Dean Super Delegates Holding Firm: Warn of a Rush To Rally Around the FR

[mzmolly]

“My guess is the race is far from over and it won’t be wrapped up” in Tuesday’s round of contests, said Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J. “I think as long as Howard Dean is going someplace and doing something constructive, I’m with him.”

...

Resisting the pundits
Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, who is leading the Dean effort among Democratic House members, said Dean supporters are resisting the idea that the race for the nomination should be considered effectively over when television pundits say it is over. “That’s not the way it’s going to work,” Lofgren said late Monday in a telephone interview.

...

Need for 'critical scrutiny'
Lofgren warned against a precipitous rush to rally around the front-runner. “None of the other candidates has really received critical scrutiny,” she contended. “If we end up selecting by a coronation a candidate who can’t survive because of issues that later develop, that would be a disaster for the Democrats.”

It ain't over till it's over...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4147124/

[K-W]

1. Thats really funny,

considering the precipitous rush to rally around front-runner Dean. Dean is still alive, and if he can win some states he will quickly be back in major contention. But if he continues to fare extremely poorly in state elections, the wind will drop out of his sails, and the super delagates will move on.

[mzmolly]

5. Glad your amused. And, I agree with those in the know, our Democratic

process should not be rushed. The *Super Delegates* remain with Dean.

[K-W]

7. Well thats absolutely silly.

If they werent going to be rushed, they shouldnt have committed to Dean in the first place. Dont you see the blatent contradiction in your statements? It is ok to committ to Dean before the primaries even started, but changing to Kerry right now would be rushing the process?

[mzmolly]

21. So you are speaking for Dean's Super Delegates now?

I take them at their word when they say they supported Dean on the issues.

[PAMod]

26. Politics & bandwagons have a long history together.

I think it takes more courage to side with a candidate before the votes are cast than to jump aboard after the (band)wagon has started to move.

My former boss had a saying "indecision is the mother of flexibility". Maybe it is also the mother of choosing the right bandwagon.

It's a mother, at any rate.

[mzmolly]

27. "indecision is the mother of flexibility"

I love that quote! Thanks!!!

[PAMod]

29. You had to know my former boss.

I think he said it sarcastically, but it fit his management style to a "t".

[mzmolly]

32. He he... *cough*

As a "flexible" person myself, I can relate ;)

[Nederland]

34. Speaking of Contradictions

How do Dean supporters explain the fact that their "outsider" candidate has more insider (i.e. superdelegates) support than anyone?

[mzmolly]

35. He has inspired by the need for change.

:hi:

[mitchum]

44. LOL!

Very funny AND logical

[angryinoville]

2. Finally...

A few voices of reason! I was almost losing hope in the electoral process. Keep the faith!

[ProfessorPlum]

3. The problem as I see it

is that Dean appeals to many who are very active, very concerned about what Bush is doing, very aware of the conservative media, and very informed.

But the bulk of voters have been scared off of him - or just see Kerry as less of a gamble.

No matter how many well-informed, active people are motivated and excited by Dean, it seems that this time people don't want to take any chances - they are going with the same old, same old - because they think that is how to get rid of Bush.

I do hope they are right, but I don't see it as our best option.

[aquart]

4. I think a hairbrush could beat Bush is in this election.

The problem is, what after that?

Same old, same old is not what's needed. In fact, Bush has pretty much made that impossible.

Next year, the Deluge. No matter who's in office.

[mzmolly]

8. The *same old same old* varies greatly from Party to Party..

while I agree great change is needed. I'll settle for progress over pain.

Progress is a slow painful process, but I feel it in the air. It's gonna happen soon.

Think of the civil rights movement, and how long that whole process took... Were it not for JFK, it wouldn't have happened. Imagine if only Rethugs had been in office for the last 40 years. EGADS!

[mzmolly]

6. Of course they are because Dean is the only candidate put under

any real scrutiny. That is one of the points made in the article.

They say it would be a disaster to rally around the FR when he hasn't been scrutinized and we don't know how he'll hold up under said scrutiny.

I fully agree with your analysis. Kerry is the great compromise. The *safe* choice. He's viewed as non-controversial and that is why people are flocking to him. I don't see much passion behind his support, it's more practical...

[janx]

10. I have heard as much, unfortunately, from some very

caring and very well educated people.

They'll call him a shark, but they'll vote for him because they think he is, in effect, dirty enough to beat Bush*.

[mzmolly]

15. Sad aint it? I heard many comments from people on NPR to that effect

as well Janx.

"Our passion is with Dean but..." *sigh*

I think we really can turn this around.

[janx]

23. What a lot of these people don't know about is Kerry's

abysmal record--that he voted for the IWR, etc.

People are afraid of Bush* and want the government to do something about it. They don't understand that to really alleviate the problem (and Kerry is part of the problem), they must take a chance and do something themselves.

[mzmolly]

37. I agree..

I think they realized it early on, and then ran like scarred cats back to the comfort of *the familiar* ... complacency.

[wabeewoman]

28. This needs to be Dean's #1 message

We can beat Kerry. Notice the media isn't really coming down at all on Edwards and not on Kerry. They will save it until they are the nominee and its too late. Someone should look back at the Dean attack. I know in my local paper there were 3 conservative columnists on the SAME DAY saying how Dean was unelectable and worse. Then Novak was on MSNBC saying that was why Dean wouldn't win-he was a whinner!! I am SO disgusted with this process. And I'm really disappointed in the democrats who went along with it-instead of crying FOUL! In fact they just piled on...

[mzmolly]

38. I agree with your analysis....

I am watching with amazment the media mind control of the American public. It it weren't so scarry, I'd be amused.

[blm]

13. HAHAAH...that's because you willfully IGNORE the passion for Kerry.

Whatever suits your argument is grasped, no matter how disingenuous the argument is.

[mzmolly]

17. There is that word again, "Disingenuous"

Good word to know if your a Kerry supporter.

Was he for or against the war again? ;)

[lyonn]

39. Voting for Kerry can be like

voting for Dukakis, Mondale, etc., the losers. Hope not. Those are the kind of candidates that kept me voting republican so many years. Course I won't this time. We have no choice this time.

[Anwen]

9. Well that is a hopeful little tidbit of news.

Thanks :)

[blm]

11. Isn't Rushing to the Frontrunner what they did when they supported Dean?

Seems like a DANGEROUSLY DISINGENUOUS and stupid argument.

Sorry, THIS liberal will vote for a real liberal and not a centrist wrapped in faux anarchist rhetoric.

[mzmolly]

12. I imagine they supported Dean on the *issues*

NO DANGEROUS DISINGENOUS STUPIDITY HERE!!!

Why does Kerry claim Dean is a liberal and he is a centrist again BLM?

[LuminousX]

14. Couldn't be. Gore, Conyers, Simon, Harking.. they don't look at issues.

[mzmolly]

18. LOL

;)

[blm]

19. They went with who they THOUGHT had the best organization and money.

Dean is a charlatan who sold his organization as topnotch when they were nowhere near as effective as touted.

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

43. Exactly! When Simon endorsed Dean from his death bed

he was really thinking about his political future! The cad!

[blm]

16. HAHAHAHA...ask your anarchist rhetoric candidate.

Mine is doing just fine by NOT misrepresenting his 35 year record promoting progressive values.

[mzmolly]

20. Be sure to let Kerry know he's a progressive liberal, he claimed to be a

centrist just last week.

He also claimed Dean is to the left of him. "DANGEROUS DISINGENUOUS-NESS" perhaps? :shrug:

[blm]

22. Dean was ACTING like a leftist rebel. Let him stew in his own bullshit.

.

[mzmolly]

24. He never claimed to be a leftist liberal, but Kerry did claim to be a

centrist to the *right* of Howard Dean.

Soooo who's stewing in Bullshit??? Is Kerry a centrist to the right of Dean?

[joshcryer]

25. Really?!? That's funny!

I didn't know that!

[no name no slogan]

30. How ironic

that the candidate who positioned himself as the "outsider" Democrat is now relying on "Superdelegates"-- who are the personification of the "establishment" Democratic party insiders.

The "superdelegates" were added to the convention after 1972, when Geo McGovern's anti-establishment campaign won the nomination-- much to the dismay of the Meany/Daley/Humphrey axis, who were sidelined for the rest of the race. They were meant to insure that another popular movement would not wrest control of the party away from the party establishment again.

It's really funny to think that the "outsider" is going to have to rely on his "insider" supporters to keep him viable at the convention. And I thought he was a "different" kind of Democrat? :shrug:

[mzmolly]

31. Actually I find it inspirational. Doesn't DK claim that he'll *Inspire*

change with in Washington?

Dean has inspiried. Even the insiders want change. There are many Washington insiders who are admirable people, but are frustrated with the process.

[lyonn]

40. Good point Mzmolly

Kerry isn't one of them. How did he become the chosen one?

[blm]

33. Dean has used everyone he can as a crutch for his own failures

as a candidate.

He hyped an "inevitable" scenario and touted his topnotch organization and $$$$ as the reason and they both failed to pull him across the finish line in the two states he used them both to the hilt.

I feel sorry for those who he conned into believing him.

[mzmolly]

36. LOL

Amusing really. *Conned* :eyes:

[Jax]

41. Thanks for this

mzmolly.

My husband and I will be caucusing for the Governor this Saturday in Washington State. The head of the Washington State Dem Party will also be caucusing for Dean.

He was on our favorite radio station this morning, he sounded great.

Hang in there---yes, we will!!!

Jax

[mzmolly]

42. Thank you Jax...

Hangin in there too!

[mitchum]

45. "I think as long as Howard Dean is going someplace..."

Hey, I'm not even gonna bother with the punchline