Quote of the Day
A group of headlined by Cindy Sheehan protested a Rove fundraising event in Austin.
Asshole. I think the basis for the humor says alot about the room.
(Aside: I don't question her position or motives, but I find myself wondering whether Sheehan's presence has become counterproductive to the cause.
She was absolutely essential in bringing the anti-war position onto the news. Her presence at the ranch last year was absolutely vital to bringing the anti-war position into the national conversation. But I find myself wondering this morning, as the anti-war position has become the mainstream, whether a high profile Sheehan at this point attaches a stigma to the position and acts as a drag against acceptance among the center.
I'm not set on this. It's just something that crossed my mind this morning. Thoughts?)
One protester slipped inside the ballroom during the dinner but was escorted out after shouting about men and women dying, the Austin American-Statesman reported in its Sunday editions.
Asshole. I think the basis for the humor says alot about the room.
(Aside: I don't question her position or motives, but I find myself wondering whether Sheehan's presence has become counterproductive to the cause.
She was absolutely essential in bringing the anti-war position onto the news. Her presence at the ranch last year was absolutely vital to bringing the anti-war position into the national conversation. But I find myself wondering this morning, as the anti-war position has become the mainstream, whether a high profile Sheehan at this point attaches a stigma to the position and acts as a drag against acceptance among the center.
I'm not set on this. It's just something that crossed my mind this morning. Thoughts?)
posted by mikevotes at
7:52 AM
9 Comments:
I agree. She needs to finish the grieving proces and get on with her life. She has become the point person for the pro-war crowd to point at and say"Those anti-war people are all a bunch of whackos!"
By
Lew Scannon, at 8:38 AM
She WAS essential last summer to the anti-war message. Now she's a drag. Like Lew says, she comes across like a hippie dippie whacko, and allows Rove to tar all anti-Iraq people as crazies.
By
Reality-Based Educator, at 9:14 AM
If it weren't Cindy, I am sure Rove and all of those promoters of war would STILL and WILL continue to call all ant-war people wackos. There is no way around that. While I agree that it would be for the best if she would tone it down, what do you expect? She has been used by the very group that she helped start. Now all of a sudden you want her to shut up and go away? I don't have the answer but I don't think that getting her out of the picture will make him miss a single beat in his war machine. He seems like a man without a heart or soul - that is hard to fight without losing your own in the process.
By
Ptelea, at 11:23 AM
Lew, I don't know about the "grieving process", I don't know if that's what's driving this. I just don't feel right criticizing her as I haven't been through what she has. She has been successfully painted as out there. And she hasn't helped as she has gone off message talking about Venezuela, Israel and others.
Reality based, same. I'm hesitant to make too strong a statement because she was critical to the antiwar movement and she's taken some significant costs for what she's done. And, I don't know what it's like to lose a son.
Ptelea,
I think you're dead on right. This is a repeated tactic from the Republicans in which she is a replaceable piece. Streisand, Michael Moore, Ted Kennedy, Hollywood liberals, etc, etc, etc.
I also think you make a very good point that she was overpromoted by people with an agenda.
Personally, I am a big first amendment guy, and celebrate any sort of protest on any issue. I didn't mean for my question about Sheehan to be personal, I still stand where she stands.
I was just asking on a political level. From a viewpoint of the movement.
I was a little hesitant to even write this section because I do respect the hell out of Cindy Sheehan for what she's done. She has put herself out there to take mountains of crap from all over. She sat in a field in the heat of Texas in August for a month.
I really respect that.
But again, the question was meant to be framed on a political level towards the movement.
And, you're right, if it wasn't her, it would be someone else, but they would have to start the process of attaching the baggage again which would take time and be more difficult with the political mood where it is. She's already been very encumbered.
Thanks for the thoughtful comments. Again, just something that was bouncing around my head this morning.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 11:51 AM
Excuse me, but who says she's a "wacko"? The warmongers. Who says she's a "kook" or a "carzy"? The warmongers. So why does that mean that WE have to latch on to those labels? LOOK at who it is that's casting the stones here, folks.
Sorry, but she still speaks for me, most of the time. It's not her fault that they call her names and have made her such a lightning rod.
By
QuakerDave, at 4:45 PM
She SHOULD stick the war, however. The rest of it isn't especially helpful.
By
QuakerDave, at 4:46 PM
Again, that's why I'm bringing it up. You make a good point. My thought this morning was that maybe all that crap they stuck on her might put off the middle of the roaders slowing down the very goal she was trying to achieve.
It's all really academic anyhow. I just thought I'd ask the question, get some feedback.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 5:00 PM
The mistakes that Cindy has made as a leader of the anti-war movement is understandable. She is not a polished political leader.
The Dems. and other political leaders should be rising to the cause and help lead the 62% of the country who now claim to be against this war.
Leaders like Hilary and Liberman can't because they voted for this war and still back the President's agenda.
Who better to lead an anti-war movement than a Gold Star mother? And where is the cry of distaste for the Republicans, who treat a Gold Star mother so poorly? Where are the better leaders, who should be leading the anti-war movement?
By
Unknown, at 5:27 PM
That's a good point, too. There is no official major Dem leadership for the movement. And since there is no one higher profile, she is the point.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 5:42 PM
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