This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/21/jim-webb-never-ran-a-real-campaign-not-sure-what-he-just-quit

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Jim Webb never ran a real campaign, so I'm not sure what he just quit Jim Webb never ran a real campaign, so I'm not sure what he just quit
(about 5 hours later)
Here is where where we do a little dance. I tell you that former Senator Jim Webb of Virginia will no longer campaign for the Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States, and you say, “Who?”,and then I mention that he was the guy during the Democratic debate who said he was proud of killing a North Vietnamese soldier and smirked. Here is where where we do a little dance. I tell you that former senator Jim Webb of Virginia will no longer campaign for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States, and you say, “Who?”,and then I mention that he was the guy during the Democratic debate who said he was proud of killing a North Vietnamese soldier and smirked.
Anyway, he’s no longer running for the Democratic nomination. But in his press conference announcing his withdrawal on Tuesday (that to the best of the average person’s knowledge was his first such media availability of his campaign), Webb delivered a resentful critique of the Democratic Party’s primary process, before indicating that he may run as an independent, at which point you will again stop hearing about him. Jim Webb 2016: Gone But Re-Forgotten. Anyway, he’s no longer running for the Democratic nomination. But in his press conference announcing his withdrawal on Tuesday (that to the best of the average person’s knowledge was his first such media availability of his campaign), Webb delivered a resentful critique of the Democratic party’s primary process, before indicating that he may run as an independent, at which point you will again stop hearing about him. Jim Webb 2016: Gone But Re-Forgotten.
It might have been nice to hear more from Webb during his Democratic campaign, if just for the fact that we’ve all heard seemingly everything there is to know about Hillary Clinton twice. And Webb’s a unique guy. A legitimate war hero and a Secretary of the Navy under Ronald Reagan, he was one of the clearest voices criticizing the 2003 invasion of Iraq, focusing on the total lack of an exit strategy and famously saying that, upon any victory, 50,000 occupying American soldiers “would quickly become 50,000 terrorist targets.” It might have been nice to hear more from Webb during his Democratic campaign, if just for the fact that we’ve all heard seemingly everything there is to know about Hillary Clinton twice. And Webb’s a unique guy. A legitimate war hero and a secretary of the navy under Ronald Reagan, he was one of the clearest voices criticizing the 2003 invasion of Iraq, focusing on the total lack of an exit strategy and famously saying that, upon any victory, 50,000 occupying American soldiers “would quickly become 50,000 terrorist targets”.
His campaign even sounded the right notes on addressing income inequality and criminal justice reform. He’s a smart man (he taught literature at the Naval Academy) and, despite sometimes sounding like he’s being strangled by either his collar or a surge of bile, an interesting speaker.His campaign even sounded the right notes on addressing income inequality and criminal justice reform. He’s a smart man (he taught literature at the Naval Academy) and, despite sometimes sounding like he’s being strangled by either his collar or a surge of bile, an interesting speaker.
Unfortunately, Jim Webb didn’t seem terribly interested in people hearing from Jim Webb. His ground game in primary states was minimal, where it even existed. The New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairperson said that “the crickets here ... are louder than the Webb campaign.” Unfortunately, Jim Webb didn’t seem terribly interested in people hearing from Jim Webb. His ground game in primary states was minimal, where it even existed. The New Hampshire Democratic party chairman said: “The crickets here ... are louder than the Webb campaign.”
Prior to the first Democratic debate, seemingly half of “politico Twitter” made some variation on the crack, Is this the first public appearance Jim Webb has made since he announced? Television pundits and anchors routinely delivered asides during panel analysis that took the form of, “And the Jim Webb campaign ... assuming Jim Webb is still running ...”Prior to the first Democratic debate, seemingly half of “politico Twitter” made some variation on the crack, Is this the first public appearance Jim Webb has made since he announced? Television pundits and anchors routinely delivered asides during panel analysis that took the form of, “And the Jim Webb campaign ... assuming Jim Webb is still running ...”
