Biden, Richardson, And Dodd

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Kucinich too...

They deserved a closer look... Too bad elections are at their core popularity contests...

[saltpoint]

1. We have a field of thinkers. The Republicans have a den of thugs.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. Yes

They deserved a closer look...

I like all of em... I think Richardson and Biden would have been credible candidates... I like Dodd but I have doubts how well another northeastern candidate would do...

[saltpoint]

13. I'm keeping all 8 of our candidates in mind, media be damned, and expect that

Richardson, if he is not the top slot, to be in strong contention for the veep nom.

He offers a generous menu of very good things. Energy know-how. Diplomacy. Significant Hispanic support. A governor's profile west of the Mississippi River. And a very approachable, personable man.

Biden has shown increasing strength in Iowa and IMO can't be counted out as a top-3 finisher. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. But he really does offer some incredible foreign policy chops that we desperately need right now after 8 years of reckless intervention and gross incompentence with Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Feith, Rice -- that whole gang.

It was disheartening to read that the Dodd campaign has not filed to be on the ballot in states following Iowa and New Hampshire. He's been a principled mind for a long, long time. I hope he considers leading the Senate. I think he would make a sturdy Majority Leader.

I've never met Kucinich. That's my loss. He's a true blue warrior and has deserved a better shake than he's gotten from the idiot media.

[gateley]

30. Brilliantly put, OC! nt

[Mike Nelson]

2. Electing Hillary, Obama, or Edwards...

...will be good for them, though.

[Captain Hilts]

3. I'm a big Richardson fan. I've always liked Dodd. Biden's really won a lot of respect from me. nt

[Czolgosz]

4. Biden has his bankruptcy bill and abortion rights problems, and Richardson is a pro-NRA free trader.

But Dodd and Kucinich merit further attention.

[youthere]

6. Biden has no bankruptcy bill and he has 100% NARAL rating.

[Czolgosz]

25. Biden is against women's reproductive rights if they are on public health care or if they are in the

third term of pregnancy.

Do you dispute those facts?

Biden's NARAL ratings vary from poor to perfect depending if there were any votes that given term on third-term abortion or abortion rights for poor women on public health care.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. The Bankruptcy Bill Was An Abomination As Was IWR But IWR Was Worse...

I would have opposed both but I'll forgive those that voted differently...

But that's not why they were ignored...

[1corona4u]

10. I don't think those will be problems for Biden...

I'm sure he will address them head on. He's not one to run from the tough questions, and always answers them directly. Once people know why he votes the way he does, it will disolve any doubts they might have had. Of course, I'm talking about people who genuinely seek the truth of the issues you mentioned, unlike the myopic, simple minded people who constantly point them out on this board.

[youthere]

11. Well done.

[Czolgosz]

24. Frankly, I don' t think Biden is going to have any problems after South Carolina (when he will

withdraw without ever having finished in the double digits or higher than 4th place).

[ruggerson]

7. Well our top tier is pretty decent as well

but Joe should be getting a far more serious shake from Iowa. I have no idea why, other than he's not "new."

[youthere]

9. I agree. All our candidates are decent and I would support any one of them in the GE.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

16. Yeah

But I wanted Biden and Richardson to get a fair hearing...They were largely ignored at the debates...

[youthere]

17. I do too..

especially Biden (obviously). I'm hoping my fellow Iowans see past the glitz and the media circus.

[Frustratedlady]

12. Joe is getting a lot of "quiet" support, which I think you'll see on the 3rd.

Iowans are definitely looking him over, and they can pick out the fakes from those who can handle the job from the get-go. That's Joe!

I think you will see a good showing for Joe on the 3rd, and I'm going to do what I can to make it happen. He is what we need in the Oval Office. It will probably implode when Joe walks in, after housing what it has for the last 7 years. Joe will bring honor to that office, once again.

[youthere]

15. I'm hoping so.

As we head closer and closer to caucus I get more nervous. I want him to do so well. I know I need to have more faith in my fellow Iowans.

[MethuenProgressive]

14. Biden is *way* ahead in my poll of "second tier" candidates:

Poll question: Which of the "second tier" candidates would you most want to well in Iowa and NH?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3897680&mesg_id=3897680
I included Edwards in the poll, because I think the MSM has decided the race is between just Obama and Clinton, even though Edwards is doing great in polls posted here.
One day's result: Biden 65, Kucinich 21, Edwards 14, Richardson 11, Dodd 9, Gravel 4

[napi21]

18. I support Biden, but I heard something yesterday that made sense.

I was listening to a rerun of Tom Hartmann's show and a caller asked him if he believed it was IMPOSSIBLE for anyone who wasn't a multi-millionair to be elected President. I was surprised at Tom's response. He said NO, and what's worse than that is that a winning candidate MUST be a Corporate supporter! You know Tom is a very rational thinker, and his explaination was that under the current system of elections in the US, campaigns are very long & very expensive, and without the support of big corporate donors, a candidate simply CAN'T WIN!

I've been thinking about that ever since I heard him, and I think he's right. Unless & untill we can get a fundimental change in the way we run our elections, it will remain that way. The SCOTUS ruling that $$ is free speech simply made matters worse!

To me, what Tom said completely explains why Biden, Dodd, & Kucinich can't manage to break through!

[Froward69]

22. Oh yeah

this was what I wrote my Final paper on This in college. the amounts of money are astonishing. all for air time on networks. the air waves are supposed to be ours,The American peoples. yet M$M charges a fortune for 30 seconds. thats why candidates need all that cash. With that cash comes favors to be repaid. also true candidates who would truly change the system like Biden, Dodd or Obama get marginalized. for what ever reason. candidates like Hillary or Edwards tell us about change... sure as hell will not actually do anything to change it.

and the election has become a popularity contest. plain and simple. who has the name recognition... who is female. Thus the most knowledgeable, the most experienced, the person who could actually knows the system and could work it to the benefit of all Americans gets put aside as "Without a chance."
meanwhile its corporate good above all.

This is why I support SUBSTANCE over Wealth. I love America and Americans too much to sit by and watch favors be repaid.

[gateley]

31. That's heartbreaking - and infuriating. But I keep thinking about Huckabee -

we keep hearing he doesn't have any money, but he's sure been getting a lot of press. It's my hope that when Biden blows peoples' minds on the 3rd, HE'LL get the press he needs and the bucks will come flooding in. :7

And fuck the corporations. We deserve to have the leadership WE want, not who THEY want us to have to benefit themselves.

[skipos]

19. BIDEN for me.

Richardson has experience like Biden, but lacks his speaking skills.
Dodd is good on the issues but a little uninspiring to me. Kinda Dukakis-ish.

[youthere]

20. I like Chris Dodd..but I always feel like he's yelling at me.

[rucky]

21. and I think he comes off as too timid.

not his words, for sure, but his New England statesman accent.

he does get that red face, though.

[NI4NI]

23. On the day that the likes of

Tweety, Wolfie, or any other of the 1001 ass clowns we hear influence my vote.....Please kick me in the head; I beg you!

[butterfly77]

26. I am hoping that Biden or Dodd will be the top two...

so I can watch Tweety and the rest of the media to see how they will spin it...

[1corona4u]

28. Yeah, I'm looking forward to that as well...

I'll have the strawberries and champagne ready...

[jillan]

27. Funny thing in my paper today, they had an article about Hill,Obama, John

NOT one mention of the 2nd tier -

Yet they mentioned all the repugs.

It doesn't matter anyway. We don't vote until 2/5 and alot could happen before then.

[Eurobabe]

29. You said it. Too bad the adults

can't gain more traction. :shrug: