If your favorite candidate gets elected and fails to live up to your expectations, then what?

[BigBearJohn]

Just curious.

After all, when the Dems got the majority in Congress,
we all expected a lot. And what did we get?

[gateley]

1. They can expect a lot of "I told you so's" from me. nt

[Warpy]

2. Then I sincerely hope a viable candidate runs against him in the

next primary.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. Happens all the time

It's called politics.

[mcctatas]

4. Then I just thank my lucky stars that it was a democrat failing to

live up to my expectations rather than a republican surpassing my worst friggin fears:)

[silverweb]

7. Absolutely BEST answer!

No elected official will ever live up to everyone's expectations. That's a given.

And I, too, will "thank my lucky stars that it's a Democrat failing to live up to my expectations rather than a Republican surpassing my worst fears" (again).

:patriot:

[blondeatlast]

23. Spot on. nt

[dogman]

5. You can sit back a read all the praise others give him (her).

That's been my experience with my Senator. I had hope for Obama in '04.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. Vote them out.

[doc03]

8. They all make so many promises to get elected they

couldn't possibly live up to our expectations.:shrug:

[stillcool]

9. I'm not too worried...

/www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2671746&mesg_id=2671746

[Bright Eyes]

10. Canada.

Or maybe France.

[scarletwoman]

11. Well, I would hope that no one would be surprised. (nt)

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

12. That's a problem I'd be at least somewhat happy to have, because it would mean that

at least the Republican Party would not be corrupting and ruining the federal government further.

[Redstone]

13. Well, then, it'll get pissed-and-moaned about right here on DU, with a bunch of

name-calling and finger-pointing, of course.

Some of it justified, as the last two lines of your post so clearly ask.

What did we get, indeed. Americans are STILL dying in Iraq. As are Iraquis.

Over a year since our November, 2006 "victory."

Almost five years, people, and we're still there. Almost FIVE YEARS.

Redstone

[Crunchy Frog]

14. My only expectation is that they won't be as bad as a Republican.

I feel pretty safe in thinking that I won't be disappointed in that expectation. I tend to set my sights pretty low.

[martymar64]

15. I have no more expectations

Except of course corruption and complicity from our "elected" officials.
Time to start the revolution!

[TahitiNut]

16. It's less likely that Kucinich would fail to meet my expectations than that he'd be elected.

It's too bad others can't say that. :nopity:

[Hekate]

17. I'll look forward to three SCOTUS nominations.

Any one of our Dems is better than any of the Repubs.

Bill Clinton disappointed me when he was President, and the country and I survived a lot better than we've all been doing this past 7 years.

I expect if I disagree with what the new Dem prez is doing I will continue to support issues groups so that we get our voices heard.

DU is another matter. There is no one in the Three Realms who can possibly live up to the average DUer's expectations. This board will be in an uproar each time something goes "wrong."

Hekate

[Warren DeMontague]

18. I said Dubya was going to be a fucking disaster, and he exceeded my wildest expectations.

Now my modest expectations for a Democratic President are something like this;

Believe in Evolution and that the Earth is more than 6,000 years old.

Don't put any more crazy fuckin' Torquemadas who want to outlaw birth control on the Supreme Court.

Don't invade any countries that never attacked us.

Try to leave the country and the planet in a marginally better state than you found it.

[MrSlayer]

19. I'll be as hard on them as I am on Bush.

I don't believe anyone here would have been satisfied had President Kerry simply taken office in 2005. I think we would've been as critical as anyone of his actions.

The problem in Congress is a stonewalling minority. We need to increase our seats in both houses.

[B Calm]

20. One thing is certain, we are not like republicans. We will raise hell

with our own politicans, where the cons just follow and kiss the ass of their leader.

[dorkulon]

21. My expectations are so low they'd have to stab somebody

to undershoot them. Even then, I'd be like, "huh." And then I'd eat dinner and maybe watch Battlestar Galactica.

[TransitJohn]

22. ........

[blondeatlast]

24. Often the greatest acheivemnts weren't on the agenda--and for the new president, a good effort will

get applause from me.

We're in a pit now. Finding a foothold up is going to be major.

[porphyrian]

25. That's always been the situation for me since I could vote. -n/t

[OneGrassRoot]

26. Can we come up with SOMETHING concrete to encourage ACCOUNTABILITY?

I read "it's expected"..."it would be better than whatever Repug might get in"..."I'll laugh at others who voted for him/her."

