Are you idealistic or pragmatic about the democratic nominee?

[ringmastery]

I think idealism is why so many people are pissed off at DU. The idealists, thinking they could change the party, are disappointed their man lost.

Well, that's because politics isn't about idealism. It's about pragmatism, and WINNING.

Politics will always be about the lesser of two evils for the vast majority of voters. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you won't get disgusted with the political process.

It is what it is.

[tom_paine]

1. Idealistically Pragmatic

:evilgrin:

[mmonk]

24. hey

that's my thoughts:7

[leyton]

2. Pragmatist...

because I'll take the change I can get. I don't believe political revolutions happen over night, or over one presidency even. So I'll take the good odds, make some progress, and vote Democratic again the next time as well.

[AP]

3. I think there's a unique opportunity this year for these two to intersect.

[Kahuna]

15. You're right about that. Dean did show what a great tool the...

internet is for fundraising. If all of the supporters of the various supporters pool our efforts and financial resources we CAN take back our country from the special interests. We can essentially buy our president and hold him accountable to us instead of him being accountable to the special interests.

I must say however that this notion is not an original thought by the Dean campaign. It was discussed here occasionally before Dean came on the scene. In fact, when we tried to draft Gore we tried to convince him that he didn't need the big donars. We tried to convince him that a lot of small donars could accomplish just as much as the monied interests.

[DjTj]

30. Aren't we lucky?

There's someone with our ideals and can beat Bush.

[maxanne]

4. nauseated n/t

[madmax]

8. lol Maxanne n/t

[Anwen]

10. Me too.

[West Coast Democrat]

5. I'm pragmatic

My personal political beliefs are very progressive, however I realize that I live in a country where most people don't necessarily agree with me.

You have to get to where you want to go in steps. And if you're angry about the way things are, you have to channel that energy into something productive and positive.

[ewagner]

6. Tried Idealism, lost that.............

I'm down to pragmatism but to beat Dubya, I may have to hold a fire sale on ethics and have a buy-one-get-one-free sale on principles......... :evilgrin:

[madmax]

7. Pragmatic

Nobody but NOBODY could be as bad as bush and the neo-con cabal who are now in charge.

Let's just get a Democrat in office and then spank the Donkey till he veers left.

[ibegurpard]

9. Pragmatic

That is why I was supporting a centrist who differed from my point of view on a number of issues and yet was able to attract support from people all across the political spectrum and raise money and support while the Democratic Party was doing its best to tear him down. That is also why I would now consider supporting Edwards, who has even less in common with me on a number of issues.

11. idealistic until the nominee is chosen, then pragmatic

I think you're creating a false dialectic, zero-sum game here. Either pragmatism or idealism.

Being purely pragmatic without ideals there's nothing to strive for. Unless of course your ideal is pragmatism.

If it's about Winning , without ideals what have you won?

[MoonRiver]

12. If pragmatism means wanting to live in a civilized, democratic society

where citizens don't have to worry about a born again rightwing evalgelist invading our bedrooms, medical records, credit card purchases, television viewings, and library visits, then YEAH, I'm a pragmatist. And, I forgot to mention that not having a bunch of neocon maniacs waging pre-emptive war against sovereign nations who are no direct threat to US, also makes me a pragmatist. Plus, although I have no children of draft age, I don't cotton to the idea of our nation's best and brightest next generation being drafted into a perpetual war for Halliburton, er, terrorism.

So, yes, you can call me a pragmatic patriot, and damn proud of it!

:kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick:

PRAGMATIC PATRIOTS FOR AMERICA!!!!!!

[Kahuna]

13. Pragmatic... I've found during the years that any Democratic..

president is a vast improvement over a repuke. And, the platform is the platform. Usually the deviation between Dems is mainly in style, not substance. You can predict pretty much what you will get from a Democratic administration versus a repuke administration.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

14. I'm resigned that he won't be idealistic or pragmatic enough for the

idealistic and pragmatic.

