Will contesting the election be a litmus test for the 08 candidate?

[genius]

Kerry regretted his war vote. You didn't hear that publically but, if you saw him speak off the mike you know he did. This time people thought "electable" was the key. Next time they won't forgive based on "electability." It's sort of a been there, done that thing. Next time they will pick someone who represents the people, someone who has the courage to challenge Bush. I don't know who will be running in 08. But if Feingold or anyone else is expecting the nomination, contesting the election will be a requirement for anyone with a chance to contest it.

[OneBlueSky]

1. we'd be nuts to nominate another senator anyhow . . .

we need to nominate someone outside Washington . . . a governor, or even someone not in government . . . Robert Redford comes to mind . . . :headbang:

[genius]

3. I love Robert Redford. But I can't imagine him running.

If you have any influence with him, encourage him.

[OneBlueSky]

28. I can see the bumper stickers now . . .

"Draft Sundance!" . . . :)

[American Renaissance]

2. as my girlfriends brother puts it...

The democrats have to goto a cross burning and turn up hoods till they find a klansman who is both 100% illiterate and supports universal healthcare.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

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

[AngryAmish]

23. huh?

when did gay bashing become part of the progressive movement?

[The Gigmeister]

4. Yes.

Whoever contests it (No serious candidate will), is done.

[Capn Sunshine]

8. DONE?

How is enlisting the undying gratitude of every American disenfranchised by this brutal rape of the democratic process "DONE"?

Only a total fool keeps repeating this meme.

Unless you flex your power , then we ARE done.

[The Gigmeister]

9. Yes, done.

If there was any reason at all to contest this election, Senator Kerry would have been the one to do it.

The man took command of a unit with a 75% casualty rate in Vietnam. His courage is beyond reproach, no matter what is said of him here.

Enough with the tin-foil...Only a fool does not stand with Kerry on this issue. And personally, I stand with the honorable Senator Kerry.

[ldf]

11. Enough of the tin-foil?

are you for real?

i think you need to take your blinders off.

if you think bush won this election fair and square then you have no concept of the realities of the situation. do a little homework.

and kerry, apparently, is no longer the courageous veteran he was in the 70's.

do we want someone who will do what is RIGHT? or someone who will do what is politically expedient?

[The Gigmeister]

13. Yes...Enough of the tin-foil.

Or not...I really don't care...

Senator Kerry and the rest of the mainstream Democratic party members are moving forward and plotting stategy on how we can stop the Idiot in Chief from doing too much damage and how we can win in 2006 and 2008. And I am with them.

[robbedvoter]

18. I don't think the fan club meets here - we actually deal with facts.

All those nice stories from the past were good in the speeches, PR. But people ask the question: "but what did he do for me lately?" In the case of your worship object, nothing since January 6, 2001.
So, when I think of my vote, I

[Capn Sunshine]

27. People have been wrong on this forum before

But never have I seen such self assured wrongness masquerading as something else.
How does one become so passionateless one has to wonder

[usregimechange]

5. Only on DU. nt

[The Gigmeister]

10. Exactly!!

[Clark2008]

15. I guess 3 million other sites are still all "DU"

http://www.google.com/search?q=election+fraud&sourceid=mozilla-search&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official

[tritsofme]

6. If it is...

then I guess we won't be nominating any senators...

[robbedvoter]

17. Maybe not. But I still hope.

[Capn Sunshine]

7. It should be a litmus test for the Democratic Party

Either you're in or you're out. If we don't stay loud and angry about this, if we don't fix this RIGHT NOW who we run in '08 won't matter.

[Radical Activist]

14. Why? It's a lost cause at this point

It needed to be contested over a month ago. I'm sure there was fraud but there's no proof that it was enough to overturn the election, and even then it would be impossible for Kerry to put together an administration this quickly. Turnover takes time. The nation would be in chaos if Kerry were forced to be sworn in with no administration put together and no support from the Bush admin people who would be foaming at the mouth.

We need to investigate fraud to make sure it doesn't happen again. That will be easier to do when you separate it from being an attack on Bush. Ensuring the validity of our election process is bigger than just getting Bush.

[robbedvoter]

19. Then democracy is a lost cause. Give me a reason they won't steal it again

And again and again. If you talk about lost causes, be ready for 1000 years of darkness (unless they blow up Earth sooner)

[Radical Activist]

21. We work to make sure it doesn't happen again

That takes a lot more work than one person protesting when this comes to a vote as a formality in Congress. I really don't see how that solves the problem anyway. This is not an Ohio issue. This happens in most states, if not all. The real work is electing better county clerks, getting state laws changed, demanding new federal laws. These are all the things we need to protect democracy for the next election that won't be accomplished by protesting a formal vote that we know we'll lose.

Getting Kerry in the White House is a lost cause. We have to separate that from protecting the integrity of our electoral process.

Knowing why HAVA didn't work in 50 states is much more important than knowing what happened in Ohio.

[robbedvoter]

16. It is for me. I already voted for a bunch of people who sat on their hands

while my voting rights were trampled by the GOP. It came up to bite me on November 3rd. Insane I'm not.

[Annus Horribilis]

20. No

I'm okay with supporting someone in 08 that didn't contest it.

[Clarkie1]

22. Since no one is going to contest, you won't have many options

[Guaranteed]

24. Courage is electability. Respectability is electability.

A politician who doesn't believe what he says is not respectable. People see the bullshit, and they won't vote for it.

I met even some Democrats during GOTV who wouldn't vote for Kerry because they felt like they couldn't trust him.

[Lexingtonian]

25. No

And it's the interests of The People that a candidate has to represent, not The People itself.

Where do you get this funny idea that being loud ("challenging") somehow proves something? And where do you get the idea that everything tried and left undone during this election didn't get focus group tested up the wazoo, especially that sort of thing?

I realize you mean well. It's just the level of naivite that is always astounding in all this Monday morning quarterbacking.

[AntiCoup2K4]

26. Senators can't get elected anyway, so the argument is irrelevant

They should stand up on the 6th as a matter of goddamn principle, NOT to score points for future campaigns.

Or do any of them HAVE any fucking principles anymore? :grr:

[bklyncowgirl]

29. I want a candidate with strong workable positions on election reform.

He or she would not necessarily have to have personally contested the election but I do want someone who understands the issue and will truly stand up for the rights of the voters.