Do you support another candidate over Dean?

[luckyluke]

And if so, why? What makes xyz candidate better than Dean? Who says Dean is too far left? He seems like a moderate to me. Right-wingers who accuse him of being too far left really mean that he was against the Iraq war, not that he's actually leftist in any economic sense.

Sorry if someone has asked this question before.

[JohnKleeb]

1. Yes, been supporting Kucinich since the summer about

I like Kucinich's vision of a peaceful world really, I may be young but I am not blind of the wars that we see, plus he has good overall views on the issues that I like, and he voted against the patriot act one of the few and brave to do so, and he with Nancy Pelosi led the charge against the war in the house. Plus I respect him as well, I know of how he grew up as a kid yet of all the candiates got involved with politics at the youngest age, and I hear he lives like his constiuents do not in a mansion but a regular old house. I dont find him to be a better or worse candiate than Dean, here's this, I like his vision a lot, that has a great deal with my support of him and yes people you can throw the idealist tomatoes at me, I am an idealist.

[GainesT1958]

2. I like Gen. Clark...

Because he's forthright, takes time to explain what he means and where he's coming from. Plus, he thinks several steps ahead of most people on policy decisions and issues, and on how those steps will affect us down the road. That's the vision and forthrightness of a commanding general. I just feel better with someone who can do that, and has the quiet strength of a leader to back it up, under his belt. That strikes me as just the sort of person we need in the White House right now--and who we need to project the "right" (as opposed to "Neo-Con right wing") image to our allies, and to the rest of the world. He strikes me as a keen problem-solver; he'll actually work to get something done, and not posture about it with no results, or the wrong ones.(NOT a "cut" at Dr. Dean AT ALL in saying that, by the way; but, instead, a broadside swipe at Dub).

And he, too, has the passion to do the job. We saw that in his defense of his positions on FOX News, and in his interview with Dan Rather last night, when he talked about "..they said we shouldn't go into Kosovo; after all, they said, 'there's no oil there'. But I knew better".

:kick:

B-)

[teevee]

5. clark is the kind of president the founding fathers would be proud of

period.

[Kahuna]

58. Hey! Nice campaign slogan.

:yourock:

[PROGRESSIVE1]

6. I agree with 90% of what you say about General Clark and...

that is why is my NUMBER 1 CHOICE by FAR!

Clark can win next year and Bush will have to fight and will probably loose big time!

:kick:

[Padraig18]

11. I'm impressed with Gen. Clark, too.

He's my 2nd choice among the candidates, and he would be an asset to the ticket in either spot. :)

[AP]

3. I'm reading Edwards's Four Trials right now, and it makes me think...

...what was that argument about how nothing you did before age 30 should matter when you're running for President? Because, I'm in the middle of this book, and I'm thinking that everything about you really matters when you're running for President.

[JohnKleeb]

4. What was John Edwards doing before he was 30

I can tell you what my candiate was doing. He was on the Cleveland city council.

[Bombtrack]

9. He was practicing law

in Tennessee I believe.

[JohnKleeb]

10. Thanks

Like what kind of law, you know how broad law can be. He got involved early it seems, being a lawyer I bet was his childhood dream right? I am glad he achieved it, he was a great lawyer and I think he would make a good president.

[AP]

21. He was a Federal Clerk

for year after graduate school, then went to work in TN representing corporate clients doing litigation. He didn't really find that satisfying, so he and his wife moved back to Raliegh. He worked for a small firm doing civil litigation, which was a new area of the law for them. He did a case for a widower who was suing her husbands daughters (her step daughters) who evicted her from a house her husband willed to her (a life estate). One of the step daughters told the press that she'd sooner vote for OJ Simpson than JRE in the senate race in '98.

But his first case, which changed his life (because he was representing exactly the kind of people he wanted to represent) was a case in Asheville, NC, in which a Dr had prescribed 3 times the recommended dossage of a medication which was supposed to be like aversion therapy for drunks. It put the patient in a wheel chair for live, drooling all over himself. He lived in an aparment where friends would come by (less and less often) to empty his jars of urin.

Edwards would go to that apartment, bring the guy chocolate ice cream (his only joy), clean up the ashes from the floor, and empty his urin jars.

Nobody thought this case would be successful because people don't have sympathy for alcoholics.

I'm not going to spoil this one. You'll have to read the book.

