Craig Crawford says what many have always felt - Ted Kennedy helped usher in the Reagan era

Yes, Reagan would probably have won anyway. Yes, there is nothing illegal or unethical about someone from a sitting president's party challenging that president in an election. That being said, Ted Kennedy did give Carter a tough run in 1980, and contributed to some very bitter feelings on the '80 convention floor among supporters and delegates , culminating with Kennedy refusing to raise Carter's hand in victory as is tradition.

How much effect did the image of not unified Dem party have on the electorate's mood?

I don't think so.....

So you say that he says "what many have always "felt""? :wtf:

Red Face chunky nervous Crawford ain't really got shit to say.
A link might be nice, but I don't really care for you to run into a forum to repeat
what you saw on the Teevee coming from a pundit head!

You can do better than that, Wyldwolf. Come on--

Really! :thumbsdown:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4263201&mesg_id=4263201

I would have to answer "yes".

:wtf:

its the response to everything.

have to do with Ted Kennedy's actions in 1980?

Maybe some southern lad stole his best girl while he was cheating on tests on college, or something!

In any event, he's so pissed at Bill that he endorses a guy who says THIS kind of shit about him (video at the link!):

“‘We’ve … got to call up Ted Kennedy and say, Ted, you’re getting a little old now, and you’ve been a fighter for us before I don’t know what’s happening now, Ted get some spine and stand up to the Republicans’.” — Huffington Post’s story, “Obama Called Out Ted Kennedy: ‘You’re Getting A Little Old…Get Some Spine’“


http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/01/28/post-sotu-al-kaidee-on-the-run-open-thread/#more-1423

Makes you wonder though, doesn't it? Obama dumps all over Kennedy, but Kennedy endorses him anyway. Obama must be that good.

We have a hard time with the small print.

:rofl:

You call that "that good?"

Maybe someone needs to remind Ted to take the Aricept daily. Either that or he didn't like the way Bill was eying Vicki. Takes one to know one, after all...

of misinformation about the primary challenge in 1980. I may do an essay on the topic today, to provide some accurate information on what happened, and why. But the truth is that if Red did not run, a couple other democrats were prepared to, and it would have done more damage to the party.

Of course, there are people who do not want accurate information to get in the way.

I would love to read an essay on it...please do post.

I'll try to get something done today. It is something that I've been thinking about for a couple of days, When you get to be my age, it takes that much time to remember events from 1980!

That's not true. I have no need to inject my opinion on it. I'm comfortable just putting forth some of the little-known history of events, and letting people make up their own mind.

But the truth is that if Red did not run, a couple other democrats were prepared to, and it would have done more damage to the party.

And you know this how?

That is not part of the essay that I posted. It is something you posted two hours before I posted my essay. It appears similar to an opinion I posted earlier. I think that, if you were to be honest, that you would admit that it is possible for me to express an opinion on a post on one thread, and still have the ability to post an essay that was not an opinion piece.

Close, though.

I was part of the problem back in 80. I worked for Anderson and have nevre, ever voted for a third party since. I didn't care what Carter was doing.:blush:

... Carter was toast no matter what. He didn't pander to Americans' sense of entitlement, Americans didn't want to hear "you'll have to tighten your belts".

And he took the blame for economic issues for which he was only marginally to blame IMHO.

The hostage crisis sealed his fate.

In any event, if blaming someone for what transpired in a primary was fair, there's plenty of blame for HRC.

truly pathetic.

The Clintons thought enough about him to seek his endorsement.

The problem here is that had they known Ted was this stealth Obama backer from way back, they probably might not have. Ted hid this from them.

Most folks here would still have lauded his endorsement.

I remember in mid January on the Sunday before Kerry opted not to enter, he was asked on a Sunday talk show about 2008. He reaffirmed that he was solidly behind Kerry, praised him effusively, both as a person and a politician, and spoke of how Kerry had a very difficult decision to make with his family and that he would support him either way. He was then asked of HRC and though he mentioned that her work on his Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, there was none of the almost mistiness and passion he had when he spoke of Kerry. So, while it was positive - immediately following the Kerry comments - it did not sound like a spirited approval.

Just a few days ago they were grovveling for his endorsement. Didn't go their way, so throw him under the bus....

