Top comments Wednesday

I haven't done Top Comments in a while. Bare Bear with me, please. (Or you can bare with me too. ;) )

We have so many insightful and powerful diaries written here at Daily Kos.  Our diaries inform, inflame, impassion, and even entertain.  We Kossacks have strong voices and an even stronger will to be the change we wish to see in this country.

One of the richest, and perhaps most under-appreciated, areas of thought come in the form of comments attached to these diaries.

Here at Top Comments we strive to recognize and promote the talent of this community by highlighting outstanding comments found throughout the day by the diarist, and through nominations at made at topcomments at gmail dot com by your fellow Kossacks.

These nominations are subjective, and certainly not complete (as no one can read the complete site on a daily basis!). But hopefully they will serve to shine a light where deserved, and to give the reader a good starting point in finding conversation on the site.

Please come in and make yourself at home!   Join us beneath the fold...

Life is funny.

You don't always know how things are going to work out.

You're on top and something knocks you down. You're at the bottom and suddenly everything comes your way. Sometimes all you can do is hold on and ride the wave. Sometimes you've got to keep pushing on.

True story: In 1990 I was married and happy. A year later I was divorced and totally miserable. My personal life sucked and work wasn't exactly cheerful either. I had several people who wanted to kill me. Literally, not metaphorically. I even had a police captain warn me detectives had information a man was trying to hire someone to do just that. And that wasn't even the most serious threat against me at the time. It was not a happy time in Carnacki Land.

But it turned around. I dated. A lot. I had a lot of fun being single again. My ex-wife became one of my best friends. I met another woman I wanted to marry and she said yes. I have a job I love where no one has threatened me or pointed a gun at me in years (although sometimes I kind of miss the old me). And we have three great kids.

In 1991 I never would have predicted that.

Flash forward to earlier this year. I had strongly backed a candidate for West Virginia 02. Strongly backed him? Hell I called him and told him to run and posted numerous posts encouraging him. The DCCC drafted him as well. Rep. Alan Mollohan and Nick Rahall encouraged him. The West Virginia AFL-CIO endorsed him. The DCCC gave him a lot of support and training. Everything was looking really good in our efforts to defeat rightwing Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito. Then on the last day to file, what seemed to be our best chance to defeat Capito decided not to run. From the day after Capito's last win in 2006 - the very day after that election - Clem and I at West Virginia Blue had been working to beat her, putting in countless hours on the blog and behind the scenes for it. Talk about the bottom dropping out of our hopes and efforts. However...

Literally at the 11th hour before the midnight deadline, Anne Barth filed to challenge Capito. I wasn't sure what to expect from her. Then I met her. Here's from my initial impressions:

The room was packed, but I saw many familiar faces from Democratic and progressive groups from across the Eastern Panhandle. Some of my favorite people from the Kerry-Edwards campaign in '04 are among her staunchest supporters and think highly of her.

I got a great first impression from her. She's just six days into this race and she's got a solid stump speech. What I really liked about her speech is how she weaved her personal background in smoothly to show how it shaped her career in public service. But what I liked most about her stump speech is she goes straight at Capito - politely, almost quietly, yet landing the lines that drew sharp distinctions between herself and her Republican opponent. Capito is a backbencher who has supported Bush's agenda against the interests of West Virginians and Capito has worked against the rest of the West Virginia delegation in Congress. Barth did a great job of pointing that out in her speech and those lines drew the most enthusiastic response.

snip

But from what I saw, there's a lot to like in Barth as a candidate. She was poised, she was personable and there's a solid network of supporters for her in the Eastern Panhandle. This is where the battle for WV-02 is going to be decided because this is, unfortunately, Capito's base. To defeat Capito, and Clem and I have said this all along, a successful candidate can't just rely on voter turnout in the more Democratic counties and ignore the Eastern Panhandle. That's not worked in the previous campaigns. A successful candidate has got to peel away voters from Capito here by going after her here.

Still, there's only so much enthusiasm for a candidate can do.

Here's an analysis of the race from Roll Call that I think is pretty accurate:

...as she tries to knock off four-term Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R) in a district that spans the state's eastern panhandle to Charleston, it's clear from the outset that Barth's main source of political strength comes from her 21 years of working for the ultimate source of power in West Virginia, Sen. Robert Byrd (D).

[snip]

Before Unger [dropped out of the race the] Democratic strategy in West Virginia had been built through trial and error.

After repeatedly failing to knock off Capito with candidates from in and around Charleston, Democrats had cast their gaze to the eastern panhandle and Unger's state Senate district to find their champion. It was assumed that the Charleston Democratic vote would stay strong and that Unger's eastern roots would peel away voters in Capito's base in a district where President Bush won 57 percent of the vote in 2004.

With Barth now in the race, the strategy is a little less complicated.

"The Unger theory was a geographic theory," said Kirk Holman, a political columnist in western Pennsylvania who follows West Virginia affairs. "My contention would be that Byrd's presence in that state is so pervasive that it's not going to be a geographic vote. ... If Byrd says, 'I like Anne, she's a good woman,' it's a competitive race. If Byrd says, 'Shelley is hurting my efforts in West Virginia and I need Anne,' then Shelley should take a stroll down K Street because that's where she's going to work next."

When Barth entered the race last week, Byrd released a strong statement of endorsement - Barth stepped down as his state director before filing to run - noting that "no person is more talented, experienced or qualified than Anne Barth to step into that role and hit the ground running. Through our many years of service together she has earned my faith, trust and confidence."

From a woman I canvassed with a lot in 2004 in the Eastern Panhandle who is volunteering with the Barth campaign, I know Barth has been running hard. That takes a lot of working the phones and traveling across the state.

Here's something I put up the other night. I often post a music video at the end of the day. This one may seem corny. Hell, it may not make sense to anyone other than me.

I'm sending this one out to Anne Barth. She's working hard on this race to challenge Shelley Moore Capito so that we'll have a representative in Congress who'll represent us and look after our interests. Capito's constiuency seems to be  the banking industry, big oil and the Bush administration.

There's a lot of determination in Barth as she takes her shot.

And I linked to this video.

Yes, I compared our WV-02 candidate to Eminem.

So I was really excited today when I saw Barth's hard work has been rewarded.

DCCC Press:

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee today announced the first round of Red to Blue candidates challenging Republican incumbents. This is the second slate of Democratic congressional candidates that have qualified for the competitive DCCC Red to Blue program, the first slate was for candidates in open seats. These candidates earned a spot in the program by surpassing demanding fundraising goals and skillfully demonstrating to voters that they stand for change and will represent new priorities when elected to Congress.

"These candidates have come out of the gate strong and the Red to Blue Program will give them the financial and structural edge to be even more competitive in November," said Chairman Chris Van Hollen, Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "The candidates for change in our first round of challenger Red to Blue are strong examples of Democrats who represent a commitment to new priorities for the families in their districts."

The Red to Blue program highlights top Democratic campaigns across the country, and offers them financial, communications, and strategic support. The program will introduce Democratic supporters to new, competitive candidates in order to help expand the fundraising base for these campaigns.

Chairman Van Hollen joined Red to Blue co-chairs Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Artur Davis (D-AL), and Bruce Braley (D-IA) to announce the first 13 challenger candidates for change who qualified for the Red to Blue:

Kay Barnes (MO-06)
Anne Barth (WV-02)
Darcy Burner (WA-08)
Robert Daskas (NV-03)
Steve Driehaus (OH-01)
Jim Himes (CT-04)
Christine Jennings (FL-13)
Larry Kissell (NC-08)
Suzanne Kosmas (FL-24)
Eric Massa (NY-29)
Gary Peters (MI-09)
Mark Schauer (MI-07)
Dan Seals (IL-10)

Red to Blue was a proven success in the 2004 and 2006 cycles. In 2004, the Red to Blue program raised nearly $7.5 million for twenty seven campaigns across the country with an average of more than $250,000 per campaign. In 2006, the Red to Blue program raised nearly $22.6 million for 56 campaigns with an average of $404,000 per campaign. Red to Blue was also responsible for solidifying the structure of dozens of campaigns and making a real difference for Democrats across America.

Here's something I want to share from an email today from someone else who has worked hard on the WV-02 race

Things were rocky there for a second but now we’re in a great position to pick off Capito in the fall.  Thanks for sticking with us and keep sticking it to Shelley!

As I said at the beginning, sometimes you've just got to hold on. Things don't always work out for the best, but sometimes they do if you just keep pushing on.

On to the comments.

...

You can nominate comments by sending links to Topcomments AT gmail DOT com.

From St Louis Woman

sclminc offered gentle humor in a little lecture directed at all of us and it seemed like just what was needed today.

From indiemcemopants (who is right on all counts ;^D )

it's probably wrong (not to mention conceited, pompous and other things) to nominate oneself for a top comment so you don't have to actually use this but i just think this thread is really funny.