[JohnKleeb]

25. He didnt like working for corporations huh

You know I read that Clarence Darrow did the same but he too grew disatisfied and found his sympathies with the people. I may just get the book, I am not sure really.

[AP]

30. He only describes one Nashville case:

A train with explosives broke down in a residentia area. It sat for a couple of days before it exploded, killing or injuring over 100 people. Everyone got sued. I think Edwards said his firm represented the manufacturer of the brakes. Actually, a Chicago firm represented them, and hired his firm to handle depositions and navigate TN civil procedure.

I can't remember if he suggests it was homesickness or lack of job satisfaction that led him back to NC, but it was a mutual decision with his wife.

Edwards describes one interesting scene in TN. He said his parents visited him and he took them to a really nice restaurant that was in one of the tallest buildings in the city. His parents told him that they'd never been so high or seen so far in their lives.

[AP]

15. Working his ass off to make a life for his whole family, working

towards a career in which he could really help a lot of people.

Granted, he didn't start doing personal injury cases until he was 31, but, before 30 he was laying the foundation so that he could do that an more from high school, through college, and even to today.


***SPOILER ALERT***
Don't read the rest of this, if you plan on reading the book. It will spoil a little of the drama:

The second case Edwards writes about is a medical negligence case against a doctor and a hospital for a girl who was born with cebral palsy because an old, well-respected doctor who delivered her didn't believe in '79 that feet-first breech babies should be taken out by c-section, even though all the literature at that time said that that position was, like 20 times more likely to result in injury to the baby. During labor, the doctor did a pelvic exam announcing that he felt the little girl's scrotum between its legs. What he felt was the umbilical cord wrapping around the legs and cutting off oxygen. Well, they won the case against the doctor and sued the hospital next.

The hospital defended itself on the grounds that nurses didn't have an obligation to go over the head of an attending doctor to a supervisor if they saw a problem. The nurse (the hospital's employee) said that she knew something was going wrong, but trusted the doctor's judgement. The supervising doctor looked at the fetal heart rate monitor and said that he would have ordered a c-section an hour earlier than the vaginal delivery had the nurse's concerns been drawn to his attention (which would have saved the baby from having cerebral palsy). Another nurse testified that going over a doctor's head to the supervision physician would have cost her her job, probably.

When Edwards won that case against the hospital, hospitals all over NC passed new rules protecting nurses who went over the heads of attending physicians, which might have saved many people from the fate Edwards's client suffered. In other words, he encouraged these hospitals to do what they should have been doing from the beginning -- throw out tradition, stop coddling egos, and do what's best for the patients.

The book talks about how difficult it is for people to win cases like this in NC.

So that's one of the things Edwards has done with his life: he laid the foundation through hard work, a committment to people who suffered, and dedication so that not only his clients' lives would be bettered, but so that what happened to his clients wouldn't happen to other people.

[JohnKleeb]

17. Good for him

I really think that book looks good, Kucinich's book and his seem like good reads. Really seems good, and he seems to have been a great lawyer, most people dont like it when he talks about his parents the millworkers or what not but I tell you, I am one of the few who doesnt, because it gives him a human sense, he's fighting for those he grew up with, regular people just like you and I, thats who we should fight for.

[TorchTheWitch]

34. not to burst any bubbles but...

The one thing about Edwards that does disturb me a bit is the fact that he's a lawyer. Having worked in the legal system for a decade, the one thing that I learned was there is no real justice in this country... and how to lie with absolute conviction. If there's one noble attorney in this country, I sure as hell never heard of him/her.

I, too, made the switch from corporate defense to the "little downtrodden plaintiff" side just like most attorneys do... for the same reason they did - MONEY. There is no money in defense work. Almost every attorney starts out in defense because of the guaranteed steady paycheck while they learn the ropes (you're not taught how to be a lawyer in law school).

I, too, worked primarily in medical malpractice... why? it's a big money niche. There is no med mal attorney that will take a case that will win less then $100,000... how noble is that? These cases are taken on a contingency basis (if you don't win, you don't get paid), so it makes financial sense that plaintiff attorneys won't touch a case that they know won't virtually guarantee them X amount of profit. Every day new potential clients are turned down right and left no matter how horrible their plight if the virtual guaranteed win barometer is too low or the dollars and cents don't stack up high enough. There is little to no real compassion in the legal field... that's just standard business practice, and the biggest reason I finally bailed out.

Make no mistake about it, Edwards didn't take those cases he won without knowing his chances for a win were huge and it made financial sense... there's just no nobility factor here - it's standard business practice. Not knocking Edwards as I doubt he's any more corrupt then the average attorney - he's just doing what every other attorney does... there's just nothing noble or compassionate about it.

Oh, and the chocolate ice cream and urine clean up thing? Bah... that's petty compared to what I've seen some of the attorneys I've worked with do to keep their clients happy. Just as an example: the last attorney I worked with had a collection of toy soldiers from the Civil War era that were a family heirloom worth about $20,000. He had a "bad baby" case (cerebral palsy from malpractice at birth... sound familiar?) that he knew was worth many millions. As the clients got discouraged that the case was taking so long to come to trial and were contemplating settling for a far lesser amount then he knew could be won at trial, he gave the toy soldiers to the family as a gift "because ____ liked to play with them". Believing he was out of his mind to give away an heirloom worth that amount of money to a client (there was no way that he did it out of a sense of compassion or nobility), he said he would be crazy not to because of the extras millions to be made by going to trial far surpassed their worth... and he was right. He was able to talk the family out of settling for $450,000 and two months later won 11.1 million at trial, of which he got 40% plus over $50,000 in expenses. How much urine would you clean up for that kind of money?

Really now, urine clean up is nothing. As a nurses' aide many years ago I cleaned up urine, blood, vomit and feces, cleaned and wrapped dead bodies and did plenty of other disgusting things on a daily basis for $7.35 an hour. I don't even want to think about what I'd be willing to do for 40% of 11.1 million plus expenses.

[chimpymustgo]

35. Don't you think it unfair to project your own experiences onto Edwards?

I'm sorry you are so disillisioned. But John Edwards felt he WAS doing noble work. I'll take his word for it.

[AP]

39. You need to read Edwards's book.

It might give you renewed hope for and respect of your profession.

And don't worry, no bubbles have been burst.

Edwards did take a huge chance on that first case. It's pretty obvious from the book. The second case, the defendant had way more resources than Edwards have. I'm only that far now.

There are some states in which there's no money in med malpractice. What state are you in?

It doesn't look like NC was one of those states.

Many firms couldn't take the risk of a case that is so expensive to present (100,000 just to get the experts and spend the time to learn the issues for one of Edwards's early cases in '84).

I don't know any lawyer who would prefer med mal plaintiff's work over partnership in a huge corporate firm. In NYC, average partnership salaries in corprorate firms are, like 1 million or more per year. Smart people would rather than bust their asses for a partnership and the guaranteed income that comes from billing rich corporations for work, regardless of success, then the chance at a win in a med mal case, especially in a state like NC.

On edit: I see from your posts, collectively, that you're from PA, you don't seem to like any of the candidates, you like to leave all the lights on in your house, you seem happy with energy deregulation, and you do a job you hate for the love of money. That's a nice portrait you're painting. Now, we should trust your judgment of Edwards why?

[Zynx]

36. And then what a great Mayor he was.

:eyes:

[blm]

38. He was a great mayor. Big business set out to destroy him.

He was a populist mayor in a big business town.

His actions in regard to the utilities had the longterm effect of SAVING Clevelanders from the gouging of the deregulators and the privatizers. Cleveland later commended him for his brave efforts because the PEOPLE benefitted in the long run.

on edit: You excoriate other candidates for brave populist stands taken in the past, yet Dean's record as a DLC governor up till Jan. 2003, who pulled the party to the right gives you no pause?

[GainesT1958]

7. "Nothing you did before age 30 should matter when you run.."?

Wow, THAT rationale would leave a LOT of what Bill Clinton accomplished out the window. Same for JFK, FDR, and a host of others, including Al Gore. Plus a lot of people running today, including John Kerry, Wes Clark, Dennis Kucinich, and Howard Dean. I agree with you--that maxim's got to go!

B-)

[AP]

22. Bill Clinton worked hard from the get go. When I voted for him,

I voted for the person he was his entire live.

When he was 16 (I think) he went to Boy's Nation, and was one of only three southerners who voted for civil rights legislation in their mock congress.