One of the more astonishing things about Webb’s press conference was that he conducted it in front of Webb2016 campaign signs – not the aesthetic choice of doing so, but that he had actually made signs. My God, it was real all along.One of the more astonishing things about Webb’s press conference was that he conducted it in front of Webb2016 campaign signs – not the aesthetic choice of doing so, but that he had actually made signs. My God, it was real all along.
And while some people might be tempted to blame the media for not covering Jim Webb, that’s not how these things work. Covering non-Trump campaigns is extremely boring, and outside of the privileged few assigned to Trump, the gig involves hearing the same stump speeches on repeat, watching handshakes, getting stonewalled and being fed press release folderol. Someone at every major paper would have begged to cover Jim Webb either for the status of the assignment – or just as a break from the monotony of covering Clinton.And while some people might be tempted to blame the media for not covering Jim Webb, that’s not how these things work. Covering non-Trump campaigns is extremely boring, and outside of the privileged few assigned to Trump, the gig involves hearing the same stump speeches on repeat, watching handshakes, getting stonewalled and being fed press release folderol. Someone at every major paper would have begged to cover Jim Webb either for the status of the assignment – or just as a break from the monotony of covering Clinton.
The problem is, no newspaper was going to run story after story doubting the existence of Jim Webb, for the same reason that this newspaper doesn’t have a dedicated reporter stationed in Inverness filing “Loch Ness Monster Unseen Again Today” articles, despite the fact that those stories would at least be about a monster.The problem is, no newspaper was going to run story after story doubting the existence of Jim Webb, for the same reason that this newspaper doesn’t have a dedicated reporter stationed in Inverness filing “Loch Ness Monster Unseen Again Today” articles, despite the fact that those stories would at least be about a monster.
Webb did have someone in mind to blame, though, claiming that the “hierarchy” of the Democratic Party is interested in the “dominance of one candidate”. And he’s kind of not wrong: Democratic Party Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (the architect of 2014’s “When We Get Stomped, Make Sure We Did It While Standing For Nothing In Particular” strategy) has scheduled remarkably few Democratic debates, including one on a Saturday night on the last shopping weekend before Christmas. It’s a wonder she hasn’t scheduled one opposite the Super Bowl itself. Webb did have someone in mind to blame, though, claiming that the “hierarchy” of the Democratic party is interested in the “dominance of one candidate”. And he’s kind of not wrong: Democratic party chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (the architect of 2014’s “When We Get Stomped, Make Sure We Did It While Standing For Nothing In Particular” strategy) has scheduled remarkably few Democratic debates, including one on a Saturday night on the last shopping weekend before Christmas. It’s a wonder she hasn’t scheduled one opposite the Super Bowl itself.
Even her own underlings have called out the paucity of Democratic debates, and the conventional wisdom among Democrats and pundits alike is that the purpose of the lack of debates and their public-alienating scheduling is to make sure that challengers to Hillary Clinton go as unseen as possible.Even her own underlings have called out the paucity of Democratic debates, and the conventional wisdom among Democrats and pundits alike is that the purpose of the lack of debates and their public-alienating scheduling is to make sure that challengers to Hillary Clinton go as unseen as possible.
The problem for Wasserman Schultz’s critics, like Webb, is that presidential campaigns are bigger than just debates, so you can’t imply that you’re being institutionally stifled when you don’t commit the minimal act of going outside and telling people that you’re running for president.The problem for Wasserman Schultz’s critics, like Webb, is that presidential campaigns are bigger than just debates, so you can’t imply that you’re being institutionally stifled when you don’t commit the minimal act of going outside and telling people that you’re running for president.
Martin O’Malley can complain that the shortage of debates hurts his candidacy – and has – but Martin O’Malley also goes on The Daily Show, sings Taylor Swift songs on The View and might as well be crashing on a futon at MSNBC. Jim Webb doesn’t get to complain that it’s the lack of debates which made him invisible to voters.Martin O’Malley can complain that the shortage of debates hurts his candidacy – and has – but Martin O’Malley also goes on The Daily Show, sings Taylor Swift songs on The View and might as well be crashing on a futon at MSNBC. Jim Webb doesn’t get to complain that it’s the lack of debates which made him invisible to voters.
