Are DUers Getting Too Attached To Their "Pet" Candidates?

[rucky]

...To the point where they can't bring themselves to support anyone else who may get the nomination? Yes, we're mostly on the "ABB" ticket when all is said and done - but to defeat Bush we need to be a lot more proactive than just going to the polls. I understand the importance of challenging a candidate on the issues - especially in a relatively friendly environment. But there's also alot of emotion involved in both the attack and defense of all candidates involved, and I'm wondering if it will effect the enthusiasm we need to bring into the general election - regardless of who gets the nomination.

Here's a related column from Robert Reich:

http://www.prospect.org/print/V14/7/reich-r.html

"Don't get so emotionally invested in any particular primary candidate that you lose the psychological capacity to be enthusiastic about whomever emerges as the Democratic candidate nine months from now. Remember, the overriding goal is to unseat W.

When you hear a Democratic primary candidate criticize or demean a
primary opponent, don't just sit there: Make a phone call and send a
letter or an e-mail to that candidate expressing outrage.

Most importantly, don't sink too much of your time, energy and money
into primary fights. Remember that the real fight begins next spring.
It will take everything you have."

[MiniBalrog]

1. Definitely (nt)

nt

[tjdee]

2. Yes. Pardon me, YES. n/t

[sexybomber]

3. in general, yes. me personally, no.

I like all the candidates except Lieberman for different reasons, and I would vote for any of them except Lieberman in 2004. So whoever gets the nomination is fine with me.

[BJ]

4. I totally agree with you with one small proviso...

I'd vote for John Edwards but I'd have to hold my nose. He's a little too DLC for me. All the rest I can live with.

[rucky]

5. Have you written to Leiberman?

I'm not thrilled about him myself. But I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt re: his attacks on his own party. The benefit being that if he gets the nomination, he can already count on our vote (in his mind) - so he's campaigning to the right to rake in the swing vote.

But if enough Democrats tell him they wouldn't vote for him in the general election unless he (insert whatever will make you do that), then maybe he'll change up his strategy - or at least tone down the rhetoric????

[BJ]

6. He man was elected to the Senate in 1988 with the help of

...none other than william F. Buckley, defeating maverick, liberal Republican Lowell Weicker. He pushed accounting "reform" legislation through the Senate that's lead to the recent accounting scandals, i.e. Arthur Anderson etc., and bills making it easier for American corporations to set up tax haven "P O Box Headquarters" on Caribbean islands nations. He supported warrentless wiretaps long before he voted for the USAPatriot Act and he was vocal in denoucing Clinton during the impeachment, though to his credit he did not vote to impeach.

Does this sound like a Democrat to you?

[madrchsod]

8. joe would be a right of center

republican back in the old days,or a very conserative democrat. when the rnc gives joe a "endorsment" for being a good "democrat" in backing "our" president you really have to wonder.

[BJ]

12. You're so right.

In the BR era (before Reagan), Joe'd be a Rockefeller Rupublican.

[madrchsod]

7. it seems like there has

been alot of passionate responses about the canidates which is fine..but let`s keep an open mind. i like edwards but he prob. has no chance,dean has a brilliant campaign org. but will the main demo. money back him? who knows..kerry will be the dlc choice.. there`s always room for passionate debate which will bring the party new ideas,which my friends the republicans have none of.......

[liberalnurse]

9. Yes, folks are sweating the small stuff.....

and not really looking at the party winning the election. The smaller issues are important but if we don't get a democrat in the White House...they are gone anyways.

[pinerow]

10. I have to agree with Robert Reich, however lets remember

that this is a process and not the final production.

Lets get all these fellows to the starting gate and then place your bets.

[DemLikr]

11. Oh god, of course...it's been ridiculous so far and getting worse.

Nt

[Northwind]

13. For the most part, no.

I think you are giving too much weight to the few loud and obnoxious folks who constantly bash any candidate but their own. If you look at all the threads bashing, say, Dean, they are started by at most 4 different people. This is not to confuse threads legitimately questioning something about Dean.

I think everyone should vigorously support their candidate of choice. Mine is Dean, and I support him all the way, give money, etc to the campaign, but I will still vote for the man that gets the nomination (with the possible exception of Leiberman, but frankly I think that is so unlikely that is does not bear worrying over). Kerry supporters should do what they can for their guy, Kucinich supporters should do it for DK, and so on and so forth. Everyone should also question all of the candidates, even the ones they support.