JFK? He seemed like a decent kid growing up, but, have you read the navy report on the PT-109 incident. JFK swam into the fucking horizon, having no idea where he was going to try to find someone to rescue his crew. That event was a lifetime of character compressed into three days.

FDR? When he was 39 he started to lose mobility. He went to therapy with kids and adults from all over America, from all backgrounds, and all economic strata. He developed an understanding of the human experience that influenced the way he saw the world.

Al Gore's biography was one of the things I didn't like him, and I was sure there someone out there better than he was. I think we found a couple of them.

[Bombtrack]

8. Dean would PROBABLY lose for a number of reasons

I never call Dean unelectable, but he is the least electable serious candidate.

People here seem to think that the reason republicans have a 20+ seat majority in the house is that that many districts have racist sexist homophobic majorities, thats not the case.

The number one dominating reason for this is that the dems are seen as the tax-increasers and the republicans are seen as the tax-cutters.

A staple of Dean's platform is a middle class tax increase

He's also from about the worst state a democratic candidate could come from, and unless you're anti-iraq-war, he doesn't have a very likable personality that would charm alot of independant voters at all.

[luckyluke]

12. So why is he called fiscally conservative?

[chimpymustgo]

14. Well now. Which Dean are you talking about? Gov or Candidate?

They are two very different people, you know.

I'm for Clark or Edwards - HONEST straightshooters.

Dean is a parody of a lying politician.

[stinkeefresh]

18. an parody of a lying politician? Yikes.

That's pretty harsh. I'm sure Clark and Edwards are perfectly honest, and I'm sure you have a list of Dean's lies even longer than Gore's. But I still think his heart is in the right place, and I also think he's going to be our next president.

[chimpymustgo]

26. Harsh, because I DON'T think Dean's heart is in the right place.

From the very start he has shown he will say whatever he thinks it takes to get elected. He has lied about and distorted the records and positions of almost all the other candidates. He has attacked everyone from Day One - until he became the frontrunner, and he and his supporters started crying about getting attacked. He was the first to go on the air with negative ads. The list of his flip flops is too long to complile:

public financing for his campaign
Medicare funding
Social Security retirement age
Gambling rights for Indian tribes (today's news)
Confederate flag (first he said it's a state issue, then said it should not be flown over public buildings

And that's just a few off the top of my head. Pretty important issues, too.

[AP]

32. add to the list:

- used to like deregulation, now he likes regulation
- in '95 said AA programs should drop race as consideration, in '03 supported U of M case fully.

But, hey, VT was a small state and the US is big.

[chimpymustgo]

33. Deregulation! Regulation! AA based on class! Based on race!

It would be funny if it weren't so scary.

[Bombtrack]

27. Just as soon as we annex Canada for electoral votes

actually, that still probably wouldn't be enough, we might need Argentina or something

[slinkerwink]

31. welcome to DU!!!!!!

:hi:

[NewYorkerfromMass]

55. Hey. Kerry's as HONEST a straightshooter as they come

Don't sell him short.

[JohnKleeb]

56. Last I see, CMG has him on her three good guys list

Kerry, Clark, and Edwards.
Personally I would like a Kerry-Edwards ticket if Kucinich didnt get the nod.

[Bombtrack]

24. No, no, he calls HIMSELF a fiscal conservative

it's one of the many, many, false DEFENSIVE, self-proclamations he makes about himself

if he was a fiscal conservative, he wouldn't have to say it because his platform would speak for itself. If he was a straigt-talker, he wouldn't have to say he was one, but he does that too.

It's similar to his confederate flag statement in a way. He say's these things to soothe his supporters and try and woo potential supporters into thinking that he's electable, because alot of people belive(acurately) that he'd be the easiest of the 5 or 6 serious candidates for Bush to beat.

[stinkeefresh]

13. I see your points,

but I have to say that Howard Dean minuses are more than made up for by The Dean Campaign plusses. The candidate is great, but the campaign is outstanding. Breakthrough. Already reforming politics- right now, as we speak.

Gore was a great candidate, according to all the "rules" of what makes a guy electable. But his campaign wasn't run well enough. Trippi understands that tactics are as or more important to winning a campaign these days than positions. Every single time Dean is seriously attacked, he immediately uses the opportunity to educate and comes out stronger. That will apply to taxes too.

Honestly, I love Dean, but if Trippi was running Clark's or Dennis' campaign, I might well be supporting them instead.

[Bombtrack]

29. Dean is a good PRIMARY candidate

and so was George McGovern.

Dean latched on to a huge preexisting network of liberals/leftists at it's height, the anti-war movement. If there was no anti-war movement there would barely be any Dean campaign. Primary or otherwise.

[aldian159]

28. That's why I support JK

He won't raise taxes for the middle class, only if you make 200,000+ a year.

[LoneStarLiberal]

16. I'm Backing Clark

I came into this primary as a drafter and transitioned over to the main campaign.

I don't dislike any other Democratic candidate with the exception of Joe Lieberman. If Clark wasn't in the race I would probably be backing Dean from the beginning.

There isn't one particular thing I can articulate about why I like Clark more than Dean beyond non-policy character. Dean's never really inspired me to want to get involved in a campaign and spend oodles of my time and my own money to do these things. Clark did and does.

That's the best I can do right now for an explanation. I'm sure everyone else here feels to some degree the same way about their chosen candidates.

[stinkeefresh]

19. well said

[whirlygigspin]

20. I like Hootie McBoob for President

just like the name.

[Kahuna]

45. Hey stinkee! Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[redqueen]

23. Yes, I support Kucinich.

I support Kucinich because he's not interested in cooperating with those that have pushed this country to the brink of fascism.

I support Kucinich because he's dead-set on changing what this country is about -- preferring to lead for positive change, rather than follow polls and what the media says is possible.

I support Kucinich because he's not afraid to remove the corporate ticks from the people's Treasury.

I support Kucinich because he understands that we as humans must continue to evolve.

I support Kucinich because I share his belief that in order to fix this country we have to have fundamental changes, fast; that we can't afford to 'trim around the edges' if we wish to reclaim our democratic republic.

I support Kucinich because he understands that this world really is interconnected and interdependent.

I support Kucinich because he will have the longest coattails, due to his willingness to speak truth to power, to stand up for his principles, and to stop chasing after the right's votes and start appealing to our base.

I support Kucinich because he has demonstrated that he not only speaks about what must be done, he acts on it.

[IronLionZion]

37. some say he is too far right or call him "waffle powered howard"

because he adapts his policies and is a realist. I like grass roots campaigns and Dean's platform is great. But I doubt whether he can hold his own against the Rove machine. I'm still trying to decide between Dean and Clark.

[dawn]

40. Undecided

I'm still undecided between Clark and Dean. I like both of them.

[Tellurian]

41. DEAN ALL THE WAY!

he's the one that can do it-

[in_cog_ni_to]

42. Clark n/t

[buddhamama]

43. i do. it's the primary season,i'll vote in the primary for the candidate

that more thoroughly represents me.

he's a moderate i'm more left.

[sandnsea]

44. All of them over Dean

He has no morals or ethics. He talks out of both sides of his mouth. He's a hypocrite. He says attack Bush but spends half his time attacking other Democrats. Without turmoil, he has no campaign. He's smoke and mirrors. He's all talk and no action. He's not a leader, he's a compromiser. He shoots off at the mouth, either without thinking or just not knowing what he's talking about. He's condescending and stereotypes peope. He's a disaster. Any candidate would be better than Dean.

[mitchum]

46. I support several candidates over Dean

I don't like him, his record or a lot of his supporters (paid or otherwise)

[quinnox]

47. Yes, because Dean is a master phony and panderer

I can't trust a guy like Dean, who gives his word and then breaks it without a second thought. How could I support a man of no principle like Dean, whose word has no meaning.

I like Kerry, Gephardt, and Edwards, in that order.

But any candidate, with the possible exception of Lieberman, would have a better chance in a contest with Bush than Dean would.

The GOP want Dean so bad they are salivating at the prospect.

[Scott Lee]

66. You forgot "Front runner"

.

[DemCam]

48. Was really depressed about the candidates

until I discovered Wes Clark. I watched the C-Span little tiny video of the New Hampshire Town Hall and that was it for me. I couldn't see a single other candidate after that.

I came to the conclusion that, like it or not, the terrorism threat is not going away...and now we have invaded Iraq and are dropping 1ton bombs again today. I just don't trust the Bush Administration, period, nor their motivations. I trust Clark.

That just about sums it up really. He's the one I trust.

He's the one who has a vision of our country that I can live with.

