Former President Jimmy Carter.
Former Presidential Candidate and Senator John Kerry.
Senator Barack Obama.
Senator Ted Kennedy.
Former Governor Mark Warner.
Senator Russ Feingold.
Senator Barbara Boxer.
Democratic Minority Leader and Senator Harry Reid.
Democratic Minority Leader and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.
Congresswoman Louise Slaughter.
Congressman John Conyers.
A myriad of other Democratic candidates for every conceivable elected position in this country, as well other Democratic elected officials that I just cannot recall right now.
All have posted diaries here at Daily Kos, the largest political weblog and community in this country, yet alone the largest Democratic, progressive and liberal site.
Now, I have been here since the beginning. And perhaps I am mistaken, but I do not recall former President Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton similarily reaching out to this very valuable Democratic audience. I do not recall them posting a Diary.
And considering the raking over the coals that Markos Moulitsas gave both of them this morning in his Washington Post Op-Ed, I figure now is the perfect opportunity to challenge them to engage this community in a dialogue.
So I do.
I am a fan of both the Clintons. When I was 16 years old, in 1992, I volunteered for a man that I consider the 'John F. Kennedy' of my time. I worked on Bill Clinton's campaign in Maryland, posting yard signs and canvassing. I was always interested in politics from a very young age, because my family was very political in their dinner discussions and because my father was a local politician. Indeed, my 10th birthday was spent at a fundraiser dinner for my father's race for County Commissioner in 1986. But I digress.
I was inspired by Bill Clinton. And I loved the realness that was his wife.
And I agreed by and large with him on all issues. To this day, I am fiscally responsible when it comes to balanced budgets and deficit spending. I want to cut waste from the government. To this day, I supported reforming welfare so that it was not a permanent handout, but rather what it was intended to be, a temporary safety net. I believed, as he did, that health insurance was a right of all Americans. I also was attracted to his message of personal responsibility and accountability.
I spent my college years (1994-1998) in Washington, D.C., at the George Washington University. I volunteered on President Clinton's reelection campaign. I have met both Bill and Hillary, and I find them both to be great people.
I also admire Hillary Clinton as a great Senator, although I do agree with Markos' criticisms of her in her failure to provide real and distinguishing leadership.
And I do agree with Markos' about Bill Clinton's failure to grow and build the Democratic Party across this land during his Presidency. In the final analysis, there can be no disagreement with the fact that the "third way" triangulation that got him elected nearly killed the party at large.
But at the same time, I still respect Bill Clinton. I still think he was one of the great Presidents of our time. And I would not oppose Hillary if she sought the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination. (She still needs to convince me to vote for her, but I am not outright against her candidacy as many here are).
Which brings me to this challenge. We are in a new time. Politics is run differently. The 'War Room' rapid response tactics that the Clinton Campaign devised is now writ large over the internet. Reaching not only your party's base but also independent minded voters not attached to any one party is no longer accomplished via direct mailings and television commercials alone. It is mostly done over the internet.
And if Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton wish to return to the White House, or assume any higher leadership role in the Democratic Party, they will have to engage us, on the internet here at Daily Kos.
Sure, it will be nasty and hostile at first. There is a lot of pent up frustration that will have to be aired, but both Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton can take it. They are tough, and they are smart. Come on, Hillary, do you really expect to reach the White House yet alone win the nomination by ignoring the party base?
By ignoring Daily Kos?? You might as well get it over with now, ahead of the 2006 elections.
So how about it? Post a diary. Become user ID #86,000 and 86,001 or whatever the number is up to now. And hey, if people attack you unfairly and personally, you can troll rate them!!!
So join the party Mr. & Mrs. Clinton. I for one would love to have you.