CANCEL THE PRIMARIES - Time for Democrats to Rally Around Dean

[drewb]

NEW YORK--Barring some unforeseeable misstep, Gov. Howard Dean will be the Democratic nominee. Patrick Buchanan thinks so. So does Al Gore, who acknowledged Dean's soar in the polls with this endorsement: "Whether it is inspiring enthusiasm at the grassroots, and promising to remake the Democratic Party as a force for justice and progress and good in America," said President Gore, "whether it is a domestic agenda that gets our nation back on track, or whether it is protecting us against terrorists and strengthening our nation in the world, I have come to the conclusion that one candidate clearly now stands out."

Straight up. It's time for the increasingly irrelevant influence of centrist-right Al From's Democratic Leadership Council to decide which is more important: keeping control of the Democrats or electing one to the presidency. Dean is the only contender with the cash, charisma and cajones to expel Generalissimo El Busho from the White House--but he needs a unified party to pull it off.

http://www.uexpress.com/tedrall/?uc_full_date=20031209

[bread_and_roses]

1. Ridiculous

Especially since Dean is as "centrist-right" as any of the "insiders" except maybe Lieberman. Why should other candidates and their supporters give up now? There ARE differences among them. Not to mention that the average voter is still paying very little attention to the Primaries.

[cprise]

9. Dean themes: Re-regulation, Universal Heathcare, anti-PNAC

But he's supposed to be "center-right" because he advocated privatizing electricity for a while until he saw the kind of result it had in Califormia (then acted to stop privatization).

Dean has defected from the DLC brand of conservatism and is now running a courgeous campaign with some pro-regulation, pro-welfare positions. Progressives should consider that quite a trophy.

[LWolf]

34. I don't agree

with the Universal Health care part, although it's been awhile since I read Dean's plan. Doesn't he advocate making sure that most people have insurance? Doesn't his plan to a lot of tinkering with the existing insurance system?

"Most" isn't universal.

"Coverage" isn't care.

[0007]

2. I like Dean very strongly. But I also believe that Clark must be ..

part of the equation. If Clark can get past the dirt that the Republicans are gonna throw out on Clark, he may very be a solid candidate.

[baggypants]

3. Dean may be our "choice" but.......

........I'm afraid Clark is the only one that can beat the Bush League

[newyawker99]

28. Hi baggypants!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[deminflorida]

4. You'll change your tune after Feb. 3, 2004....

you heard it here first.

[montanacowboy]

5. Dean/Clark

should unite right now - this is the team that will win - don't waste any more time - Bush could not stand a chance against these two, this is the right choice at the right time in our history.

[caledesi]

12. mc - I like your mind. Dean/Clark *please start talking* eom

[littlejoe]

17. Clark will never be Dean's running mate.

[Dudley_DUright]

6. Ted is dead wrong about this

The best way to rally around Dean (which as a Dean supporter I would like to see) is to vote for Dean in large numbers in the primaries. Republicans try to invalidate the will of the voters, not democrats.

[Rainbowreflect]

7. Cancel the primaries, let's just draw straws and go after bush.

Just an idea. ;-)

[TreasonousBastard]

8. Cancel the general election....

and just say Dean is the President because some editorial writers and DU members say so.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[littlejoe]

16. We cancelled a general election once. It didn't work out too well.

[MaineDem]

10. Yeah right!

:eyes:

[CShine]

13. Sorry, I really don't care if the party leadership..........

......and all the media tell me that Dean's the winner before the first vote has even been cast. I happen to still believe in letting the people decide. Clark still has my vote.

[floridaguy]

24. Mine too (n/t)

[Bucky]

14. Rall's ignorance of the democratic process is pretty obvious

He seems to be saying we must subvert democracy in order to save it. Sort of like the lieutenant in Vietnam who reported that we had to destroy the village to save it. We live in a time in which people are becoming increasingly impatient with democracy. That's pretty disturbing.