Seriously? The best we can do is pessimism and apathy and schoolyard I-told-you-so's?

Obviously voting is our key strength - IF election fraud wasn't such a big problem.

Maybe demanding this from our Dem candidates needs to be the first thing on the agenda, closely followed by getting them on record as demanding inquiries into crimes committed by B*shco and committing to demanding legal accountability for these crimes. DK's impeachment movement commands my utmost respect.

Maybe the bipartisan attorney organization demanding impeachment of Cheney (and Bush? not sure) can draw up something which is a new contract between presidents and citizens - indeed all elected officials - which gives more power to grassroots citizens organizations to bring actions (or inaction) to light and then legally demand redress - a new vote if accusations are deemed severe enough?

I'm not an attorney nor a Constitutional scholar...obviously...so I realize there are probably 100 reasons why the above isn't feasible or advisable.

But it seems SOMETHING must be done to put more power into OUR hands and make them FEAR us more...they must fear that they're going to be held ACCOUNTABLE for their actions.

:rant:

[OneGrassRoot]

28. And another thing...

about this business of having "hope" regarding a candidate.

I think most of us here research and choose candidates based on his/her platforms - granted, most of America probably doesn't yet...but I believe the Internet is changing that - yet all we can do is "hope" he/she acts upon them as promised. We don't have a crystal ball.

That's why I have to go with the person who, at this time, is saying what I want to hear and that, to me, what is being said is realistic. Edwards is saying what I want to hear and the message in the recent past has been consistent.

Hillary and Obama are saying what others want to hear. That's totally cool. It's called individual choice being expressed through the democratic process.

Why would I vote for someone who isn't saying what I want to hear...addressing the issues that are most important to ME? Why should anyone else?

Once we've selected the person who comes closest to what we want to hear, then we can HOPE he/she delivers.

THEN, my next hope is that we develop a strong enough voice as we continue to engage in the democratic process...at a grassroots level...to hold them accountable if they DON'T deliver.

That said, no one is perfect and we can't expect them to be, but still...we need a voice to hold them accountable when our voices are united.

[Lyric]

27. I have realistic expectations for our future Dem President

whoever she (or he) may be.

Presidents are not kings, and despite campaign promises, they cannot march into Washington and Change everything. We are not Republicans, and our Dem Congress is not going to do what the Republicans did and rubber-stamp everything the President wants. If the President wants Change, then he's going to have to work with Congress to get it--and a large chunk of said Congress is comprised of people who are about as liberal and progressive as a box turtle.

Some people don't seem to understand that a President cannot just go in and impose his or her will. Being a good President involves knowing how and when to compromise, and when to take a firm stand. As a liberal Dem, I share the fantasy of having a President who can march in and Right The Wrongs, but as an Poli-Sci major, I know damned well that it just isn't going to happen.

I'm not looking for dramatic, overnight change--I'm looking for progress. Progress would definitely work for me. We have to change the country before we can change much in Washington, and changing the country is OUR job--not the President's. It's patently unfair to bash our a President for not "doing what we elected (him/her) to do", when we aren't doing OUR part to change the political landscape out here so the President has a Congress that functions as a partner, not an adversary.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

29. I don't expect them to live up to expectations.

I don't expect any of them to get us out of Iraq.
I don't expect any of them to legalize drugs.
I don't expect any of them to get us single-payer universal health care.
I don't expect any of them to get us out of debt.
I don't expect any of them to sto the world from warming.
I don't expect any of them to stop robber-baron corporations.
I don't expect any of them to make progress on the use of alternative energy.
I don't expect any of them to improve education and make it affordable.

So if they do anything at all, I should be pleased!

I do expect some really wonderful speeches!

I guess I also expect them to not make things worse.

:hi:

[KG]

30. if?

[Annces]

31. I just want a democrat in place

My expectations are low for what they accomplish. They can lead the way for bigger and better things though for the next president and the next president, instead of worse and worse things with a republican.

[wyldwolf]

32. I don't have any lofty idealistic expectations of any politician

[bemildred]

33. Then you realize the public political process here is a fake melodrama?

A soap opera put on to fool the chumps into thinking they have a say?