For me...he's the one.

[knight_of_the_star]

49. ummmmmmmmmmmmm

If the question is:

"Do you support another candidate over Dean?"

Why did you put Dean in as a choice?

[elperromagico]

57. My thoughts exactly

How can you support Dean... over Dean?

Are there two Howard Deans in this race?

[arewethereyet]

50. Edwards of course

its really simple, only charismatic, populist dems with a plan and with the correct accent become president.

Crabby guys from New England don't.

[chimpymustgo]

53. Welcome to DU, arewethereyet! And welcome to the Edwards posse.

Do you like Clark and Kerry also?

[AP]

60. The Edwards posse likes Kucinich too, and is deeply

grateful for the contributions Sharpton and CMB make to the debate, and think Lieberman is beyond reproach (only) on most social issues (race, in particular), and also respect Gephardt's labor record, but, at least this member of the Posse didn't like the way Gephardt hanged Clinton out to dry in 94. Bastard.

[JohnKleeb]

62. One of ours tonight was talking about a

Kucinich-Edwards ticket, I sure wouldnt mind that, and vice versa would be interesting. These two do get along well, and they have something I like, a rememberance of where they come from that is mill worker parents for Edwards and a truck driver for Kucinich and they didnt have a home for a while plus they seem like good guys. I like Edwards. I really liked how he said he was fighting for who he grew up with at Rock the Vote, I bet he says this a lot but I do like him. I see how DK was your second pick, Edwards I think is either 2 or 3 on my list.

[diamondsoul]

51. Kucinich-

Mainly because I want to elect someone I trust. I can't quite get that same concrete certainty about Dean that I do about Kucinich. A few too many mis-speaks and several occasions where I felt he was holding something back in what he said, if that makes sense?

Kucinich unwaveringly speaks the truth and when he makes a mistake he does his level best to correct it immediately. He's never wavered on his positions, and I believe he genuinely cares about the people and not the money. I remain unconvinced that Howard Dean has those qualities.

[FrenchieCat]

52. I support Clark wholeheartily!

Clark is the only one that has the moxie, gravitas and charisma to pull a win out from under the Bushes.

William J. Clinton - Arkansas Rhode Scholar
Wesley K. Clark - Arkansas Rhode Scholar

Same initials.
Middle initial.....K comes after J

REASONS TO VOTE FOR WES CLARK:
He's super intelligent yet humble.

He's Not afraid to tell it like it is in the most diplomatic way there ever was.

He's tough and yet soft. Strategic yet honest.

He's only one of two from the south and we need to make sure that some of those 4 southern democratic senate seats are filled with Democrats

He's the only candidate who's had foreign diplomatic experience, and knows diplomats and world leaders worlwide. He is respected by many if not all.

He's only one of two that's a true hero (wounded 4 times in Vietnam)

He's a true International intellectual (Oxford degree in economics, philosophy and politics)(taught philosophy of politics and economics at West Point.

He's the only candidate that was knighted by the Queen of England

He's one of only two candidate that can actually ride a horse well.

He's the only candidate that was 1st out of his class.....West Point, no less.

He's the only candidate that is fully against the Cuba embargo.

He speaks 4 languages....most than any other candidate (can you imagine how proud we'd be)

He's the only candidate that has traveled the entire world and lived in many parts of it too. A true internationalist and sophisticate.

He's the only candidate that has achieve the capture of a real dictator that he warred against. The dictator is alive and in the Hague awaiting an international court trial. Now that's democratic!

He's the only candidate that has already been a Commander-in-Chief....in fact a Supreme Allied Commander...can't get better than that prior to becoming President.

He's the only candidate that the military will gladly vote for. Kerry is perceived as liberal and will not get the military vote the way that Wes can.

He's the only candidate that is more liberal than he is perceived.

He's the only other "star" in the Democratic party according to Bill Clinton.

He's the only candidate that is also a prolific writer and reads 3 books per week.

He's the only candidate that can really attract votes from a broad spetrum, including Liberals, centrist, moderates and conservatives.

He's the only candidate that was ever a White House fellows.

He's the only candidate that can do many, many push-up using three chairs.

He's the candidate with the best hair according to important new sources.

