Dean - "I will vigorously support the presidential candidate ...

[oostevo]

This might be the wrong place to post this, sorry but, in a presidential debate on CSPAN ...

Dean - "I will vigorously support the presidential candidate, no matter who that is."
He then went on to say that his supporters will follow suit.

The rest of the candidates promised to do that same thing.

[Jack_Dawson]

1. Sheeeyah right

He'll become a 3rd party candidate so fast it'll make your head spin.

[jjmalonejr]

2. No he won't.

Dean's not my guy, and he may have made his reputation by taking on the Democratic party, but he won't bolt if he doesn't win the nomination.

I often question Dean's honesty and sincerity, but I think he's sincere about this.

[Zynx]

3. No rational person honestly believes that.

[fjc]

15. I'm a rational person..

and I believe that.

[MODemocrat]

16. considering myself rational, I believe Dean

Dean is a good one to have on your side, like him or not.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Will talk when that happens ok

By the way, Dean is right now the front runner

Will Clark be as magnanimous if he gets that spot

[SteveG]

37. Probably

Clark was given several opportunities to bash Dean on his interview with Russert this morning, and he did not take the bait. He did say that he believed that he had more Foreign Policy credentials than Dean did, but he also stated that he believed that all of the Democratic candidates had better foreign policy credentials than *.

[GOPFighter]

6. You're calling Dean a liar?

If he ran as a 3rd party candidate, he would screw any chance of the Dems beating Bush and he would lose 90% of his support, including me. He would be a pariah among most Democrats. So tell, me, why would he do that?

[Jim Sagle]

8. BS.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

10. You have any facts...

to back up your assertion, or just a need to FUD the place up with baseless claims?

Because I would love to hear sustainable facts. Not partisan blog facts. Not repuke pundit facts. Not opposing campaign facts. Not RNC facts. Not freeper facts. Real, objective facts.

I am gonna have to make a decision by June, and I will need facts to make an informed decision. Thank you.

[dansolo]

24. And you know this how?

Funny, cause Dean has repeatedly said that he would support the Democratic nominee. The only person that I would expect to go third party is Clark, who wasn't even a Democrat until recently.

[Doctor Pedantic]

29. It's all academic

No, I don't think he'd do that. I'm a loyal Dean supporter, but I'd throw my weight behind the Democratic nominee rather than Dean as a third party candidate. We don't need a Perot/Nader type spoiler. The stakes are too high.

Having said that, it sure seems like Dean is going to be the nominee, so this is all probably academic in any event. Guess we'll never know.

[FrankBooth]

30. Clark supporter here

and no way Dean will go 3rd party, that's just garbage.


FWIW, I too will vigorously support the Dem nominee as well.

[Cassandra]

34. Since he wouldn't be taking his supporters with him...

I doubt it.

[wryter2000]

4. Of course, he'll support our candidate

So will all of them. This is about beating Bush. End of story.

[Evanstondem]

7. I will vigorously support the Presdential Candidate

This was the signature moment of the debate. Dean won this one.

[GRClarkesq]

9. He should not have said this b/c he did not mean it

non-transferrable

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

11. How do you know...

He does not mean it? Facts, please.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

12. You're just spewing up baseless accusations

Can you show me some facts please?

edit-spelling

[Upfront]

13. Wrong

Dean means what he says. Won't matter, Dean won, it is over.

[w4rma]

27. Aug 04, 2003: “I will not run as independent. I will support the nominee.”

…
KING: New York City, as we go to some calls for Governor Howard Dean, hello.

CALLER: Hi. Governor Dean, I have been so impressed by you ever since I saw you on “Meet the Press.” And I'm going to my first Dean meeting this week. And my question for you is that many Democrats believe that if not for Ralph Nader staying in the election that we wouldn't have George Bush as a president.

So my question to you is, if you do not get the Democratic nomination, will you still run on the independent ticket?

DEAN: No, I will not.

CALLER: If so, how will that impact the upcoming race?

DEAN: I will not run as independent. I will support the nominee. It is essential that George Bush not be re-elected for the future of this country. It is essential for our economy. It's essential, so we can regain the respect we had around the world. And I will under no circumstances run as a third party and independent. I will back the nominee. I hope I am the nominee because I can bring about half those votes that voted for Ralph Nader back into the party. That's how we are going to win. And I think at this point there is no other evidence that any of the other candidates can do that and I think that's why I'm the most likely to beat George Bush.
…
http://www.cnn.tv/TRANSCRIPTS/0308/04/lkl.00.html

[JoeNormal]

14. H. Dean said this?

The same candidate Dean that offered up thinly veiled threats of doing the exact opposite a week ago? He is flopping around like a fish in the bottom of the boat - can't vote for this man, sorry.

[Cassandra]

33. And whom are you supporting,

Joe from the US of A?

[Just Me]

17. Interesting: DEAN in the top ten on this board,...

,...wonder why? Almost looks like an all out take-over.

[Alexander]

18. Dean will never switch to a third party.

I'm actually more worried about Wesley Clark switching, since he was a Republican for many years, and Dean has always been a Democrat.

[Robb]

19. I sorta feel the same way

My take on this debate was actually that Edwards was winning, surprisingly (to me, anyhoo). But that single bit by Dean pushed him over the top.

Like he's gonna say that and change his mind later. :eyes: Good grief. Some people here really hate that cat, I still can't figure out why.

...Although I don't "blog", so what do I know?

[ozone_man]

21. Absolutely.

Dean is as a true blue Democrat, just not the DLC brand. If there would be a candidate that could go 3rd party I would guess Kucinich (or Nader), if Dean doesn't make it. We would need to have a non-IWR/Washington outsider candidate in the race to represent the left, and none of the remaining candidates stand the test. Even Clark said that he probably would have voted for it.

[davidinalameda]

31. Dean hasn't always been a Democrat

remember that he was raised in a Republican home

and remember that Hillary was a Goldwater Girl

people do change

[ozone_man]

32. Did Dean ever cast a vote for a republican?

Sorry, but parents don't count. I grew up in a Republican household, where most of us turned out to be Democrats. I even remember rooting for Republicans when I was too young to understand. It counts when you cast your first vote.

[truthisfreedom]

20. this is easy for Dean to say, because he's certain he'll win the nomina-

tion. with the extraordinary lead he's got right now, i can't imagine he'd believe anything else.

[Nancy Waterman]

22. It was William Safire

who said Dean would create a 3rd party. All who agree with William Safire say "aye".

I don't think there is a chance in hell that Dean would do such a thing. It would be suicide for the party and for him to have any future in it. And he is well aware of this.

He is not my favorite candidate, but I would vote for him or any of the 9 against George the Pathetic.

[0007]

26. William Safire is a mutt for the repukes!

[are_we_united_yet]

36. Amen. Amen. Amen!!!!

It warrants emphasis AMEN Nancy!!!

[robbedvoter]

23. I believe him a little less than when he said it last summer after the 1st

non-transferable" outburst. Fool me once....
Glad that terry mac prevailed though. But..."won't be fooled again" ;-)

[ldf]

28. huh?

non-transferable is exactly what it is.

dean can support the nominee, and suggest that his supporters do the same.

however, that is all he can do. he can't guarantee anything. and why would he say he could?

and why would anyone point that out as an assumption, unless it's just another attempt to lie about his comments?

[0007]

25. Dean's got class!

[tedoll78]

35. that was a skilled moment in the debate..

getting to see Dean leading them all into raising their hands.. excellent..

[Moderator]

38. Not LBN

Please feel free to repost in a different forum. The new General Discussion 2004 Primary forum may be a good place.