It's time to quit ***** and start working for Kerry

[dryan]

If John Kerry is going to win in November, we all have to stop **** about why our former primary candidates didn't win, why our candidate would be better than Kerry, about some comment made that Kerry made while he was running for the nomination, about what he said about is hair on Meet the Press (by the way, I watched that show twice) and all these other inane comments I see posted on the DU site. I was supporting Clark and he didn't make it for a lot of reasons. I am sure that in a few years, some political science doctoral candidates will be doing their PhD papers on one of the candidates who didn't make it in the 2004 election cycle. We can navel gaze from now until 7:00 PM, on election day and wake up on Wednesday and see that George Bush has been re-elected in another squeeker election, or we can roll up our sleeves and send him, Laura, the twins, Karen, Karl and all the rest of their gang back to Crawford, Texas. Now what is it going to be? Sign me Yellow Dog Democrat

[SoDesuKa]

1. Kerry Makes It Difficult

Kerry makes it difficult to support him with any enthusiasm. Lucky me, I live in the bluest of the blue states. I can't imagine having to sell Kerry to fellow skeptics.

[mouse7]

2. Kerry is better than Bush on every single issue

What hard to sell about that?

Ohhhh, that right. This is a "Kerry isn't pure and perfect" attack.

[balanced]

56. Hear, hear.

[IndianaGreen]

59. How about Sharon's land grab of the West Bank?

"Kerry is better than Bush on every single issue"

Here is the most glaring exception to what you said:

Meet the Press (NBC News) - Sunday, April 18, 2004

MR. RUSSERT: On Thursday, President Bush broke with the tradition and policy of six predecessors when he said that Israel can keep part of the land seized in the 1967 Middle East War and asserted the Palestinian refugees cannot go back to their particular homes. Do you support President Bush?

SEN. KERRY: Yes.

MR. RUSSERT: Completely?

SEN. KERRY: Yes.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4772030/

[uncertainty1999]

60. People at tonight's Kerry MeetUp were complaining about this!

If the grassroots are having a hard time being enthusiastic about Kerry, that does not bode well for the effort.

[blm]

3. Hard to sell the guy who exposed more govt. corruption than any lawmaker

in modern history when he investigated BCCI, IranContra and CIA drugrunning, revealing a covert operative named Ollie North.

It's hard to sell the man who was integral to ending three wars, Vietnam, Iran-Iraq and the illegal wars in Central America.

It's hard to sell the man with the best environmental record of any candidate in modern history.

It's hard to sell the man with the highest liberal lifetime rating of any candidate in modern history. (Including Kucinich)

It's hard to sell the man who alerted the nation to terror and its funding by international governments back in his 1997 book, The New War.

It's hard to sell the man who presented the first legislation to protect gays his first year in the Senate and later advocated for gays to serve openly in the military.

It's hard to sell the man who drafted the Clean Election legislation with Paul Wellstone for public financing of campaigns.

[Larkspur]

4. Hard to sell a man who voted for Gulf of Tonkin II

I'd probably get a better turnout for Kerry if I handed out Kerry statements on waffles, but I'd rather keep my money in my wallet instead of giving it to Kerry's fund to pay off his mortgage on his mansion.

[mouse7]

5. More "Kerry's not perfect and pure" rubbish

We all know that no Democrat in the White House (other than maybe Zell) would have ordered an invasion of Iraq. What effect a Senate vote could have made one way or the other is negligable.

There's more than one issue in this campaign. Kerry is better on all these issue than Bush. However, you're doing the work of the neo-cons by demanding perfection and purity on all issues from Kerry.

Kerry will get coverage for people that have no health insurance. Kerry will get unemployed people jobs. Kerry will protect the environment. Kerry has a great energy plan.

Stop playing the games of intellectual masterbation to satisfy your own ego. There's poor, suffering people in this country that desperately need a Democrat in the White House.

[dryan]

6. John Kerry is my candidate

John Kerry will be (and is) the nominee of President of my party. He won the nomination fair and square and he deserves our support. Yes, he made some mistakes in congress -- anyone who has a 20 year career in the Congress probably has--and yes maybe some of his votes could have been different - but you can say about any candidate for office.

