Are we really going to vote for Kerry?

[timdoodle]

YES! I am tired of everyone looking at his campaign issues and his race to the center. These are all political tools, and the real liberal Kerry will come out after he is elected. Please, everyone, we know we won’t vote for Bushit. So why do we always harp on Kerry? Republicans are all the same, or at least mostly the same when it comes to all of the issues. It is easy for a Repuke candidate to appeal to his base. Democrats are better and different. We each have our passionate issues, and it is difficult for a candidate to appeal to each of us. I believe Kerry is trying.

I agree with most, he was not my first choice. I was a Deaniac, but now I must ask myself whether I am going to harbor ill will toward another democrat based on the primary. I no longer can, the risk here is too high.

[avenueb]

1. you bet

eom

[Guava Jelly]

2. You are damn straight we are

Hey I was a die hard Clarkie.
Think of the alternative who else you gonna vote for Nader the idiot spoiler.

[niceypoo]

3. Kerry was the choice of the Media

And we're stuck with him. My only fear with kerry is that he will be out of touch enough to actually choose Gephardt as a running mate. If that happens, all bets are off.

[Vickers]

6. Yup. If he picks anyone other than Clark or Edwards...

...I will assume he has some sort of cognitive disorder (but I won't be worried enough about that to vote for Bush).

Dean would have been an excellent choice (for President *or* VP), but the (ahem) librul press ruined that for everybody..

[JI7]

16. Kerry was the choice of the primary voters

his campaign was declared dead by the media for months, including days before the iowa caucuses. it took a victory in iowa and then in new hampshire to stop the media from saying his campaign was over.

[Lindacooks]

42. Yes, you're right

This was an election, people. I was amazed when Senator Kerry took off in the primaries and caucuses. He won because Democrats voted for him.

[mmonk]

4. I'll vote for him

But with reservations about the future remaining even if he wins. Personally, I think the national dem strategy stinks.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Yep, this whole household is

Ok not the conure, but she woudl not allowed to vote, feathers and all
(Some lightness needs to be insterted here, after all)

[Sparkly]

7. Absolutely

No matter what.

[No Mandate Here.]

8. Even the Center is far better than the

* Extremities.

Are there any real alternatives?

Is anyone else as scared as I am of * naming the courts for the next generation or two?

Is anyone else as scared as I am of the top 1% gettiing even more of our children and grandchildrens' future standard of living?

Anyone have any more?

[doni_georgia]

9. I am voting for Kerry. Bush must go!

[ScreamingMeemie]

10. Yes, because I have to.

:hi:

[Ardee]

11. I almost called your argument 'sophistry'

but then realised that this noun implied nuance subtle deceptiveness.

While I may applaud your enthusiasm it is your naievety that makes me grimace.Whether you are motivated by blind loyalty to a definition of your party that is outdated and no longer true, or by a need to belong and be accepted, or even by a genuine belief that your opinion is correct I truly do not know.

What I do know is that MY vote will be cast for someone who speaks to my vision for my country and not for someone who I hope will change once elected . Kerry has never been a liberal, he has been a centrist his entire political life, and I say this in no way to disparage him or his political career. I note this only to contrast the silliness of those who refuse to see an alternative to bending the truth in order to justify a vote for him or loyalty to their party.

Expecting someone to change after election is not only puerile and naieve but means that the candidate for whom you vote is basically being dishonest.I believe my vote to be important, lost though it will certainly be in the millions of other votes cast, I do not intend to waste it in the vain hope that the politician for whom I cast it will be a different person after winning office.

I do not suggest that you do not vote for Kerry, far from it, what i do suggest is that you examine your values and wishes for this nation and then cast that vote in good conscience and not in expectation of gaining that which the candidate has not offered.

[timdoodle]

24. but

If I were to act on your argument, I would have to write in Dean as my vote...that wouldn't help.

[Ardee]

29. Vote your conscience

Dean couldnt get a vote from his mother....well maybe thats to much.It amazed me how well the voter saw through Deans phoney and flagrant adoption of the mantle of Paul Wellstone after a political history of selling out to Vermont republicans as governor.

