The Gore Endorsement has reenergized the other campaigns

[TrueAmerican]

I am a Clark supporter and I have talked to a lot of democrats on the sidelines and they are truely outraged that Gore would do this at this time. They see it as dirty back room politics. Many are now so upset that they want to see one of the non-Gore candidates to win because they don't want to be told their vote doesn't matter.

[La_Serpiente]

1. Honestly

get over it. Work with what you have, not what you don't have.

[TrueAmerican]

2. Get over what?

Don't like the facts, huh. I am just stating what's going on. You maybe in your own Dean world, but many Democrats are outraged.

[La_Serpiente]

3. Actually

I don't even support Dean. I am supporting Kerry/Kucinich.

Sure, it may have re-energized your campaigns, but put it in the direction toward winning the nomination, not at Al Gore.

On Edit: I would like to add that Dean's thrust to one of the packleaders is amazing. Personally, I think he earned it.

[frustrated_lefty]

10. The unfortunate thing is

Gore stated he would endorse one of the candidates in December back when he first announced he wouldn't be running in 2004. If so very many people find it objectionable that he endorse a candidate this early, you'd think people would have complained about the fact BEFORE December? Unless, of course, the complaints are really more about WHO he chose to endorse, rather than when he did so.

[Myra]

18. Yeah frustrated_lefty. Well, maybe Gore's critics would prefer he endorse

a candidate after the 2004 election. That way it wouldn't make people feel like he's trying to influence their votes.

Then again, aren't endorsements inherently an attempt to influence votes?

Do all pols who issue endorsement have to endure such histrionics?

[bowens43]

19. The only outraged Democrats I have heard of or

talked to are Clark supporters and of course the 8 candidates who wish that they had received the endorsement. Gore is politically savvy enough to realize that our best chance to get the idiot out of office is to have Dean as the nominee. It's time to start thinning the herd of candidates. This will endorsement will move us more quickly in that direction. It was disgusting to see the candidates attacking Dean and Gore because of this nomination. They looked and sounded like children.

[Rainbowreflect]

4. When did Gore or Dean ever say your vote does not matter?

Gore just said that he thought Dean was the best choice and could beat bush. Is Gore any less entitled to his opinion than anyone else?
By the way I support Kucinich not Dean, but I do respect both Dean & Gore.

[pruner]

5. …

your guy =

[giantrobot_2000]

6. Clark

Methnks we're going to see a big surge out of the Clark campaign. Clark and Dean are the only ones raising money,

Oh yeah. Big Dog is waiting to endorse you-know-who.

[KaraokeKarlton]

20. Both of the Clintons said they won't be endorsing anyone

And I also don't think everyone should assume that if they did it would be Clark. The Clintons like Dean a lot. They always have. That's why he got a seat right behind Hillary at one of the State of the Union Addresses. Clinton defended Dean when that DLC memo came out. He had nothing but shining compliments for Dean at the Harkin Steak Fry. Oh, and Dean worked with the Clintons closely when they were trying to reform health care. Bill Clinton himself said no one has done more for health care than Howard Dean.

Just for argument's sake, what would you do if Bill Clinton did come out and make an endorsement and endorsed Dean? If it looks like Dean is going to win the Clintons aren't going to want to do anything to harm their chances at having influence in the party.

I don't think either of them will go back on their promise not to endorse anyone in the primaries. If they do, I don't think Clark is guaranteed to get it. Kerry supporters were convinced that Gore would endorse him, if anyone, and you see how that played out.

[ima_sinnic]

7. so you're that insecure about your candidate?

I like Clark--A LOT. I was happy when it appeared in last night's debate that not only were all the candidates truly united and not saying one negative thing about each other (with the glaring but to-be-expected exception of LIEberman)--and I was especially happy when I heard Dean and Clark putting forward essentially the same plan for getting out of Iraq--Dean outlining a general scenario and Clark filling in many details that showed he has an authoritative expertise in the matter. My thought was that he IS military, that has been his career and that is what shaped him, that is his "gestalt"--and as such I WANT him to be the one who will oversee extricating the USA from BushCo's mess--but I don't want that mess-extrication to be the pivotal point in the life of the USA, the way the mess-MAKING has been for BushCo.

