Kerry is doing well because people are voting for him

[mot78]

"The sheeple are voting for Kerry"...

"The DLC muscled everyone else out"...

"The DLC...the DLC...they are using mind control to make people vote Kerry."

"It's Skull & Bones!!!!"

Why don't people accept the fact that Kerry is winning because people are voting for him? The people voting are NOT sheeple. And the DLC is not making Kerry the front-runner. As annoying as From and Reed can get, there is no way they are capable of rigging dozens of primaries. Face it, Dean, or who ever you are supporting isn't doing well because voters arn't voting for them. While I don't like Kerry either, especially because of the way he's explained IWR, I don't go around calling his supporters sheeple.

[Peeance Freeance]

1. Exactly

I voted for him because he was the best one left to beat Bush and the most experienced.

[eileen_d]

2. I blame the giant space ants.

On a more serious note, after reading about the front-loaded primaries, I think that system should be changed.

[MurikanDemocrat]

5. I don't think that's a permanant schedule, is it?

My understanding was that it was just for this election. Am I mistaken?

[TennesseeWalker]

7. I'm with you, Eileen.

The Giant Space Ants have gassed their own people. They possess weapons of mass destruction, and harbor terrorists within their super ant hills.

They also have a non-democratically elected leader, the Queen Ant. They think with a hive mentality, and are easily mobilized for war.

Kerry will do their bidding. Beware.

[oasis]

3. John Kerry is strong, sober, serious and ready to take the helm.

He is a statesman with the personal integrity that is respected by leaders of all nations.

[MurikanDemocrat]

4. Thanks. I'm tired of being told I'm an idiot letting media decide for me.

[KC21304]

8. The media didn't decide for me because I decided in 2002.

[MurikanDemocrat]

12. I decided last fall

Before the media conspired to take control of my brain.

[Cocoa]

6. the most dramatic turning point in his campaign

was when the voters got their first chance to actually vote.

He wasn't doing so well when all we had were polls to measure how well he was doing.

[Dookus]

9. I've been saying this for weeks...

if Dean were winning, we'd be hearing about how smart and insightful the American voters are, and how they can see through bullshit.

But when Kerry wins, it's all media manipulation, the DLC, and the elites.

[MurikanDemocrat]

13. But Kerry supporters are not "real" Democrats.

I know this now. I didn't know this before I came to GD Primary and was initiated.

[dionysus]

20. just because I don't support Kerry

doesn't mean I don't think his supporters aren't real Democrats. I just don't agree with them, is all.

[MurikanDemocrat]

24. Point taken and appreciated

There's a small minority that feel this way. Didn't mean to imply all non-Kerry supporters. ;)

[dionysus]

25. it's cool

GD04 is a hairy place!

[MoonRiver]

10. I knew somebody was going to wax logical on us

and spoil all the fun! :spank: :D

[mot78]

11. Anti-Conspiracy theorist kick!

[dionysus]

14. That's a true statement on its face.

What some people wonder, like myself is, why people are voting for him?

[Dookus]

17. same reasons they vote for anybody....

I'm sure the reasons vary from person to person, but generally people vote for people with whom they agree, for people whom they think would be qualified and capable, for people with whom they're comfortable running the country, for people they feel can beat the opponent, etc. etc. etc.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

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

[eileen_d]

16. Oh, I'm sure there are 3 or 4 other categories of stupid people

you forgot to mention. :eyes:

[Dookus]

21. How about people

who think he's the best candidate?

[oasis]

23. "Think he's the best candidate" count me in that number.

[MurikanDemocrat]

22. Source? Link?

[The Magistrate]

28. Your No. 3 Is Nonsense, Mr. Walden

Everyone who supports Sen. Kerry knows there will be a great deal of negative comment directed against him by the enemy. Some of it will not seem to negative to us; an accusation of voting to the left of Sen. Kennedy, for instance, is to my view more complimentary than otherwise. There will certainly be a hue and cry based on "Jane Fonda" as a short-hand for attempts at smearing Sen. Kerry's patriotism and diminishing his military service in Viet Nam.

Your comments, Sir, represent simply one more feeble effort at proclaiming the rank and file voters of the Democratic Party are somehow keeping the Party from being what it would be if "real" Democrats were in control. What gives this little agglomeration of factionalists and wreckers the title of "real" Democrats is never quite made clear, but as near as can be determined, they deserve this title because they support candidates and political lines the rank and file members of the Democratic Party reject decisively whenevr they cast ballots in caucuses and primary elections.

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[George_Bonanza]

18. Dean was supported by Gore, Harkin, and McGreevey

He had plenty of "insider" support. I think you can blame the media for his downfall, because if he wasn't so over-exposed and crowned by the media so early on, his record and personality wouldn't have been the target since he was not the front-runner. He was attacked because he was the front-runner. No, he wasn't brought down because the media feared the righteous Howard Dean. He was brought down because he was simply the front runner. The media sees no ideology. Was Al Gore brought down mercilessly because he was "too radical" for the uptight media?

