Why I want as many serious Dem voices as possible to run for 2008.

[blm]

Because there are serious issues that get short shrift when the focus is on just a couple major issues and the arguing is over what amounts to minor differences for the most part. Iraq, National Security, labor rights, abortion rights, judges, all will be pretty close together by then, especially with more Dem figures now moving left on Iraq withdrawal.

BUT.... for the betterment of the overall debate:

Environment debate needs its focused advocates.

Poverty debate needs its focused advocates.

Anti-corruption debate needs its focused advocates.

Open government debate needs its focused advocates.

Human rights debate needs its focused advocates.

And ( fill in the blank) needs its focused advocates.

The eventual nominee will absorb many of the best ideas of the other candidates during the closing weeks of the primaries - THAT is how the Dem party traditionally unites by the end of the primary season.

I don't get how it strengthens the party or the nominee if legitimate voices are pushed aside in search of 'ease' for a preferred candidate. Did anyone ever win the Olympics because of a plan to get rid of the strongest competitors before the trials? What Dem candidate wants to be Tonya Harding?

Just let it all happen. Let it be.

[demo dutch]

1. fill in the blank... our standing in the world! the Mid-East crisis etc.

[eleny]

2. I so agree with you

There are some I don't prefer. But I can't help but compare each and all to the Republican choices so far and come away feeling like the Dems could do a much better job. I might want our candidates to do or be more in certain areas. But I'll take any of them who have declared so far.

Your Harding analogy is excellent.

[Skink]

3. Hopefully now that there is a better primary season in place there ...

will be more time to debate the issues.

[Moby Grape]

14. Iowa, NH, how many days apart?

then its over.
thank God.

[IA_Seth]

18. Yeah, we'll see about that.

The schedule is now threatening to be more front-loaded and chaotic than ever in the past, I don't see how you can call it 'better'.

[blm]

30. I think Iraq and terrorism overshadowed every debate in 2003-4. We were lucky to

have seasoned questioners in Iowa and NH to hold candidates' to judgement, since the corpmedia refused to cover most of the issues.

The various town halls held by candidates were more instructive to voters than the corpmedia was throughout. That's why corpmedia got it all wrong and desperately tried to put all blame on Dean and a pretended he screamed and blew it, instead of reporting on their own inconsistent and disjointed coverage of the primary race and its issues.

[cjmastaw]

4. Who's responsibility is it then?

I thought it was our responsibility to make sure we get "that" candidate.. Isn't it? We all have issues we would prefer them to focus on, and who is to say what is the most important? Oh yeah, "we the people" It is our job to make sure that the eventual candidate embodies everything we are looking for and that the candidate has the ENTIRE country's best interest.

[blm]

6. That candidate makes themself known through the course of the campaign and the debates.

It is up to us to hold their feet to the fire on MANY issues and let them ALL grow through what will certainly be a gauntlet by then.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

5. While I agree that's important, I don't agree that would happen.

More and more, I come to DU and see advocates for single issues coalesce around one candidate and then claim "If xxxxx doesn't win, I'm voting Green Party!" I see us splintering far more because of that debate rather than coming together.

Ideally, that wouldn't be the case, but I have no faith in our party to not act like spoiled children when their pet issues aren't 100% supported by a candidate, even if they are 95% progressive otherwise.

[eleny]

7. Based on the 2006 election I don't agree with your assessment

We came together after all the squabbling and elected our Party's candidates in great numbers despite alleged attempts to manipulate the e-voting machine results.

With this wind in our sails, we're ready to do even better in '08.

[blm]

8. I agree - plus, I think Dean pushed away the political PLAYers at the DNC and concentrated on

rebuilding the party's infrastructure all over the country that had been left to collapse since the mid90s.

He WORKed at making a strong party infrastructure a priority in EVERY state. That is what made the difference in 2006 and will again in 2008.

[eleny]

11. Agreed! Dean made the difference in my book

He plowed ground in places Dems abandoned years ago. Built infrastructure that paid off.

[blm]

12. It's visible here in NC.

Can't tell you how ridiculous it was to watch the entire running of the 2003-4 election season out of a florist shop's backroom.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

13. 2006 was not a Presidential year.

It's totally apples and oranges what you're talking about.

[bvar22]

9. Lets not forget:

*Enforce existing laws preventing Union Busting practices among US employers, stronger Labor Protections

*Retirement protection for US Workers

*Sharing the Wealth with Labor

*International Trade Treaties written by Transnational Corporations and their effect on the Working Class, Environment, Human Rights, and National Security.

*Criminalizing the Offshoring of Corporate profits to avoid US Taxes

*Single Payer HealthCare (NOT "Affordable HealthCare" scams)

*Fair Competition laws that permit local businessMom & Pop to compete with Wal-Mart.

