Why don't you all join the conservatives??

[poskonig]

For many months, I've heard many arguments against Dean. He is too liberal. He is perceived as too liberal. The Republicans are pimping him for an easy beatdown in the general election with their oh-so-awesome conservative platform. The GOP has the goods on him. They'll expose him as a liberal. He can't win the southern vote. And so forth.

Lately, I've seen the same arguments recycled and deployed against Kerry. Great Democrats like Ted Kennedy and Michael Dukakis are seen as liabilities. And the worst -- Kerry -- by offering a clean environment, tax fairness, and healthcare access -- is oh so damningly liberal.

If being liberal is so damn bad, why don't you all join the Republicans? The self-hatred here is pathetic! Do I have to remind everyone that we not only won the popular vote in 2000, but had a 2.5 million voter mandate when Nader voters (like myself) were included?

Snap out of it! :crazy:

[EXE619K]

1. I consider meself an Independent....

leaning left on many issues.

Is the tent big enuff for me?

[WiseMen]

2. Sad. I have noted almost every piece of Repub gabage on Kerry trotted out

I guess this is a democratic forum, unless some guy called Kerry
dares to upset the plan.

[wyldwolf]

3. Why not call it like it really is...

...unless some guy called other than Dean dares to upset the plan.

[windansea]

5. phhhhhhhhhhhhtttt

:cry: oohhh please...thats rich!!

[frustrated_lefty]

4. Sorry your guy getting a few nips causes such pain

It must suck to be the first to experience something like that in this campaign, when no one gets it yet. Especially that bastard Dean. :p

Are you STARTING to get it? We have to work together, this is bigger than US. It's bigger than our candidates. It's about reshaping America, from the media to the congress to the laws to the presidency to who feels safe walking down the street. Hate Dean, love Dean, it is time for a goddam change, WE WANT OUR COUNTRY BACK. An honorable man should not be diminished to a worm in less than a day by the media. It is time for a change.

I am a proud American, and support this message because we need a change. (privately, I cross my fingers Dean will do it, but dammit, it's time!)

[La_Serpiente]

6. When I see the stupid stuff you're talking about

I have this urge to react, but I don't. If the thread was over tax policy, fine. Alright with me. If it was over writing a book to try to bring the soldier back from Vietnam? Furgettabouit.

It makes my day a lot happier :-)

[LoZoccolo]

7. I don't mind the word "liberal".

But I really wanted someone with liberal ideas that could be confrontative enough to gain a lot ground with them - especially in the south. If not just for this election, to chip away a little for the future. I'm not really implying that any of the other candidates aren't this way, but I felt Dean could have been pretty good at that.

[DuctapeFatwa]

8. It is just a time of transition for the Dem party, and how it is perceived

The voting class, largely consisting of the top 25% income tier, has shifted to the right, both Dems and Repubs, over the years, yet there is still a notion that the Democrats per se are "liberal."

While there are some Democrats who perceive themselves that way, they are by no means either the majority or the most lavishly funded.

Some Democrats who do consider themselves "liberal" may be experiencing some disappointment that the party did not proceed in the direction that it appeared to be headed a few decades ago, but instead made different choices.

[FreeperSlayer]

9. ABB!

Bush Out!

[Bucky]

10. Hmmm, "Democrat" does not mean liberals only

I don't think I'd call Dukakis a "great Democrat"--and I say this as someone who helped organize Texas for him in 1988. I was pretty disappointed in how he conceded far too much ground to the GOP and let them just walk all over him. His campaign just fell to peices and he's kind of forgotten today because of it.

I'm sad to hear my fellow liberals try to equate Democratic Party affiliation solely with liberalism. The world is not composed solely of the simple left-right dichotomy that Fox news heads like to reduce things to. There are plenty of good reasons for a person who is basically conservative to like and support in the Democratic party and if we go around antagonizing moderates and well meaning conservatives for their lack of intellectual conformity, we're gonna keep on getting skewered, screwed, and Dukakised.

Kerry is a great senator and I'd be glad to vote for and support him, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking he's not from the left wing of our party. His positions are going to keep him from playing in big sections of the country. I think he makes up for that with other strenghts (stability, "presidential" demeanor, excellent "stealth" debating skills in how he makes it look easy). But it's a trade off and lambasting people for being concerned about his electibility isn't very productive.

[adamrsilva]

11. For many months, I've heard arguments against Dean on

the electability issue. It's only fair we question the knew front-runner.

[AP]

12. Why do we pretend that they don't let EVERY American vote for Pres.

You know why states like Mass produce politicians like Kennedy, Kerry and Barnie Frank? You know why Hillary can Waltz into NY and win? You know why Jesse Helms is from the south? You know why some of the worst congressmen ever came from places in TX other than Austin? And from Orange Cty, Cal.?

It's because these places are very different. And they're ALL allowed to vote for president.

[Jacobin]

14. Shhhhhhh, you might burst his bubble

:evilgrin:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

13. Every front runner has to expect this

The only reason we haven't heard this about Kerry before was that he was perceived to be on his way out. Expect the Rethugs to spin anything they can into negatives for Kerry.

BTW, our local Democratic County Chair told a group of independent voters that they had supported only one Dem for President, and that was Clinton (this is Arkansas, btw). He assured us that they would not support anyone this time except maybe Clark, but if he was pro-choice, pro-civil unions, and anti-gun, they wouldn't do that. After they left, the group members looked at each other and asked, "Were these Democrats? We'll work independently to make sure that the Democratic nominee goes to the White House."

[Moderator]

15. Locking.

1. If you start a thread in this forum, you must present your opinion in a manner that is not inflammatory, which respects differences in opinion, and which is likely to lead to respectful discussion rather than flaming. The moderators have the sole authority to decide whether a thread topic is inflammatory.

Thanks,
DU Moderator