Gephardts steady pace gives him edge over Dean

[quinnox]

Two new polls of likely Iowa Democratic caucus-goers indicate Howard Dean has peaked here and that Richard Gephardt has dug himself out of a summertime hole to reclaim his position as the front-runner in the state.

There's also interesting evidence showing Gephardt's centrist views on Iraq are more in tune with rank-and-file Democrats here than Dean's strong anti-war positions.

* A poll conducted by a group of Democratic political consultants called the "Democracy Corps" shows Gephardt with 27 percent; Dean with 26 percent;

...Another survey taken Tuesday through Thursday of last week for WHO-TV in Des Moines shows Gephardt with 27 percent and Dean with 22 percent

...But Dean's campaign appears to have plateaued. The California recall took much of the limelight away from him. Then Clark's entrance into the race pulled media attention away from Dean and gave anti-war Democrats another champion.

...At the same time, Gephardt has quietly piled up union endorsements. He doesn't have enough to get an endorsement from the full AFL-CIO, but he has 19 international unions with just over 50,000 members in Iowa backing him. And that doesn't include retirees. Since only about 100,000 people are likely to attend the caucuses, well, you can do the math.
<cut> http://www.dmregister.com/opinion/stories/c5917686/22544658.html

Also Gephardt got another union endorsement on Friday, from the International Longshoremens Association, to make 20 major unions now backing him.

If Gephardt wins Iowa, which I think he will end up doing, he will get some momentum for New Hampshire and might improve his result there.
It would also enhance his fund-raising efforts to a great degree, if he can win Iowa, the money will start pouring in.

[La_Serpiente]

1. The Unions should be cognizant

that if Gephardt wins the nomination, I would be "highly reluctant" to vote for him.

[quinnox]

4. Why?

Do you not favor unions? They have been a major Democratic party ally and constituent for years.

[La_Serpiente]

7. He's only representative of unions really

and health care. I personally feel that he doesn't care about foreign policy or the environement. He supports opening ANWR and supports the automakers in Detroit.

There are unions in America, but that's really all there is to Gephardt. I am not saying that they are a small group, but his views are not that broad.

[quinnox]

12. He doesn't support ANWR

I'm glad you brought this up because the environment is one of my top issues, so I checked and here is his record:

# Fighting to Protect the Wilderness from Oil Drilling

"I will form a partnership with government, auto companies, workers and environmentalists to put us on the path to energy independence"

—Dick Gephardt


Gephardt was among the first Democrats to promote a bill to permanently protect the Arctic Wilderness from oil drilling. Bush made drilling in Alaska a priority; Congressional opposition has stopped the first attempts to expand drilling.
(HR 770, 107th Congress)

[La_Serpiente]

17. that's one major issue

However, there are the CAFE Standards which Environmentalits probably care about EVEN MORE than ANWR.

I think ANWR is just irreconciable. Environmentalists are never going to give into drilling at all.

Besides, talks broke down between Labor and Environmentalists on that issue. There is no way that it would work.

Respect him for attempting though.

[sfecap]

21. I'm a union member.

Who will NOT vote for Gephardt.

[IndianaGreen]

25. I am a union member too

and I have never listened to the union President's views on candidates. We are here, with our local problems (which are bigger than ever thanks to Bush), while the union president is over there in Washington DC, far removed from our problems and cares.

[IndianaGreen]

2. Nothing short of full repentance can redeem Gephardt from this...

President, House Leadership Agree on Iraq Resolution



President George W. Bush along with bipartisan leaders from the House and Senate announced the Joint Resolution to authorize the use of the United States Armed Forces against Iraq. "The statement of support from the Congress will show to friend and enemy alike the resolve of the United States," President Bush said during the announcement in the Rose Garden, Wednesday, October 2, 2002. White House photo by Paul Morse.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/10/20021002-7.html

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/10/images/20021002-7_d-iraq10022002-th-1-515h.html

[quinnox]

5. why do they always drag this photo-op out?

Do you think there are other Dems running for prez that have their photo with Bush too?

[killbotfactory]

8. He's responsible for stabbing dems in the back

by making a deal for the IWR which effectively killed efforts by other dems to put some restraints on Bush.

As that photo reminds us.

[IndianaGreen]

10. Because that's when the sonofabitch back-stabbed the House Dems

in order to get his sorry ass face for this photo-op. Gephardt did not care about the Iraqi civilians whose lives would be in peril by giving Bush a blank check to go to war. Gephardt did not care that every WMD claim made by Bush & Co had been debunked in the British press. Gephardt did not care that millions of people marched for peace all over the world. Gephardt has innocent blood on his hands. Gephardt is a Bush-PNAC enabler!

Gephardt's views on Iraq are identical to Joe Lieberman. Gephardt will not end the war and occupation of Iraq. In the unlikely event that Gephardt is elected, he will turn Bush's war into a Democratic war, he will embrace the same PNAC agenda that Bush has.

Gephardt will not end the occupation of Iraq!

[La_Serpiente]

19. 2/3 of the Democrats voted against the Iraq war

thanks to help of Kucinich

[sfecap]

3. Nominate Gephardt...get four more years of the Chimp!

n/t

[quinnox]

6. I don't think so

The midwest (Gephardts region) could be crucial in deciding who wins the presidency, Vermont's 3 electoral votes won't help a whole lot.

[Cocoa]

15. Gephardt matches up well against Bush

his main problem is the primaries, where his Iraq position will hurt him.

If he gets the nomination, he's in my opinion the best to make the economic case for the democrats. And he has a geographic advantage as well.

[CWebster]

9. Its not going to happen

Gephardt is hughly unpopular with the base and even labor was hesitant to back him---and labor is just not as powerful as it was with the loss of our manufacturing base. Iowa is the only primary where he can even compete--leading by 1 point.

[quinnox]

14. Huh??

With 20 International unions supporting him (so far) they are hesitant to back him?
That is delusional.

He is not hugely unpopular with the base, he is often near the top of national polls and is leading in Iowa.

[La_Serpiente]

16. Redundant

[CWebster]

18. Right, Gephardt is the name on everyone's lips.

Seems those labor endorsements just didn't come as readily as he expected.

He is a wash-up and a has-been who doesn't really connect with the country at large.

[sfecap]

24. Hate to break this to you...

...but union support isn't what it used to be. Many, many union members vote rethug. I see it all of the time. It's pathetic. They cut their own throats. Gep won't get the nomination based on union support, and he polls dismally among most Dems.

And BTW...Gep isn't leading in Iowa according to the MOE. Close, but not leading.

[wtmusic]

11. Some problems

Population of IA is 3 million, so roughly 1 in 40 voters is a union member. Out of 100,000 to show for the caucuses how many will be union? How many union members are Republican? The math is entirely inconclusive.

Your polls show no MOE which could easily put Dean in the lead.

[sfecap]

13. The MOE...

First poll : 4.4%

Second: 4.8%

Kinda changes things, huh?

(and, BTW....Dean is peaking/imploding/too liberal/too centrist/too angry/too.....):-)

[La_Serpiente]

20. Imploding?

I wouldn't say raising 15 million in one quarter is imploding, would you?

[sfecap]

23. You haven't heard?

Yep, imploding...peaking....plateauing...shrinking...not electable...

(Fill in the blank here:___________________)

<sarcasm mode...>

[wtmusic]

22. LOL

A little too...popular?

[protect freedom impeach bush now]

26. Gephardt leads in Bush asskissing