[dryan]

9. And while I'm at it....

If you read "Friends in High Places" which is the biography of Clark Clifford, you will see another reason that Kerry is a great guy. Despite the fact that he admired Clifford personally, he did not hesitate to investigate Clifford's role in the BCCI scandal.

Thanks for the memories -- I remember watching Kerry when he testified before the Senate committee investigating Vietnam. Fullbright was the chair...he had just returned from Vietnam.

[Larkspur]

13. No Kerry didn't win it fair and square

He had sleezebag Torricelli as one of his National Fundraisers. Torricelli gave $50K from his old senate warchest to the 527 group that ran a smear campaign against Dean. And of course, Gephardt ran a murder-suicide campaign against Dean. The Bush-lites had to stick together.

[mouse7]

19. Dean lost because Dean couldn't manage his campaign budget

Dean threw away $50 million by the time the N.H. primary was done. Dean also lost because he did nothing to train his volunteers to be effective in the field. They had numbers in Iowa, but every single story showed Dean people getting eaten alive in caucus rooms because they didn't know how to respond to undecided attendees.

[Nicholas_J]

42. A single 50 K advretisment

That gets pulled in days...
and barely runs in a few areas (It went totally un seen in Florida, and so I assme in many other states) is not enough to have destroyed Denas campaign, anymore than the Dean campaign printing up tens of thousand of leaflets about Kerrys record on the vote aid farmers in the Midwest, in which Deans campaign staff ascribed Bob Kerrys vote to John Kerry was effecitive. Once Kerry's campaign and supporters got motivated, Kerry simply outperformed Dean, who never had anything by a maximum 20 percent base of the same people, the same age group domination. Dean did well simply because of the old Hollywood adage, any
Dean pulled more than his fair share of dirty tricks and smear campaigns, but Kerry still gained the uppoer hand. remember it was Dean who started lying about other candidates within months of them entering the race, such as his lies about Edwards and Kerry in San Francisco, His lies about his past statements about Social Security and Medicare in South Carolina. His smear of Bob Graham, all of which required retractions or written apoligies in private to those he smeared or lied about. Notice he was quite willing to smear publically, but apoligies came in a much more private forum. Dean simply did not and does not have what it takes to appeal to a large portion of the Democartic electorate. His socially liberal policies alientate one of the largest portions of the Democratic Electorate, which consists of Socially Conservative and Fiscally Liberal Hispanic and Afro-American voters. They are the largest single group of Democratic Voters , and in fact, they represent the largest portion of the traditional Democratic base left. He was pro NRA. Most Democrats are anti-gun. He was fiscally conservative, which is differnt than fiscally responsible.

Kerry was a better campaigner, his campaign platform more closely represent the political will of the Democratic base, and Dean's did not. Dean started beleiving the media when it said he was the defacto winner in December, before the real action occured. He got more arrogant, and more nasty. And it cost him . But in the end, Deans base was simply too small, and his appeal to theaverage Democrat, too fragile.

[Larkspur]

7. Kerry doesn't care about anyone else but himself

He voted for IWR without doing his Constitutional duty to keep the President in check. All the post-Saddam questions Congress is asking now should have been done before the IWR vote.

Kerry voted for NCLB

Kerry voted for tax cuts for the wealthy.

Kerry intentionally missed votes on Medicare after he publicly said he'd vote against the bill.

I'll vote for Kerry in November but if Bush doesn't manage to steal the election again, I wish Kerry a miserable White House term.

[blm]

10. Kerry did NOT vote for Bush's taxcut in 2001 or 2003.

Kerry filibustered against the Medicare bill and only went back to the campaign trail AFTER the majority of votes were there to pass it. To say he intentionally missed it implying malice on his part is ABSURD.

Kerry DID help keep Bush in check by making sure he went back to the UN, put weapons inspectors back in, and prevented further action into Iran and Syria....not unlike Biden-Lugar. You want to blame Kerry for the IWR. I blame Bush for not honestly implementing the IWR. If he had there would have been no military action in Iraq.

