Smack
Mark Warner, the great Southern hope about to take flight for eager liberal Dems everywhere, crashes and burns on takeoff.
please
How does this comment amount to "crash and burn"? So the only legit democratic response is "full pullout, immediately"? That's idiotic. A gradual withdrawal on a sensible timeline is completely defensible, no matter what side of the aisle it comes from. Matt, you yourself have criticized (or at least supported Josh Marshall's criticism) the Iraq drawdown as becoming a political, rather than a policy, decision. Isn't the most important question what to do going forward? I realize it might not be as fun as trashing the administration (legitimately) for the planning, selling and execution of the war, but Democrats are going to get their ass handed to them AGAIN if they don't see the political viability of Hilary and Warner's position, which in fact is based on a sound policy analysis.
Fair Comment
I was thinking more about two things: 1) How Warner has been adopted early by many based solely on his biography/region, and how now he's entering the phase where he's going to start articulating ideas-- thus detroying the benefit of being (more or less) an empty vessel, and 2) How there are two people in this race: Hillary Clinton and someone else. And the someone else needs to be pretty different from HRC from the get-go. Thus, the comparisons to HRC's positions aren't very auspicious, and may well represent a huge strategic blindspot on Warner's part (you can't out-middle her).
But yeah, it's hyperbolic to say he crashed and burned, I admit that. And yes, there is a range of options that should all be on the table with regards to Iraq.
yeah but
In reality, these are really just distinctions without a difference. Immediate withdrawl, timetables, benchmarks, blah blah. They are all equivocations for "as soon as possible." No one in their right mind thinks that "immediate withdrawl" means our troops our going to pack up their things and haul ass for Kuwait. "Immediate withdrawl" itself requires timetables, bookmarks, goals, standards, procedures, and whatnot. The whole debate relates not to what to do but how to say it.
But, Warner's statement that "we should not debate how we got into this war" or whatever he said is totally fuckin stupid. Stupid to say and even more stupid to actually believe, regardless of whether his stupidity is similar to HRC's.
You're right...and not, at least for me
Your comment that some have adopted Warner early (as I have) based on his biography is right and yet it misses an important point. I plead guilty to having taken a serious look at Warner because of his bio. And yet, I then STAYED with him because of his bio. THEN, I have (since) had the pleasure of meeting and hearing from him, and I'm hooked. Now mind you, I was a Dean Meetup Host in April of 2003, and on the surface there was only a few superficial similarities (governor, balanced budgets, Net savvy).
The thing is, Warner's story is a large part of why he's the right choice for America. In addition to his personal qualities and the quality of his ideas and direction (a bit on this below), his story is an important reason. It's the key to why.
This sounds corny, but such things often resonate more in Middle America than some on the left (I call us "people who read") are comfortable with. But it's true. Mark Warner is the kind of person a lot of parents hope their kid will grow up to be. The first in his family to graduate from college, he then went to Harvard Law. After a stint at the DNC, he took a few flyers on business. The first failed after six weeks, the second after six months.
The third was Nextel. Money beyond all reason, followed by more from capital investments.
What did he do? After contributing all he could he signed on and ran Doug Wilder's campaign, getting the first black Governor of Virginia elected. A bit after that, he took on fossilized conservative John Warner for Senate - and did NOT get crushed but made a very respectable show in a very Red state. He also self-funded a healthcare initiative and a rural broadband program. Then he ran and won for Governor. He took a $6 bil deficit and made it a $500 mil surplus - but getting both sides to agree to cutting everything but education before resorting to a tax increase that over 20 R's in the VA legislature voted for along with the D's. Along the way, he passed landmark legislation protecting the Chesapeake Bay and got VA to where Governing magazine ranked it the best managed state in the US.
First in college, then Harvard. Self-made zillionaire who turned to elect Doug Wilder and then into public service himself. A proven Governor who is WILDLY popular in VA.
And then...you have to hear him. His character comes through. Easygoing, has a good sense of humor. And big ideas. Large ones. Understands the potential of tech and education to tranform us - knows its the key to a stable future. Pro-choice - I heard him say it six times. Like Dean, he has a ruralist's policy on guns; but also like Dean is up front about it, doesn't Bayh/Biden/Kerry it.
Knows that the way out is not to focus on left or right but on future or past. Knows that Americans are ready for some good news, that we need to feel that there is hope for the future, that there is a way out of the Bush catastrophe. Knows how to make government work. Is a leader. Can't be bought. Gets both "bubba" and the blogosphere.
The right guy at the right time with the right credentials and the right character. Mark Warner is about renewing the promise that is America.
Eric Davis
Draft Mark Warner
ericd@draftmarkwarner.com
Moderator, Illinois for Warner Yahoo Group
Warner: Not Fresh Enough
Warner may think he's got what it takes but he's not fresh enough. The country needs someone who transcends Democrat and Republican; someone with fresh ideas, fresh perspectives, outside the box takes on problems and down-to-earth priorities for the desperate masses of Americans trying to survive.
Day-old solutions like "timetable for Iraq" don't smell right. And his idea to not do a post-mortem on how we got into this war in the first place, just plain-old stinks.
Nope, Warner's not it; and neither is Hillary or Biden; and certainly not Lieberman. Who is it? Someone fresh, natural, organic and totally good for the country's health.