[childslibrarian]

16. Pragmatic

Definitely
My candidate dropped out, but hey, I can recoup..

[Darranar]

17. I'm a VERY reluctant pragmatist.

[DrFunkenstein]

18. Idealistic - We've Got An Actual Progressive Aganst Bush

I'm sorry to step on toes, but I never bought the fiery "outsider" rhetoric. Kerry's got a great record on environmental protection, corporate welfare, civil rights, campaign finance reform, fuel efficiency, same-sex rights, small business, labor, on and on.

Public Citizen's ratings on Kerry are astronomical. So are LCV and Sierra Club.

And if you look at his health care package, it can actually pass Congress.

The guy is going to radically change the way we produce and consume energy, kicking off what Time dubbed "The Green Century."

Hell yeah, I'm idealistic!!!

[JohnKleeb]

25. You see Doc thats what makes me like Kerry

Quite a liberal and quite electable.
Its a good thing about Kerry that maybe only I or a few others were drawn to. People think I am being pragmatic but it really was more of an ideal choice, to tell you the truth I would be being pragmatic if I were to support Dean or Clark, no offense to their supporters but that would be pragmatism for me. Yes I am weird.

[Maddy McCall]

19. Both

You can be both.

[Kenneth ken]

20. Idealistic

until the convention is over. I will back the nominee, even if it isn't Mr. Kucinich.

But as long as he is campaigning, I'm supporting him, because his campaign fits closest to my ideals.

[OneBlueSky]

21. this is my tenth presidential election . . .

I have no choice but to be pragmatic . . . having learned years ago that idealism, while good for the soul and necessary to maintain one's sanity, loses elections . . .

[dansolo]

22. Pragmatism was why I supported Dean

Dean wasn't an idealist. He was a pragmatist. That is why the DLC took him down. Honest, pragmatic policies would invariably mean that power would be taken from the powerful. The idealists are the ones who think that putting someone like Kerry in is going to change things very much.

[Rooktoven]

23. Pragmatic--

I was probably closest to Dean on issues alone. But I've known for a year and a half that Edwards would be the next president. The guy who best argues the case wins.

[GreenArrow]

26. maybe the reason 50 % of the population doesn't vote

is because they are tired of voting between two pragmatists, neither of whom is either pragmatic or idealistic.

People in politics are in it for themselves, mainly; pragmatism = winning.

[Democat]

27. Or does pragmatism mean compromising for the better of all?

I guess it's how you look at it.

[GreenArrow]

31. pragmatism means

that if rape is inevitable, lay back and enjoy it.

[no one in particular]

28. The Ultimate Pragmatist

Since no candidate who agrees with me on 70% of the issues would get over 1% of the vote, I'm living by my avatar.

Anyone But Bush!

Anyone But Bush!

Anyone But Bush!

That includes my Siamese cat or my Irish Wolfhound, should they be in a position to overthrow der fuhrer.

[Crunchy Frog]

29. My support for Clark began as pragmatism

as I believed that he would be the strongest candidate against Bush. It gradually morphed into idealism as I learned more about his positions and his vision, and who he is as a person.

I almost never fall in love with a candidate, and this time I did.

My support for whoever is left is based strictly on pragmatism. I will support whoever the nominee is in hopes of getting rid of Bush, but there is no longer anything there for me to feel idealistic about.

[nomaco-10]

32. Funny you mentioned "pragmatic" in regards to your post. LINK

I thought this link may be of interest to some re "pragmatism" and one John Kerry.

http://www.onlinejournal.com/Media/020504MickeyZ/020504mickeyz.html

[NoPasaran]

33. Pragmatic

If I was after ideological purity I would join the Spartacist League

[RichardRay]

34. Totally pragmatic

Idealism got me whacked in the head with riot batons, time in federal lockup and life on a park bench. None of that changed a damn thing. Now I'll take the changes as I can get them.