Dean is a government executive as well as a humanitarian and plain-talker--who also, as a doctor, has devoted himself to a life of service--and that is what the president should be. I have complete faith in his ability to appoint people who will fulfill his--no OUR--campaign platform of The People and their needs being the priority. Let Clark focus his expertise where it is needed and leave the orchestrating, the administrating, to Dean, who for "black box" reasons captures the confidence and faith of the ordinary people (I am using "black box" the way it is used in biology, to describe a situation where the usual analytical answers don't quite satisfactorily explain the phenomenon--there really are still some mysteries in the universe).

but to answer your objection--excuse me, but could you post the exact quote of Gore saying your vote didn't matter? A lot of different people are endorsing a lot of different candidates--where is your faith in the ability of people to choose the best one?

If Clark can't get elected except by getting Gore's endorsement, then I don't think he's the right guy.

[max2000]

13. Dean/Clark ticket dude

These guys need to get together. And why hasn't our former leader from Arkansas shown his face? Shouldn't he be saying something about a candidate? He hasn't even spoke about Clark, and he's his buddy?

[ima_sinnic]

15. better he bides his time

. . . look at the result of Gore's endorsement. Let the Great Divide have a chance to heal and come together. If Dean and Clark are smart (and I give them both credit for that, definitely) they will more and more campaign in a very harmonic way, where their platforms mesh nicely. Let them run together while still running separately--the match will become so obvious it will become a reality.

Actually I wish all 8 (forget Lieberman, he's the true outlier (ha ha--"outLIAR")) would run that way.

Bill Clinton's endorsement is so seemingly influential it really would further split and fracture the party. Let things chill. Only a truly unified front will get the fascists exposed and out of office.

[OrAnarch]

8. I just don't know...

Anyway you cut it, the press time was priceless. That was a huge boost to the masses IMHO, that stands out in this time of the race. To just ignore the Gore part (besides the symbolic reference of his own submittal despite draft movements), I think the exposure in itself will deenergize and take press time away from the others. It will take a bit to brush this off, and may be hard without a narrower field.

[VermontDem2004]

9. .....

An endorsement is viewed as "dirty back room politics"? :wtf: If that energizes the other candidates it's about time. Plus how do your or "they" get the idea that their vote doesn't matter?

[JNelson6563]

11. Gee that's funny

the folks I've talked to in northern Michigan don't feel that way. The neutral ones were impressed with Dean and the two Clarkies I know of basically shrugged.

Big political gathering. I wonder how everyone else will view it. I suspect my fellow northern Michiganders won't be as hysterical as the folks in your area.

Julie

[max2000]

12. At Least Someone Moved

Whether you agree with Gore backing Dean or not, isn't it time for some of these candidates to drop out and back someone else. Most of these NINE candidates are in the single digits. Its like they just want to stand at the podium to take shots at Bush.

[loyalsister]

17. Not just Bush

pot shots at each other. I have been sick to death of it, and really really wish that the more subtle spirit in which I understood this endorsement were how it was more wideley understood. "You don't have to vote for the guy, but let's not bash."

[Myra]

14. I see nothing unseemly or dirty about Prez Gore giving an opinion.

I love and respect him. Do I wish he'd gone of Clark or Kucinich? Hell yes! Did it make me less wary of Dean? Yeah, a little. Did it make me favor Dean over my favorite candidates? No fuckin' way.

I think it's hyperbolic to claim dirty back room politics when the elected Prez, who never got to serve, gives an opinion three years later on a candidate. Maybe it's unusual. These are unusual times. Gore went thru an unusual ordeal. But he's my president. I love and respect him.

[BurtWorm]

16. Ah, so anger IS an energy!

Taking Dean's lesson to heart, I see.