2008 : What matters to you the most? Rhetoric, record or experience?

[rhombus]

Rhetoric - Candidate A says, "My message will sell. My message makes me the most electable candidate compared to the other guys who aren't well-defined. Focus on that."

Record - Candidate B says, "Look back at my history of fighting for progressive causes. The blueprint of my career is what matters the most."


Experience - Candidate C says, "I bring a wealth of experience which may or not be as progressive as some want, but at least you can count on me to navigate the waters."




What matters to you the most?

[saltpoint]

1. I want a candidate who inhabits the trajectory of our nation's history

and who understands that the job he or she seeks is the people's office, requiring the people's consent and trust before actions are taken in their behalf.

No Republicans need apply.

[hijinx87]

2. vision, based on experience. n/t

[Adelante]

11. Vision based on experience and knowledge

I would also add leadership ability, truth-telling and forward thinking.

[hijinx87]

12. I certainly wouldn't argue with any of those worthy traits.

but I suppose I considered leadership a function of vision/experience, and
forward thinking is the very same thing as vision. in an ideal world, truth
telling is a given. let me know when we wake up in an ideal world :P

[Adelante]

15. Maybe you're right

Forward thinking and vision: I was thinking of vision as the overall piece and "forward thinking" more as steps to be taken in implementing that vision.

Truth-telling a given in politics :D You're a sweetie.

[hijinx87]

16. sometimes the cynic in me slips.

and I say something like that. :blush:

[PresidentObama]

3. record and experience.

Rhetoric helps, but the other two are more important to me!

[wisteria]

17. Yeah, our guy offered them both. Pitty our country for settling for less. n/t

[More Than A Feeling]

4. I define it differently.

Rhetoric: I would call it ideology. Basically, are words that I could have spoken coming out of my candidate's mouth?
Experience: one of the factors but not the only one in what I call "competence". The other, believe it or not, is political ability. All the things that are called superficial here, I have realized to be quite important in getting things done.
Trust: is a combination of the other two. If my candidate believes most of what I believe, and has the ability to create a world more in line with what I think it should be, then they have my support.

Nobody has yet demonstrated this to my satisfaction.

[saltpoint]

5. And as a point of contrast with the current incumbent, I'd like it

if the next president spoke English.

[illinoisprogressive]

6. Record. Experience is not always a plus. You become sedate

someone in the senate for 20 years has lost fire and speaks Senate speak.
I feel if you look at someone's record you can see what kind of leader and what the true story is.
A person can say, I can do this and believe in that but, the record bears alot of it out.

[bdrube]

7. First and foremost, did NOT vote to authorize the Iraq War. n/t

[LWolf]

8. Record. Experience.

Rhetoric is not worth the oxygen it takes to spout if the talk isn't, and hasn't been, walked.

[mtnsnake]

9. Record matters, but rhetoric will make the difference between winning & losing

[hippywife]

10. Record, definitely!

Experience is a given with a strong record.

[thatsrightimirish]

13. In an ideal world experience and record

But in the real world of politics, rhetoric

[skipos]

14. What's wrong with a candidate that can connect with

informed voters as well as uninformed voters? I think that requires a little bit of everything, though I'd define your choices a bit differently.

[KingofNewOrleans]

18. House size

Aside from that, temperment, experience, policy and rhetoric (both staying on message and ability to creat consensus) all matter, though I don't have a hierarchy for those attributes.

[RegimeChange2008]

19. Ending the insane, genocidal, imperialist, fascist foreign policy

Everything else is secondary to that. If you don't realize that fact, then you need to take a good look at the damage those bastards have done to this country (not to mention Iraq) in the last 7 years.

[leftofthedial]

20. I want someone with a record that reflects their rhetoric

push come to shove: record.

[sandnsea]

21. Articulating a vision the record reflects

and the experience to get it implemented.

[FrenchieCat]

22. All three, as long as the Rethoric is the truth......

and not just bullshit.

A competent leader with the right vision and the good judgment in getting us to the 21st Century....

Cause somehow, I dont think we ever got there....cause in 2000 when we should have arrived, we started taking steps backwards.