Voting for a cowardly politician to afraid or to much under orders to leave Bush alone while trying to take his job may soothe your conscience but it doesnt do much for me.

[William Seger]

26. Talk about "naievety"...

If you can say, "Kerry has never been a liberal, he has been a centrist his entire political life," then you really don't what you're talking about. Either you don't know Kerry's record, or you define "liberal" as someone who agrees with you on each and every issue.

A lot of people criticize the two-party system, but it has one advantage that most people overlook: It increases the chances that the best man will win. As soon as you have three or more choices, "strange things" can happen. There was one example of it recently on American Idol: The three most talented performers got voted off. The entertainment pundits are still scratching their heads over that one, but people who study voting systems have long been aware that such things can happen. We may yet see it again in November, since it looks like the absolute worst of the three major candidates has a good chance of winning.

The primaries were the time for your man, whoever he was, to show his stuff and win support. Now, the reality is that either George Bush or John Kerry will be our next president, and Kerry simply cannot win without winning the center. People who recognize that reality -- and its consequences -- are the opposite of naive, my friend.

[Ardee]

28. One who equates political realities with a stupid TV program......

why that would be you...I dont watch the thing so I do not know about your point, if indeed there was one lost somewhere in that murky response......

[porkrind]

38. It comes down to long-term strategy.

I applaud you voting your conscience, but I think we also need to carefully consider the current political realities.

The choice has now been made that we will have a choice between Kerry or Bush in Nov. This is the current reality. Who would you rather have? I will take the lesser of two evils.

If the race is quite close like it will probably be in Nov., and you take the choice of voting for a distant third candidate which may satisfy your conscience, but has no chance of winning, your risk condemning all of us to a tyrant for 4 years.

The choice is yours, but consider that your vote affects all of us.

[Ardee]

53. My conscience is all Ive got thank you

I do indeed consider realities, here's some Ive thought long and hard about:

1. The Democratic Party has subverted the two party system by refusing to act like an opposition party (reasons are varied but come down to money)

2.Kerry voted for the Patriot Act, the War in Iraq and now tries to justify those votes by sounding increasingly like Bush with regard to those two votes.

3. With all the lies and distortions that Bush has fostered on our nation he is still favored to win this race at this time. The only reason this is so is that noone has given them an alternative, noone has stood up and refused to be polite and politically correct. See reason number 1 above.

4. Nobody freakin votes any more (over 60% in some elections). So, if the only way to awaken the sleeping electorate is to let things get worse and worse so be it! Lets see how bad in needs to get before people start to vote, and then see for whom they do so (hint it probably wont be for some mealy mouthed democrat afraid of his own shadow or afraid of declining corporate financial support)..

Oh and thanks for the build up but ,as I live in California my vote will not create a blip on the scenery.....so i will vote my cosncience in the absence of a viable democratic candidate.

[William Seger]

46. Either Bush or Kerry will be our next president.

What's murky about that? If there's a three-man race and two of them are anti-right-wing-extremist, then it's possible that the right-wing extremist may win because the other two split the anti vote. What's murky about that?

If you've really convinced yourself that it doesn't really matter whether it's Bush or Kerry, then go ahead and vote for someone else, or don't vote at all. But if you're just angry that your own preference isn't in the running, then you aren't voting with your conscience; you're voting with your ego.

Excuse me, but even though Kerry wasn't my first choice for the nomination, I WILL be "voting my conscience" by voting for him. If I wake up the first Wednesday and the headlines say, "Bush Wins," my conscience will be clear that I did what I could to prevent that.

Does that help, or is it still murky to you?

[Ardee]

52. Im happy you asked..

What is murky to me is your unfathomable conviction that electing Kerry will make much of a difference to the political scenery.But I am thankful that you didnt use some silly ass TV program analogy this time out.

The only Democrat I would have voted for for the presidency was Dennis Kucinich, since you asked, though my reasons for questioning your vision of Kerry as some miracle worker is not based upon DK's failure to win the nomination.I never expected that he would do so.

If Kerry is true to his word his presidency will be rather similar to that of our current WH resident in far too many respects. With the democrats acting and talking like republicans I fail to see how the Senate or the House will be in democratic hands thus making Kerry about as powerful as was Jimmy Carter.

