(thinking aloud) Was anyone else here supporting Dean because..?

[tedoll78]

.. he could supposedly bring hordes of new voters to the polls?

I was. And he's failed miserably in the first two key tests. I'm so disappointed in his campaign. After all of that talk about bringing new people into the process.. sheesh..

Whom to support now..? Hmm..

Clark puts me to sleep when he opens his mouth. His campaign, to which I have donated, seems to be running purely by a formula where a qualifying candidate is simply plugged-into a victory-focused equation. Southerner + General + Outsider + Properly-scripted campaign events = victory. Zzzzz...

Edwards is a huge question mark. He has a very decently liberal voting record in Congress, and he's very appealing.. but something is keeping me from sealing the deal with him. That, and he (like Clark) will be limited on spending in the general election by campaign finance laws.

With Kerry, I get drowsy when the mouth opens. But he won't be cash-strapped in the general election, that's for sure. And he does seem to be fighting Bush a bit more vocally. That's always good. But will he be labelled a northeastern liberal? As a Southerner, I'm soooo tempted, just to see if we can actually do this without the d@mn h!llb!lly South. Can you imagine the fallout from THAT? hehe.. it'd almost be worth the risk, just to see my neighbors' reactions.

Just thinking aloud. What is a boy to do?

[exJW]

1. well you're a peppy fellow!

[Myra]

9. Yeah! Man, drink a thermos of coffee and take another look at

the candidates. You have a choice of four, whether you like it or not. (And if Clark puts you to sleep then perhaps you're narcoleptic.)

[liberalnurse]

14. I'll still write in Dean.....

So will my friends......

[retyred]

15. Since this doesn't appear to be a pro-dean thread

I don't think that was the answer he was looking for!


retyred in fla
“Good-Night Paul, Wherever You Are”
So I read this book

[arcos]

2. Not true...

He has. He hasn't failed in bringing new voters.

However, the other candidates, especially Kerry have done a great job too. There was a record turnout in both IA and NH.

[EllieDem]

4. If Edwards ever gets really into contention

I think his being a trial lawyer will really be highlighted. People just don't care for rich trial lawyers. I think this could hurt him

[blm]

20. We don't need to use Repub talking points.

Edwards as a trial lawyer brings great experience to his candidacy. I like it.

[mistertrickster]

23. He made big $ suing doctors for malpractice . that's a winner for you?

It's like the epitome of why people delight in lawyer jokes.

[DjTj]

26. They already ran that campaign against Edwards

...and he beat an incumbent Republican Senator in a state that Clinton never won.

If they bring out the trial lawyer attack, he can trot out his clients who can't walk or speak.

He's already fought this fight and won.

[spooky3]

35. it is if you can empathize with children permanently disabled

through the stupid mistakes of people who should have known better.

[lastknowngood]

3. Bushco will have over 250 mil plus the entire media

fawning all over him and calling him a popular war time president.
Kerry won't have a quarter of that cash. The DNC has nothing to bargain with they control no part of government and so have no power so how can they go to the corporate Johns and ask for their bribes.

[no name no slogan]

36. But Bush outspent Gore by $60mil in 2000.... AND LOST.

Gore spent $140 mil, Shrub spent $200 mil, and only won on a technicality.

If these first two races have proven anything, it's that you cannot BUY your way into first place. Dean spent $17mil in IA, and got 3rd place.

If all it took was spending a pile of money to win, Steve Forbes would have been our president.

[patricia92243]

5. Follow your first instincts - vote for Dean- that should bother your neigh

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mistertrickster]

25. Dude, he's not my 1st choice either, but no better than Bush?

NIXON would be better than Bush, are you kidding me?

[sandnsea]

33. No, Kerry's a Massachusetts liberal

Keep up!

And he won by energizing the base, it's just a different base than you're thinking about.

[stickdog]

7. Dean was assassinated by the media and his own party. (nt)

[Tweed]

11. It was needed

Dean is a good Democrat, but a bad presidential candidate.

[markus]

28. Well, I could list the way's Kerry's sucks on electability

So, should we start getting the long knives out, and spreading the work on local talk radio?

Lt. Gov. to Dukkakis? What was his role in releasing Willie Horton? You think they won't? Then you haven't been at this very long.

Ranked more liberal than Teddy Kennedy. Yeah, boy. That about speaks for itself.

Voted against GWI when Saddam actually was a threat, and for GWII when he wasn't but now says he's against it. I'm thinking one of those ads where they slot in three unflattering photos side by side as the voice over describes his various opinions on Iraq.

Shall I google my way through Sen. Kerry's past and present some more?

Should we applaud when Candy Crowley and Wolf Blitzer start in on him, protecting us from ourselves?