[Larkspur]

15. Yes, he did

He claimed to have won tax cuts for the Middle Class and settled for the tax cut that was half what Bush wanted. What Kerry refuses to admit is that we could not even afford that tax cut.

Kerry did miss 36 out of 38 votes on amendments to the Medicare bill and he went AWOL on the final vote, the vote he said that he would have voted no. When the going gets tough, Kerry is no where to be found.

[blm]

21. HAHAHA...the MIDDLE CLASS taxcuts were NOT taxcuts for the wealthy.

And when they were fighting to get those included, there was a surplus.

Nonetheless, he did not vote for the final taxcut BECAUSE it was predominantly for the wealthy. Why do YOU try to claim he did? Spreading disinfo to divide the left?

[Larkspur]

34. Those tax cuts only helped about 22% of Americans

As a single and childfree taxpaying citizen, I'm still looking for my tax cut. The cuts Kerry brags about are only for Middle Class Americans who are married and have kids. The rest of Middles Class folks at the best get crumbs.

[blm]

49. You made a false statement. Kerry did NOT vote for Bush's taxcut

for the wealthy.

Why don't you just admit you misspoke because you want to trash Kerry at every opportunity and don't care if you spread false information?

Pathetic.

[AntiCoup2K4]

26. You guys keep spinning that impossible lie.

Kerry single handedly brought down the Bush Criminal Empire (who mysteriously don't seem to be brought down after all) yet Kerry trusted George Bush Jr to do the right thing with IWR.

Both statements can't possibly be true.

Either the Bushes are criminals or they are trustworthy.

I know the answer to that. According to you, so should Kerry.

So which is it?

[mouse7]

30. Kerry misjudged Dumbya's political capital

Kerry didn't believe Dumbya would get away with going around the UN after he committed to bring the UN into the process. The American people allowed Dumbya to invade Iraq after the UN wouldn't rubber stamp the invasion.

[blm]

32. I said he EXPOSED BCCI, IranContra and CIA drugrunning.

Why can't you repeat it honestly?

Kerry never said they were trustworthy. He did say he trusted that certain men of influence like Powell and Scowcroft would advise to Bush to implement the IWR and prevent an invasion. As we see in Woodward's book, Powell did not want the war and was summarily shoved aside.

Dean on MTP after being shown clips of Kerry criticizing Bush's military strategy in Afghanistan July2002:

"It's easy to criticize the commander-in-chief at a time of war. I choose not to do that."

[AntiCoup2K4]

35. "It's easy to criticize the commander-in-chief at a time of war. "

Uh-uh... Doesn't work that way.

Who, exactly were we "at war" with when the IWR vote came up?

Hell even if there were an actual war in progress, there are reasonable limits. What if FDR had called for an invasion of Sweden in 1943?

He would have no logical reason for doing so, just as Bush had no reason to invade Iraq.

Are you saying Kerry would have been justified in authorizing any "president" to invade any country for any reason?

[mouse7]

38. Read post #36 n/t

[blm]

48. Dean said that when he was still running as a centrist

and refused to back up Kerry who had been tough on Bush for letting Bin Laden and most of Al Qaeda escape at Tora Bora. Dean backed up Bush.

[mouse7]

17. Yeah, Kerry won that Silver Star for being selfish

Lots of selfish people carry wounded men through enemy fire. :eyes:

Kerry made the votes on Medicare that mattered. Kerry missed some procudural votes after the fate of the Medicare bill was sealed.

NCLB wouldn't have been a bad bill if every part was funded by Dumbya as written in the passed bill. It's Dumbya that to blame for 99% of the bad effects, because Dumbya did not fully fund it.

Kerry was key in reducing the tax cuts to the wealthy that got passed in that bill.

You know no Democrat as President would have ordered the invasion of Iraq. Kerry has said he screwed up on that IWR vote because he thought the UN would be the agent of action, and thought the UN would only act if absolutely necessary. He's not perfect. He's human and makes mistakes. He's learned from them.

The poor and suffering in this country cannot afford another term of Dumbya.

[balanced]

57. Are you sure you're not talking about Nader?

"Kerry doesn't care about anyone else but himself." This sounds like Nader. Dean is on-board, as is everyone else except Kucinich? and Nader.

[blm]

8. Yet you were FINE with Biden-Lugar bill. Go figure.

You are FOR pre-emptive war as determined by Bush as long as he sends a note to Congress first. Yep...that would have ENDED Bush's war plans.

The word hypocrite fits in here somewhere, eh? Or bitter? Is bilious a word?

You resent Kerry's resume and his extraordinary efforts as Senator. You RESENT that BCCI and IranContra almost got more press than hearings on dirty song lyrics. So disappointing.

Sorry Kerry is there working for the rest of us and not disappearing or losing so YOU can feel superior in your own preferences. Purely selfish and vain.

[Larkspur]

11. Here's Bill Todd's rebuke of you Biden-Luger argument, blm

As usual, you are wrong about Biden-Luger and IWR
-------------------------------------------------------

The Iraq War Resolution Which Passed vs. The Biden/Lugar Variant

Until shortly before the Senate vote on the Iraq War Resolution, Kerry opposed it, favoring the Biden/Lugar variant (as did Dean). However, when push came to shove, he supported it (and of course voted for it). Without wishing to go down too deep a rat-hole, the distinctions between the IWR and the Biden/Lugar variant have been so widely misrepresented that a quick review seems appropriate (see http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A3... for additional comments).


Biden/Lugar

"(b) Requirement for determination that use of force is necessary. - Before exercising the authority granted by subsection (a), the President shall make available to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate his determination that -

(1) the United States has attempted to seek, through the United Nations Security Council, adoption of a resolution after September 12, 2002 under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter authorizing the action described in subsection (a)(1), and such resolution has been adopted; or (2) that the threat to the United States or allied nations posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program and prohibited ballistic missile program is so grave that the use of force is necessary pursuant to subsection (a)(2), notwithstanding the failure of the Security Council to approve a resolution described in paragraph (1)." ( http://www.iraqwatch.org/government/US/Legislation/bidenlugar-resoluti... )

Note that since no such U.N. authorization for use of force was ever obtained, Biden/Lugar would have forced Bush, before starting the war, to provide Congress with his determination "that the threat to the United States or allied nations posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program and prohibited ballistic missile program is so grave that the use of force is necessary" - a very specific assertion of need (clarified in the preceding section as "the exercise of individual or collective self-defense") for which he could later be held accountable and if appropriate impeached.


The Iraq War Resolution

"In connection with the exercise of the authority granted in subsection (a) to use force the President shall, prior to such exercise or as soon there after as may be feasible, but no later than 48 hours after exercising such authority, make available to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate his determination that
(1) reliance by the United States on further diplomatic or other peaceful means alone either (A) will not adequately protect the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq or (B) is not likely to lead to enforcement of all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq, and
(2) acting pursuant to this resolution is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations or persons who planned, authorized, committed or aided the terrorists attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001." (The complete text appears at http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/03/politics/03HTEX.html?ex=1082520000&e... ; the first 1.5 pages are standard Congressional meaningless "Whereas..." embroidery.)

This resolution merely required Bush to assert that war was necessary to protect our 'national security' - itself a rather poorly-bounded concept - or to enforce "all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions", a sufficiently vague grab-bag to make later accountability comfortably nebulous. Furthermore, it conveniently ignores the fact that absent U.N. approval, the U.S. had no right under international law (nor under U.S. law, by virtue of the fact that we have ratified the U.N. charter as a treaty) to attack Iraq for any reason save self-defense against an imminent threat (a point that was not lost on Paul Wellstone at the time - see http://www.usembassy.it/file2002_10/alia/a2100413.htm , right at the end).

Bush himself rejected the Biden/Lugar variant because he claimed it would 'tie his hands' ( http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200210/02/eng20021002_104296.shtml ) - and indeed at least to some degree it would have. The ACLU held that view as well ( http://archive.aclu.org/news/2002/n100202a.html ).

In any event, those who assert that Dean's support for Biden/Lugar was equivalent to Kerry's support for the IWR are simply wrong: Kerry's vote for the IWR supported the war in a way that Dean's support for Biden/Lugar would not have, and Kerry voiced no other real opposition at that time while Howard was increasingly critical.