[nuxvomica]

14. Like rutting deer, we have to compete to shake out the weak ones

But we have to be careful not to kill each other.That's not good news even for the winner.
I'll support any of the candidates as the nominee once the show starts but I'm worried about Leiberman. I can hold my nose but a Leiberman nomination might keep others away from the polls in droves.

[Rhiannon12866]

22. You have changed your avatar to Gephardt.

Is there a reason for this and do you want to share it?:shrug:

[nuxvomica]

25. I'll start a thread. Maybe when I hit 1000

I want to make sure I do it when I have the time to respond to all the flaming. ;-)

[Rhiannon12866]

28. I'll look forward to it

I like Gephardt and could easily support him, so I'm very interested in hearing your reasons for choosing him and more about the candidate.:-)

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

15. C.D.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

16. Absolutely.

People aren't open enough to change, and this is eventually going to split up the party and the vote so the whole election will go to Bush.

[WindRavenX]

24. Good point

But as long as people plan to vote for whoever gets the nomination, then their little "pet" canidate is fine.
If Dean gets the nomination, I will vote for him. I want Kerry, but hey, if he doesn't get it, he doesn't get it.
Lieberman really pisses me off and in a perfect world he'd just go away. But he isn't going to get the nomination anyway.

[Walt Starr]

17. I am strongly for Dean right now

I would enthusiastically support any Democratic nominee with the exception of Lieberman. After the anti-Dean rhetoric coming out of that Repubilcan-Wanna-Be's mouth, I would actively campaign AGAINST Lieberman should he win the nomination.

This only holds for Lieberman.

[FubarFly]

18. Ask me again after the primaries.

There's too much noise interfering with an honest evaluation of your question right now.

[LWolf]

19. Not me.

I think my candidate's platform is by far the best for my country, so he's got my primary vote.

As far as the general election goes, the first order of the day is to get bush out. If I have to vote for someone I don't care for, fine. Then I can start lobbying, hounding, and nipping at their heels to get my issues addressed.

I don't know about the DU'ers, but I do know that my candidate is attracting a large number of independent and 3rd party voters. If he is not nominated, many of those will not vote dem; they will go back to whatever party they originated from. But these people aren't democrats to begin with, and they don't see a big enough difference between the DLC and repubs; they want a candidate that provides clear contrast from what they *don't* support.

[quinnox]

20. In the case of Dean, definitely

There is a small group of Dean supporters who seem almost cultish in their denial of any mistake made by Dean, and will defend anything no matter how ridiculous. Also, any position Dean takes on an issue immediately becomes the correct one, and is adopted as the position of their own. Note I did not say all Dean supporters, only a small group. Even today, there is a thread trying to make the absurd accusation that to attack Dean suggests you are a Repub operative, this has been a tactic of the more fanatic Dean supporter for awhile now. It is supposed to silence future attacks on Dean, but it will probably only encourage them.

[msanger]

21. what seeds can we sow now...

that will bear the fruit of victory in 2004?

Are there any ways to work against bush NOW, other than working for a dem candidate?

[Ouabache]

23. Yes, but a minority

I have seen many, though committed to a candidate, willing to say come hell or high water they will still vote Democratic, regardless of the eventual candidate. That's good.

[CWebster]

26. Robert Reich

Bernie Sanders attacked Greenspan for not caring about the poor and working-classes of this country. When Robert Reich was shown the clip on one of those financial news 24/7 networks he spoke in support of Greenspan.

Not something I will easily forget.

[markus]

27. No, I think we're in a pretty normal pre-primary/caucus mode

Of course we have preferred candidates. The vast majority will swing behind the Democratic nominee a year from now.

However, if the party ends up with some sort of "compromise" candidate selectec by the powers that be and essentially bypassing the results of the primary/caucus process (becuase Dean or Kerry don't win outright), *and* that person is say Lieberman or some other distasteful establishment figure, we will probably lose due to lack of active support in the general election.

People don't have to "abandon" the Democratic Party and go Green to cause problems. A nominee who generates no on the ground support would probably be fatal in the election. And the Party or its nominee can never hope to raise enough money to overcome Bush in a dollar-for-dollar TV and hired campaign worker battle.