*Publicly Financed elections

*Transparent, verifyable elections on Paper Ballots

So far, very few Democratic Candidates are willing to mention any of these issues. :shrug:


The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

[blm]

10. And that is exactly my point. There are too many serious issues at this point and

they need sincere advocates throughout the campaign and series of debates. No one or two voices will or CAN give them all the attention needed.

[ellacott]

15. This is one of the wisest posts I've seen on this board

This is what the democratic process is supposed to be. You will never find one candidate that champions every single issue. This is how it's supposed to happen. You don't throw people under the bus and say that they can't run because they don't support your particular issue.

The way it's supposed to work is that during the primary process all these issues are debated. You vote for the candidate you feel represents your interests. You bring those delegates to the convention and cast your states votes for the candidate that your local party agrees on. Before the official counts are cast those candidates who realize they won't be contenders will make a deal to cast their votes for the frontrunner if they will include those important issues into the party's platform. After all these negotiations have been made you are supposed to have the party's platform which represents the issues that are deemed important by the whole party.

The person running for President is not supposed to be campaigning on their own personal agenda of positions.

I wish we would please stop being so critical of democratic candidates during the primary season. We need to hear their voice also.

[blm]

16. Thanks for noticing.

In 2003 I resented the voices telling Kucinich, Sharpton and even Kerry to shut up and go away. The same thing is happening now and it isn't even JUST the corporate media and establishment Dems saying it.

Why so many Dems complain aboout corpmedia and establishment powers and then follow their lead in targeting Dem voices is puzzling.

I am all for debating what the candidates SAY about an issue - the peripheral, personality-oriented stuff and horserace megamolia is mostly unimportant media distraction and just bothersome.

[ellacott]

17. Yes, it is very bothersome

I wish more would learn how to debate the issues. I am a big supporter of Kucinich, he used to be my Mayor. He has never taken the popular stand by they've always been proven to be the right decision. More people need to take the time to listen to him.

[blm]

19. He was my mayor, too, and that is how I became an anti-corruption, open government

watchdog.

I also volunteered for his first run for office in 72 as a schoolkid.

[ellacott]

20. It's a small world

I used to go to his debates. I was in college and remember the fight over Muny Light. It turned out after all these years that he was right. At the time I understood what he was trying to do. That is when I started supporting him. I was very angry about the recall election.

[blm]

21. Holy Name girl.

Seven Hills.

My aunt was the nun who ran the children's home and orphanage that DK and his siblings stayed when the parents went through some dire times.

[ellacott]

22. I live in Maple Heights

If you want someone in the foxhole with you it would be DK. I remember reading where he said his childhood had a big influence on his politics today.

I wish I was still in his district so I could vote for him. My Rep. is not too bad, I'm in Stephanie Tubbs Jones district. :)

[blm]

23. Haven't lived there in many years.

The last twenty five years were spent mostly in LA and NYC. But ...married a southern boy from SC in 99 and now live in NC.

[ellacott]

24. You are well traveled

I'm one of the few that never left. Nice to meet a fellow Ohioan. Even nicer to meet a fellow Kucinich supporter. :)

[blm]

25. I support both Kucinich and Kerry. And Waxman, Waters and Conyers.

I was also a huge fan of the late Henry Gonzalez and Joe Moakley.

As you can tell, I am SERIOUSLY a member of the anti-corruption, open government wing of the Democratic Party. These folks have all walked the walk against corruption and not just talked about it.

Imagine what stage of fascism this nation would be living under right now had these lawmakers not stepped up and exposed the corruption that was destroying this nation's democracy?

[ellacott]

26. Many people don't know who paved the way for them

And we won't learn about these people if we squelch the debate by limiting those that are in the campaign

[blm]

28. That never ceases to astound me here at DU. And disappoint. But still have hope

that eventually it will all become better known and understood, especially how it connects to everything happening today.

[Capn Sunshine]

31. AMEN. Let's try to avoid the bitterness of '04 primary wars

I'm all about unity this time around.

[goodhue]

27. amen

Very well put

[blm]

29. Thanks, goodhue - haven't seen you in awhile. Nice to see your name pop up.

.

[Grandrose]

32. I Agree.

Let the games begin, we have diverse candidates who have the
intelligence, compassion, experience, and charisma.

Just think of the choices..it's all good!

My only fear is we let outsiders and disrupter's turn us against
each other.

:dem:

[blm]

34. I actually WANT the postions each canidate has discussed and aired in lieu of

smear attacks.


I even want the candidates I don't want to win to have the oppotunity to voice and defend the positions I loathe just so they get a REAL airing publicly that wouldn't happen just on the blogs and boards like this one.

[NastyRiffraff]

33. Good to see this thread...

that's not dedicated to a) knocking a Dem candidate or b) declaring that since Candidate A voted for/against issue X, the poster can't support him or or.

There's another thread somewhat like it, here