[blm]

14. Horse doody. Bush was putting on an act.

You want to believe it, go ahead. Independent journalists analyzed both bills and determined there was NO significant difference that would have prevented war and even Dean conceded that.

Ted Kennedy said at the time that Biden-Lugar was not an anti Iraq war position.

btw...the ACLU report on Biden-Lugar was BEFORE elements of B-L were ADDED to the IWR.

Nice to see you stay away from independent journalistic analysis and rely instead on analysis from a Kerry hater on an internet message board. You must feel so validated.

[Larkspur]

18. The purpose of Biden-Luger was to put restraints on Bush

It didn't stop him from going to war but it was going to make Bush accountable and that is why Bush didn't want it.

Kerry voted for 2002 IWR because he screwed up the 1991 Gulf War I vote. His 2002 IWR vote was a make-up vote but 2 wrongs don't make a right.

[blm]

22. You're an unreliable mindreader.

The IWR put as much SIGNIFICANT restraints on Bush as B-L, minus Bush's note of determination to the Speaker and Pre pro tem of the Senate.

Here ya go....Dear Speaker and Pres pro tem....I have determined that military force is needed in Iraq. GWBush.

[Larkspur]

33. No it did not

It was a blank check for war and you know it.

The purpose of IWR for the pro-war Dems was to make them look tough in foreign policy but it gave them nothing to hold Bush accountable.

[mouse7]

36. The UN was supposed to hold Dumbya accountable

Those inside the beltway didn't believe the American People would allow Dumbya to get away with going around the UN once he committed to having the UN in the process. The UN did not rubber stamp the invasion. Then the American People stopped holding Dumbya accountable and let him invade without the UN on board.

That was completely unexpected.

[Larkspur]

12. As far as BCCI, what good did he do?

How many went to jail? And how come Poindexter, who was convicted, is still allowed to walk the halls of our government?

Kerry may have been brave when he was young, but his conduct since Gulf War I, which he should have voted FOR, has been one of a political opportunist who gets the major decisions wrong and a political coward who waits for others to take chances before he makes a decision.

[blm]

16. HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA.......

Does Listerine work on bitterness?

Your stretches are worthy of....well....nothing, actually.

[Larkspur]

20. Kerry's record is one of a man going impotent

And you know, this is America, we can despise our leaders with impunity.

[blm]

24. Pathetic. Toxic.

You can also make sure impunity puts Bush back in office.

[Larkspur]

37. Bush should be impeached and dragged to the Hague for war crimes

and Kerry, Lieberman, Gephardt, Edwards, and all those who voted for IWR should be dragged before the Hague as accomplices to a war crimminal.

[sangh0]

39. Does Listerine work on bitterness?

that just cracked me up

[mouse7]

40. Then drag the American people to the trial as defendents, too

The American people bought the "Freedom Fries" and "Saddam did 9/11" bullshit hook, line and sinker. The American people allowed Dumbya to go around the UN roadblock. The American People deserve to be tried for war crimes along with Dumbya and the White House team.

[Sparkly]

41. Yes, and the soldiers

who carried out the attacks... and the companies who made the weaponry.. . and the woman who sweeps the floors of the offices of the executives of the company that built the planes...

This is just over the top. NObody is responsible for what the Chimp did except the Chimp and his string-pullers.

[AntiCoup2K4]

51. And which "American People" would that be?

Nobody I know bought into that bullshit. Maybe that's what Mr From and Mr Marshall tell you, but it's NOT what most Americans believe.

[mouse7]

52. Now we know you're in denial, too

The polls were running at 75% of Americans believing Saddam caused 9/11 at the start of the invasion even though there was nothing but White House proclamations of said guilt to back it up. This was a frequest topic here at DU. It's nothing new.

[Hav]

25. more whining

Here's another tissue for you.
When will you finally accept that your candidate lost?

[Larkspur]

31. Tissues make good spitballs

I'll get you your refund.

[blm]

43. Good luck to you and yours, Larkspur.

Watching Kerry win will be hell for you.

