Who is the best and worst Democrat for workers economically?

[lancemurdoch]

I would say from worst to best:

Lieberman
Kerry
Dean
Gephardt
Kucinich
Sharpton

That being Lieberman is most pro-business and Sharpton is most pro-worker (although Sharpton knows he won't win, so he can say anything without worrying, so Gephardt and Kucinich are the best considering that).

Is that a good assessment? How about the other ones like Edwards and Graham, where do they fit in on the DLC to New Deal wings of the Democratic party?

[dpbrown]

1. I think that's a pretty good assessment

Although I might switch Dean and Kerry in your list.

Dan Brown
Saint Paul, Minnesota

[mlawson]

2. Best, is the one who can most likely beat GWB.

Worst is the one least likely to win. If we nominate someone who is 'best for workers', but they haven't a chance of winning in November 2004, what good is that??? It won't matter one bit, on 1/20/05, who we nominated, but only whether we WON or not.

[lancemurdoch]

3. not necessarily

I personally would prefer Bush win to Lieberman. You have to draw the line somewhere. And I am inclined to be more open-minded due to the fact that both houses of Congress are Republican and 7 of the 9 Supreme Court justices appointed are Republican.

Nonetheless, I think it's important to know who stands where regardless.

[mlawson]

5. bush over Lieberman????????????

I don't even know how to respond to that.

[lancemurdoch]

7. what I mean

What I mean is if Lieberman, who does not represent me in any fashion, ran, I would vote Green, as would many others, and Bush would win. The Democratic party is a coalition of sorts, and only a valid threat keeps either extreme from taking over. Just as I would vote Green rather than Lieberman, I'm sure there are Democrats who would not vote for Kucinich or Sharpton. In this manner, the Democrat coalition stays together.

Lieberman is pro-choice. Some upper middle class women probably vote Democrat just for that. I am more concerned with pro-worker, pro-union things which they don't care about and are possibly even against. Thus we compromise on a candidate. Lieberman is not such a candidate, he does not represent my economic interests. The Greens do, so I'd vote for them. Lieberman runs the DLC, no way I'd vote for him.

[mlawson]

8. The bush machine is the greatest threat to world peace and

domestic civil liberties that we have faced in our lifetimes (and I am 53). I can not imagine anything more important than getting rid of this regime next year. To me, any other consideration is relatively trivial.

No Green is going to beat them. And, IMO, only four of the nine announced Dems can beat them. I *hope* the nominee will not be Lieberman, but the Dem power brokers could well decide to install him (as a Mondale). I do not think he could beat GWB, but what choice would I have but to vote for him, as he would thus be our ONLY chance??

[JVS]

4. Gephardt is better than many give him credit for.

He isn't getting union endorsements out the wazoo for nothing. If he doesn't win the primary I think he would bring labor voters to a ticket as VP.

[lancemurdoch]

6. I agree

Gephardt is probably my favorite candidate. He voted against NAFTA despite Clinton's protest, and has been 110% behind unions throughout his career. I have a feeling he would be an effective president, and would hopefully help in a labor revival.

[JohnKleeb]

9. Thats one of the reasons why I like him

Hes probably the best with Kucinich on labor but no offense to DK, Gephardt is well known with them.

[Blue_Chill]

10. Best for the economy? Then I completely disagree with your list

From best to worst

Kerry
Dean
Gephardt
Kucinich
Sharpton


*Lieberman

I'm basing this on the fact that Clinton had the economy working as good as I've seen it run. Kerry seems to be most similar to him in his economic plans.

Kucinich and Sharpton I wouldn't trust running the country at all. Sharpton no experience at all, Kucinich and his department of peace make me think 'waste'.

*Lieberman is an a Bush clone that wants dems to be more like repugs, and that is just insane. I leave him out of the list completely since the rest of the list is made up of real Dem's.

[sandnsea]

11. Probably Gephardt

He's good on business economy, but not at the expense of workers. It is true you can't have workers without the businesses, so it takes someone who knows both, but ultimately puts the workers just enough ahead so they aren't trampled on. I think that's Gephardt.

[Deja Q]

12. Anyone supporting NAFTA and FTAA is bad for workers, period.

Go ahead and flame; we've seen what NAFTA has done so far. Even the more 'quiet' provisions of NAFTA allowing the US to keep taking other countries' oil in case of catastrophe... NAFTA is 100% pure repuke evil.

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