I am switching my backup vote from Clark to Gephardt

[cryofan]

I am listening to Gephardt on CSPAN right now. I have been thinking about this for a while, and now I am sure. This guy is pretty much a real liberal: he has union roots and talks all the right stuff. And more importantly he has a history of being what he is right now, unlike Dean, who is wearing liberal clothes to disguise his true neoliberal cryptoRepublican self (see www.mylinuxisp.com/~cryofan/dean.html for proof). I am not in love with Gephardt's universal healthcare (it is not nearly as good as Kucinich's version), but it is good for a start).

Clark is well qualified, and I am sure he could beat Bush, but listening to Gephardt right now, I can tell you that Gephardt could also beat Bush. He can fire things up a bit on the stump. And Clark does have the troubling lobbyist/GOP flirtation thing to think about....Just how much of a liberal will he be? No real record there to peruse....

Clark is a good Stop-Dean candidate, but I now think that Gephardt is a better Stop-Dean candidate. And Gephardt is going to show strong here in Iowa.

Looking at Gephardt's solid union liberal credentials, I can see why the media has somewhat shorted him on coverage: this guy might very well raise taxes on the upper income brackets....I am sure that worries them. And that is why Dean is the media's fairhaired boy: he is a Park Avenue multimillionaire who has attacked the left repeatedly.

Of course, Kucinich is still my favorite, but if his campaign does not take off, Gephardt is my man.

I am curious as to why there not more Gephardt fans here on DU. It is all Dean, Clark, Kucinich, and Kerry. Nothing for Gephardt! Why?

[DoveTurnedHawk]

1. Sorry to Lose You, I Hope You'll Be Back if Gephardt Drops Out! (eom)

DTH

[JohnKleeb]

2. Why no Gephardt?

good question but youre not the only DK supporter with Gep as a backup and I know a Gep supporter here, hes a good guy.

[BrewCrew]

21. i'm here and have been

like i said above or in another post? im a union man and a gephardt fan. i love the guy. he's been fighter for unions, especially those that have been really hurt by bad trade agreements. so the folks in my union (uaw) feel as if they know the guy's heart and we won't have to worry about our jobs going to mexico, china, indonesia, sri lanka etc...

[JohnKleeb]

22. didnt notice you brew

Thanks
He is a good guy especially on that issue.

[BrewCrew]

25. hi john

thanks man. so is dennis. u.s. workers wouldnt have a thing to worry about if dick or dennis win. i can't say that about the others, but i think most are starting to come around and realize free trade w/out limits is killing and has almost killed our manufacturing base. everyone should watch this.....

http://www.jsonline.com/graphics/news/art/special/chinaphotos/chinaday_01_display.asp

[JohnKleeb]

26. Sure thing

Most of the Gep supporters I know here are good people. Plus I got one in my close family, my grandfather really likes Gep too.

[poskonig]

3. Gephardt does match up well against Bush in the general.

Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, for instance, would be soundly in the 'D' category.

I personally have trouble forgiving his stunt in the Rose Garden and don't trust him on foreign policy, and many Democrats here feel the same way.

[cryofan]

8. can you elaborate?

?

[poskonig]

13. Some states are more Gephardt friendly.

Gephardt is pro-war but populist on economic issues. He'd carry his own state, clean up the rust belt, and would do reasonable down south. The GOP would try to paint him as a tax raiser and a big government dude, but there is a perception that Gephardt is loyal to blue-collar people.

[bearfartinthewoods]

16. STRONG ties to middle America in the mid-west states

plus the unions....both areas where bush is vulnerable.

[Jerseycoa]

4. Absence of Gephardt fans

I've often wondered the same.

Good luck with your new second candidate. :)

[YellowDawgDemocrat]

7. He's been my No. 1 for a long time...

When I first joined DU, I was immediately struck by how little support Gephardt had around here and in fact, saw quite a few posts attacking him.

Gephardt, IMHO, has the best shot at doing well in the battleground states and has enough crossover appeal to draw in some moderates. Since i'm in this thing to win, he's my guy. My second choice, Dean...he's earned my respect.

[Jerseycoa]

23. I admire Gephardt

Always have. I never forget how he fought NAFTA.

[blm]

28. They were chased away by the firebreathers who blamed his IWR support

not understanding that Gep negotiated a much better IWR than what Bush wanted. It cost him his vote.

[elfin]

5. I like him now a lot better than when he lead the Dems in the House

I felt we lost ground when he was leader. Maybe a bad rap, but there you have it.

I also watched him just now and really liked him, his style, and his positions. He is now my second after Clark, displacing Kerry. ( I originally started with Dean and Kerry.) I reluctantly concluded that Dean is too "hot" for people to feel comfortable having him in their living rooms via TV for four years - hence reducing his impact in the GE.

I just want a WINNER, period - that is my main criterion.

[bhunt70]

6. Good luck with that.

I've often wondered where the Gep fans were also.