So you go ahead and make yourself feel good by voting for whomsoever you wish and Ill do the same. At least MY candidate talks the talk and walks the walk. I will never vote for a sham and a fraud nor for one who talks like Bush and votes for Bushs' agendas....

[John_H]

62. how does your conscience allow you to vote for anyone EXCEPT Kerry?

Since a vote for Bush is a vote for evil and a vote for Nader or the Green candidate enables bush by withholding a vote from the only person can defeat him.

The only way anyone can argue that voting for anyone besides Kerry will naot harm your country would be if Kerry were not an improvement over Bush. And that agument would be, well, height of naievety.

[Ardee]

63. Please leave comic book thinking at the door thank you

While it may please you to look upon Bush as the arch villain of your cartoon watching days, and seeing Ralph Nader as the anti christ, these allegories do not translate well in the real world.

Look, instead of deciding issues on the basis of testosterone try doing some real research, read and understand Kerry's positions of many issues are increasingly close to Bush's own. Read and research how , since the usurpation of the democratic party by Clinton's right wing DLC'ers, the party has silenced its progressive wing, has basically shut them out, as it did to Mary Landrieu when she refused to adopt the dismal strategy that cost many dems their jobs, that she won on her own terms speaks volumes about the failure of the right wing of the dems to inspire and elect.

The very simple truth is that it is the system that is corrupt and that fails us all, electing a single man does nothing to alter that fact. Kerry can do very, very little without a democratic senate and house, very ,very little. He has, so far, no coattails whatsoever and , should he win ,will face an alienated legislature.

What better time to send a message to the neoconservative leadership of the party by refusing to vote for a candidate that will not make a difference anyway?

[bobd]

12. I Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do

I'm so pissed at Kerry I could spit. Today's quote from him about "total victory" almost drove me over the edge. He NEEDS to unambiguously say that Bush is bad, horrible for the continuation of this democracy. He need to cite all of the publically available reasons, point by point - read all 1000 of them. He needs to tell people that it's never been as bad as this.

Why won't he do that? What's left to lose by telling the truth? If he chooses Gephart as his running mate - well, maybe I won't vote at all. Shit - I don't know ....

[markomalley]

13. I will not vote FOR K*...I will vote AGAINST B*

The only reason I will mark the K* block is that it is the only way to make sure B* is not re-elected. But make no mistake, it is not a vote for K*, it is only a vote against b*.

[Deja Q]

14. He's got my vote...

If he's liberal, that remains to be seen.

What matters now is how he presents himself so that people will vote for him instead of President Apostate*.

[johncoby2]

15. Your D*MN right we are!

The list of candidates all had something to bring to the table. Dean brought new excitement and enthusiam, and most of all, people into the party.

Kerry has brought experience.

Combine the two and we got an incredible force to be dealt with. I voting for Kerry. I am volunteering for Kerry. And if Dean ever comes in my area, I intend to see him also!

I am volunteering for Richard Morrison who is taking on Tom DeLay. Many former Dean supporters are helping with the campaign. I had noticed that many were still snubbing Kerry, but then again, they were all at the Kerry rally in Houston.

And it was GREATLY appreciated!

[newyawker99]

45. Hi johncoby2!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[coloradodem2005]

17. Absolutely.

Kerry has my support. I was a Deaniac too, but Kerry is our nominee, and I fully support him. I have attended Kerry meetups. I will proably campaign for him and I will vote for him.

[opihimoimoi]

19. My whole Island gonna go Kerry

[Shopaholic]

18. Well I'm sure as hell not voting for Bush. . .

and I'm sure as hell not going to vote so I guess it's going to be Kerry!

[BiggJawn]

20. You betchur sweet ass I am!

OK, so maybe Kerry is not "All things to All People", but who *IS*? Nader? (don't make me laff) Bush?

We just simply have to get rid of Bush! And Kerry is the best hope for that right now.

The ReTHUGlican smear machine is worried about him. 6 months to the election and already they go on about crap like "Hanoi John" and how Kerry "betrayed the POW's"...