I won't give you a second thought as I work hard to remove Bush from office and celebrate Kerry's win in November. I'll be too busy dancing in the streets that a REAL liberal will be leading this nation and world to better tomorrows.

[mouse7]

23. Kerry's to blame for a Presidential pardon? You're really clueless.

How was Kerry supposed to stop Poppy Bush from giving Poindexter a Presidential Pardon?

Now the truth here is obvious. You're a sore loser who can't handle the fact that your candidate got his ass beat because he ran a shitty campaign. Because your guy didn't win, you're going to make everyone else as miserable as you. If it takes Bush winning to achieve your goal of making everyone as miserable as you feel, you can live with that.

[madeuplikebowie]

45. I disagree

Kerry makes it easy for me to back him. Yeah Kerry has made some stupid mistakes but then again he can't be everything to everyone. My only thought for those who don't support Kerry would have to be to wait 4 years and fight harder for the candidate you support. Even then, you might not get your way. Thats when the word compromise comes into play. Make a list of things you like about Kerry and things you like about Bush. Then vote based on who you like better, I'm assuming Kerry would come out the victor. Just my guess though.

[AmyStrange]

46. You are right...

it's like selling a car. Your boss tells you to tell people this is a good car, but doesn't prepare you for all those customers that ask you about gas mileage or rear end torque or 0-60 or anything else you need to argue intelligently and honestly about so you can really convince someone else that car is a good car. What do you do when a customers wants to really know what's under the hood and how it compares to other cars? Just tell them to shut up and buy the freakin' car?

Hell no, you ask people who know what they're talking about to explain it so all your reservations are answered. And not just superficially answered, but atleast explainable so you understand it completely and can hold your own with someone who knows more than you do about cars,

That's what the DU is for, but unfortunately what you get here mostly is mean bullshit from "pretend" Kerry supporters accusing you of secretly being for Bush ( or - in car saleperson talk - working for that "other" car company) or just plain mean and insulting.

If you're lucky though, a "real" Kerry supporter will help you out and atleast get you to the point where you are comfortable enough to go out on your own without feeling that you are lying about Kerry.

((((HUGz)))) to all you "real" Kerry supporters out there,





sig:
"The Truth knows no master" - AmyStrange said to me in a dream

10) And best of all, check these out:

the "First Seven Days Underground" by Skinner:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/01/01/010127_7days.html
mirror: http://www.seattleactivist.org


the best "unofficial" DU slang Dictionary in the world:
http://DUG.SeattleActivist.org/





Dave (AmyStrange.com) Ayotte
Please, regularly check the One Missing Person (is one person too many) searchable website for the latest (and archived) missing person news stories:

http://NEWS.OneMissingPerson.org/


Serious serial killer news and
discussion at the "Serial Killer Cafe":
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SK-Cafe/

(edited to make grammatical sense)

[cyclezealot]

55. Today the editor of our local Democratic newsletter

blamed those non-enthusiatic Kerry Democrats for
his loosing in the polls this past couple weeks..I do not understand.He has complete control of the campaign..No Democrat leader except Zell Miller is making any public noise about how bland a choice Kerry is.
I do express those feelings here, but before the General public.I would not do that...I am a Democrat and will vote Kerry, but if too many issues are not to my liking- I do not have to bend over backwards.
I believe Democrats went for Kerry without really examing his issues..I put Kerry only higher than Lieberman due to the war, trade and Patriot Act votes.. Other than my vote as A Democrat, I owe no one anything else, until he comes around to my critical issues.
I do criticize him in house, (only within Democratic Circles,Hoping he will come around.)
As of now, I perceive the General public unexicited because they see no difference between the Democrat and Republican..If Kerry can't excite the American people. All I can say in my primary I voted for someone else. My views effect no one..Nor do I intend them too..
Just push this guy into generating the excitement that Dean did early on..Hope our criticism is constructive...
Gore went progressive at the of 2000 campaign and he pulled out of the doldrums. Lessen for Kerry..represent Democrats instead of weasel towards the right.

