Biggest obstacle to victory in 2004

[jpgray]

Thought it would be interesting to see what people think. If I miss one, please vote other and put down what you think it will be.

[Speed8098]

1. Howard Dean

Is the biggest obstacle.

[grannylib]

2. Other...apathy and failure to be informed. The media are surely to blame

for a great deal of this, but one can go outside the mainstream, right-wing corporate controlled media and educate oneself. Too few do.

[jpgray]

3. Edited the "Voter turnout" option to include apathy and ignorance

I think the two (or three) go hand in hand.

[randr]

4. Failure to offer solutions!

[vi5]

5. I'll second that emotion!

As the Republicans learned in 1996 "Hey, that guy sucks!" is not a well articulated presentation of an alternative.

[DennisReveni]

6. Democratic leadership.

There are two problems within the Democratic party. The first is they fear the grassroots movement established by Dean. The so called Deaniacs represent a potential third party, that is impossible for Democratic leadership to control. They know if they can cause Dean to fail they have Hillary in the wings for 2008.
Thus the unprecedented attacks by democratic leadership and the unwillingness for Terry M. to step in and refocus.
The second is the Any Democrat But Bush crowd. Democratic leadership knows they can run a bag of crap and these people will vote for it. I have seen quite a few claiming they could even vote for Lieberman if they had to. Why would anyone with any common sens vote for someone who would merely continue Bushco policies.
Oh yes, because there is a D associated.
The party has to realize it was faulty policy and weak leadership that gave Bushco free reign. It was the rubber stamp Democrats who failed to become the opposition.
So the biggest threat to Democratic victory is a complacent leadership coupled with blind obedience of partisan party members.

[vi5]

7. Hypothetical situation....

Dean wins.

Dean runs the way he wants to run, despite what we all say the Democratic leadership supposedly wants or disagrees with.

Will it still be their fault? Or will Dean share some of the blame? According to what I hear on this board pretty frequently, we can win without the centrists or without concessions to the dem leadership.

[11 Bravo]

8. Absolutely the media.

I remember watching Al Gore wipe the floor with * during their debates, only to pick up the paper the next morning to read that *, by virtue of not pissing himself, had actually won them.

[grannylib]

12. *lol* astute observation and pithy description!

[rock]

9. The media

or to be precise, the lunkheads who believe the media.

[Sinistrous]

10. The "S" Factor.

I believe the stupidity factor has been discussed in these forums before. I believe the S Factor is the root of the success of the media in keeping the bush cabal's propaganda machine humming, and is significant in the apathy and ignorance mentioned in your poll.

[wtmusic]

11. Good poll

We should resurrect this one from time to time. Keep the focus where it needs to be.

Everyone needs to email, write, and fax media outlets more (myself included). Keep those dirty media whores off the street!!

[jpgray]

13. Yes; I agree with the results so far--the media is the largest problem

In a way it encompasses many of the others--what causes apathy and ignorance? Why would an Osama capture overshadow every mistake made in this administration? Who will talk up the economy based on the stock market alone? Who will "define" our nominee for the election period? The list continues. :(