Damn right I'm voting for John Kerry!

[OneTwentyoNine]

21. You Damn right I am....nt

[Blue_Roses]

22. no doubt

in my mind. Yes I will be voting for Kerry.

[amber dog democrat]

23. Kerry - No hesitation.

I see this question as a non issue. I will pick whom ever the party nominates.

[Kahuna]

25. When Dean raced to the Center, it was smart politics..

Now the same people are complaining about Kerry. :eyes:

[Claire Beth]

27. absolutely, I'm voting for Kerry

no question about it.

[donsu]

30. don't want to but will - ABB

nt

[Pastiche423]

31. Of course

NOT!

I still have a choice on whom I will vote in my PRIMARY, which is not until next month. My choice will not be Kerry. For too many years I was forced to vote for the lesser of evils, and/or in this case, the status quo.

As for the GE, I am supporting Dems that will work for change in my local, state and national races. Those that earn my vote, will get my vote.

[Cat Atomic]

32. I have zero faith in Kerry.

I think he's just another moderate (read big business tool) who will sell us out in the long run. If Bush weren't his opponent, there's no way I'd ever vote for John Kerry.

I generally vote my conscience. But this election is going to be an exception to the rule. The Bush administration has been the most disastrous bunch of imperialists and corporate looters we've ever seen. They've done all this WITH another election in front of them.

If they're allowed to get back in for another four years- with no reason to worry about reelection, this country is going to be completely upside-down.

[rockymountaindem]

33. Before I read that "it doesn't matter who wins the election" remark,

I was all for Kerry. Now I'm beginning to think that it may not matter who wins. Who are the Green party candidates?

[robbedvoter]

34. Still holding some hope he'll fight W along the way

If he goes on the "W- leader on terra - and I can be just as good" path, I'll stay home. For now, Kuchinich looks better every day.

[October]

35. Yes!

[JAbuchan08]

36. Voting for him is the LEAST I can do,

I figure, even if he's the worst Democratic president since... if he's the WORST. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT. EVER. - he'll still be better than Bush.

[FemaleDemfromMass]

37. Yes

My family will all vote for Kerry!

[Redleg]

39. I don't know about y'all but I am going to vote for Kerry.

Yeah!

[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

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

[jeanmarc]

41. If Bowl of Oatmeal was running against Bush, I would vote for BoO

Bowl of Oatmeal is just so much more appealing than a whistleass.

[robbedvoter]

44. But what about Bowl of oatmeal wanting to be like W (not really

running against W) - then, what's the point?

[Hippo_Tron]

55. Kerry is not Bush

Kerry has a healthcare plan, Bush doesn't.

Kerry will go to the international community for help with Iraq, Bush will continue to piss them off.

Kerry will fully fund and reform no child left behind. Bush will let public edcation get so bad that people will want vouchers.

Kerry will fight for better pay for our troops and veterans. Bush wants to fuck them over.

Kerry won't launch anymore illegal wars. Bush will go into Iran, North Korea, and Saudi Arabia.

Kerry won't re-instate the draft. Bush will.

Even if you consider Kerry Bush-lite (which I personally don't), Bush is SO bad that Bush-lite is still a hell of a lot better than Bush.

[trof]

43. Yes, we really, really are.

Each and every one of us.

[physioex]

47. Shrub has an IQ of a Chicken McNugget.....

Id vote for the Ham Burgler....Atleast he just steals hamburgers!!

[Skip Intro]

48. YES, I really am.

Still wish Dean had been the nom, but Kerry has my vote.

Absolutely, with out a doubt, written in stone, Kerry has my vote.

[nolabels]

49. So your satisfied then?

"Victory goes to the player who makes the next-to-last mistake.' - Chessmaster Savielly Grigorievitch Tartakower (1887-1956)"

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.' - Albert Einstein (1879-1955)"

"Do, or do not. There is no 'try'.' - Yoda ('The Empire Strikes Back')

http://www.miniluv.com/mt/mt-comments.cgi?entry_id=471

[GoneOffShore]

50. Gotta defoliate the White House

Despite the fact that I was/am a die hard Dean supporter, I'll be voting for Kerry in November. Though for the Pennsylvania Primary on Tuesday, I'll be voting for Dean, just to send the message that there are people who want a liberal in Washington, not a Republican lite Clinton clone.

