At this late stage, is it still possible to like all the candidates.....

[kentuck]

equally? Is it still possible that some people have not made up their minds? Can they really like Kerry and Edwards equally? Can they like and respect the efforts of Dean and Clark? Or should they have picked someone by now, just like their favorite football team?

I realize that most folks here on DU have already picked who they favor and they fervently believe their candidate is the best person to beat George W Bush. But, isn't it possible that some people see several candidates as equally qualified and are having a tough time picking one over the others? They may not ave a choice until they walk into the voting booth, then who do they choose?

[jpgray]

1. I like Dean and Kerry equally

I stand up for Kerry more here because he has WAY fewer supporters on the board. In my heart I am a Dennis guy.

[mmonk]

2. I'll stick first with candidates that oppose the bush foreign policy.

I'll determine likeability from my standpoint later if none of the opposition candidates prevail.

[vi5]

I can honestly say I have no favorite....

I like each of them for different reasons which I think would make them an excellent candidate.

I fear each of them for different reasons which I think could make them toast when put up against Bush.

I have no tolerance for supporters of any candidates who tell me what issues should and should not be important to me when casting my vote, and even less tolerance for people who tell me that ONLY their candidate will be able to beat bush. None of us know that and anyone who says they do is full of it.

I can't see any real reason to be upset if any one of these guys win the nomination, or any real reason to feel hopeless if any one of them loses the nomination.

[BigDaddyLove]

16. You echo my feelings exactly in this post.....

:thumbsup:

[nuxvomica]

3. I chose a candidate and he dropped out :-(

Now I'm wondering whether I should wait before I donate any more money to a campaign.

[Skinner]

4. As someone who thinks we have many great candidates

I can say that it is *very* possible for someone to still be undecided. Since the candidates all have different strengths and weaknesses, it is hard to decide which issues should be most important when making a decision.

I feel much less "decided" than I did two or three weeks ago. I had previously narrowed the choice down to two candidates, but now I've got (at least) four that I support.

I guess I'm lucky. Regardless of who wins, I'll feel good about it.

[kentuck]

9. I feel similarly, although I came out in support of Kerry.....

i don't feel so strongly about him that I would be upset if Dean, Edwards, or Clark were to win nomination. I rather like the idea of having the debate continue for a few more weeks. I like the way the Democratic message is being shaped and carved as we go along. If we get down to one or two candidates, I fear we will also go back to a more "establishment" message.

edit:spelling

[HFishbine]

5. Equally?

No. I have an order of preference. Some are better than others.

[arewethereyet]

6. I hope not

they've been working their tails off trying to distinguish themselves from one another. If they still look the same to you then they've failed.

[vi5]

10. I can think of a ton of ways that they look the same....

All are claiming to be the one who can beat bush.
All want us to ignore their baggage (which all of them have) and only pay attention to their positive traits.
All have issues on which they lean right on that I disagree with.

And all have supporters who are infuriating and annoying who have at some point completely turned me off of their candidate.

[arewethereyet]

12. ok lets try again

its a contest, of course they all think they can win but how ?

some have overnight bags, some have streamer trunks, some have train loads of baggage, thats different.

no one agrees with anyone else completely especially 7 guys and 280 millions Americans. A match is improbable. Who is close ?

[vi5]

14. Hmmm...let's see....

They are all pro-choice.
They are all to some degree pro affirm-action.
They are all to some degree pro-union.
They are all to some degree pro public education.
None of them would have Ashcroft as their AG.
None of them would have Tommy Thompson as their Sec of Health and Human Services.
None of them would have Rumsfeld as their secretary of defense.

Sorry. They all look good to me on their own, to say nothing of compared to bush. So unless someone has a crystal ball which can tell me which one of them is more electable I'm not sure how I would make a choice.

[arewethereyet]

19. the devil is in the details my friend

its not enought to have an opinion, you need to have a plan.

[vi5]

20. And I know what their plans are....

Dean plans on appealing to the base's anger about bush and the war, as well as his record in Vermont. Good approach.

