Punishment poll

[Jed Dilligan]

Poll question: Punishment poll

There is a strong and understandable sense here on DU that someone needs to be punished for the crimes of the Bush administration. A small minority of us seem to believe the next President should just move on, forget about the past, and focus on the present and future. A much larger number believes that at least the leaders of the Bush cabal should be penalized for their actions, no matter how unlikely it is that this will come to pass. There are still other, vocal DUers who feel that EVERYONE who voted for Bush should receive some sort of punishment from the next administration--possibly in the form of waking up every day to the reality that Hillary Clinton is their president.

I can sympathize with all these viewpoints on an emotional level, but I really do believe that Bush, Cheney, Rice, Wolfowitz, et al. should face charges either in Congress or (better) an international court. Yet I also think nominating a presidential candidate largely because half the country despises her is politically idiotic.

So, it's a push poll--I would have had my view baited out of me in the first few replies, anyway. I do wonder, though, how widespread is the sentiment that not only Bush but his rank-and-file supporters need to be punished.

[Hutzpa]

1. You need to restructure your poll n/t

[Jed Dilligan]

2. any suggestions?

[DissentIsPatriotic]

3. I'm for the democratic nominee and everybody

who profited from this war, looked the other way, violated my rights, etc., etc. etc. - must be punished. EVERYBODY!!!

[ecstatic]

7. same here nt

[Fovea]

4. I am undecided and I think treason never prospers

because if it prosper, it lifteth itself off the table.

[Der Blaue Engel]

5. My support for Clinton is in no way related to "punishment"

The current admin. obviously needs to be held accountable, but that is irrelevant to my support for Clinton. I happen to believe she's the better (remaining) candidate.

[Blue_In_AK]

6. I don't favor either candidate particularly,

but if someone isn't made to pay -- and pay hard -- for the sins committed by BushCo in the past eight years, I'm going to be extremely unhappy. These people have committed CRIMES, serious federal offenses, and no one in this country should be above the law. There are people sitting in federal penetentiaries right this minute, serving lengthy sentences, who have done far less.

[ColesCountyDem]

8. A qualified' 'punish them'...

I absolutely believe that if it can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, and to a moral certainty that various and sundry Bush administration members knowingly broke laws, then they should indeed be indicted, tried, punished and convicted. Sadly, I believe that Bush will issue blanket pardons to the vast majority of those people, so it will largely be a moot point and the energy wasted on howls of outrage will be needed to re[air and restore the damage done to our republic by this gang of thugs.

[onehandle]

9. They will not be punished. Once they're out of office, it's over.

Sheesh!