I'm really impressed with our 08' candidates.

[PresidentObama]

I'm convinced anyone of our candidates from Hillary to Dodd, from Obama to Vilsack, from Edwards to Richardson, they are all qualified enough and prepared for being the nominee. This election has often been defined by media hype, and polls. The fact is I like to ignore these polls, ignore the media, and go off my gut. And I know a lot of people are the same way. Yes, the media hype and polls matter. But in the long run at this point? Not a chance!! But looking at this field with clarity, I see some of the best candidates our party has to offer.

My only suggestion is this field of candidates needs to stop playing like they're on an episode of American Idol, and show America how strong and united our party is. We've got mounds of great candidates, including our top three frontrunners. John Edwards, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton can and will be the President of the United States if they get the nomination. You can count on that!

Others like Richardson, Vilsack, Dodd, and so on are also great candidates who could out debate and out shine any one of these weak GOP candidates from Brownback to McCain, Giuliani to Romney.

So I call upon DU to stop the bashing of candidates, dish out your criticism, but don't bash. Lets be productive, honest, and open. Lets unite towards victory in 2008, and pick the best nominee possible!!

[delphinium]

1. Great post

I'm with you 100 percent. This is the best Dem field we've had in decades.

[PresidentObama]

2. It's a very great field.

I dish out my fair amount of criticism of the candidates, but I sincerely want the best candidate to win to be the nominee. If thats Obama, alright. Hillary, alright. Edwards, alright. And so on!!

I know DU can be a hostile place for some supporters of some candidates, but I think we all need to realize how talented our field is.

[chimpymustgo]

3. Thanks for this post, Kerry2008! K and R!!!!

We should keep this kicked to the top of the page till the primaries are over!

[liberalpragmatist]

13. So how do you feel about Kerry not running, Kerry2008?

I'm a big fan of Kerry's too, although I was already leaning strongly against supporting a second Kerry run; he would have made a GREAT president, but after 2004 he simply had too much baggage, IMO.

Even so, like you, I'm really very happy with our field. I'm very excited about both Obama and Edwards (I have been leaning more towards Edwards, but more towards Obama right now), and although I don't think Hillary is ideal, I think she's an extraordinarily capable woman, smart, competent, assertive and I do think she could win the election and do well as president. Although they don't excite me as much, I'll echo you and say that Richardson, Dodd, Vilsack, and Clark would all be good as well.

Both this field and the '04 field really were quite strong. Nothing like, say, '88 or even '92 before Clinton became "Clinton".

[PresidentObama]

15. I was disappointed.....

But he made the right decision, and stayed in the Senate to fight the good fight on the Iraq war. He's also got a book coming out that I'm sure will be great, and he'll be a leading voice on global warming along with former Democratic nominee and VP Al Gore.

I think any one of our current candidates would and will beat the GOP in 2008, and are very talented. So it should be an exciting race!!

[Tellurian]

21. ....

:kick:

[k_jerome]

4. where is the line between criticism and bashing? nt.

[PresidentObama]

6. Well.....

Bashing is usually lies, non-issues, and distortions.

Criticism is the truth, or an opinion based off some aspect of truth.

The line is very thin, but it's too often crossed by many of us here at DU!!

[k_jerome]

8. one persons issue is anothers non-issue...

i think it difficult at best to make this sort of pledge. it is too easy to offend the supporters of a candidate. we all take it personally.

[PresidentObama]

9. Well, it depends on the issue.

Like Edwards house for example. Some thought that was some big deal because of his poverty work that he'd live in this huge house. I thought it was laughable, because he earned the money to buy that. And he's not letting the money run to his head, and working on behalf of average people.

I'm talking about two examples I saw specifically that prompted this thread. Someone said we should send Hillary to Iraq because of her Iraq vote, and another blamed her for Gore 'losing' in 2000. I think thats bashing coupled with ignorance, and not criticism. And while the line between the two is thin, it's crossed too often here.

[blue neen]

5. Amen to that.

We do have great candidates. :)

[Clark2008]

7. Maybe I'm more jaded, but after reading the "pay to play" thread,

after hearing their positions - or lack, thereof - on a variety of topics, I don't think we have a "great" field of candidates at all: too many are more concerned with the pocketbooks of the corporations than for the good of our people.

The same - and worse - is true of the Republicans, however.

I really wish we could go back to the days of populism. The few populists there are running get absolutely no press.

Sigh.

[AndyTiedye]

10. Populism = Economicly Progressive but Socially Backwards

Populism is NOT something we want to bring back. Populism was economically progresssive, but socially backwards, pandering to the
bigots and the religious extremists.

I will NOT embrace bigotry or give up religious freedom in exchange for a few social programs (which may never really happen anyway)!

If this is not what you mean by Populism, you may want to find a word that does not carry that historical baggage.

[Clark2008]

17. You may be the only person here who considers it thusly.

I consider it to mean someone who care about the average Joe and Joan and not about the corporations.

But, in answer to your question, no... I don't want a racist or a sexist candidate. I want someone who isn't bought and paid for by big corp.

[noamnety]

11. I notice you forgot Kucinich. (nt)

[PresidentObama]

12. I left out a few, like Kucinich and Biden and Gravel. n/t

[Hippo_Tron]

14. Kucinich can't get the nomination and some of us only want to discuss those who can get do that

I posted a thread a while back for Kucinich supporters to challenge me on that assumption that Kucinich can't win the nomination. Nobody gave me a viable roadmap for his securing the nomination, everyone just stated that they were voting for him knowing that he can't win

[PresidentObama]

16. I think Kucinich's chances are small.

But his voice and vision will add to the debate, and I certainly think he'd make a better President then any one of the Republican candidates.

[Tellurian]

19. Well said, Kerry2008..

As for myself, I admire Kucinich for his Liberal leanings and that he has much to offer in the way of well thought out ideas. What is curious to me is the unsolicited hatred of Hillary Clinton. My God, it seems the posters frequenting this board imagine the battle for the nomination being fought right here and now. Either that or they do not remember what we've been through with the VRW who practically brought this country to a stand still with the 8 yr persecution of Bill Clinton which we all remember vividly.

We seem to be inundated with packs of roving posters who come out of the woodwork simply to attack Hillary as the front runner. Whether that is a tactic to rundown Hillary to elevate their candidate does not compute in the logic and rationalization of how candidates are selected for the nomination. This is the most sickening dynamic I have ever witnessed on DU since it's inception.

These posters seem to be unaware of how nasty and ugly this campaign will become once the Republicans roll out their slime machine. From what I've read just today, supporters are already touting Obama as a slick warrior Chicago style as some sort of 'Superman' to have issued a 5 pgs statement rebuking the innuendo of a news article intimating Obama took credit for more work than he actually participated in.. (This was no more than a teaser-people). I think you've been around long enough, or you sound like you have been, Kerry2008, and you know this is nothing more than child's play before the big guns roll out and the attacks become sustained and unrelenting.

I'm sorry to say very few of us will be able to post in a positive way anything relating to Hillary's strength or her accomplishments without eliciting the hatred that has become the acceptable norm @ DU if Sen Clinton receives the nomination.

We endure supercilious comments like..."Oh, she's already been coroneted the nominee." What in the world is that all about? I'm sorry, I don't get it- Perhaps you can enlighten me. I await your always sage advise..

[chimpymustgo]

18. Kick for keeping it positive! nt

nt

[Tellurian]

20. ok...

:kick: