Selling the Status Quo: Is your candidate up to it?

[DuctapeFatwa]

As many idealistic young "progressives" of all ages are beginning to notice, the "real" campaign for the Democratic nomination is not about progress, or change, or fresh new breezes blowing in the strains of a Scorpions song.

It's about repackaging the status quo to make it sound better to those voters who have been frowning at it a little bit, while reassuring the overwhelming majority of voters who enthusiastically support it that it will remiain essentially unchanged.

We have already seen the battles begin:

Which candidate supports the government of Israel MORE unconditionally than the others?

Which candidate supports bush's war on terra MORE than his opponents do?

Which candidate will do the best job of running the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan?

Which Democratic hopeful can best ensure that the rich get the tax breaks and the non-rich get their backs broken?

Who will do the best job of protecting traditional Anglo-Saxon Protestant values?

Who has the best plan for stamping out anti-American sentiment around the world and rooting out terrorist sleeper cells right here in the "Homeland?"

Almost as important: who can make all these things sound good enough to make you believe they're just what the country ordered?

[sleipnir]

1. Kerry sure is...

n/

[cryofan]

2. In order: Joe L. Edwards, Kerry, Dean, Clark, Gephardt, CMB, Kucinich. AL

in order of most status quo

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

3. interesting list cryofan - why Edwards there?

I'd agree on most of the list except I'd put Edwards somewhere between Clark and Gephardt. Why is Edwards second most status-quo, and isn't he closer to Gephardt on most issues?

[cryofan]

4. From what I have seen, he is a southern conservative Democrat

Plus, he has had quite a bit of publicity and quite a lot of large donors. In fact, a list I saw here on DU has him and joe L as having the largest donors. Thus, they are more status quo oriented.

[DuctapeFatwa]

5. flagrant, gratuitous kick

;)

[cindyw]

6. A List, Some answers

Lieberman, Gephardt and Dean. No One else deserves to be on that list.

>We have already seen the battles begin:

>Which candidate supports the government of Israel MORE unconditionally than the others? I have preciously seen Lieberman be this person, but I have also seen him criticize the wall and advocate for a two state solution. Everyone else seems to get that even our friends can be in the wrong of an issue.

>Which candidate supports bush's war on terra MORE than his opponents do? Key words "Bush's war on terra". There is a fight against terrorism and radical islam that exists, whether we like it or not. Even if we do not like Bush, 9/11 happened and there is a fight to be had. As far as what Bush "thinks" is a war on terror, Iraq, only Lieberman is still standing by the need to invade.

>Which candidate will do the best job of running the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan? Again. I have not seen a canidate say that they support the occupation, but as Carol says, we broke it. We have a responsibility there. We will only win with a candidate who advocates on how to fix it.

>Which Democratic hopeful can best ensure that the rich get the tax breaks and the non-rich get their backs broken? No candidate is advocating for the rich to keep their tax cut, so I guess on the second half, I have to go with Dean and Gephardt. Both of them want to raise taxes on the poor and middle class at a time when Bush's tax cut for the rich has devastated a lot of families. How can we ask any more sacrifice of them for the next couple of years financially.

>Who will do the best job of protecting traditional Anglo-Saxon Protestant values? Sorry, too confusing for me. Which values? We have a jewish man, a baptist I think and a couple of catholics in the bunch.

>Who has the best plan for stamping out anti-American sentiment around the world and rooting out terrorist sleeper cells right here in the "Homeland?" Again, you have to be more specific. I have seen some who called for more port security, but since when do democrats call for stamping out anti-american sentiments. Shit Kerry called for a regime change in Washington on the third day of the war. Took a lot of flack for that.

>Almost as important: who can make all these things sound good enough to make you believe they're just what the country ordered? I don't know. You tell me.

[ThirdWheelLegend]

7. DF, another great post, here is a kick!

TWL

[revcarol]

8. My candidate will not do this.

DK. The only status quo he wants is the status quo of a few years ago, when the retirement age was 65, not 65 and 7 months, or 66, or 67.
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