[H2O Man]

9. He has a dedicated history of service....

.... but it was made clear in 2002 that he does not have the appeal to beat bush. I have a cousin who is a strong union man, politically active, who supports Gephardt. I asked him why unions are leaning towards Dean? (I am not sure how Dean treated county/state workers' unions as governor, but would be interested to hear.) Gephardt is a good and decent man, and when you close your eyes and listen to him, the man is absolutely great. But we need to open our eyes....

[Hep]

10. "unlike Dean" LOL

Dean on the brain is becoming epidemic!

[seventhson]

11. I would take Gephardt over Clark, Lieberman, Kerry any day

nt

[askew]

34. Same here.

Gep has p*ssed me off in the past 3 years, but I do like him more than Kerry and Lieberman. He does strongly stand behind his Iraq vote. I love his strong stance on establishing an international minimum wage. I don't think he's the best choice for the Democratic nomination, but I could cheerfully support him. He has been a great supporter of workers for years.

[cally]

12. I've always liked Gephardt

He is a strong liberal but I was disappointed with his lack of actions during the Florida recount and then being so 'nice' to Bush. Then the Iraq war vote. Still, I think he'd be a great President.

[adadem]

15. In my top three n/t

[Epoch]

14. One question for you...

Will you vote for the democratic candidate in 2004 no matter who it is?
ABB baby!!!

[jumptheshadow]

17. Think about this

Clark/Gephardt.

It's a winning ticket in 2004 that would energize all kinds of Democratic core groups and swing voters.

Good luck to your guy in Iowa. He's been a staunch union supporter and a dedicated public servant.

[sandnsea]

18. I like Gep

But you know, he voted for the war. *sigh*

I actually think the country has changed and the old-time union Democrats have a really tough row to hoe. If it were a different time, I might be behind Gep. I think we've just gone past it now.

I'm for Kerry because he represents the best of the Democratic past and the brightest vision for the future. He has the small business background, has worked on adding fair regulations to trade agreements, those things that will appeal to more people. He's also got his background working on terrorism issues, etc. Plus he's a solid liberal as well. Strange combination, but it is actually the way I see the world too.

[Turkw]

19. I still feel he totally caved to Bush, but to be fair, Zell Miller's ilk

made real resistance almost impossible. Rove was ready before 911 to push the issue of Iraq, when the tragedy happened he exploited it to the max- there is nothing lower than that piece of filth Rove. Gephardt also doesn't have as strong presence in my opinion as do several of the other candidates.

On the whole, he is a good Democrat that has truly tried to help the country and party. I don't dislike him at all.

[lurk_no_more]

20. Well if your going to drop Clark as second pick

Gephardt is a great choice for second, good luck.


” JAFO”

[JPJones]

24. Clark/Gep or Gep/Clark

would be a great combination.

[Capn Sunshine]

27. Gephardt USED to be tuned in

but somewhaere in the bast confines of Washinton DCcorridors of power, maybe having lunch with K street lobbyist Wesley Clark, he morphed into the Daschle-Gephardt pink tutu hand wringing leadership that has become emblematic of the democratic party and lost the elcetions of 2002.

I will never forgive him for this road he has chosen.He did all democrats, especially those of us against the war machine, a huge disservice that cannot be repaired.

That being said, I'd worry about his campaign overtaking mine if I thought my campaign was number two. Just because he's a pink tutu dem doesn't mean he can't play hardball.

Think fast, general!

[Bill of Rights]

29. Gep is my second place

and it is a close second. I think Gep can win the General Election by taking Missouri, Ohio and West Virginia. He has loads of leadership experience and knows the ins and outs of liberal/progressive issues.

[robbedvoter]

30. Glad that Rose Garden, PBA and 87 billion vote and the alleged sponsoring

of the OBL ad are forgotten. Well, Gephardt used to be the last on my list for these reasons, but not anymore. See? I too appreciate him!

[watercolors]

31. Just another tied ole politican

needs to be put out to pasture, his answers are always the same in every debate. nauseuam

[revcarol]

32. Union men: Gephart and Kucinich

Just don't understand union support for the others unless they are so focused on "the winner" that they can't protect their own interests.

Do they really think that Dean will see eye to eye with them if he's President, when he was "strongly" for NAFTA?(And now maybe he is and maybe he isn't.) Do they really think that Kerry voting for fast-track helps them?

How long before they see the rug has been pulled out from under them, in a nice way, of course?

Gep has gone up to #3.He has shown he can fight.

[stickdog]

33. That at least makes some sense. But cryofan, why not consider at least

trying to work inside Dean's campaign -- even if primarily to advocate for your issues and air your concerns?

Dean's campaign is made of real people exchanging ideas. The best ideas have a way of bubbling to the top.

Dean's campaign model gives me hope for the future of US democracy. At the very least, you could learn how to adapt some of its strongest points (small donors, bottom up organization, an army of committed volunteers, great online organization, the encouragement of creative independent initiatives) to a more universally and consistently progressive candidate.