Updated: Obama surrogate comment, re: Hillary having "Democrats disease"

I posted this earlier, but since some folks wished for a transcript (which didn't exist), I took note of the precise language on the repeat.

Paul Hodes, NH congressman and Obama national co-chair, on HARDBALL, describing Clinton's message, versus Obama's:

Hillary Clinton has what I sometimes call "Democrats disease," a litany of issues and something to fight against.

Added On Edit: I am a long time critic of the boring-ass wonky, uninspiring Dem approach, but this is hardly the time and place to run against the Democratic Party. Talking about what a drag the Democrats are will garner lots of independent support, but at what cost? Dems are not the problem. The only thing wrong with the Dems is that we haven't done a good job of fighting the Republicans, who are the real enemy. And Senator Obama takes every opportunity to promise to fight the Republicans even LESS, which I would have thought impossible.

but I really dislike the phrase "Democrat disease" being used in a Democratic primary to describe tradional Democratic politics.

The Democrats are not the thing to run against, IMO.

Listing issues and interests we approve of has not at all been effective. Our party in many ways lacks cohesion; our speeches and presentations to the public can be a practically-arbitrary hodgepodge of specific interests. And that, I think, is a disease specific to Democrats. Obama is a unifier, both in terms of people and policies.

of constantly fighting against something.

LOL.

Wanting to fight for issues and such.

Unseemly.

...wait...what exactly is he saying?

And why am I supposed to care?

What is he saying?

And wants to "fight against" a lot of things.

And this is some sort of disease. That democrats are prone to.

Is what he said.

Even in the convoluted version.

In much the same way republicans have, to be honest.

Boring, policy wonks, you hate everything, we are for something. Usually rhetorical and vague.

With a.... *whispers* disease.

heh.

THAT SUCKS

I'm supposed to support the party and they do nothing but trash it. Fuck them.

This is mild compared to the stuff on DU.

a litany of issues and something to fight against is bad.

But, a substance free campaign of hope and change on a wave is good.

...because we don't know the context.

You got fleas?

You criticize your opponent's strength as if it's a weakness. Some people will buy it.

Democrats disease.

Is the guy retarded or routinely wanting to fuck off Democratic voters.

Clinton's got a known problem with arhachia.

:shrug:

I must confess, I LIKE more nutrition and less fluff.
"Democrats disease" is not a meme I would put out there. Idiotic, if you want Dems to win the framing wars.

We should look to the larger picture when we make these wierd attacks, and think better of them.
BEFORE opening our mouths.

Oy.

I thought it was catchy. Get it?

CATCH THE DISEASE!!

:rofl:

:D

But watching too much c-span for so many years, I have a pretty good inoculation thang a goin'

:blush:

he was answering a question about democrats running a traditional text book campain and losing to pukes

when I heard him spout off about the Democrats' disease. I don't care what the hell he meant, I'm still fighting for all those things on his list.

I characterized the context quite fairly in the OP.

"Taken out of context" would apply if he had prefaced the remark with "Here's something a Republican asshole would say..."

He was characterizing Hillary's message in contrast to Obamas and the characterization is free-standing and perfectly comprehensible.

If so, that's what I call Democrat's disease.

Hillary : So Barack, according to your NAT'l Co Chair, I've got Democrats Disease. Just what exactly is that?

Cue Deer in the headlight look!

THAT would be a moment to savor!

healthy fairy tales and diseased litanies of issues ...i guess they are all putting their feet where they don't belong

;)

He also uses the RW TPs about Social Security and a lot of other topics. While I might be able to forgive that, I am strongly offended when I see Obama and his supporters parroting the RW attacks on progressive Dems, attacks on positions that so many of us at DU have worked hard to defend.

From the beginning of his campaign, Obama has presented himself as the alternative to the those who want to continue the fights of the 60's and says he will move beyond that contentious time and those issues by reaching across the aisle to work with Repubs and Independents. A year ago Obama began his campaign declaring that Baby Boomers needed to get over themselves, quit feuding over the old issues, and join him in practicing a different kind of politics. And last January, the NYT reminded us that Obama was also "cool".

What a pile of bullshit!

I am a Boomer, proud of what we accomplished with those "fights" while acutely aware of how much remains to be done and how quickly we might lose much that many now take for granted. I ask Obama, which fights do you want abandoned so that we can all get along without all that feuding? Civil rights? Womens rights? Abortion rights? Civil liberties? Privacy? Environment? Sexual orientation? Peace? Election integrity? Freedom of information? Family planning? Equal pay? Family leave? Maternity benefits? Nuclear proliferation? ADA? Freedom of expression? Voting rights? Open housing? Health care?

Where would you have us start? Who do we throw overboard first? When are the next re-education classes?

Increasingly your campaign reminds me of those slick ads that use the music and images of the 60's and 70's in a vain attempt to manipulate me to buy something I really don't want or need. Boy I hate those ads. No matter how well you deliver your melange of the touchstone phrases of my generation as they scroll on your tele-prompters (look left and read, look right and read), I shall not "get over" myself, will not disavow all that I know is just and right and good, and will never go away.