Clark plans on appealing to both the anti-bush sentiment coupled with a military background with a healthy dose of outsider sentiment.

Kerry plans on focusing on his accomplishments in the senate, his military record and his foreign policy experience.

Edwards plans on running as a fresh face from the south, and his record of standing up to big corporations as a lawyer.

Now if you have indisputable proof that any of these "plans" will work then you have my ear. But right now they all sound good and they all sound potentially devastating in equal measure to me.

[arewethereyet]

22. those are goals, not plans

what about Dean's record in Vermont can be applied to the Federal model ? How ? How can he get it enacted ?

what about Clark that you mention sets any goal or accomplishes anything ?

what specifics does Kerry what to accomplish and how ?

Edwards has published a detailed plan covering his entire platform. The others have as well. Even Clark had someone write some for him as he was too busy fundraising to be bothered with it.

I would suggest that you look below the surface to see what those candidates actually have to offer.

Proof ? Compare results to the plan and decide for yourself. Thats what this whole primary/election thing is all about. Nobody knows without fear of contridiction because noone can predict the future. Some Arab guys might fly into a building or three and change the plans. Anytihng can happen so you had better factor in being able to roll with the punches and think on ones feet.

[ewagner]

7. Posted yesterday that I've got to commit

pretty soon.

I've been trying to be impartial and open-minded and let the candidates perform under stress to see who would emerge as the strongest but each of them has shown strength in different ways.

Then there's the other side of the coin. While I can see the strengths of each of the candidates, there are also weaknesses of each candidate which make me hesitate from jumping in with both feet.

Wisconsin's Primary is Feb 17. If I am going to hit the streets for a candidate, I'd better get off the fence soon.

[HFishbine]

13. If you want to test the waters

http://wisconsin.deanforamerica.com/

[ewagner]

17. Thanks for the link n/t

[YNGW]

8. Uncommitted Voter

I haven't decided yet, but my state primary (NC) isn't until March, so I've got some time. But, everytime I start seeing something appealing in one of them, they'll say or do something that completely turns me off, and I'm back at square one.

I believe it will come down to Clark, Dean, Edwards, or Kerry (alphabetical order, not order of preference since I don't have one), but I find as many cons as I do pros with everyone of them at this point. It amazes me that we have 100 million registered Democrats and these 4 are the best we can do, which saddens me, but that's my own personal observation. I'm sure that in the next month or two as the field narrows I will laserbeam in on a particular candidate to support. I always have before. :)

[HFishbine]

15. Fellow Tarheel Here

There's a lot of organizing for Dean going on in NC right now. Our primary may not matter. (We may not even have one. Because of court challenges to redistricting, the democratic party may have a caucus in NC). If you want to dip a toe in the water, check these out:

http://ashevillenc.fordean.net/

http://dean2004.meetup.com/20

[onecitizen]

11. I love them all really............

but some more than others. My heart really belongs to Dean for what he has done for the state of politics in this country. AND I think he has really gotten a raw deal. And I have concerns that Kerry is too much of a me-too guy. He can explain, explain, explain. But the bottom line, he sold out to bush. And not just the war. That really bugs me.

[THUNDER HANDS]

18. I like them all, but not exactly equally

I think I have a first tier and a second tier.

First tier - Kerry & Edwards
Second tier - Dean & Clark

[kentuck]

21. That's why it has been so difficult to understand the animosity toward

other candidates. Sometimes one might think Dean, Kerry, Edwards, or Clark at any given time, was no different from a Republican opponent. That is difficult to understand. I can understand supporting Dean, Kerry, Clark or whomever with passion but I cannot understand why they feel they must tear down the other candidate in the process?? That somehow seems disjointed and not "normal"...???

[YNGW]

23. The candidates are doing it to each other.

Shouldn't we expect the supporters to do the same?

This isn't new. Comparing your Dem opponent to your eventual R opponent and them saying you're an alternative (or a real choice) to that is as old as politics itself.