Kerry, Edwards and Dean Supporters... Convince Me!

[GiovanniC]

I'm a Wes Clark supporter. I truly believe that the best hope for the Democratic party was just taken down.

I like Kucinich and Sharpton, but I don't see them with a snowball's chance of getting the nomination, which is especially unfortunate in DK's case, because I really like the guy and agree with much of what he says.

That leaves Kerry, Edwards, and Dean. I think Dean's a long shot, but I like him. I think that unlike Kerry and Edwards, he would truly change things. But I can see some strong points for both Kerry and Edwards.

I have already voted in my state's caucus (Michigan) this past weekend, for Clark obviously. But I am thinking that I may cast financial and/or volunteer support to another candidate in this primary season if anyone can convince me that their candidate is truly worthy of such support.

And, I would like supporters of each candidate to give me reasons why I can feel good about voting for their candidate in November -- other than getting rid of Bush.

[mrgorth]

1. I won't bore you

the best reason to vote for Howard Dean is that he is honest, forthright and steadfast. Dean called the appeasers on the carpet and even when the statues were falling in Baghdad and reporters will still asking him "you can't still believe this was wrong" he stuck to his guns. Dean is THE most honest man running.

[BurtWorm]

2. You could help out one of the trailing campaigns now

That's what I would do. Give to the one you want to see last longest.

[helleborient]

3. Go where your heart and mind take you next...and ignore the media (n/t)

[Mile Hi]

4. Here is why

He really will make a change.

There's a reason the DNC is pushing Kerry.

He is the only one that could beat Bush and here is my proof

Do you remeber the The Club for Growth and their repeated attacks on Dean just before the Iowa Caucus.
The ones that painted him as a tax hiking latte drinking liberal.

Well here's what Stephen Moore the president of the Club for Growth and a senior fellow at the Cato Institute wrote in regards to Dean back in Sept 2003.

The Appeal of Howard Dean
From the September 15, 2003 issue: Why he could be Bush's more dangerous opponent.
by Stephen Moore
09/15/2003, Volume 009, Issue 01

<snip>
Republicans are said to be salivating over the prospect of a Bush-Dean match-up. They shouldn't get carried away. Howard Dean, warns John McClaughry, has been "underestimated throughout his political career. He has an uncanny knack for finding where the political capital is stored and walking off with it." The trick for Dean is to ensure that the ultra-liberal positions he has taken in the primaries, which contradict his sometimes centrist record, don't cripple his ability to reach out to Middle American voters in a general election--should he make it that far. If he does, and then finds a way to zig-zag back toward the center, Howard Dean could be George W. Bush's worst nightmare.

Basically he says Dean could have given Bush a real fight because he could appeal to Centrists, Republicans as well as Democrats.

[sandnsea]

5. Greatest President since FDR

He has the experience, knowledge, dedication, respect, integrity and values to be a President beyond anything most people even dream of anymore. Here's my reasons from another post earlier:

He gets that everything is connected. Energy Independence is connected with our international problems is connected with global poverty is connected with our own jobs and is the foundation for the next century. He sees the connections in everything.

Energy Independence with a real plan and 30 years of commitment starting with the first Earth Day in 1970. He met his wife at an environmental summit. He started working on Acid Rain when he was Lt. Governor and has also rewritten the Oceans and Fisheries laws.

Global engagement and respect, even a religious summit with major world religious leaders to create harmony and a truthful presentation of world religions. His Dec 3 CFR speech was touted as the best foreign policy speech in recent years. He managed to go to Iowa and talk with people about Global Aids and climate change and avoiding a clash of civilizations. I remember when reporters were laughing, Iowans don't care about Aids in Africa. By that last week in Iowa, he had made it important to Iowans and received roaring applause when he talked about his global vision.

Community connections with service and Youthbuild and Housing Trust Fund and small business loans. When you create community, eventually you don't need federal programs. Healthy communities care for themselves.

And he doesn't quit. The issues he cares about today are the same issues he's been working on his whole life. He created one of the first rape units in his prosecutors office, helped pass the domestic violence act, pushed women's small business assistance, and is surrounded by women in his campaign. Same with gays, minorities, every other issue. He didn't abandon Vietnam Vets and he didn't abandon Vietnam. John McCain says the POW/MIA issue and normalization with Vietnam simply wouldn't have happened had John Kerry not been dogged about it. So instead of another NKorea, we have hope with Vietnam.

He has vision, as well as the tenacity and know-how to make that vision a reality. And he knows how to talk to people to convince them to join him.

[MercutioATC]

6. As you said, Dean would truly change things.

Of the three, Dean is the one who's not already a part of the machine. He'll bring new energy and a new direction to Washington.

The IWR, Patriot Act and NCLB votes all show how Dean (though criticized for inexperience) has been more insightful than Kerry and Edwards.

I cringe to think how Bush would handle either Kerry or Edwards. With three major issues off the table, they have no real ammunition against him except the economy, which he could temporarily boost for the election simply by releasing tome oil from the strategic reserve, lowering fuel prices. I can just hear Bush thanking Kerry or Edwards for their "support" in these difficult times, and insisting that, since both candidates seem to agree on a course of action, consistency is the issue (Bush remaining at the tiller).

