I'm a Dean supporter and I'm taking one for the team

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

So it's come to this.

I am a Dean supporter.

I will support whoever the Democratic nominee is. I will volunteer, donate money, and generally work my ass off for whoever wins the Democratic nomination.

I have nothing against the other candidates. I will be proud to work for any of them should they get the nomination.

I encourage my fellow Dean supporters to chime in with similar sentiments. Today, more so than ever, the rest of the DU community seems to believe that we're a negative force in this election, and that we may very well be responsible for the downfall of the Democratic party. It has become necessary for us to reassure them that this is NOT the case, and that our number one goal is voting out Bush.

If you are a fellow Dean supporter, I ask you to please add your own pledge to work for the Democratic candidate to this thread. I think people need to hear it from us.

[slinkerwink]

1. I said I was ABLKEG earlier, but now I'm ABLB

anybody but lieberman and bush, that is. ;-)

[WilliamPitt]

10. Soooooooooooo nice to hear

:toast:

[slinkerwink]

13. my moment of being really pissed off passed........

;-)

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

32. Actually Will

this thread was sort of "inspired" by yours about the Nobody But Dean people. I know that a lot of us Deanies can come off as slavishly devoted or what have you, but as Richard Nixon would have said, there is a silent majority of us who don't believe what the more vocal minority do. We simply like Dean for the same reason other people like their main candidates, whether it be policy, campaign style, whatever, and we would all be fine with living in a United States helmed by a President Kerry or a President Kucinich or a President Edwards (or whoever).

It seemed like that impression just wasn't getting out though --- hence this thread.

[tsipple]

54. Will, Come Out and Meet Some of Us!

You may have already, but you'd learn a lot joining a bunch of volunteers going to Iowa or New Hampshire, for example.

We're just a bunch of ordinary, rational, realistic, and energized Democrats (and others). When I went to Iowa with eight other people last weekend, we had me (middle-of-the-road Democrat with libertarian streak, private pilot), an environmentalist woman, an early 20s lab assistant and vegan, a married blue collar late 30s male smoker, and even a Republican (40s, well off, male technology company founder). And not a one of us is boring, I can assure you.

[NNN0LHI]

18. So if Lieberman is the nominee you will be voting against the person...

...that I will support to beat Bush next year? But right now you want undecided voters like myself to support your guy during the primary? Is that what you are telling me?

Don

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

26. good question, loved to hear it answered

DU has a hypocritical streak a mile wide when it comes to Lieberman. He's hardly different on 99% of the issues than any other. That being said, I can't stand him.

[NNN0LHI]

42. He is not at the top of my Christmas list either but...

...I sure as shit want Chimpy, Cheney, and Ashcroft out of Washington after the next election. I just really don't care who can do that as long as it gets done.

Don

[Nlighten1]

31. I'm ABLB too

Most everyone else is fine with me.

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

34. I'm no fan of Lieberman

But what I said stands --- I'll work my ass off to get him elected if it comes to that. I'll probably just have to drink more heavily during those months.

[DjTj]

36. ABLKEG must've been hard to say...

...I think that stance should be called ABIWR. Hopefully, there aren't too many people in that boat for the General Election.

[VelmaD]

41. Come on slinkerwink...

you can do it. Go ahead and get yourself ok with Lieberman too. You can do it. Just keep telling yourself what I tell me...he has a sterling record on civil rights and abortion. He's still 1000 times better than the current occupant of the White house.

[mrgorth]

47. Same here!!!

[arewethereyet]

2. Thats very noble of you. bravo ! n/t

[wndycty]

3. Much love to you . . .

. . .lets fight it out in the primary and pledge to work together afterwards. Thanks a lot and when we are on the same team lets kick some major Bush a#$!!!

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

5. Glad to!

The primary season makes me violently ill. I am a peaceful man. I HATE fighting among other Democrats. I will be THRILLED when this shit is over.

[wndycty]

12. I just think whoever wins the primary. . .

. . .will have a lot of strength because if the fight he or she went through to secure the nomination.

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

16. Nietszche was right!

That which does not kill you makes you stronger.

[are_we_united_yet]

4. I'm in as well!

[UrbScotty]

6. Yes, I will DEFINITELY support our nominee!

If that's Joe Lieberman, so be it! He is, after all, the Elected Vice President of the United States. I despise him, but he's much better than Bush.

[illini]

7. President Howard Dean. I like the way that rolls out.

President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean.
President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean.
President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean.
President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean.
President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean.
President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean.
President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean.
President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean.
President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean.
President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean. President Howard Dean.

[Renew Deal]

11. I thought it was...

You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! You have the power!

[tsipple]

38. Here's the full 1/20/05 introduction...

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to introduce to you the 44th President of the United States, Doctor Howard Dean from the great state of Vermont!"

