I will always be a Democrat

[BL611]

and always vote for the Democratic candidate in the general election as long as there is ANY difference between them and the Republicans. If the difference is one extra child with health care, or one extra dollar in our schools, or one working person getting tax relief, it is STILL WORTH IT, because that one person is more important then the psychic satisfaction of venting my frustration, and I sure as hell know if I WAS THAT ONE PERSON I WOULD WANT OTHERS TO DO IT FOR ME . Nothing will be accomplished by not voting, or voting for a third party candidate who has no chance. If I don't like the direction the party is going in I will deal with that in the primary, but when it comes to the general election NO DIFFERENCE IS TOO SMALL THAT IT IS NOT WORTH VOTING FOR THE BETTER CANDIDATE, however marginal the difference is.

[onehandle]

1. Ditto. nt

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Me too. And I will always be a liberal since I detest the entire

'conservative' ideology.

[Broken_Hero]

3. yeah, you are right...

I would just like our party to go against anything, that GWB wants...to unify and say NO to anything, will make me happy, and i don't care what it is, i just wish they would do something, instead of shaking their heads and saying yes, and yes....and yes, yes.

[BL611]

6. Social Security, "Tax reform", lax environmental standards,

CAFTA, "bankruptcy reform", "Medicare reform". The majority of Democrats have fought against almost Bush's entire platform. Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose, people have to understand that they DO try, they often just don't have the seats to do it, its up to YOU as a voter to change that...

[Broken_Hero]

18. Yeah, yeah you are right...

I dont' know, i should stop feeling so negative, it seems every time i see dems saying NO i only see about 5 of them saying no, like Kerry, Boxer, and Clinton...i would like to see our party unify behind something, anything...i would like them to stand unified behind a big NO about the iraq war, and bring our boys back home...but again, i'm probalby just wishing for things. I as a voter do try and change that, i write my reps/senators, and participate in democractic meetings in our county (and oh my is it a small club), and i do vote, so i do try...can't do everything...:) i'm in SW Missouri...:)

[tx_dem41]

4. I agree BL. Too many DUers get nostalgic for a Democratic

Party that never existed. We have always been made up of factions of liberals and moderates (and at one time Conservatives). We have never been a disciplined party.

[BL611]

8. Yes its too bad that

objectively looking at history, means so little to so many....

[Walt Starr]

5. Whether I'm still a Democrat hinges upon a filibuster of Scalito

I've voted straight Democratic tickets for more than two decades and have even been a Democratic candidate on two occasions.

Whether I ever vote for another Democrat hinges on what the democrats in the Senate do. If they filibuster, I remain a Democrat. If they roll over, I will be as much an Anti-democrat as I am an Anti-Republican.

This far and no further. As far as I'm concerned, the Democrats either fight now or they die now. There is no in between.

[BL611]

7. I wonder if it was YOUR

health insurance, or education, or anything else that would be lost, whether you'd be adopting the same attitude....

[Walt Starr]

10. Healthcare, Education and all the rest are lost anyway

If Scalito gets on the high court.

[BL611]

12. Certainly not to the degree

it will be lost with a Republican legislature, and as long as thats the case I will vote Democrat (as for who I support in the primary that ALWAYS depends...)

[Walt Starr]

16. I don't see Democrats doing anything to help on those issues now

sorry, but everybody has to draw the line somewhere.

This is my line. If they wimp out and run scared, I'm done.

[BL611]

20. Maybe you should look closer then...

Refer to post #6, if you want their efforts to more successful, get Democratic congressmen elected in your state.

[SledDriver]

13. I'm with you.

I'd rather vote for a third party candidate with no chance of winning than a Democratic candidate who will just roll over for the repubs.

You want my vote? GET UP OFF YOUR ASSES AND EARN IT!

[jonnyblitz]

19. I have gotten to this point also. my vote for Kerry was the last

"anybody but"...vote. how many times can we go through this revolving door? DEM loyalists can't keep blaming third party candidates when the party itself shits all over us to or tells us we have no choice but to vote for their pathetic candidate or it's our fault if we get the "much worse" republican. People get tired of this heavy handed coersive blackmail. it's a fucking INSULT.

[BL611]

21. Its not "their" (whoever their is) candidate, its yours

YOU have a primary vote and as much say as anyone else which candidates represent the Democratic party.

[LittleClarkie]

32. I on the other hand am not into such binary thinking

and I don't vote based on one issue alone.

I am Dem.

