My perfect candidate in 08.

[crispini]

(Indulge me for a minute, I *am* working actively on 06, really, I'm just relaxing and playing what-if.)

My perfect candidate in 08 would be:
1. Someone who has the courage to stand up for what's right and not necessarily listen to the "political experts" and Washington insiders.
2. Someone who came from a modest background to ensure the "everyman" appeal (and someone who can project that appeal.)
3. Someone who is smart, like policy-wonkish smart, up on programs and stuff, but who is also aware that most Americans (unlike us) aren't all that interested in the minutiae of government and doesn't shove policy-wonkish stuff down our throats at every opportunity.
4. Someone who will stand up to the Republicans and call a spade a m---f--- shovel when it's warranted.
5. Someone who does NOT have a mile-long voting record that can be twisted and distorted. (of course, everyone has a voting record, but, see also #4).
6. Someone who does have some experience in building coalitions, in running complicated things like a government, etc.
7. Someone who has the vision to get behind something really cool to build our future. I think that Americans feel a bit disheartened and frightened and unhappy right now. I would like to see someone with the stones to say, something like, "OK, we need to have a man-on-the-moon type of project for renewable energy." It would be a big project that would be easily understandable, that would be cool and innovative, and would have some practical side effects, preferably environmental.
8. Someone who is willing to be publicly anti-Iraq-war, and someone who is able to propose something intelligent to get us out of that whole mess as soon as practically possible.

Thoughts? Additions or discussion? Who might that person be, any ideas? (Forgive me if I don't respond right away -- I'm getting sleepy -- :boring: )

[Telly Savalas]

1. So who do you propose to fill his Senate seat in Wisconsin?

[ClassWarrior]

5. My sentiment exactly! Tho we have an excellent back bench here...

Never Give Up.

[crispini]

6. Finegold, eh?

What about that voting record... how long has he been a Senator?

[Telly Savalas]

27. He's been a Senator for a while...

so there's the voting record.

But I think the voting record issue is irrelevant. If a candidate doesn't have a long voting record, then the GOP will simply find something else about the candidate to distort and lie about.

[shraby]

12. My thought exactly! Only one fills the bill.

Feingold all the way. But, who to fill his seat in the Senate?

[Mz Pip]

2. Whatever Dems wins

I'm that desperate.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[crispini]

8. Well, yeah, but just a what-if.

If it were Boxer I'd seriously consider quitting my job to go work for her.

Maybe I should reconsider my stance on Senators as candidates. Hmm....

[napi21]

3. You realize you just described Howard Dean don't you?

Howard said if he got the Chairmanship, he wouldn't run for President, and I believe him. I do wish we could find someone very much like him to be our candidate though.

[crispini]

9. I've always liked Howard.

:(

[MadisonProgressive]

4. Damn, that sounds like me EXACTLY!!

[crispini]

10. LOL! nt

[Jane Austin]

7. Sounds a lot like Wes Clark to me.

One of the other people mentioned doesn't come from a modest background, FWIW.

I like him anyway, though. :)

[crispini]

11. Hm.

Yes, it does, doesn't it.

Hm.

[DesertRat]

13. I like Barbara Boxer. n/t

[politicasista]

14. Those qualities are good but unfortunately......

There is no such thing as a perfect candidate. There will always be times when our candidates/dems will make decisions/votes that we may or may not agree with. What will we do then?

For the best qualified candidate to succeed, there must be a UNIFIED Democratic Party that stands behind their candidate with a clear, strong, unified message. As much as we dislike the repukes, they will rally behind whoever the candidate is. It may not be everyone's first choice, but they know how to fall in line and stay on message until it sticks. That is something the Democrats have NOT done and will continue to come up short and lose elections in the future if they don't get it together.

We can dream/fantasize all we want about THE PERFECT CANDIDATE, while we're dreaming, the other side will keep winning/stealing elections. That's the bottom line.

My two cents.

[crispini]

18. Yeah, I agree. nt

[1932]

15. I want a candidate at whom, by Feb 2008, voters can look and within 15

seconds or less know that that person stands up for people who work for a living and who cares about the incredible polarization of wealth and power in our society and who cares deeply about fixing that problem.

I think you have a long list of characteristics up there but none of them tell you the most important thing about the candidate, and that is what the candidate believes in and stands for and that those things are progressive and that they address what's wrong with our society and government today.

[Doctor_J]

16. and, sadly, Bill Clinton can't run again

it remains to be seen whether our next candidate can relate like that. At this juncture, Clark and Edwards seem to be the best connected to the real world.

[crispini]

20. Good points. nt

[xkenx]

17. Crispini, you are either a Clarkie,

or you unknowingly wrote from his resume.
1. Wes Clark always speaks and acts for what's best for America, regardless of political implications for him. As a Democrat, with most policy positions as progressive as any, he nevertheless said he could support an anti-flag burning amendment, because he fought for the flag, shed blood for the flag, saw some of his troops buried under the flag. He feels for the symbolism that is the flag, even though some Democrats whose support he will need in the primaries will shy away from "The military guy." But just think of the inoculation he has against the RW attacks in a general election.
2&3. The man grew up poor in a single-parent home in Arkansas, was first in his class at West Point, was brilliant enough to write his own ticket to wealth in the private sector after Viet Nam, yet remained in service to his country for another 30 years, building an all-volunteer army,
negotiating the malitary part of the Dayton Peace Accords, achieving "Head-of State" status re the other NATO countries when he was SACEUR, leading the war in the Balkans without the loss of a single American, and being probably THE preeminent foreign affairs expert in the Dem. Party.
4& 5. Best examples of standing up to Rethugs are his willingness to go into the fox's lair and go on FAUX News and chew up the likes of O'Lielly and Hanratty. At a campaign rally, in response to a question about how he would respond to Rethug. smears, he replied, perhaps forgtting that he was on CSPAN camera,"I'll beat the shit out of them." When the mainstream media, horrified that Clark used the S word, asked if he meant to say that, the response was "No, I meant to say I'll beat the LIVING shit out of them."
6. Clark ran large military commands where he was responsible for training, healthcare, education,
and social issues for his personnel, who were, after all, in a volunteer army. If he didn't do right by his troops, they could opt out.
7. Vision? Just read up on his 100 year plan on www.securingamerica.com which includes a comprehensive energy plan.
8. Six months before Iraq Clark testified publicly before Congress, urging diplomacy first, war only as a last resort, and no blank check for GWB. Before, and ever since, Clark has stressed that going after terrorists is about getting the real terrorists, getting OBL, not going after Saddam Hussein, the secular ruler who was himself a target of OBL.

Yes, you've painted the picture of Wes Clark

[crispini]

19. Cool! I like Clark.

I have to confess to not paying very close attention to the candidates in the primaries in 2004 because -- hey! my primary vote doesn't count for anything. But I will pay more attention next time, and I liked what I heard about Clark.

[blm]

22. Kerry COINED the idea of man on the moon type energy program over 4yrs ago

and talked about it at almost every campaign stop.

Just shows how the media can edit out some of the most important aspects of ANY Democrat's campaign.

MY perfect candidate will be the one who exposes the GOP controlled voting machines.

[xkenx]

25. I Didn't say Kerry didn't

[blm]

26. I didn't say you did - I was putting out information that wasn't always

known because of corporate media.

[snowbear]

21. Crispini... your perfect 08 candidate is.......

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Uh oh...
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The "DU Crystal Ball" is temporarily out of service!


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http://eliteleague.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/lol!.gif
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Guess you'll have to try again after the 2006 elections!

[Jeffersons Ghost]

23. Lots of this sounds like Russ

I don't know his background though. Can someone help me here? I'm assuming from his last name, Feingold, that he is of Hebrew decent but did he come from wealth?

[leyton]

24. Bill Richardson?

The guy does have a voting record since he served in Congress, but that was at least in the 1990's if not the 1980's. He's known for being a tough and energetic fighter, which is what we need. However, I've heard from some NM Democrats that he's too tough (a "mafioso" was the term).

[Crunchy Frog]

28. Well, that description kind of does bring somebody to my mind.

You can probably figure out who it is by looking at my avatar. I won't say anything else. :)

[Apollo11]

29. Gotta be Gore!

Interesting list of criteria. You are thinking along the right lines.

My own personal dream ticket for 2008 would be GORE-BOXER.

People like Dean, Clark, Kerry, Edwards ... would all be key players in the Gore administration.

As for Hillary and Obama ... I see them leading a Democratic majority in the Senate.

In Gore We Trust
www.algore-08.com
http://algore2008.net
:)

[Adelante]

30. Sounds like Wesley to me

Yes, it does :)