Can we agree that everyone has the right to run for office regardless

[CatWoman]

of our personal feelings about that person?

I posted this thread in GD: Politics: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3048372

Whereas Kerry left me devastated and unfulfilled, I don't deny him the right to run again. As a matter of fact, the more candidates in the running, the more issues will be addressed (I hope).

Sharpton and Mosely-Braun brought some valuable conversations to Election 2004.

I look forward to hearing ALL the candidate's views in 2008.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

1. Maybe After Gore Has Served His 2 Terms....

Then Maybe I'll be ready to let Kerry have a chance.

Until then, Re-Elect President Gore.

And yes, I know he's not currently running. He's smart enough to know better.

[Solly Mack]

2. I can and do

:thumbsup:

[crispini]

3. Right on!

Of course, I don't see how all the people bitching about it on DU is going to deny him the right to run.

It's weird, man, with Kerry, Edwards, Kuchinich, and Sharpton all in it or likely to get in it, in some ways this is going to look like 2004 redux.

[CatWoman]

4. Sharpton rocked the house

:)

and stole the spotlite

:)

[crispini]

5. I am so glad he'll be in it, if he does get in.

He was WAY more entertaining than any of the others, and he said EXACTLY what I wanted to say a lot of the time!

[Bjornsdotter]

8. Ditto

I loved listening to Sharpton...he really laid it on the line and made the other side sweat.

Cheers

[wryter2000]

6. He was great!

Especially during the fist debate when everyone else was saying "blah, blah, blah, blah" and he came out with "slap the donkey." I'd love to have Reverend Al back.

[AndyA]

7. I think Kerry has the right to run again.

In fact, I think we should encourage more people to run for office. But I'd like the money situation to be evened out, so it's more fair. The really great candidates likely won't have the financial backing at first, so their message gets buried.

I think that is very unfair.

I would really like for everyone to have the opportunity to run, and get their message out. And to do that, we have to take the special interest money out of the scenario.

I like Kerry, I just feel a bit disappointed that he didn't hang in there a bit longer after the election. And I believe that if all the votes had been counted accurately, and the electronic machines were accurate, George Bush wouldn't be in the White House today!

[crispini]

9. Yes, this is high on my wish list.

REAL campaign finance reform!

[hfojvt]

10. since I do not want him to win

wouldn't it be logical if I also did not want him to run?

And, as Alterman said, he has some of my money, that he was supposed to use to win the last election, not hold in reserve to have a leg up on this election. I wonder if I can ask for my money back.

[CatWoman]

12. oh, you!!!

:eyes:

I can't argue with your logic, but I can argue with your rationality.

You really, really expect a refund when your candidate loses?

[hfojvt]

15. If they never spent the money

then why not? I repeat, I gave him money so that he would win in 2004. Not so that he would be the financial front-runner in 2008.

Below is an email from John Edwards on Oct. 28, 2004

Notice how he says it is urgent for me to donate to help defeat Bush. So then $10 million ends up not being spent? I thought it was important to do everything we could to defeat Bush? If I gave money then, it sure as fu$% should be refunded before it is used to campaign in 2008. If it was not spent, then send it back.

Maybe that should be a campaign finance law - no more war chests. Any leftover money goes into the public financing fund.

I supported Kerry in 2004 because he won the nomination, before I even got to vote BTW. But I do not support him for the nomination in 2008. I guess I should have thought of that before I gave my money to help defeat Bush.



"What kind of country do we want to wake up to on
November 3?

That's the question each of us must ask ourselves as we enter the final 36 hours of the most important fundraising drive in Democratic Party history.

It is hard to imagine America making a choice that could matter more than this one -- not just because the contest is so close, but because the differences between the candidates are so stark. Make no mistake about it, four more years of George W. Bush in the White House would spell disaster on many of the issues that you and I care about the most.

That's why, whatever issues you care about, you must have one overriding priority right now -- helping win powerful, persuasive victories for John Kerry and other Democratic candidates five days from now.

Our final fundraising deadline of the campaign is tomorrow night:

https://www.democrats.org/support/kerry.html

If you're concerned about making America stronger and more respected in the world, we need you to step forward now. If you believe that turning a blind eye to the mistakes President Bush has made will only deepen our dilemma in Iraq, we need you to step forward now.

If you think that President Bush's obsession with tax cuts for the wealthy is risking our economic future, we need you to step forward now. If you know we can do better creating jobs and solving America's health care problems, we need you to step forward now.

If you want to protect the future of Social Security, we need you to step forward now. If you want to safeguard the balance and integrity of the Supreme Court, we need you to step forward now. If you realize that four more years of Bush's environmental assaults will devastate America's natural resources, we need you to step forward now.

Step forward now:

https://www.democrats.org/support/kerry.html

Here's the reality. Whatever issues you care about, whichever concerns are closest to your heart, the single most important step you can take right now is helping John Kerry and other Democratic candidates win on November 2. Let's not wake up on November 3 realizing that you could have made all the difference in the world."

[CatWoman]

18. you ever contact him/his campaign about this?

[SeattleGirl]

11. I agree with you, CatWoman

Anyone who wants to run should do so. I just wish we had real campaign reform, because there are probably some good folks out there who would like to run, but don't have the money to do so.

[onenote]

13. I agree that everyone has the right to run but..

I would hope that people would use common sense so that limited financial resources are not depleted by divisive campaigns that have no realistic chance of success. In other words, run smart, support smart, and attack the other side, not each other.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. The more candidates and parties the better.

Democracy has it's faults but if we're going to have it, we should have the widest choices to select the bosses from.

[porphyrian]

16. I welcome more choices rather than less.

I only hope more candidates actually mean more choices this go around.

[Jack Rabbit]

17. Absolutely

One of the ways our electral system is used is by people who have no hope of actually winning, but want to get their voices heard to the extent it is possible. Some of these people are just nuts and others can be quite thought provoking.

Freedom of speech is for everybody. Any citizen should be allowed -- no, ecouraged -- to air his views in a public forum, no matter how unpopular, outrageous or even absurd.

Go ahead an deny the Holocaust, say rape should be legalized and slavery re-introduced. Don't be afraid of me. I'll just follow you to the speaker's platform and tell all assembled that you're an idiot and propose something constructive.

[RB TexLa]

19. As long as they were born before noon EST Jan 20, 1974

and in the U.S.