There will be no brokered convention if Edwards drops out.

[DjTj]

Dean and Kucinich supporters keep talking about how much leverage they'll have at a brokered convention and using that as a reason to vote for their candidate, but nobody seems to realize that there will be no brokered convention if Edwards drops out.

Somebody has to take a significant number of delegates away from Kerry if he is going to be stopped from winning the nomination outright, and Edwards is the only candidate right now with a chance of doing that.

If Edwards drops out, there will be no brokered convention.

[aquart]

1. So?

Why should he drop out? And if he did, what difference would it make if Dean and Kucinich supporters vote for Dean and Kucinich?

Hmmm? What is your point?

[DjTj]

3. I'm just saying it's a silly reason...

...to be voting for Dean and Kucinich.

Vote for Dean and Kucinich because you like their ideas and their policies, not because you think doing so will get you any power at the convention.

If you want a brokered convention, you should be working to get out the vote for Edwards.

[FreeSpeechCrusader]

6. For the most part, you would most likely only want them to have power at

the convention if you agreed with their policies and ideas.

[mdguss]

2. There will be no brokered convention:

Period. Kerry's won. He is the nominee. Nominee's get to write the platforms. He will have well over the 2,100 delegates needed to win the nomination on the first ballot. The most influence Dean delegates can have is getting him 5 minutes to speak in prime-time.

There is no leverage, the people of the party have chosen John Kerry to lead. It's time for everyone in the party to follow him--our nominee to be the 44th President of the United States of America.

[revcarol]

5. Your avatar is right with your candidate.

DLC all the way.

And it is right that if Edwards drops out there will be no brokered convention.DUH. But that is NO reason for any individual to vote for Edwards!!

[salin]

8. While I don't disagree wtih your assessment

there is something that is a bit unsettling about this being predetermined by the first handful of states to vote as it was this year. By the time less than one quarter of the states had voted, and even fewer in terms of percent of democratic voters (the early states, by when it had been decided, were not large populous states), it was decided. Something almost disenfranchsing about the process.

[SangamonTaylor]

10. how presumptuous of you

not even super tuesday and you are calling it.

Based on exit polls I guess? Oh wait, that's right....no one has cast a single vote for Super Tuesday. Kerry is still a long way away from clinching the title and he still has to win the votes of my state (which he wont because TX is Edwards country).

No coasting for the front runner (that'll give bush the edge again).

[jmoss]

11. How many of the only 20 States Kerry has "won", do you think he

..will even carry come November?

The point, is that 30 states have yet to decide who they want as the Dem. nominee.

The point is that stopping the process right now, when Kerry has only 1/3 of the necessary delegates, is anti-democratic in principle.

Furthermore, he hasn't exactly been lighting it up with independents and "other-party" voters in swing States such as Tennessee, Virginia & Oklahoma. I'm pretty sure Edwards & Clark have done much better in this respect (although Kerry somehow thinks "nothing" has documented THIS occurrence).

This sort of steem-rolling politics, for example, "....Period. Kerry's won. He is the nominee. Nominee's get to write the platforms....", is precisely the kind of mentality that has scared many voters--not Du'ers--but rather, casual, "undecided" voters--to just settle on Kerry.

I'm not making this up folks. I have actually made calls for the Edwards camp, and have heard many time, "may heart's with edwards, but I had better vote Kerry, so my vote will count"..I also heard this from Dean & Clark "supporters" (i.e., there wasn't alot of "support" in any of the 3 types of voters, for there "heart-felt" candidate.)

[Nicholas_J]

12. Tomorrow

Will decide.

Kerry has a a bit more than a third of the delegates needed if you incluse the superdelegates, closer to 40 percent. Tomorrow, half of all the available pledged delegates are awarded. Polls show Kerry reciving half of them solidly. Giving him very close to 70 percent of the needed delegates tomorrow.

[BL_Zebub]

13. The people of the DLC have chosen John Kerry

And he couldn't lead his way out of a wet paper bag.

[Evil_Dewers]

14. And he couldn't lead his way out of a wet paper bag.

So who was your choice to lead us, Satan?

[Nicholas_J]

16. Based on what facts

The DLC is hardly likely to embrace a candidate who has voted against their preferred legislation more than the other candidates who are in congress have (cumulatively).Dean, the attacker of the DLC for his presidential campaign was firmly in line with the DLC platform as govenror, and was rewarded by having his campaigns for govenror massively financed with DLC approval.

[mdguss]

22. Kerry's Better than Dean:

But he is still pretty progressive: opposes the death penalty, etc.

[Freddie Stubbs]

17. Must be a lot of DLCers out there

As he has been the choice of more Democratic voters in almost every state that has held a primary or caucus so far.

[Old and In the Way]

18. DLC has chosen Kerry?

Gee, all this time I was under the impression that it was mainstream, rank-and-file Democrats who were casting votes.

Are you saying they aren't as smart as you? Sounds pretty elitist to me.

[BruinAlum]

19. Yes, the majority of us are stupid, and allowed a media conspiracy

to choose for us, don't 'cha know.

[Nicholas_J]

20. They are stuck wth Kerry

Rather thansupprting him. Kerry has a record of voting against the DLC's chosen legislative agenda at a greater rate than all of the other candidates put together. Their main concern was how to run the most liberal candidate in Congress as a centrist.

[asjr]

4. I can live

with Kerry.

[jansu]

7. So, tell your candidate to stay in.....although I think if any of us gave

him our sacred vote, it would just help it be a Kerry/Edwards on the second ballet......no voice to many of us then. What to do? Vote your choice.....and let Kerry and Edwards and their supporters, fight their own battles amongst themselves.

[Crachet2004]

9. There isn't going to be a brokered convention, IMO,

But we will know for sure tomorrow. If Kerry crushes Edwards tomorrow, it won't matter if Edwards stays in or not. Kerry will go to the convention with enough delegates.

And if we win in the fall, it probably means there will never be a Hillary candidacy.

That's what I think it means.

[MurikanDemocrat]

15. There's not likely to be a brokered convention even if Edwards

stays in. Kerry is polling 50-60% in all but one of the Super Tuesday states as it is. I don't think a brokered convention has a realistic chance of happening.

[Tank in Texas]

21. Hi DjTj!

Good to see you.

[Freddie Stubbs]

23. A brokered convention is unlikely at this point

Kerry has been winning over half of the delegates that have been awarded each week. Unless something drastic happens, he will continue, and will have a majority of the delegates.