[Piperay]

51. Definietly...

you better believe I am voting for Kerry! :thumbsup:

[NoPasaran]

54. Damn straight!

Another Deaniac for Kerry here.

[Hippo_Tron]

56. Absolutely...

Kerry will be a great president.

[knight_of_the_star]

57. I am because I must

If Gore were in office instead of Bush, I would be voting for whoever the Green Party would be putting up (most likely Camejo). But Gore isn't in office, and while Wes Clark didn't win the primary, I'm voting Kerry because he is the ONLY candidate who has a decent shot at winning this thing and he's NOT Bush.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

58. Damn straight I am

Everyone can vote how they want. Whatever.

As for me and mine, KERRY.

(I was a Deaniac, too, probably always will be....)

[Borgnine]

59. Absolutely.

I'm yet another Deaniac who was heartbroken to see the media destroy him, but will still proudly vote for Kerry in November. As much as some people have a hard time believing this, there is a huge difference between Bush and Kerry.

[VOX]

60. Kerry was not my first choice (or second, or third), but he has my vote..

Simply too much at stake to not vote for him -- I will do so without hindrance or a second thought.

His VP pick could warm my heart to the ticket, which would be nice, but I don't expect therapy from my vote for Democratic candidates.

[mitchum]

61. Absolutely!

[hughee99]

65. Disturbed

During the primary in my state, everyone seemed fired up to vote for their canidate (Dean and DK people especially). I didn't see that sort of excitement from the Kerry people. It bothers me that we had 4 years to find a nominee and yet we still can't seem to get someone that anyone is excited about.

[deacon]

64. after the karen hughes interview, now more than ever it's...

...definetly kerry who gets my vote.

[0007]

66. yes

[jonnyblitz]

67. I will. /t

[Convinceme]

68. Qualify your VOTE

timdoodle

Unlike Senator Kerry when he voted to go to war without demanding qualifications from GWB, you can demand qualifications from him for your vote!

Don't bother the email address, it isn't read. You can gain attention by writing a letter to "Donate address: below. Ask him whatever you want of him. I asked him to publicly post the S & P 500 % of tax payed by company, by quarter be made public. I told him if my % rate was higher than any of them at the end of his tour he won't get a second vote! I think both parties are getting paid off from the S & P so they pay less tax and don't get bothered. If not why isn't business tax reform the top of the list to fix for a new administration???

Write him at

John Kerry for President, Inc.
P.O. Box 77247
Washington DC, 20013-8247

I suggest you set the same standard for every representative you send to Washington, DC on your vote. Ask them face-to-face or find their address and prerequisite your vote on their actions.

Tell them you want your tax percentage not to be larger than any member of the S & P 500 by the end of their term or you won’t vote for them again!

Latitude18.7

[TruthSeerUmm]

69. Yes, just like we did in previous years

We will convince all the left to vote ABB *this time* with the same promise that if it doesn't work out (DADT, Welfare Reform, DMA etc) then *next time* you can vote third party. Then when *next time* rolls around the same cycle will lather, rinse, repeat.

[bigwillq]

70. Are *you* on crack?!

OF course I'm voting for Kerry.

[cirrocco]

71. YES

ABB!!!!!

[Guaranteed]

72. Kerry is now the leader of the party, and he needs to start acting

like it. Party leaders are very effective in shaping the culture that we live in- look at what Bush has done.

We have to counter what these Republicans fucks have done to our country. And that means a lot more than just winning this election- we have to get out on the airwaves, make an argument, and show people how ignorant and reckless the neo-con philosophy is!! THAT TAKES LEADERSHIP.

[indypaul]

73. Y B Y S A

You Bet Your Sweet Ass

[bobthedrummer]

74. Yep.

eom

[proud patriot]

75. ex green former Nader voter (96) here and I'm voting for Kerry

I have Kerry sticker on my car and
a yard sign up in my front yard .