Further, Webb alleged that the party is “not comfortable with many of the policies that I have laid forth,” and he’s right. Despite his economic populism and his defense of marriage equality, he’s also defended the Confederate Flag, stands against the Democratic mainstream on gun control and delivered tone-deaf statements about #BlackLivesMatter and affirmative action during the debate. Further, Webb alleged that the party is “not comfortable with many of the policies that I have laid forth,” and he’s right. Despite his economic populism and his defense of marriage equality, he’s also defended the Confederate flag, stands against the Democratic mainstream on gun control and delivered tone-deaf statements about #BlackLivesMatter and affirmative action during the debate.
But, Webb’s argument that he’s outside of the Democratic mainstream is also a wash. Bernie Sanders is polling second in the field despite campaigning on almost every idea that the Democratic Party abandoned after 1972, giving the lie to the notion that the DNC can just quash a campaign outright. The party machine can’t even stop an existential threat to the rightward drift that’s defined it for four decades. But, Webb’s argument that he’s outside of the Democratic mainstream is also a wash. Bernie Sanders is polling second in the field despite campaigning on almost every idea that the Democratic party abandoned after 1972, giving the lie to the notion that the DNC can just quash a campaign outright. The party machine can’t even stop an existential threat to the rightward drift that’s defined it for four decades.
So it’s on to a potential independent ticket for the former Senator from Virginia. Webb talked up his potential third party bid by saying that, if it comes down to a Hillary vs Trump showdown, “I honestly could see us beating both of them”, which is basically insane. He added, “More people in this country call themselves independents than either Republicans or Democrats”. So it’s on to a potential independent ticket for the former Senator from Virginia. Webb talked up his potential third party bid by saying that, if it comes down to a Hillary vs Trump showdown, “I honestly could see us beating both of them”, which is basically insane. He added, “More people in this country call themselves independents than either Republicans or Democrats.”
He’s right: people call themselves “independent” all the time. They also tell you they donate to charity, plan to learn a second language and regularly work out. In practice, people are actually mostly Republicans or Democrats. Calling yourself an independent is essentially a pointless way of trying to appear sophisticated, like eating popcorn with chopsticks. Nobody’s going to flock to Jim Webb except the hacks who make centrism into a virtue in vacuous defense of the status quo.He’s right: people call themselves “independent” all the time. They also tell you they donate to charity, plan to learn a second language and regularly work out. In practice, people are actually mostly Republicans or Democrats. Calling yourself an independent is essentially a pointless way of trying to appear sophisticated, like eating popcorn with chopsticks. Nobody’s going to flock to Jim Webb except the hacks who make centrism into a virtue in vacuous defense of the status quo.
So it’s goodbye for Jim Webb, the man who ate into his debate time whining that he had no time to speak, despite not speaking for nearly the entirety of his campaign. Everyone else was wrong, and nobody would listen to him or tolerate his old ways.So it’s goodbye for Jim Webb, the man who ate into his debate time whining that he had no time to speak, despite not speaking for nearly the entirety of his campaign. Everyone else was wrong, and nobody would listen to him or tolerate his old ways.
Like the crotchety relative in a sitcom’s Thanksgiving episode who bellyaches that nobody respects the traditions or humors his values anymore, Webb’s going to stomp out with his drumstick and eat it in the rain in protest. Only, unlike a sitcom, there won’t be a heartwarming moment where everyone walks out there with a plate to silently join him. He’s going to stay there alone until he realizes it’s time to go home.Like the crotchety relative in a sitcom’s Thanksgiving episode who bellyaches that nobody respects the traditions or humors his values anymore, Webb’s going to stomp out with his drumstick and eat it in the rain in protest. Only, unlike a sitcom, there won’t be a heartwarming moment where everyone walks out there with a plate to silently join him. He’s going to stay there alone until he realizes it’s time to go home.