He's the only candidate that will attract Jews, catholics, protestants, and muslims. He is 1/2 jewish, was a southern baptist, converted to catholism, attends Presbyterian church and saved hundreds of thousands of muslims from ethnic cleansing. Plus he wrote the AA brief to Supreme court for the Army and has a lot of support in the hispanic and African-American communities. Plus his educational background totally floors the asian communities (who are most impressed by someone with a good education). And looks like he's gaining support in the American Indian community.

He's the only candidate who isn't a phony bologny politician. Who actually speaks like he's a normal person, instead of "speeching" his audience.

He's the only 4 star General in the race.

He looks better than any of the other in a speedo.

He has the best teeth.

He's the only candidate that turns me on in any way.

He's the only candidate that came into the race because others were begging him to.

He's the only candidate that looks like a f*cking movie star. (Edward's cute, but not movie star cute...more like boy next door cute).

He's our dream candidate, and if we blow this one, than we deserve it.

He's the only candidate that when he wins, we will be able to say
THE WES WING!

[diamondsoul]

61. BAHAHAH! The Wes Wing- I like it!

Hadn't seen that one before but it's cute.

I wish though, just one thing- that you hadn't said "the only candidate" in ALL of your points because a couple of them are subjective.

"He's the only candidate who isn't a phony bologny politician. Who actually speaks like he's a normal person, instead of "speeching" his audience."

Like this one. I happen to think the same of Kucinich, with the exception of debate situations. He's not the same at other events. No offense intended, just requesting a consideration- and I genuinely do like Wes Clark. Enough that right now I don't know what I'll be doing if Kucinich winds up out of the race.

[FrenchieCat]

63. You're right......

I get carried away sometimes. I like DK....When I was mad as hell, I used to watch C-Span and see him telling it like it was!

So kudos for DK!

[mitchum]

54. kick

[RetroLounge]

59. So if I vote for Dean, does that mean I support

Dean over Dean?

Most Dean Supporters will just skip this thread, based on the title, so putting Dean in the poll is a bit, oh, lets say, useless.

[hippywife]

64. Kucinich 100%!!

Congressman Kucinich understands that a real universal healthcare plan will not still leave millions uninsured.

He understands that insuring only those under 25 and over 65 will not be very different from what we have now and thus will not solve the problems that exist in the curtrent system. It will be an extension of keeping the kids on mom and dad's insurance policy just a little longer and insuring those already eligible for medicare.

He understands that those still not covered by Dean's policy are the age of the breadwinners of families and that when one family member is at risk, the financial security of the entire family is at risk.

He understands that there are people that cannot afford to purchase healthcare and shouldn't have to when this country already pays what it takes to have universal healthcare. Those profits and overhead expenses need to be re-directed into providing actual care for our citizens.

He understands that we are the only developed nation that still maintains a for-profit healthcare system and that other nations aren't beating a path to imitate it.

He also understands that what is wrong with our current healthcare system is the profit of insurance companies that is factored into their decisions to provide or deny coverage for treatment.

Congressman Kucinich also has a record of continuing to do the job he was elected to do rather than spend his time seeking election as President. Only one vote missed in four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, and that one only because Tom Delay refused to reschedule the vote while the Dem candidates were attending an early forum.

He will also bring our troops out of Iraq which will create a more stable environment in which to proceed with the rebuilding process that needs to take place there.

He understands that programs like NAFTA cannot be re-negotiated. There is only one provision for change that is legal per the WTO and that is the option to give 6 months notice of intent to withdraw.

He understands that, while a strong military defense is necessary, there is too much waste in the Pentagon ($1.2 trillion dollars unaccouted for) and that we do not need to develop new nuclear weapons to the dteriment of education, the economy, and the health of the citizens of our nation.

He understands that you cannot expect other nations to back away from nuclear armament when your own country continues to develop nuclear weapons.

He understands that The Patriot Act is not the way to secure our nation from terrorism.

He understands that there has to be more equitable and honest brokering of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, allowing the Palestinians a nation of their own.

He not only speaks correctly to the issues but he acts on them.

He understands what the Dem party used to be and needs to return to being.

[youngred]

65. He is a moderate

and I am turning more and more against him as time goes on. I'd still vote for him but his attitude is the suck

[mvd]

67. Kucinich

That's because he's closer to my views and because I think he'd do the most to change the special interest climate in D.C. But I like Dean a lot and am planning on voting for him in the primary if Kucinich and Braun are out.