CA voter doesn't know how to vote tomorrow. convince me.

[tigerbeat]

i'm a former dean supporter and a life-long democrat. right now i'm torn in three directions on my vote tomorrow:

1) sticking with dean. i was on board early in 2003 and i was looking forward to the day when i could cast my vote for the man i believe was the most exciting democratic candidate in decades. now if i vote for him, i am voting for "delegates" and a "voice" at the convention rather than president. while i am not adverse to using my primary vote in this way, i would *rather* vote for a president than some delegates.

2) voting for kucinich. he is the man left in the race who closely resembles my political beliefs. he is also the only other candidate (other than dean) that i have talked to face-to-face. but he won't win. and, again, this would be a vote for delegates rather than president.

3) voting for edwards. i like him. i think he's on the right side of most issues and i believe he will have more luck getting converts from disillusioned conservatives and that 8% or so swing vote. and i want this primary to be a horse race for a while longer. i think this is best for our party....having a free platform to hammer bush has really worked wonders and i want to keep that going for a couple more months. but his answers to the gay marriage question are weak and he voted for the IWR.

so, if any dean, kucinich, edwards supporters want to put in their two cents and give me their thoughts as to why they are/have voted the way they are, i would appreciate it. i've honestly never been so torn as to where to cast my vote.

FYI: i'm not going to vote for kerry. this is not because i dislike him....i think all of the candidates this year are exceptional and i will gladly vote for kerry in the GE.

[slinkerwink]

1. Dean is still on the ballot----vote for your heart in the primary

and then vote your mind in the general election.

[redqueen]

2. Kucinich

Because he's the only proud liberal in the race.

Good luck making your decision! :D

[LeftCoast]

3. Scary...we posted much the same thing at almost the same time!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x415704

Lol

[tigerbeat]

6. ha. maybe we should start a support group.

and we posted them at almost exactly the same time. very funny.

[LeftCoast]

8. From the responses

it seems like ours is a common problem. I'm surprised. I thought more people had made up their minds by now.

Oh, and I still have to read through the 200 pg (!!!) voter guide to see how I'm going to vote on most of my local propositions. Arg.

[bif]

4. I voted to Dean in the Michigan Caucuses

Knowing that Kerry was way ahead. Vote your heart.I know a lot of people who voted Kerry beecause they like to vote for a winner. I just don't get it. Especially in the primaries.

[MurikanDemocrat]

5. Vote for Kucinich, since he is the one who most closely resembles

your political beliefs

[DuctapeFatwa]

7. 2 support the status quo, 2 deviate from it, most notably

on the crusade, medical treatment as a commercial product, and a Living Wage.

If you vote your conscience, you win, no matter who ends up taking office.

You can flee an evil regime, but you can't flee yourself.

[Mairead]

9. Vote your hopes, not your fears.

If DK is closest to you politically, vote for DK.

[dpbrown]

10. Dean isn't running for the nomination, vote for Kucinich

Frankly, it doesn't matter if Kucinich will "win" the nomination.

By voting for Kucinich, you are making the statement that, given a choice in November between two candidates who:

Favor the racist and archaic Death Penalty,

Favor private corporate boondoggle health care,

Favor the invasion, occupation, and privatization of Iraq, and

Favor state-by-state criminalization of gay marriage,

...that you're concerned that some people will stay home rather than vote in November.

How many is too many? Should we take that chance?

The primary is the time to vote principle, and to select your ideal candidate from the candidates who are actively seeking the nomination.

That means Kucinich.

Fear Ends
Hope Begins
Kucinich 2004

Dan Brown
Saint Paul, Minnesota

[genius]

11. Vote for Kucinich so your voice will be heard at the covention

The platform depends on the number of delegates he gets.

[DjTj]

12. If you clearly prefer Edwards to Kerry

I would encourage you to vote for Edwards for some of the reasons you have stated yourself.

You can still make a difference in the nomination with an Edwards vote, and if Edwards survives to the Convention, there's a greater chance of it being brokered, giving whatever delegates Kucinich and Dean have greater leverage.

However, if you don't see much difference between Kerry and Edwards, you might as well vote your conscience.

[genius]

13. Remember to vote NO on 58. It's a giveawy to the mega-corporations

Art Torres, not the CDP, endorsed 58. It was a sellout. It balances all future budgets through cuts in education, health care and other services and the rich won't ever have to pay their fair share if it passes.

[pezcore64]

14. well

obviously I think you should vote your heart and vote with Dean. *shrugs*. He mite not be 'campaigning' any more, but thats no reason not to vote for who you believe it right. I think itd be a big statement by the movement if even tho Howard isnt campaigning anymore , hes still recieving delegates.

So go on and vote for Howard if you think you should. Im going to vote my heart regardless in my Primary. I dont care if hes campaigning still or not.