[sandnsea]

27. That was a good try, dryan

Appears it fell on deaf ears. This is worse than playing music while the Titanic was sinking. This is like throwing the lifeboats overboard because they weren't made by union labor or were painted with lead paint. :crazy:

[AmyStrange]

47. no what it is...

is like throwing the lifeboats over before inflating them with info,

d

[Guaranteed]

61. That's cuz people AREN'T WHINING ABOUT THEIR CANDIDATES.

They're criticizing Kerry.

I NEVER talk about Dean.

[Sparkly]

28. I'm with you

Kerry wasn't my #1 choice either, but he was the choice of more of my fellow Democrats than anyone else. That's democracy! I don't know when it became "mindless lockstepping" to be loyal to the party, but I'm a Democrat, and we are the ONLY hope for saving the country from the Bushies.

[ACK]

29. Its more like this

They are waiting for the perfect candidate. They want the one with the populist voice of Edwards, the organization, fund-raising of Dean, and the platform of Kuicinch. But I don't see the savior floating down on a cross of purity right now.

Kerry is left of Clinton and Lieberbush and the way the DLC ran Gore. Historically speaking, he is left of Dean as well.

We have the chance to elect a New England centrist liberal into office.

I doubt that I will sway anyone. But still it has to be said.

+

[dryan]

44. There is no perfect candidate

That's the second rule of politics. Unfortunately, many people don't understand that to be politically active means that you have to be pragmatic. I was for Biden in 1988 and he self-imploded (don't get me started on that campaign or we'll be here all night), my husband and I worked our tails off in Orange County (Florida), and then Biden dropped out of the race. We were courted by all the other campaigns but went with Dukakis who was the eventual nominee. I want to know if people are not going to vote for Kerry who are they going to vote for--Nader -- a wasted vote. Bush-god help us!

[no name no slogan]

50. I was "pragmatic" in 1988 too-- for Dukakis

because he was "electable", and even though he wasn't right on the issues, he could "win".

Let's put it this way: I learned my lesson by choosing "electability" over the issues. And I fear we Democrats may have to learn it a second time.

[mouse7]

53. Dukakis was a one time event.

The disintegration of Micheal Dukakis was mostly becasue he was completely distracted by his wife's deteriorating mental state. Mike Dukakis is one of the few in modern times to really be falling down in love with his wife, and Kitty Dukakis was not wired to handle that level of stress and scrutiny. Shortly after the election, she tried to kill herself by drinking running alcohol. A very sad story. Fortunately, she's stable now and she and Micheal are living a private, happy life.

[Dr Fate]

54. I agree- to anyone not doing so, I say: "Thanks for nothing." n/t

n/t

[balanced]

58. You're right. It couldn't be clearer.

[AmyStrange]

62. Quit posting in the DU...

and get out there and do some good for Kerry. What's the point of posting here in this forum if all people were going to post were rah rah for Kerry post? This forum would be a ghost town if only rah rah threads were started.

I see very few post here in the GD: Campaign 2004 that are actually constructive and are actually helpful in getting Kerry elected.

People like these kind of anymosity threads otherwise why would they last forever?

I personally believe the criticism threads are more helpful than the rah rah threads, because they are like tuneups before you go out in the "real" world and try to convince skeptical folks to vote for Kerry.




sig:
"The Truth knows no master" - AmyStrange said to me in a dream

10) And best of all, check these out:

the "First Seven Days Underground" by Skinner:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/01/01/010127_7days.html
mirror pages:
http://du.seattleactivist.org/DU-JAN-27-2001-Skinner-7days-1.html
http://du.seattleactivist.org/DU-JAN-27-2001-Skinner-7days-2.html
http://du.seattleactivist.org/DU-JAN-27-2001-Skinner-7days-3.html
http://du.seattleactivist.org/DU-JAN-27-2001-Skinner-7days-4.html


the best "unofficial" DU slang Dictionary in the world:
http://DUG.SeattleActivist.org/





Dave (AmyStrange.com) Ayotte
Please, regularly check the One Missing Person (is one person too many) searchable website for the latest (and archived) missing person news stories:

http://NEWS.OneMissingPerson.org/


Serious serial killer news and
discussion at the "Serial Killer Cafe":
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SK-Cafe/