The Hillary Herd tramples everything in their way....

before he endorses anyone. I don't think he would like the backlash that endorsers endure here. His legacy would be dirt if DU'ers had their wish.

done by Obama, I believe, he will turn on him. Hillary must consider Ted Kennedy her new best friend. This will be an opportune time for her to become extremely close to him asking for his advise on policy etc.. She has to use the power of the feminine. This is how and what that power is for..She needs to do this via private meetings over tele, coffee, lunch.

You saw the effect on Teddy last night and the negative effect it had on Obama. Ted was persuaded by Caroline to support Obama. Hillary needs to keep the lines of communication between them open and warm. Hillary is much wiser and knowledgeable and can talk some sense into the man.

It seems to me it could be even long before Oprah and her bet buddy Caroline.

The green Obama did not just jump into this race without significant backing.

I thought at the time that Ted's blustering at Clinton over South Carolina was a distortion of the boots on the ground. He should have shed the truth then, that he was trying to push up Obama.

From the back story given on the Kerry endorsement, it sounds like Kerry was talking to him as early as March 2003, though he made a point of staying neutral through Iowa and he always brought up Biden and Dodd as also running when asked of the top three.

Kennedy was solidly behind Kerry since 2003. Supposedly Dodd was his best friend in the Senate, which might have kept him neutral for a long time. On the criticism of Clinton, I think it was Clinton's behavior, which Kerry had reacted to publicly before Kennedy reacted "privately". (The quotes because it is clear that the leak was intended. I assume to get the message public, but to preserve deniability if Clinton had shifted his behavior.)

"This will be an opportune time for her to become extremely close to him..."
"She has to use the power of the feminine."
"This is how and what that power is for..."
"She needs to do this via private meetings over tele, coffee, lunch."

Are you suggesting that she seduce Ted for his endorsement? What... The... Fuck? Are you really a Hillary Supporter? Why in the hell would you suggest something like that? Hillary doesn't have to sleep or seduce her way to the top. Geeze. That's just... pathetic, and I support Obama.

So much for women being "liberated". Maybe if she flashed her boobs on camera she would get more votes and endorsements, right? Pathetic. Hillary doesn't have to degrade herself. So she didn't get the Kennedy Endorsement. Big deal. She'll live and go on. There is absolutely no need for her to diminish herself to something that low.

Ugh. I cannot believe you wrote that.

That he is Taylor marsh's boyfriend, then people will know why he is trashing Obama and Kennedy.
He can say what he wants, but he needs to disclose their relationship.

and the more the facts unravel, Teddy is standing pat as long as he's happy with the arrangement. That is not to say, Obama doesn't have his own plan in play behind the scenes with Republican elites. Where do you think the unified, full support of the (GOP owned) msm is coming from? It sure isn't coming from the Kerry/Kennedy contingent. To me, that is where the K/K alliance is most vulnerable.

Jeeze, all you have to do is breathe wrong around the new boy-king, and it's a high crime.

Craig Crawford's remarks -- every one I've heard -- are about as harsh as tissue. And the blood feud of which we are hearing has been a slap fight. DU is a deviant little microcosm -- most people are NOT this "hotted up" over the campaign. They don't think of Obama as the Second Coming or as Stalin's little cousin, and they don't adore Hillary or think of she and Bill as a two-headed monster with super powers.

I remember 1980. People scorned Kennedy for "losing" the White House for years after it. And he already had the reputation of being "old guard" among the progressive left. I can only guess how this episode will play out. Again, political junkies have a completely different take on the universe.

--p!

as if the starving fish are really interested in truth.

I don't think Kennedy had a chance ever to be nominated for anything except for his own senate seat after Chappaquidick..

I supported and voted for Kennedy (and Kerry) for every one of their elections all those years in Massachusetts.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,912449,00.html

Carter lost because the Repugs made a secret deal with Iran to not release the hostages until after the election. If Carter had been able to bring them home in triumph, that would have undone all the right-wing harping on his wimpiness. Plus, Carter made the mistake of speaking honestly to the American people about this country's problems, instead of blowing smoke up their asses, ala Reagan.

I do think that Kennedy was mistaken, but that wasn't the deciding factor.