[robertpaulsen]

15. CA voter switching from Dean to Kucinich tomorrow

Originally I supported Howard Dean because out of all the candidates who had a chance at capturing the nomination, he was the one who best articulated my anger at Bush and my belief that America could do better.

Once Dean dropped out, I began to reevaluate who I really wanted to vote for. Comparing Dean to Kucinich, I found that Kucinich's platform more closely resembles my own personal convictions on almost every issue.

If voting in the primary means voting with your heart, and Kucinich best reflects your personal beliefs, I think voting for Dennis is the right thing to do. I'm hoping I can help put Dennis in double digits tomorrow and get him more delegates for Boston!

[seventhson]

16. Me too - Dean to DKucinich , but back East

I met him. I like him. He says what I believe. <y wife and kids met him and want him to win.

I think DK needs the votes. Edwards is too far behind in my state to beat Kerry -- so I am going Dennis since I cannot beat Kerry.

[DjTj]

17. What state are you in?

If you're in New England, I'd admit that Edwards has no chance, but otherwise he still has a chance...

[redqueen]

18. Woohoo!

You're right, his platform is close to Dean's, but different in meaningful ways.

[truthseeker1]

19. Kucinich & NO on all the props

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=413080#413121

[katieforeman]

20. Edwards- for your heart and head

Here are a few new reasons to vote for Edwards:

1.)John Edwards is the best candidate to further Progressive causes in the long run. He can do for Democrats what Reagan did for Republicans- articulate a coherent philosophy of government and define a vision that inspires. Remember Reagan had his shining city on a hill. John Edwards has the dream of One America. All of the candidates have some very good policy ideas, but John Edwards is the only one who puts all of these policies within the context of a unified vision. A generation later we are still dealing with the Reagan true believers. John Edwards will create a generation of true believers in Progressive causes.

2.)John Edwards has all of the hallmarks of a very popular President. His coattails will likely be longer. Because he is so articulate and likeable, John Edwards is the candidate best able to make effective use of the bully pulpit. Furthermore, a popular President has much more leverage with Congress and is more effective at pushing his agenda. Remember how cowed Democrats were when Bush was riding high.

3.)John Edwards is the best candidate to help improve the tone of political debate in this country. He has a future-oriented, positive vision. If John Edwards is the nominee, the Progressive vision of One America will be at the center of the debate. If Kerry is the nominee, the debate will be framed around divisive issues of the past like Kerry's voting record and Vietnam.

4.) Edwards speaks about poverty and race in moral terms and has a specific plan to lift Americans out of poverty. He talks about poverty in nearly every speech he makes despite the fact that poor people are less likely to vote.

5.) It goes without saying that I think Edwards is the one who will definitely beat Bush.

Good luck with your decision.

[jpgray]

21. Kucinich. I have a great thread to tell you why

Kucinich is the rarest of politicians--he actually does what is right whether he is in political office or out of it. His word during a campaign is as good as his word in office. This is to me the highest praise that can be given a candidate.

Here is the thread.

[RichM]

22. Kucinich. What happens if no one supports the one closest to his beliefs?

Then we get candidates that get further & further away from representing our beliefs. Somewhere, somehow, someone has to start sticking up for the ideas closest to his own beliefs.

In California tomorrow, we get a "free vote." The polls show clearly that Kerry will win, so it doesn't change a thing who you vote for in the primary. If you won't even use a free vote to express your heart & conscience, you can't complain later if the Democratic Party doesn't really represent you.

It's NOT "just a vote for delegates." It's also a vote for the FUTURE. This is because if Kucinich does better than expected tomorrow, it will encourage talented progressives in the future, and DK delegates will have a voice at the convention. On the other hand, if Dennis does lousy tomorrow, future would-be progressives will say to themselves, "Look, it's hopeless. Even a guy with heart & ideas like Kucinich never got anywhere -- what chance do I have?" Then they'll wind up going to MBA school & following careers in marketing, instead of working for progressive change in society.

[tigerbeat]

25. for what it's worth....

kucinich is the candidate *still in the race* that closest represents my beliefs. an important distinction.

[LWolf]

23. Kucinich

Many of us believe that Dennis is the best man for the job, and we are voting for him. Many more believe that he is better on the issues, but will vote for "electability" instead of the issues. California can lead the battle for the issues in this election. Or, we can bow our heads and vote for one of the front runners just because he is a front runner.

If we want the delegates, if we want to make a difference, if we want to shift the direction our party and our country is going, we will vote for Dennis Kucinich.

[InhaleToTheChief]

24. Vote your heart -- for Dean in your case

This is not a winner-take-all scenario. Get your candidate enough votes and delegates representing his platform will go to the convention. It's important for primary voters to know that it is no only a symbolic gesture to vote your heart, but can result in the platform which most matches your views influencing the eventual candidate.

For flat-out undecided Super-Tue voters, I suggest taking a look at Kucinich, a fantastic candidate whose ideas deserve much greater attention in the party.