Why should we vote for someone that authorized Bush to get his War on?

[unfrigginreal]

Are there really that many DU folks that think that we were right to go to War with Iraq?

Is that because many DU'ers believed the intelligence reports that said there were WMD's in Iraq?

Is that because many DU'ers felt that it was their patriotic duty to support the President in time of War?

Is that because many DU'ers believed the PNAC principle, that we should force Democracy on the rest of the world?

If you didn't agree with the War are you still supporting someone that voted for the authorization? Why?

[Cocoa]

1. to get rid of Bush

a very compelling reason, for me at least.

[phishhead]

3. Yes, very compelling indeed.

:)

[Dr Fate]

2. I would vote for a pro-UN candidate...

...I think all of our DEM candidates would have handled Saddam more effectivly than Bush- who has blown it "big time."

Bush fucked up his oppurtunity to deal with Saddam through the UN, which is what most of the candidates, as well as Clinton and Gore supported...

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. I would vote for a blemish on your ass before I'd do anything to get

Bush re-elected. I am at peace with my own hypocritical position.

[Booberdawg]

11. I sorta liked .....

your vote for some dog's hairy asshole myself. That's how strongly I feel about it and sums up what is at stake quite well.

[Terwilliger]

13. must be hard-fought

I'm trying to find something that will never be served by politics, because politics works to defeat it, yet use that to retake control of the world

Twain's right...

Of the demonstrably wise there are but two: those who commit suicide, & those who keep their reasoning faculties atrophied with drink.
- Notebook #42, 1898

[unfrigginreal]

14. Wow...Ms NSMA...how harsh, I'm shocked :o)

I take it that you believe that our best shot at the WH is with someone that was close to Bush on the War vote...could be wrong and please don't kick the shit out of me if I am!

My only question for you...If you felt there was a candidate that could beat Bush, that was against the War would you support him/her, or is your mind set on a candidate already, regardless of their position on the War?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

17. No not necessarily. I have always loved Senator Graham

( I am bummed..I had a long response all typed up and then hit the "window key and deleted it...starting over)


Graham was very vocally against the war and voted NO. He simply isn't polling too well (par for the course with my candidates for primaries)
I also hold MOST of my contempt for Lieberman and Gephardt who did their rose garden dog and pony show at the time Daschle was rallying the opposition...by doing so THEY limited the range of options.

I ALSO have a bit of empathy for the Dems making their votes in the face of one of the MOST DISHONEST WHite Houses ever. No one in American history has ever been up against a White House that literally OWNS the press.

Even people on DU wondered if they would and COULD plant weapons in Iraq...which would have then been rubbed in the Dems faces ad nauseum and killed off any hope.

If any of the anti-war candidates can beat Bush...more power to them. I will support whomever wins the nomination..although is it's Lieberman..I might consider sepuku...I'm not terribly fond of this life anyway.

[niceypoo]

5. I refuse to vote for anyone who backed Bush

They followed Bush around like he was a dog in heat....screw em

[Dr Fate]

7. Yeah- the real Bush is a much better option...

...anyone who opposes Bush but does not vote DEM will be secretly pulling for all us DEM voters anyway...

[disgruntella]

6. i'm not trying to change anyone's mind

Vote for whomever you like.

And to answer your other questions:

1) I'm not one of them.

2) I didn't know for sure, but I doubted the reports. However, I recognized this as a gut feeling, not a fact, and therefore I didn't actively protest the war before it started. The more reading I did, however, the more sure I became that the war was based on BS of the Bush Administration. So to answer your question in the present tense, and a slightly different way: No, I don't believe there was a case for war.

3) I didn't feel this way.

4) Hell no, I don't!

5) Yes, I just don't see voting for the IWR as a simple issue. I like Kerry's record, his position on the issues and his experience, and I think he could beat Bush in 2004. (I don't think he's the only Dem who could beat Bush, I'm just not as impressed with other candidates. The pairing of Dean/Clark does intrigue me, however, and so do Dean and Clark as separate candidates.)

As I have said before, I hold the Bush administration entirely accountable for this war. But I think Kerry is too strong a candidate to throw away at this point.

Plus you know I'm S&B (NOT! that's a joke!)

[Booberdawg]

8. It's foolish to consider only one issue

I doubt anybody here agreed with the decision to go to war or any of the reasons you list.

bush* was going to have his war whether the Senate voted for it or not. I think the Dems were smart at the time to take the issue away from the Republicans as a weapon to be used against them. A no vote wouldn't have changed the outcome anyway.

It's politics. They don't call it the GAME of politics for nothing. To think otherwise is just naive.

Regardless of any of that, it's spilt milk now. The worst thing we can do as a party is to throw out the baby with the bathwater when there is SO MUCH at stake by leaving the bush crime family in the White House. The first and foremost goal we should be concerned with is getting his sorry ass out of there.

All those other feel good goals and principles are worthless if we can't get a Democrat in the White house and thereby stop the forward motion of this destruction. It WILL GET WORSE if we don't. A LOT WORSE.

[KG]

9. just stop thinking and vote dem, dammit!

:)

[dmr]

10. If you've been reading DU

you would know that your questions are unfair, unjust and good flame-bait. DUer's sincerely believe it's time to prioritize, because our democracy, as we once knew it, is at stake There is a genuine need to rid ourselves of the Bush* cabal. We can take care of other issues later.

I'm with NSMA, I'd vote for that pimple too.

[lcordero]

12. I won't vote for them, I will hold them accountable

A candidate that voted for the war or a candidate that is pro-occupation will alienate the "draft-age" block and the military vote completely.
There is no reason to vote Bush*-lite when you can get the real thing.

[lcordero]

15. BTW...I refuse to exchange one crook for another crook

[oasis]

21. "draft-age block" has more at stake. They would insist on electability.

Bush is up to his neck in PNAC warhawks and four more years of the Chimpster will guarantee endless wars and a draft.

No ABB for the youngins, it's more like MED (most electable Democrat).

[lcordero]

23. The draft-age block have been shitted on by both parties at every turn

It's already obvious that they won't waste their time going to the polls for people that have done nothing but SHIT on them.

[RichM]

16. We shouldn't.

And I certainly won't.

[cprise]

18. I'm with you

.

[PurityOfEssence]

19. If Edwards is nominated, you won't vote for him in the general election?

Even if the race is close and the gaping maw of unrestrained atavism is before us? Knowing what the monarchists are capable of, and seeing them poised to stack the Supreme Court and Judiciary, you'd opt out or throw a symbolic vote to a third party?

The primary, I understand, but in the general election?

[unfrigginreal]

20. They don't have to think that far ahead yet...

we're still in the Primary season. Your questions are more suited toward the general election. Maybe you should put in a plug for your guy for the primaries.

[Rooktoven]

22. To be fair

I think all the guys who supported the war were assuming/hoping that Bush would get international support. I'm not saying this makes it right, just that those who voted for giving Bush authorization don't hold the same guilt as the one with authorization who used it imprudently.

[lcordero]

24. shrubbo* has a history of screwing things up

Every single person that gave in a yes vote is equally culpable of all of the lives wasted and ruined, and of all of the money squandered.

[leftyandproud]

25. We shouldn't

and I won't.