

[Tom W.]

Fred - way to go and I know you supported all these folks with your own dough too. I did for a bunch of 'em too. George Allen not a racist? Geez, just read the Washington Post or the Wall Street Journal.

And no, it's not good enough to say a pox on both houses - the GOP alone has guided us to this disastrous place.

[Tom]

I was looking to help Claire McCaskill, but after seeing this video, that campaign looks pretty corrupt.

Fred, are you sure you are endorsing this?

http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2006/10/missouri-acorn-voter-fraud-scandal.html

[Tony Alva]

"What bothers me is how partisanship trumps fair-minded analysis these days (on both sides). Throw the bums out? Sure, let's do that. Both sides. So John Dingell and Charles Rangel go to the retirement home along with Reynolds and Hastert. "

EXACTLY...

[Sandy]

It's not like Fred or any of you other hard core Dems actually think, you just read your opinions on the DNC website. Dems = Good, Reps = Bad..Oohh ooh ahha haa.

[Brandon McLarty]

It looks as though the Bush Administration is redefining the objectives of The Iraq war. Precariously in recent Busch Speeches the word "democracy" has dropped as a goal in Iraq. The administration has been working double time in recent weeks to lay the ground work for a victorious withdraw, and if that is leaving without a democracy in the Middle East, this vain Administration will take it.

Look for more obvious evidence after the midterms.