(Hail to the Chief plays.) :party:

[onecitizen]

8. Oh absolutely.........

no question here. Well, maybe not joe. kidding

[liberalmuse]

9. Yeah, what he said!

I made a similar pledge (to myself) about a week ago. I'm just not sure if supporters of other candidates would want us 'Dean cultists' on their team.... I'm kidding! :)

[KaraokeKarlton]

14. I'd embrace the lovey-dovey unity much quicker

If I were seeing this same kind of graciousness directed towards our candidate rather than the barrage of ABD crap I've been reading all day.

[wndycty]

17. has that graciousness been shown to other candidates?

:kick:

[JohnKleeb]

20. How about all bashing cease?

Seems fair to me.
BTW ABB.
I know Dean is attacked, often times very trashy, but Ive seen others attacked, like my candiate for instance is attacked for his looks etc. All candiate bashing is wrong, lets not just cease it on Dean if you wanna be ABB, but cease it on all.

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

21. That would be nice

[JohnKleeb]

24. Thanks

It really goes all ways. No side is completely guilty or innocent. I can't say one side is completely right to blame or one side is completely blameless. ABB, I may be an idealistic sob, but damnit 3 years under this mad ass, I dont think I could handle more.

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

28. Seriously

I don't think that the election is ours to lose, but I think we have a better shot at it than a lot of people realize, and I guess I would just find it heartbreaking if we couldn't, as a party, stop trashing each other for long enough to get our shit together and take advantage of that.

The Democratic party is right on when it comes to the issues, but we are woefully behind the curve when it comes to getting our shit together and being a united front. I cannot physically stomach another election like 2000, where we would probably have won if we could have all gotten our shit together. I can't watch that happen again.

[JohnKleeb]

30. Yeah

Well being at a relatively young age, I fear a draft, even though I cant be, I fear for my friends you see.

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

39. I was draft age during Gulf War I

There was no draft at the time as you know, but as the machinery of war was gearing up at that time it was certainly being rumored heavily. I was 21 at the time and didn't relish getting sent halfway around the world to get killed trying to clean up after George Bush Sr's mess. Nobody today should have to worry about that either. I believe pretty strongly that they're going to use this "success" to expand their war into the rest of the Middle East. It's basically a hostile takeover, as I see it --- a corporate action that uses advanced weaponry instead of leveraged buyouts.

[JohnKleeb]

49. Yeah thanks

ABB man though, you got my word. These times are interesting you know. They really are.

[tsipple]

40. JK, Abe Lincoln Was Ugly

And so what? He did OK.

I think America is better than that.

[JohnKleeb]

43. I know that

but people use it as a negative thing, shove it down the throat so to speak, you know like hes a gnome or an elf. Yeah Lincoln was ugly and our best ever.

[WilliamPitt]

52. ...in the days before television

No one knew FDR was in a wheelchair, either.

[JohnKleeb]

55. Thats true Will

But I dont appreciate my guy being called a gnome or an elf.

[proud patriot]

15. Same here

I will do all I can to get a Democratic President
in 2004 .

[A-Schwarzenegger]

19. As long as I am still for Dean I will vote for anybody that wins

the nomination, but if I happen to switch again
to somebody else, then I might not vote for Dean
if he wins because my feelings might be hurt by
things I said when I was backing him.

[KFC]

22. I, too, expect to vote for the person who wins

If Dean is the winner, then I will have definitely voted for him. Otherwise, I will have switched candidates. The more votes, the better. As they say in the election business.

[PurityOfEssence]

23. There are many many more like you than it would seem

Take heart. One of the worst aspects of being "on the outs" in politics, as all of us here are, is the feeling of loneliness and distance from our fellow man. This board salves lots of that, but it also sparks the frustration that this, our refuge, should also plague us with oddballs who remind us of the gulf between people.

By far, the greater proportion of us here are of your ilk, so sleep well and snuggly with that. It's part of the unspoken essence of the Democratic spirit: it's about "us"; conservatism is about "me".

It's a frustrating time for all, now, and we have to remember a few things when getting depressed or combative: everyone else has had tribulations in life, we all have different priorities, we have different needs and we're all in this together. All of us have been cut some slack at times when we didn't necessarily deserve it, and we've all been punished for the sins of others when we were virginally innocent. That's just life.

It's going to be a wild ride for a while, and that's as it should be.

[tsipple]

25. My Own Favorite Candidate Said That...

...That he (Howard Dean) would support any of the contenders should one of them win the nomination.

He's a true statesman, and I agree. And every single Dean supporter I've ever met feels the same way.

[LuminousX]

27. Why do I have to keep doing this?

ONE LAST TIME: I will without fail, work my ass off for the Democratic candidate for President.

I am becoming very frustrated with having to constantly, nearly daily, swear my loyalty to the Democratic party. My loyalty is there, has been there, will always be there so long as the party represents core issues of Liberty, Responsibility, and Fairness.

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

33. Don't worry

I'm bookmarking this page, so I will have a handy reference in case it becomes necessary to reassure others that we're in this for the right reasons. The next time our commitment to the Democratic party is brought into doubt we can just direct people to this page.

