Okay, we tried someone we thought was "electable;" next time we need best

[genius]

WE thought a war hero would motivate everyone to fight. But when you don't have a candidate who is best on the issues, you are not going to motivate.

Dennis Kucinich is best on: the environment, the economy, healthy care, the death penalty, gay marriage, choice (litmus test), international relations, voting rights (backed VCIAA and calls right to have vote counted: a moral imperative), the environment, labor issues, NAFTA and the WTO, and ability to keep his word to stay in and fight.

Dennis is the reason the declines to state and Greens voted Democrat this time. He got them to give us another chance. But this was our last chance. We will never get that kind of a crowd or coalition back unless we nominate someone like Dennis. I know Green candidate who voted Democrat (not because they liked Kerry) but because Dennis had convinced them to trust us on the Presidential issue. Now, the declines to state and third parties are saying "never again." A lot of Democrats are deserting our party because Kerry threw it all away.

[Julien Sorel]

1. What makes Kucinich best on the issues?

[genius]

7. You need to care enough to check out where they stand. Do it yourself

It's better than going Eeny menie minie moe, I think the public will like this one.

There are ratings by environmental organizations. Their are positions on pollution and clear-cutting. There are positions on Yucca Mountain. Dennis had the top environmental and labor rating of all candidates, based on his voting record. Dean was considered the worst on these issues because of his support for corporations over the environment and corporations over peole.

YOu might want to check on whether you want to outsource jobs or have universal health care. Dennis's and Sharptons positions where the only ones that would have brought jobs home and guaranteed health care for everyone.

I could go on- but there have been enough postings. Do your homework.

[Julien Sorel]

11. I know where he stands.

I don't think he is "the best" on the positions -- that's simply your opinion, upon which you've built an argument. Accept your premise as correct, and your argument sounds fabulous. Reject the premise, and the argument evaporates.

[Avalux]

2. How about we fraud-proof our election system -

then we'll talk candidates. Don't put this all on Kerry's head.

[movonne]

4. We will never have a fair election until this is done...no use who

you run on the Dems ticket..WE NEED FAIR ELECTIONS AND THEN WE WILL WIN...

[bush_is_wacko]

5. There you go!

Dems need to lead the charge to make sure there are checks and balances in our voting process. We need to find a way to insure that the vote is tamper proof. We can start by suing every manufacturer of voting machines that give money to the Republicans! Isn't that all of them? We should be running down the paper trail! I know it won't be easy linking them directly, but I think it can be done.

[dmkinsey]

3. How many primaries

or caucuses did DK win?
The Greens are going to do their own thing no matter what we do. They want to build their party into an equal of the two major parties. Fine.
But if they want to vote for Kucinich they'll still be voting for a Democrat which doesn't advance the Green party.

[delphine]

6. Sorry, but this is

just not correct.

First, note that the majority of bush voters have absolutely NO idea about bush's stance on the issues, of any plans he may or may not have or of his true ideology. They voted for image and fluff, out of fear and intolerance and ignorance.

No dem candidate, no matter who it is or what s/he stands for, can gain traction in the current communications environment, which treats voters like consumers, feeding them in little tasty bites and figuring they can't handle a plateful of information.

As long as voters are not willing to invest the time to understand where the candidates stand on the issues, image trumps substance (no matter what the substance is) every time.

I know dem voters who insist that Kerry "lost" because he supports gay marriage. They look dumbfounding when I tell them he DOESN'T support gay marriage.

Second, the repukes will stop at nothing to destroy ANY dem candidate. Even Dennis or Howard.

We did not choose the wrong man for the job or the guy with the wrong ideas or the guy whose policies aren't far left enough (like Dennis'). We chose the wrong campaign strategists, the wrong advisors, the wrong "candidate".

Kerry was a great, great choice, would be one of the greatest presidents ever - but he was a lousy candidate. That's the bottom line. He didn't stand up for himself so people figured he wouldn't stand up for them against the "wolves". He isn't fighting now so he's losing even the dem base (although he doesn't seem to notice).

Dennis would not be a good choice. Image over substance. Sad but true.

[Julien Sorel]

8. He never really had the base.

He had the organization and the credentials, but not the base. He was able to appeal to the people the base of this party forget: rank and file Democrats. And that made him a winner, and a strong general election candidate. McGovern had the modern base -- boy did he have it. He lost too many rank and filers, though.

[genius]

10. Dennis united and brought back the declines to state. Just needed coverge

[genius]

9. Kerry had a better image than Bush and it didn't help

[zulchzulu]

12. Dennis can run again in 2008...

...and he will probably get the same numbers he got in 2004.

I like him, but I also know he would not do well in the next primary season either. Maybe he will do better...whatever...

Work for him in 2008 if you want.

[texastoast]

13. Missing word among the issues

D-E-F-I-C-I-T.

None of those social/international issues make a damn with culturally-centric Repubs unless your viewpoint leans Nazi.

They are PISSED about the deficit. I did a lot of phone banking and almost all of the Repubs I spoke with acknowledged that Bush had a lot of problems. Most of them said they thought Kerry would be soft on terror issues (they don't like the UN) and that was a main reason they voted for him.

You want votes? Figure out how we get rid of the deficit and be a hardass on terror (the Repubs are really a bunch of cowards). You get a plan, you get a lot of moderate Republicans voting for someone outside their party.

Kerry did NOT throw it all away. He was an antiwar activist. Forget about the heroism. Reason counted for little in this election.

[okieinpain]

14. dude, please dk is a nice guy. but come on. this shit isn't about

who's best, it's about who's image is best. dennis would get his ass kicked by any of the repugs short of satan.

[Warpy]

15. Kerry's main problem was a corrupt and hostile media

The tactical blunder he made in his campaign was listening to the party hacks the DLC saddled him with and not slapping the Swill Boat liars down with a libel suit the day their book came out. Remember, the point isn't winning the suit, it's tying up their resources while giving a team of rabid lawyers subpoena power to trace all their money and their contacts within the Bush gang. Not doing this has cost him dearly, and every day he avoids doing it will ultimately cost him his Senate seat.

Kerry was just another good candidate whose message was watered down by bad advice. In trying to avoid offending conservatives, he neglected to inspire the party base.

Kucinich talks a good fight, but forget about his being able to do anything about it while the DLC controls the Democratic Party and the GOP controls Congress, the first being a guarantee the second will occur.

Newsweek seems to think Dean is in line for party leadership. If it happens, we'll have to wait and see if he's able to shake the party up to the extent that Democrats get back on message and can get elected again. Then Kucinich might have a chance.

[From the south]

16. Kerry never had a chance

Down here in the south. Neither does Kucinich.

Dean might do well, if he didnt think all of us drove pickups

[TexasSissy]

17. We don't have to play it safe, that's true. But DK is too controversial.

I'd even think twice before voting for him.