[retyred]

18. He wasn't assassinated, he committed suicide

retyred in fla
“Good-Night Paul, Wherever You Are”
So I read this book

[liberalnurse]

27. Crucified is a better comparison.

Or, drawn and quartered and thrown out with the cat litter.

Here is a man who runs for President for the right reasons....Where did it get him?

We have become a country of those that have and those that want to have and "we the people" are the currency.

[pacifictiger]

8. Just read

an interesting NYtimes analysis based on post voting quesionaires. Serveral interesting facts showing dramatic drop off in support for Dean after the media scream circus, but support momentum for dean for the final 3 period outpaced Kerry.
The other thing I found interesting was the answer to two questons:
voted because
a) candidate can beat bush: kerry 46% Dean 19% Edwards 31% Clark 42%
b) candidate's issues: Kerry 42% Dean 69% Edwards 66% Clark 52%

It seems that the Kerry voters are the most fickle and are more likely to change their vote depending on which way the media wind starts blowing.
Keep the faith Dean supporters!

[Uzybone]

13. Id like to see that poll

do you have a link? Id really like to see what percentage of DK supporters voted for him because of the issues.

[progressivebydesign]

19. People are hedging their bets..

It's sad, because Dean has the right message, the right passion, and the right energy. BUT.. people are so afraid of Bush being back in office, that they're supporting what they think is the establishment, sure thing candidate. That will backfire on us.. badly. Vote with your heart in the primaries. Vote Democratic in the general election. That's my new motto!!!

[Toucano]

10. I though there were a lot of new voters in NH

Maybe they didn't vote for Dean, but that doesn't mean he didn't bring them.

[retyred]

21. That is probably the truest thing I've heard in a long time

If you never voted but wanted to be sure dean wasn't the winner so you came out and voted for Kerry, would dean be responsible for getting out your vote?

I can see where dean could be responsible for that.


retyred in fla
“Good-Night Paul, Wherever You Are”
So I read this book

[sandnsea]

12. Help us take the south!!

I want a big blue map with a 60% mandate to let everybody know we're going in a new direction and we're not going backwards again. And that's no slam on the south, I bet there's lots of folks who feel the exact same way. Kerry has a unique balance of national security, good business sense, tough on crime, strong on civil rights, he really does have the ability to reach alot of people who haven't listened to Democrats in a while.

[robbedvoter]

30. The South?You missed the memo? Kerry doesn't need no South!

I think he'll just win with New England (or rather he does)

[mzmolly]

16. Dean did bring new people into the process. See below

First the answer to your question is NO. I support Dean because I believe in him and his message.

Second, Dean DID bring new people into the party. They simply didn't stick with him. 40% of people in Iowa voted for their second choice. The polls reflect RECORD turnouts in Iowa and NH. Dean is expected to do well in states with heavy young populations.

Rest assured Dean has contributed to the defeat of George Bush. Perhaps he will be his replacement/perhaps not. But, his contribution(s) can't be overlooked.

[Tatiana]

37. There's the answer, above.

Dean brought a lot of new people into the primary voting process, especially young and new voters. The only thing was, after the negative publicity, they switched to Kerry.

[progressivebydesign]

17. He brought a TON of new voters into the process!

But. unfortunately, they didn't vote for him. I still support Dean. I still think he's viable. I suggest you take a nice walk, or have a hot cocoa, and get away from the political stuff for a while. You sound kinda down..

[tedoll78]

22. I am disheartened.

The four candidates I mentioned are all excellent, excellent men who would do well in office. I'm just burned-out, I guess. I'll probably still vote for Dean since I like his beliefs very much and think he can at the very least make it a close race, but a week away would probably do me some good..

[DjTj]

24. Spending limits DO NOT apply to the general election.

...where the spending limits will hurt is in the time before the Convention.

After that, the nominee can still opt out but it is likely even Bush will stay within the system for the general election.

[robbedvoter]

29. A boy is to be less cynical. not a horse race, it's a fight for democracy

If you don't believe in it, you'll make your decisions based on money and bets...Not a very joyful way to participate.
Too bad you let the media dictate you your perceptions of candidates.
Try ideas.

[maggrwaggr]

31. you don't know he DIDN'T bring new people to the polls

How do you know that the people who voted for Dean weren't people who might otherwise have sat out the election?

You don't know who voted for him.

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

32. Not me

I support Dean because I agree with pretty much everything he says, and I think he would be the best President this country has seen in decades.

Whether or not he could pull in new voters was of no consequence in my decision to support him.

[LWolf]

34. Easy.

The boy picks the guy that has brought many 3rd party members back to the fold; go to a meetup, anywhere, and take a count.

He won't put you to sleep. Go meet him, and you'll never think the same way about politics.

He is the candidate with the progressive vision.

Nobody fights * more vocally, or with more legislation authored in Congress.

How much change do you want?

Start by changing the way you choose your primary candidate!