[tsipple]

35. For Some Strange Reason a Minority of People...

...Think Dean supporters (like me, like you) are somehow uninformed about his record, deluded about his chances of winning the general election, or otherwise off our rockers. Of course not.

That minority of people just doesn't get it. This thread is further evidence. We're as loyal to the the Democratic Party nominee -- whoever that may be -- as anyone. Maybe more so.

I have to laugh at it all, really. They just don't understand what's going on.

[LuminousX]

50. Projection

You always blame someone else of the flaws you yourself have. I think the ABD movement in and of itself is a clear manifestation of that. Dean supporters are going to be the engine of the party in 2004 getting whoever is the nominee into the White House. The only thing - everything I do will be done in Dean's name. If Dean doesn't get the nomination, I want the candidate who does to know it was the Dean voters who defeated Bush.

[tsipple]

53. Re: Blaming Someone Else

You always blame someone else of the flaws you yourself have.

Really? What an awful way to go through life. I mean, I know some (a few) people are like that, but it's not healthy, is it?

By the way, this particular nomination fight is not at all unusual. I'd love to see someone do the Nexis search on "Bill Clinton" and "unelectable" in the 1991 to early 1992 archives. We'd all be laughing our asses off, I think. :7 (Go back to 1988 and pundits everywhere thought the guy was politically crippled for life after his convention speech.)

Every candidate on the short end of the stick makes the same (fruitless) argument. "Vote for me! I can beat the Republican. He can't!" Never works. (Repeat endless loop.)

I support Dean in part for entirely pragmatic reasons. A huge one is that he's the only candidate who opted out of the matching funds system who has the ability to combat the inevitable Bush TV ad blitz of 2004. (House loan notwithstanding, Kerry is nearly broke, to be blunt.)

Somebody please explain to me how any other candidate -- a candidate I will certainly support if he/she wins the nomination -- will spend everything to win the nomination and get past that not-so-little problem?

Dean is also the only candidate that generated a growing network, both online and off, that does an "end run" around the traditional media, in large part thanks to ace organizer Joe Trippi. (Clark is second place in that category.) I consider that network to be a necessary condition for winning, because CNN/MSNBC/Fox certainly ain't going to do it with their clownishness.

[Philostopher]

29. I'm a Democrat first,

And a Dean supporter second. I find it a little disheartening that there are so many people supporting so many candidates who are so short-sighted -- Dean supporters included. Unseating Bush may or may not be a long shot eleven months from now, but it's a no-shot if we develop so much antipathy between Democrats by squabbling over candidates in unproductive ways (and I mean negative junk, not legitimate issue-oriented discussions, which often seem to be few and far between), just because they're not 'our' candidates, that they won't vote at all, or won't vote for 'our' candidate because they can't stand his supporters.

[usregimechange]

37. this dean supporter agrees 100% n/t

:kick:

[Logansquare]

44. Said it several times, and will say it again--ABB

I will back it with shoe leather and my check book, no matter who the Dem nominee is.

[ScreamingMeemie]

45. I am with you on that.

:)

[imax2268]

46. I'm with you little Danny...

whoever get's the nomination...I will work my butt off for them...

[Myra]

48. I'm totally onboard with ABB.*

(If A!=Lieberman. Sorry, but geez.)

How could I deny one who quotes Orwell?

[Lisa0825]

51. I'd vote for an ameoba on a flea on a rat . ABB all the way!

Yes, I am a big Dean supporter, and throughout the primary, I will continue to donate and campaign, but when it comes right down to it, I will work for anyone who gets the nod, even if I have to hold my nose and take Pepto Bismol to do it (Lieberman). I may not be able to force the enthusiasm, but yes, I will do it.

That being said....

GO DEAN!!!!

Countdown to Texas Rangers in Iowa... 32 days!!!

(anyone with warm clothes to loan me, please email!LOL)

[NNN0LHI]

58. Wouldn't just the thought of seeing Ashcroft walking out of the DOJ...

...for the last time make you even a little bit enthusiastic about voting for Lieberman?

Don

[absolutezero]

56. Anybody but Bush

Preferably Dean or Edwards, but I will support and work for the nominee no matter who it is.

Bush is going down, no more defeatism, no more childish arguements of "he's a murderer(WC), he voted for the irag war so I won't support him(JL,JK,JE,DG), his followers are in a cult (HD), he doesn't stand a chance (DK,AS,CMB)"

the infighting only helps *. Constructive critisism is helpful and warranted but some of these arguements make us seem like freepers defending shrub...

Keep your eyes on the prize, "show bush the door in 2004"
or, "Like father like son, 4 years and they're done"

[Nazgul35]

57. Anything less is irresponsible...

and not very mature....

To allow personal pique because your candidates doesnt win is just idiotic considering the alternative...

I have been sending $20 a month for four months now to the DNC ePatrios fund...I did this without knowing who the eventual nominee was going to be...

You cant scold everyone on one hand about how much this election means and then sit on your asses come election day so you can have the pleasure of saying "I told you so!"

Come election day I'll be able to look myself in the mirror....I hope everyone here can do the same...