[MurikanDemocrat]

26. He was brought down by his own arrogance,

negative campaign tactics, and poor campaign strategy. His front-runner status was a mirage, for once it came time to vote, the vast support he was thought to have wasn't there.

The voters are deciding his fate. Not the media.

[Rose Siding]

19. They're voting against Bush

...imo

[Nazgul35]

27. The only thing you can say

is that people are voting for him....


As to why...that is open for discussion. Until we see polling data that actually asks question to understand their decision process....nobody on either side can say with any certainty why people are voting for Kerry....

Anything at this point is simply speculation.

One thing we can say with a high probability is that a fair number of people are voting for Kerry because they made an informed decision....but what that calculus was we don't know...

We can also say that a fair number of people who are voting for him are doing so with very little information about him and the other candidates.....these people we can attribute a high probability to name recognition beginning with Iowa and being reinforced with NH....

What component each of these groups makes up and how that is distributed is anyone's guess....

IMO, I would say that after NH, a significant portion of voters were voting for Kerry based upon his performance in Iowa and NH....and nothing more....

This was predicted by many here when dean was the front runner....Trippi himself discussed the importance of winning Iowa and NH in this shortened primary season....and it has borne out....

This takes nothing away from Kerry because he had to win Iowa and NH first, before he could benefit from the poll surge...

But to suggest that every voter voting for Kerry now is informed about his policies and his character is disingenuous at best....

Let's start out the general election with a little honesty and introspection and a lot less rah rah flag waving...we will be much better for it in the coming election and less likely to get surprised as a result....

[mot78]

29. That is a legitimate reason for why he's winning

but my complaint is against those who say Kerry is winning because of some magical DLC plot.

[George_Bonanza]

31. Agreed

I can see that the media played a role in the downfall of Dean, as is always in the ungraceful tumble of a once front-runner. But what's really ludicrous, and genuinely snide and insulting to Kerry, is to conclude that Dean was brought down because of his glorious principles. Um... no. He was brought down for the same reason everybody else is brought down: He was the front-runner. Many people conveniently ignore that the media was already assuming Dean as the nominee, before they jumped on the Kerry bandwagon (yes, the media jumps on bandwagons).

[Nazgul35]

33. true...

and it would help further your argument if Kerry supporters were to conceed that Kerry stumbled once already....

The same media attacks, because he was the front runner, brought him down....remember all the Kerry is: 1) boring 2) stiff 3) alouf, etc...throughout the summer....

But many here attributed that to Dean's campaign...

What we need more of is less of people (and I am not saying that this is occuring in this thread) so eager to say "I told you so..." or "look at how smart I am..." or "Your guy is satan my guy is an angel..." type debates....

We need to take a very real accessment of where we currently stand...what are the negatives and positives going into this election so that we can be ready for anything.....

Leave the defensiveness behind....ignore the idiots from all the camps....let's get down to the business of winning in Nov....

[eileen_d]

30. "what that calculus was we don't know"

What difference would it make if we did know?

[Nazgul35]

32. It makes alot of difference...

If people are supporting him because he "appears to be a winner," that can allow for the possibility that should Kerry be perceived to stumble, people's support will soften....

Will they vote for Bush.....I don't know...because I don't know who is voting now....since we have record number of turnout...

If people are supporting him because they want to get rid of Bush and this is a show of support for the Dem front runner...than we have alot more breathing room....

As I said in another post....Dem voters are not a monolithic bunch...here is my breakdown of what Dem voters look like:

1) Party activists: These are people who do more than vote, they are the most informed...I would include those of us here at DU in this group.

2) Primary voters: these are people who vote in caucuses and primaries. They are less informed than the first group, but more likely to stick than the third group.

3) General Election voters: these are the least informed voters...here one would find Reagan Democrats. These voters are more susceptible to opinion polls, character appeals and perceived performance of the candidates. They are not likely to vote very far down the ballot as they don't know much about their local officials.

The question is....who is voting in the primaries? why are they voting the way they are?

The answer to these two questions can do much to help us understand our standing in the up coming general election, where our support is soft and hard and where we can best put our resources to maximize our electoral success.....

I personally do not want to assume anything in this election because the stakes are too high....

I am a little concerned that there is (not amongst all Dems) a little complacency as to how much we can depend on certain groups' votes and turnout....people need to buck up their ideas or we could be in for a very nasty surprise come Nov.!

[eileen_d]

34. That was a very detailed answer, thanks

BTW this is my 3,000th post - hope my new avatar shows up!

[Nazgul35]

35. I am honored

to put you over the top...

:evilgrin:

[NewYorkerfromMass]

36. The reverse is true as well

but I don't even want to get into that. It all started with Iowa. NO one had voted before then.

[tobius]

37. The media herded them into the correct pen.

The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
Jean Giraudoux (1882 - 1944)

[snoochie]

38. Nice quote

Once I'm the nominee, I promise I'll do something about BBV. :eyes: