What do you make of this? (Cindy Sheehan-related question)

This past weekend, my company had a partners' meeting. There are three of us. Me (a near-60-year-old man with three grown kids), A (a just-40-year-old woman with two young kids), and B (a near-60-year-old woman with two grown kids).

A has always voted Democrat, and has always been politically aware. Overall, she's pretty moderate fiscally and very liberal socially.

B is a died-in-the-wool uber-liberal, former hippie, ex-health food store owner.

Neither are as politically involved as I have become. Both are very aware of what's going on around them. Political water cooler talk takes up a part of our day, almost every day.

Anyway, with that background, what do you make of this?

They both feel Cindy Sheehan did a great service to the country with her Camp Casey - but that ended when she left Crawford. They both felt that, now, she is doing more harm than good, what with the association with ANSWER and the seemingly decreasing returns coming from her efforts.

Again, these are two very honest people that any of you would admire and mostly find in agreement with your views.

I was unable to make any case for Mrs. Sheehan that would sway their two (honestly and individually held) views.

very ... uhhh ... polarized feelings around DU about them and their handling of last month's march in DC.

event. The media knew exactly what it was doing.

I guess my take would be that she couldn't stay there forever while the president runs about here and there, and more importantly that at least she's doing something. Even if there are issues with how, I'm sure it's the best she can think of, and at this point, I'll take Cindy's best any day. If she's wrong, then so be it. Certainly not for lack of trying. We could only dream of such dedication from our "elected" officials.

Fact is, not being inside the effort, it's really not for us to say. All in all, what I am thankful for is her continued efforts and good health. It's been a terrible ride, and it wasn't as if she didn't put herself in terrible danger by doing what she did. An American Hero.

We (they) really shouldn't discount her efforts. We just don't have that many heroes anymore. It's not a good idea to be hypercritical of one of our finest.

It doesn't help. I guess that would be my strongest message; that being critical of Cindy doesn't help. It's the last thing we need. The neocon nuts stand behind THEIR side no matter what. I really think we need more of that stubborn solidarity.

I don't think they discount her efforts at all. They do, however, think she should lower her profile.

They were both *very* supportive of her work at Camp Casey.

I took their views as being indicative of the less in-touch population at large that is less in-touch than we are.

Camp Casey hasn't regained its steam, post-Katrina. I'm guessing that, from Cindy's perspective, though, she remains, quite simply, a Gold Star mother demanding answers from the president, and she's just as determined to pursue that objective as she ever was.

I do hope that she maintains her distance from any group that may want to co-opt her. I hope she's getting good advice about that. But she's a smart woman, too, and able to stay on message.

Just to throw out too that, it's my opinion that Cindy? She can do any damn thing she pleases. At this point, she's already given so much of her time and energy, and lord knows, her family. She can do just anything at all. She could fade out, take a nap, take a mental health vacation, do anything she wants, you know what I mean? The fact that she's still in it means a LOT and I wish her nothing but luck with what she's trying to do and happiness in her life as she can find it. She didn't start this thing as a politician, it isn't her job, and there ought to be a thousand other mothers standing by ready to take her place.

and Justice, which late in the summer succumbed to ANSWER's campaign to have one single rally.

Originally, UFPJ and ANSWER were going to have two separate rallies (UFPJ at the Washington Monument, ANSWER on the Ellipse), but in early September, I think, UFPJ agreed to join with ANSWER for a united rally.

I wish they hadn't done that (I don't see how having two separate rallies would have been bad), but they did.

So, I may be wrong, but I believe Sheehan had more to do with Code Pink and UFPJ than ANSWER...it's just that ANSWER gets most of the MSM attention, so it isn't surprising people think Sheehan is with ANSWER, I guess.

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What, exactly, do they mean by that?

She hasn't brought the troops home? The media are less sympathetic?

Are they making observations or do they want her to shut up?

In their view, it has less power now than when it was coming from Crawford.

and the March on Washington. Just to put things in some context.

gets up and puts one foot in front of the other every day. For her it is very personal journey.

If I understand your question correctly you are wondering if she just needs to go home and be quiet. I don't think she can, regardless of what you or I or your friends think.

I just posted a fact and asked for opinion.

Why do you ascribe some motive to me? Please re-read my OP and I think you'll agree it was what I just said it was .... a question.

Specifically, in the OP, was this:

Anyway, with that background, what do you make of this?

They both feel Cindy Sheehan did a great service to the country with her Camp Casey - but that ended when she left Crawford. They both felt that, now, she is doing more harm than good, what with the association with ANSWER and the seemingly decreasing returns coming from her efforts.

Cindy has had about all the harm done a person should suffer. She just wants some sort of official closure.

She is exposing the wimpy democrats in congress who keep supporting Bush and his illegal immoral war despite the fact that the clear majority is now against it. Of course we all know Bush is corrupt but she is now working to expose his corrupt enablers. What could be more important than that?

Cindy is her own person. She is not connected to any group, they latched onto her in order to dilute her message. Fortunately for us she will not allow them to do that. She has also given many people the courage to speak out as well. The revolution starts now, in your own backyard, in your own hometown.

I believe it was her efforts at Camp Casey that pushed us to the 63% that want the troops to come home NOW! For that, I will be forever grateful.