Head to head, Dean is the only candidate that makes sense. Neither Kerry nor Edwards have a chance against Bush...they've just voted with him too many times...

[Nicholas_J]

7. Why do you think Dean would change things?

He has not record of doing so in the past, As Governor he always was very cautious, never took a fighting stance on anything except balancin the budget by cutting social programs, spent four years evading taking any stance on the court cases that resulted in the Vermont Supreme Court finally dictating that Vermont marriage laws were unconsitutional. Has stated that if you expect changes in the medical insurance industry, he is not your guy. Has a record of promising to do things, and then totally forgetting to do so once he is elected, and this has been stated by Vermont newspaper editors, as well as Vermonmt Sierra Club activists. He talks a good fight but while he was governor, the rich got richer, the poor got poorer, he fought all attempts at setting up progressive taxation, in fact taxes started becoming regressive in Vermont under his economic ideas, when they had become more progressive before he was in office. Many people left the Vermont Democratic Party while Dean was leader of the states party, and this is states as having been caused by Deans conservatism. The very essence of conservatism is resistance to change. Dean is by self admission, conservative.

[MercutioATC]

9. Yes, we realize that not everybody agrees with him, particularly the more

"liberal" Democrats, but he WAS elected 5 times in Vermont and the majority of Vermont natives think they were better off than they were 12 years ago (as opposed to people in, say, Ohio where I live).

Dan had a big hand in that. There are those of us who would like to see that kind of action on a national level.

[GiovanniC]

14. I Think He Would Change Things

Because he already has. While most of the Democrats -- including Kerry and Edwards -- were on their knees during the Patriot Act, the IWR, the tax cuts, saying, "Thank you Mister Rove, may we have another?", Dean stood up against the administration, against a war and a president that were both maddeningly popular. He could have played it safe like the others... cowering and afraid of the political fallout from opposing a war that was unjustified, unjustifiable and unjust. But instead, he took a principled stand, and he changed things.

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

8. Wait a couple of hours

There are rumors floating around that Clark is not, in fact, going to drop out, so wait for his press conference this afternoon. He might still be in it, or he might endorse someone if he is dropping out --- who knows?

[AP]

10. Edwards is the only candidate who speaks directly to the issue of the

increasing corporatocracy (creeping fascism) and the transfer of the wealth up an increasingly tall and steep wealth pyramid.

It's THE problem with America today. We are headed for trouble if we don't have a president who argues for the downward and outward shift of power. Edwards (and Kucinich) are the only two hitting the nail on the head.

And Edwards is a demographic and biographic gift from god.

[nofurylike]

11. there is so much to say

for now, just this:

http://fray.slate.msn.com/id/2095311/

Kerried Away
The myth and math of Kerry's electability.
By William Saletan
Posted Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2004, at 9:41 PM PT

-snip-
Let me say that again: Among voters who picked the candidate they wanted based on the issues, not the candidate they thought somebody else wanted, Kerry did not win the New Hampshire primary.

**
i am deeply saddened that Clark has left the race - for now! best of luck!


peace!

[poskonig]

12. Kerry has the strengths of Dean and Clark

without any of their weaknesses. Kerry can raise unlimited $$$ against Bush, is solid on the issues, is a decorated war vet (really? :p ) and doesn't fuck up on the campaign trail.

That's as terse as I can be!

[no name no slogan]

13. If you like Kucinich's message, donate to his campaign

The longer he's in the race, the more time he'll have to influence the discussion: the harm of NAFTA/WTO, American militarism, loss of civil liberties at home, etc.

And you'll know with DK that you're definately getting your money's worth. He runs a VERY lean operation, where volunteers often do the work of what paid staffers do on the others. For example, he's coming here to MN on Feb 21, and ALL his advance work is being done by local volunteers. We raised $3,500 to rent an auditorium, and we're doing all the setup/coordination ourselves, too. We're also paying to fly in DK endorser Patch Adams as well.

A donation to the Kucinich campaign goes a loooooong way!

[candy331]

15. Look at the issues and see where the

candidates stand and compare that to what you saw in Clark and support accordingly. But since you said you believed Clark would have brought change then I feel Dean would fit the bill. Even the Dean haters have to admit after gut wrenching pain that Dean is the one that stirred the party to action and that is a change in itself because the party truly needed a resurrection because it's voice was nearly dead, by "Bushlite" voting. If Kerry and Edwards had rose to the occasion in the Senate then Dean would have not even gotten a second look and probably would not have entered the race at all. So ones can hate and blame Dean all they want but the fault lie elsewhere and not with Dean.
Surely no one could blame Dean for the losses in 2002 could they? Dean has been falsely labeled as the angry candidate but don't forget the Democrats are labeled as angry too. And also look who co-opted his message and rode into town on his supposedly angry back since they had no spine and were bad actors or shall we say good actors with no sustenance.