[for_al]

18. Yeah!

[DrBB]

15. I too think we should decide entirely on the basis of $ and polls

Who need voting when you already know the outcome based on fundraising and poll results? Let's cut to the chase!

Course, on this basis, guess who's slated to win in 2004....

[acmavm]

19. Nonsense. Cancel the primaries? Give me a break. No one knows who

is going to be the candidate at this point.

[hippywife]

20. Sorry, nice try

but I still get to cast my vote in this country for the best candidate to emerge in decades. The one with a true Universal Healthcare proposal, who called the administration out on this war over a year before it started, who voted against it and the Patriot Act, who will cut the bloated, wasteful Pentagon budget and stop development of new nuclear weapons and win our reputation back with the world community, who is truly an environmentally minded legislator, and is only taking campaign contributions from we the people.

Fear Ends...Hope Begins!

Congressman Dennis Kucinich for Pres!! :)

www.kucinich.us

[drewb]

21. I'm a Kucinich man myself...

I just felt that it was a thought provoking piece...

Don't shoot the messenger!O8)

[hippywife]

22. Sorry

I get so honked when anyone even mentions cancelling the primaries. It is happening in states that no longer have the budget to stage them. :(

[Nadienne]

23. After the primaries...

I am certain we will all rally 'round the winner. Cancel the primaries, and bitterness will prevail. The "winner" will not get as much support as he (or perhaps she) needs. The primaries are essential and absolutely necessary.

[newsjunkie]

25. Does anyone know ...

What all this stuff is about Clark saying the Dean camp asked Clark to be VP and then Joe Trippi(Dean's campaign mangager)said No way it ever happened! WTF?? If theres already a thread about this please direct me there. I wish these two would get together.I would like to see Dean for Prez and Clark for Defense Secretary.

[ourwinter]

26. The safire thread alludes to it

read the main article it will give you enough info

[ourwinter]

27. The tenor of this debate is perhaps republican in nature

Please this is silly - really goofy, you know, daffy duck silly.

The shutup and get behind Dean will happen "if" it is meant to happen,
be rest assured, you have my word
- BUT -
until then your remarks make you look like a Republican pariah screaming at those who vote with their consicience that they will burn.

Please stop and desist, when you speak for Dean you actually turn a very large amount of potential supporters away from you. Dean deserves better than that, we deserve better than that.

For all of you who read this, the Safire debate going on above this is much more interesting...

ps... did he/she really use Pat Buchanan as source of support?

[PATRICK]

29. Focus

It is not the primaries but the push of Fromm versus Gore- before anyone gets to vote. Dump fromm- not primaries, if he is going beyond preference to suicidal sabotage of the party(exactly what they are accusing Dean of doing, GOP style hypocritical reversal). The problem is letting the primaries democratically work, not abolishing them, which would appeal to the ineffectual among the organizational elite all the more.

[Nashyra]

30. Wasn't even a "nice try"

I'm not saying Dean can't beat *, only that it will give the * administration so much more ammunition in the GE to run against him. Clark takes so much away on what the GOP can run on and virtually wipes out the *'s chances of running as a successful wartime resident. Clark can beat * up on anything to do with the military, national security, foreign policy and diplomacy. Dean cannot touch Clark. I'm sorry to offend, and hope I am wrong IF he gets the nomination and I will work for the campaign but I think that Clark is the better candidate to beat *.

[luisao]

31. e.g. Forget About Democracy Entirely

The idea of discouraging competition when not a single American has cast a vote is as repulsive. It's letting the corporate media replace a vote--like the Supreme Court choosing a president, but closer to fascism.

[BigBadDaddy-O]

32. If Dean and Clark could put ego's aside and team up, they would be ...

The winners and kick the repubicans ass's.

:toast:

[Skittles]

33. I see an unforseeable misstep

:O

[necso]

35. Typo?

Perhaps you meant to write: "Patrick Buchanan wishes so."

You could also add: "As does William Safire and pretty much the entire Republican party."