A tale of two polls (Wellstone & USAPATRIOT Act)

[Ficus]

What if Paul Wellstone would have run this year?
73 Results
Yes, without question I'd be Wellstone! 04 - (44 Votes) 60%
Maybe, I can't really say - (17 votes) 23%
No - (7 votes) 10%
Paul who? - (5 votes) 7%
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=357653#358280

How much does USAPATRIOT Act matter?
70 votes
I would NEVER vote for someone who voted YES - (30 votes) 43%
This issue is not a litmus test for me - (40 votes) 57%
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=357339

So, as many of you know, Wellsone voted YES on the USAPATRIOT Act. So, why the discrepancy in percentages?

When about 60% would have without question backed a candidate who supported USAPATRIOT, and only 10% would have opposed him. Even only 23% didn't think they knew enough to say, making the maximum opposition to Wellstone 34% or so.

And at the time I am writing this, the 57% matches fairly close to the 60% in favor of this candidate. So perhaps we're not all crazy here.

Of course this isn't scientific, but I was just trying to point out that any one vote can be used to demonize anyone.

I encourage all to look at the totality of the candidate's resume/platform to make decisions about voting.

---

For the 5 people who didn't know who Paul Wellstone was (and as a treat for you all) take a look at this:

http://green.wellstone.org/mmedia/whererudy/Wellstone.wmv

This is the infamous "where's Rudy?" ad. This ad ran once, and was modeled after "Roger & Me." It was so creative that it got tons of free air time on the news. One of the most successful ads in history of politics. Plus, IT'S FUNNY!

[youngred]

1. Only ONE Congressperson voted against the USA PATRIOT Act

the rest passed it, mostly without having read it and no one having debated it on September 12, 2001.

Voting for it in that frame is not as bad, continuing to support it is.

[Ficus]

3. one congressperson?

Russ Feingold was the only US Senator against it.

66 Members of the House voted against it

[youngred]

5. I stand corrected

but my point remains

[Ficus]

6. Dennis not only voted

but also organized against it!

[mojo2004]

2. One vote can be used to demonize, but what

about three. NAFTA, war on Iraq, and the Patriot Act, three of the most important legislative acts that have passed in recent history.

[Ficus]

4. a hat trick!

I bet I can guess who you're talking about...;)

[NewYorkerfromMass]

8. NAFTA??? I thought it was NCLB.. or DOMA.. or....

never mind.

[Ficus]

7. kick

at least watch the ad people!

[Ficus]

9. kick

no thoughts on why plenty use USAPATRIOT as a litmus but why this doesn't exclude certain people?

[Armstead]

10. On balance Wellstone stood up when it counted

He exposed the fraud of free trade, he exposed the fraud of the healthcare system, he stood up against the Iraq War, he supported progressive change throughout his career.

On balance, he's got a record that makes it easy to overlook a mistake or two. Unlike some prominent Democrats, who a vote for the Patriot Act is part of a pattern.

[lams712]

11. Wellstone voted for the PATRIOT ACT only after they put in...

....(at Wellstone's insistence) so-called sunset clauses. The Patroit Act would have been the permanent law of the land until Wellstone lobbied hard to make them come up for re-approval by Congress in seven years. Though not perfect, at least the Patroit Act will be subject to Comgressional scrutiny, and hopefully the circunstances under which the Act was passed will have changed.