Democrats 2004, And The 'Electability' Conundrum !!!

[WillyT]

Man...

On another thread, our very own DUer (underpants), had this sentence in one of his posts:

"I doubt that the Dems will take this time to put a woman or a african-american on the ticket."

And it really hit me right between the eyes. We want Bush gone so badly, that we will go with the safest ticket that looks like it has a real chance to beat Bush. We want the swing\moderate\undecideds on our side so much, that we will offer a ticket free of spirit, philosophy, challenge, or revolution.

We, the Democrats, will ask women and minorities to wait, one more time. We will ask for their votes, we will go to their functions and fundraisers, but we will ask them to be understanding in our not putting one of them on the ticket. Hell, they may even agree with that strategy for this particular election cycle. They badly want Bush defeated too.

But I hate this bubble that we are about to dance upon again. I hate that we ask major constituencies in our own base to support us, yet understand that it's just not time yet, not your turn right now.

One of the talking heads tonight warned that Kerry and Edwards need to realize, that from what the exit polls were saying, that their recent primary wins were not some affirmation of some deep philisophical calling that these candidates embody, but more like a bet on a candidate that they think 'other people' would vote for too. People that they have never met, people whose political philosophies may be very different from one another, but are joined not to elect a great Democratic candidate, but to rid our country of a terrible Republican pResident.

And I Am Hating It...

[Frances]

1. I would rather have white male

Democrats in the White House than Bush and an African American woman (Condoleeza Rice, for example).

Those are our choices.

[WillyT]

2. That Is My Fear !!! --- Let's Up The Anti !!!

If any of you have decided upon a candidate (LOL!!!), who would that be, do you think they would put a woman, or somebody of color on their ticket, and...

Would YOU recommend that to them???

:shrug:

Me: Dean, Yes, and Yes!

You???

[Lugnut]

3. Me:

Dean. Yes and yes. :)

[Seldona]

7. Clark.

Yes and yes.

Watch American Son.

[Armstead]

4. I agree. Lesser of evils again.

It is sickening that the door of change started to open, but now it is slamming shut again.

As for a VP Cong. Jan Schiakovski or Cong. Barbara Lee (sorry if I mangled names) would be great. Either of them would diversify the tocket AND add some fire and class.

[TexasMexican]

6. I agree

thats what I posted in the other thread.

I was hopeful that this year would be different, that we could actually get a presidential candidate that would be deserving of it and who would make things change.

Instead we will probably get more status quo and voting for the lesser of two evils once again.

[countmyvote4real]

5. Hold your horses. We only have a front runner at this time.

Not even a nominee yet.

And yes I do agree that representation is long overdue. I don't know when, but it will happen and I think that Herald Ford Jr (cong. TN) will be our first black president.

[WillyT]

8. Don't Get Me Wrong, I'll Be Miraculously Surprised If We Do...

put a woman or a minority, even a minority woman, on the ticket this time around. If fact I'd be mighty proud.

I just ain't holding my breathe. All signs so far, point to 'No'.

:shrug:

[question everything]

9. Any suggestions?

I would hate to vote for a woman or for a minority just because they are... But if you can point to one that can fit I will gladly vote for this person.

I think that most of us, who support Edwards, do so because of his platform, seeing his attraction to the south as an extra bonus. We do not support him because he is from the south.

[WillyT]

10. Right Off The Top Of My Pointy Head... CMB For One !!!

Mary Landrieu perhaps...

Just for starters you understand.

:hi::shrug::hi:

[question everything]

14. CMB lost her senate seat

I don't remember the details, but I don't think that she was a good senator. Perhaps you can elaborate. Except for her being a woman and an African-American, you understand.

[Cocoa]

11. I don't perceive it that way at all

For one thing, that's just speculation about who's going to be on the ticket. I've heard that Hillary Clinton and Bill Richardson, a woman and a minority, are serious V.P. possibilities.

Also, with gay rights, the dems came out pretty strong, and pretty coordinated, not playing it safe at all. Bush is the one that backed down in his SOTU, I was seriously surprised he didn't mention gay marriage specifically.

[WillyT]

12. Well... Everything Is Speculation At This Point...

And as I said, I'd love to be surprised.

Do you think Kerry will pick a woman or a minority?

If you had his ear, what would your counsel be???

:shrug:

[OneBlueSky]

13. my counsel would be to pick the best PERSON for the ticket . . .

the one who will most help us carry some states that we didn't carry in 2000 . . . if that person is a woman or a minority, that's great . . . if not, then bypassing a better candidate just for the sake of including a woman or a minority on the ticket would be foolish, imo . . .

[question everything]

15. Here! Here! n/t

[LWolf]

16. Hey Willy T!

:hi:

I hear you. Of course, I'm one of the democrats choosing a candidate based on issues. Issues and record before polls, $$$, or "electability" concerns.

And my choice has been ridiculed ad nauseum here at DU for a whole year.

Electability, IMO, is a Weapon of Mass Distraction.

Anyone is electable if we vote for him, and if we don't vote for the best man for the job, we've done our country a disservice. Again, IMO.

So my vote is given to the man I think would be best for our country. And no amount of electability rhetoric will change that.

[WillyT]

20. Hey Wolf !!!

:hi:

I hear ya!

I'm goin Dean, and my 74 year old mom will be votin Kucinich!!!

Damn her... makes me look like a friggin Centrist, LOL!!!

:bounce:

[LWolf]

22. All of us together

who refuse to cooperate with the destruction of our country, of politics, and of the democratic party are a significant force.

We will be heard in the end.

:toast:

[WillyT]

23. Right On !!!

:toast:

[HFishbine]

17. Have we considered this?

We are so freaked out about the prospect of another Bush term, that we've built him into a monolithic figure so mighty that we think we will be lucky to squeek out a win against him. And yet, this contradicts what we know about Bush and what we see happening before our very eyes. Bush is going down.

When the election rolls around, and Bush's approval rating is at 38%, will we be kicking ourselves and saying, "Damn! We could have gone for the brass ring instead of Bush lite?"

[WillyT]

19. Exactly... That Is My Fear As Well !!!

Because we want Shrub gone in the worst way, we may have sacrificed a great opportunity here. Time will tell.

:shrug:

[Iverson]

18. It's the Principle of Unripe Time.

As I have pointed out before, with a nod to Francis X. Cornford in 1908, time has a way of getting rotten before it ripens.

[WillyT]

21. LOL !!! --- Ok Then, Unripe Time Will Tell !!!

It is just so depressing to watch............ again.

:shrug:

[WillyT]

24. Hmmm... Is This Just An Uncomfortable Thread Subject ???

Or did I just post it on the wrong board (GD maybe)???

:shrug:

[WillyT]

25. Kick !!!

:shrug::kick::shrug: