Lost Dean-Supporter Friend Over Kerry. Don't Know Why. Is S&B So Evil?

[Raya]

The Day before the Iowa Caucus I lost a friend. I was doing some volunteer work for the Kerry Campaign and he was watching Democracy Now. He kept muttering about Skull & Bones until it became a scream:

“I will never vote for Skull & Bones!”

He then began to verbally hammer me for wasting my time working on a doomed campaign rather than for Howard Dean. A fierce argument ensued. I have not seen my friend since.

The horrible thing is that I never heard a really substantial argument against John Kerry. Yet there is so much passion. HELP ME HERE:

Let’s put aside the old RW-style personal attack lines that have now become part of campaign propaganda:
Kerry’s a gigolo
Kerry’s an unprincipled waffler
Kerry’s opportunistic
Kerry’s skull and bones

Also, for the sake of argument, let’s accept Ted Kennedy’s testimony that Kerry’s IWR vote was to give authorization for the President to end the festering Iraq conflict through a legitimate U.N. mandated process of forced inspections and conflict resolution.

Putting these things aside, I , as a former Kucinich supporter who once supported Dean, am asking Dean Supporters to tell me what are the fundamental differences between Dean’s views and Kerry’s that make Kerry less likely to push a PROGRESSIVE CHANGE AGENDA, than Howard Dean.

I have followed both campaigns and I don’t know of any. I believe Dean supporters could (and should) joyously join the Kerry campaign if Dean continues to falter and does not get the nomination.

[el_gato]

1. Kerry will be the elites choice since dumya is becoming a liability

the outraged left will let off a little steam, everybody settles down, and in the end the truth will never be told about anything

that's the plan anyway

[corporatewhore]

2. it is not just S&B but NAFTA/WTO/GATT/FTAA/IWR for me

I just saw diff between kerry mentioned in your post and i dont support dean but i find dean a little better (although i dont like him would never vote for him) the more i find out about kerry.Even though deans a centrist i admire that he has had the guts to take on the dem party

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. I hate the manner in which this post is framed as it only invites

more specious attacks against Kerry.

I would distinguish the two as follows:

With Kerry you have a 35 year history of supporting and promoting liberal causes and taking it upon himself to investigate areas of corruption in the government. While he has tacked back to the center somewhat as is common when one runs in AMERICA versus Boston, his record is still for the most part solidly liberal.

With Dean you have a solid CENTRIST who took a couple liberal stands in his governorship. He has done things similar to what Republicans in congress have done locking out opposition in talks with developers in his state (there was a LONG article in the LA TIMES in January regarding this). He has stated our laws afford more rights to the defendent than to the victim (5th amendment anyone?) while criticizing those that voted for the patriot act and there is wide controversy over his judicial pic in VT. (again GOOGLE IT)


I will take the guy with the more liberal record and trust him to return and stay true to most of it, over the guy with the LESS liberal record who cynically manipulates the anger of some in order to curry favor for himself any day.

[Stuckinthebush]

4. I know you love your friend...

But anyone who puts that much stock in a conspiracy theory revolving around a college fraternity is probably not worth trying to convert.

Look, I'm a Dean guy...if Kerry wins, I'll happily support him in the general election. I think you will find that the vast majority of Dean supporters will do the same.

[lancdem]

6. I agree

sounds like a lost cause not worth bothering about.

[Mile Hi]

5. Dean deliverd in Vermont

Dean provided affordable health care, senior drug perscription and better child health care all while balancing the budget. No other state has done that. Congress didn't do it even when the Democrats had both houses and the President.

Talk is cheap actions speak for themselves.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

8. Easy to do in a state the size of a large city and federal funds flowing

freely as they were in the latter part of the 90's.

There are 650,000 people in VT.

Los Angeles and California provided similar care for MORE people until deficits ruined it.

It is easy to balance the budget of a state the size of a city in a good economy.

[Skinner]

7. This is unlikely to lead to anything resembling discussion.

I'm locking.