I don't see it that way at all. The Democrats have two big and several smaller power groups. The media moguls and other filthy rich leftists make up one of the two most powerful sections of the party. The labor unions are the other. In most elections since 1948 the rich leftists have had more say about who will be the Democratic candidate than the unions. When their was a large candidate field, several were always very pro labor. The unions did not want to play favorites. If the Unions were to back someone from the beginning of the race, that person has a near lock on the nomination. The unions can control who wins the primaries in all the industrial states. They have a large number of the party offical delegates to the Democrtic nominating convention. If the Unions are behind a candidate he is 80 percent of the way to the nomination. To defeat him, other candidates have to win 4 out of 5 primary elections in the non union dominated states. The union candidate has to win one out of 5. IN the past no serious candidate was willing to pay the Union price for early and total support.
As you'll recall Gore several weeks ago announced that he was going with his gut. He said he was going with the rank and file and he was not going to listen to the party experts and their pollsters again. What he was saying was he was in bed with the unions and the fat cats were out.
Translated that meant, "I won't follow the Tish and Eisners again. It is the AFL for me." Gore is not offering the Unions what McGovern, Carter, Mondale, Dukakis, Clinton and he offered the unions in past elections. Since 1968 all that unions have been offered is a seat at the table.
As I posted at the time Gore made the announcement, Gore was announcing that he would come sit at union table in 2004 . It is a deal no Union can turn down. Gore was in Democratese announcing that he had total union support locked up. The price the unions demanded was for Gore to tell the fat cats to shove it. He was to tell the fat cats the Unions were in charge. That is what Gore did with his "no experts and their pollsters" announcement.
With Gore solidly in the Union camp, it is obvious that the filthy rich business faction is unhappy with Gore. What the Unions want and what Tish and Eisener want are two different things. With Gore is in the Union camp, the filthy rich need a great leftist hope. They are playing the only card they have. It is the we are not supporting Gore card. It ain't much of a card. Gore has already played the you are no longer in charge card.
This time Gore has accepted the union offer and decided to be Labor's boy. Other strong labor Democrats will have to wait their turn. Other hopefuls will told by the Unions that is will not be healthy to run against their boy Al.
The Media and the fat cats will give Gore some bad press and back some other candidats. But Gore will get the Democratic nomination and give the Democratic party to the Unions.
The unions will spend every penny and pull every string to nominate and elect Gore. In return Candidate Gore will put union people in charge of the democratic party. The last time (in 2000) Gore went with the fat cats. It was Gore who appointed McAuliffe.
The money boys are in for a surprise. They will find the media and the rich can't nominate anyone. The unions can. This deal put the Democratic party back into the hands of labor. They have not been in line for this much power in half a century.
It was LBJ that gave the control of the party to the fat cats in 1968 in return for supporting HHH. That was what lead to the McGovern loss in 1972. Labor has been looking for a way to get control ever since. Since 1972 labor has had only a back seat at the Democratic table. They are about to get to own it. All they have to do is get Gore the Nomination. It shall be done.
It does not matter if Al wins or not in the long scheme of labor's goals. The Goal is to get rid of the pretty boy McAuliffes and make the national Democratic party a Labor party. It will be a former AFL official who will head the DNC after 2004.
There is a split between the fat cats and labor.
Here is the real story.
QUICK!!!! Somebody hide the aspirin! This is the best news I've heard all day. ;-)
That is not a pretty visual at all, though it seems these days that he's got plenty to go with!
I was thinking about you just yesterday ...... glad to have you back sharing your thoughts with us.
One question for you ...... unions are very interested in the development of ANWR ..... jobs at stake. Of course, that is envirogore's worst nightmare. What effect might that have in the support he gets from unions?