From Land of Enchantment

From edscan's latest. By Citizen X

From sardonyx:

In Meteor Blades's truly excellent diary Mississippi Turning on Freedom Summer and his participation in it, leevank writes of his youth the year of Freedom Summer, his break in 1980 with the Republican party, and coded racial appeals.

From MissLaura

What if Markos sockpuppeted the site?

DHinMI explains why general election polling doesn't count.

rdxtion and GOTV diagnose Geraldine Ferraro.

From me (Carnacki, not the Daily Kos user "Me")

DemocraticOz puts together a lot of serious thoughts about the latest candidate controversy.

blueyedace2's wish is granted

This entire thread from Brandon Friedman's comment here and exmearden's comment on disagreeing with him on General Shinseki.

Top Mojo (courtesy of BeninSC)

Top Mojo - excluding search-identifiable tip jars and first diary comments (top 30 of each plus ties):

1 I thought she was. by nightsweat - 329
2 Why we fight by kid oakland - 272
3 Simple Truth...you got to be F'ing kiddin me... by NoCryingInPoltics - 222
4 As an Old White Woman by Granny Doc - 175
5 Yeah, how do you think it feels over here? by Keith Olbermann - 140
6 amen, Mr. Olbermann by bubbanomics - 137
7 Today by noweasels - 135
8 Consider it done by OrdinaryGal - 130
9 I think Markos's idea by Crisis Corps Volunteer - 129
10 rec'd for by Hobbitfoot - 122
11 Change in Mississippi by LV Pol Girl - 112
12 you can have her          n/t by AlyoshaKaramazov - 108
13 as an asian american woman, by In search - 107
14 From a Mississippian by Countificus - 99
15 they must be by oscarfrye - 98
16 Yes. As I said, one more step ... by Meteor Blades - 96
17 Mission accomplished.....Racist comments were out by humphrey - 96
18 Another white woman who denounces and by casperr - 89
19 forever grateful Meteor Blades by FireCrow - 89
20 You don't get it.... by landrew - 88
21 driving hybrid tanks by zenbowl - 88
22 Palast: by kestrel9000 - 87
23 this is more like a funeral by elmo - 86
24 I would like to remind everyone here... by mayan - 85
25 Now THIS looks Presidential by Muzikal203 - 85
26 btw by kid oakland - 84
27 Cold hard facts : She cannot win the by RobertInWisconsin - 83
28 Exactly by StuHunter - 82
29 "It Takes a Pillage" by mayan - 81
30 If he and Clinton were both White men by mkfarkus - 81
31 There is an uncomfortable fanboy feeling by dabize - 81

Top Mojo - everything included:

1 OK, Tip Jar by Keith Olbermann - 987
2 Tips by TuvanDrone - 576
3 Tips for by RobertInWisconsin - 544
4 Tips by JedReport - 514
5 Tips n/t by Cenk Uygur - 424
6 Mad props to you by psycho liberal - 333
7 what's a tip jar? lol I'm new, clearly. by LaAbogada - 329
8 I thought she was. by nightsweat - 329
9 Tip Jar - 12 March by Jerome a Paris - 291
10 Why we fight by kid oakland - 272
11 Here's a legal reality by kid oakland - 264
12 Great point: Pelosi ...they are calling your name by justiceleague - 257
13 bring us  the head of James Inhofe (R-Exxon) by Stranded Wind - 244
14 Behave...'cause if I have to come back there! by terrypinder - 241
15 Simple Truth...you got to be F'ing kiddin me... by NoCryingInPoltics - 222
16 I want to Thank Everyone. by Scott Kleeb - 215
17 As an Old White Woman by Granny Doc - 175
18 Yeah, how do you think it feels over here? by Keith Olbermann - 140
19 Too little too late. by Fishgrease - 137
20 amen, Mr. Olbermann by bubbanomics - 137
21 Ferraro's comments calculated for racist voters by SeaTurtle - 136
22 Today by noweasels - 135
23 To sin by silence makes cowards of men. by Sam Loomis - 135
24 Silence = Betrayal by Al Rodgers - 132
25 Consider it done by OrdinaryGal - 130
26 I think Markos's idea by Crisis Corps Volunteer - 129
27 rec'd for by Hobbitfoot - 122
28 Thank you for standing with me! by Larry Kissell - 121
29 tips for the sake of keeping this thing up by djs - 121
30 Did folks watch Olbermann tonight? by mayan - 118
31 Ooooooo... by IraqVeteran - 118

Thanks for reading.

This being a Carnacki Top Comments Diary I've probably forgotten something. It's traditional.