[welshTerrier2]

9. psychic satisfaction? ... you're missing the point ...

i will only be voting for progressive candidates from now on ...

where you see value in "drop in the bucket" candidates (one extra child, one extra dollar, one extra person), some candidates embody a "sellout" of values you seem to value and we do nothing but enable them by supporting them ...

you argue that we should always support Democrats no matter how "marginal the difference is" ...

some of us no longer intend to be MARGINALIZED !!!!!

at some point, lesser of the evils voting sustains the status quo ... at some point, we have to rise up and say "enough" ... at some point, we must have a voice ...

and spare me all the "third parties can't win" arguments ... the idea of voting for a third party candidate, if i were to do so in this climate, would not be for "psychic satisfaction" and it would not be with an expectation of having my candidate win ... the goal would be to organize around a set of values ... the hope would be that our numbers would be sufficiently significant that the Democratic Party could no longer afford to ignore us as they far too often do now ...

many of us feel alienated by the current party leadership and we don't feel like we have a voice in setting the direction of the Party or in determining how our Democratic legislators vote on key issues ... we can't allow ourselves to continue to be marginalized by "just going along" ... we need to organize and build a political force strong enough to force negotiations ... this effort should take place both inside the Party and outside the Party ... if the Party continues to refuse to be responsive, other alternatives will have been prepared ...

[BL611]

14. "some candidates embody a "sellout" of values you seem

to value and we do nothing but enable them by supporting them"

No we get whatever the marginal difference there is between them and the Republican, which is enough for me in the general election, if you want to change the direction of the party use the primary. If you choose the general election to voice your protest you are just hurting the people you claim to want to help.

[LincolnMcGrath]

11. Zell Miller for Prez 08!!

just kiddin :yoiks: heh

[snowbear]

26. Hey now....

you --> :spank: <-- me

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (( http://eliteleague.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/lol!.gif ))

[William769]

15. I'm a yellow dog Democrat.

The party of choice.

[triguy46]

24. Yep, me too. Bring on the yellow dogs!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

17. I've always been a Democrat but I vote for what I believe in.

As an anarchist, (aka Left Libertarian), I consider political parties as vehicles to advance an agenda. I don't expect to agree with everything that the Democratic Party stands for (on the rare occasions that it takes a stand) and I usually end up voting for the Democrat as the lesser of two evils.

But, all issues are not equal. I'll be voting Green in '06 because my senator decided to sell her soul and vote for the war.

[LoZoccolo]

22. I'm also putting the seceders on ignore.

There is not enough time before the next election to waste it on them.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2203808&mesg_id=2203808

[walldude]

23. Roll call for Patriot Act Extension

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll414.xml

There are 43 Dems on this list who voted to extend and expand the Patriot Act. Did you vote for any of them?

You people can piss on me all you want for "throwing my vote away" on 3rd party or Green party candidates, at least the people I voted for didn't vote to take away my civil rights...
And before you go getting all holier than thou I did vote for Kerry even though I didn't trust him..

[BL611]

27. REread the OP

What has any Green party candidate EVER done for you or anyone else except get Republicans who are unequivocally WORSE then the WORST democrats elected? Please.

[walldude]

28. Well they have done nothing because they never win

maybe if more people voted for them I'd find out. Last I checked I live in America and it's my right to vote for the fucking candidate that will best serve me. Regardless of you and your opinion. This is the problem with DU lately, no fucking respect. I threw away my best interest in the last election and voted for Kerry because at this point it's anyone but Bush, but I'm not going to vote for some asshole just because there is a "D" next to his name. That would make me no better than a Freeper.

[BL611]

29. Find me one Democratic Senator

thats the SAME as the Republicans? Lieberman and Nelson have FAR better voting records the Chafee. No one said you can't vote for whoever you want to, that doesn't mean that you're helping people by doing it. As for respect, you're the only one cursing...

[BL611]

30. self delete

[walldude]

33. Well I can't find one WORSE than a Repuke but..

If your standards are Lieberman and Nelson then IMHO your standards need to be raised.. I have been having this arguement on a few threads, while I conceded that we should be voting for Dems until we regain some power I will continue to vote for who ever I believe will do the best job for me. I'm sick of the "lesser of 2 evils" I want a leader...

No cuss words since you seem to regard them as insults or whatever..

[FreedomAngel82]

25. In my heart I too will always be a democrat

I will vote for whomever I think will do the best job.

[LittleClarkie]

31. I only just got here, Party-wise and I ain't goin' noplace.

I'm with you.