I don't hold any animus toward white Christians or fellow citizens who subscribe to the ideals of the Republican agenda. I don't think Howard does either, nor do the vast majority of people who identify themselves as Democrats - moderate or immoderate.
I am not a troll. I offer my true feelings here inspite of my fear of ostracism from DailyKos. I can't prove I'm not a troll because my history of approved comments has dissappeared into the archives to save bandwidth.
I've noticed lots of threads of legitimate dissent disappear into oblivion because people use the troll rating to suppress points of view with which they disagree. Not only is that not just, it is stupid. It is stupid for Howard to repeat such mistakes and it is stupid for people to not ask him to do better in the future.
Unless we of Kos are living in a reality distortion field, we have to address the facts that create the perception outside the community that Dean and his supporters are properly categorized as "lunatic fringe".
I have suffered the horrendous injures to my intelligence, with miles of inane commentary from the community adding insult to injury.
No matter how good the media are at quoting out of context and quoting Rethugnican statements of outrage four to one, I believe that Howard's recent comments betray a fundamental lack of strategic awareness and rational thought processes. Those of us who value quality thinking and rational discourse over incandescent passion and illogical rhetoric cannot abide the endless rationalizations coming forth at DailyKos that Howard Dean's rhetorical gaffs should cause less intellectual suffering in Red America than equally absurd statements by his counterparts in the Republican noise machine inflict upon Blue America. We cannot be satisfied by a single contortion of reason, nor by a thousand, let alone millions.
A stupid statement is, ding en sich, a stupid statement. Howard may expand upon and explain until the cows come home, but he cannot recall the projectile once it is set in motion.
Loyalty is a noble thing - especially within a family such as ours. But there is a world of difference between enabling bad behavior and expecting better from the family member who made the mistake.
I have several teenagers from whom I would never accept "I didn't mean to" as an excuse. Regardless of whether they meant to or not, I try to point out to them that the real consequences of their behavior are to be judged independently of intention. No judge appointed by any faction would ever accept "I didn't mean to" as a jusitication for a drunk driving episode which ended in a manslaughter conviction. The fact that it was not pre-meditated mitigates the sentence, not the injustice to the dead victim. While it may be true that you "did not mean to" get in a car and run someone over with it, but, at that point, someone is actually dead as a direct result of your actions. No amount of rationalization, apology, or pleas from the people who love you will undo the real consequences.
Should Howard be drummed out as chief spokesperson of the DNC? Definitely not. Should we lower our expectations of him. Defintely not.
We expect results measured in real vote totals. Fundraising is only one measure of his popularity with those of us who already believe in him. His credibility with ordinary voters is the true measure of whether Democrats can make a come back.
Howard has to do better in the future, and so do we. I love Howard so I want him to do better in the future - for all our sakes.