Dems Set '08 Early Caucus/Primary Dates For Nevada and South Carolina

[ruggerson]

This is very good news. Gives a huge boost to candidates like Edwards, Warner and Schweitzer, in other words candidates who could actually win. Also makes the early primary process much more representative of the Democratic party as a whole - there are not large populations of African Americans in Iowa or New Hampshire.

Democrats Propose Moving Up Nevada in Presidential Caucuses

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/23/washington/23dems.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

WASHINGTON, July 22 — The Democratic Party moved toward the most significant changes in its presidential nomination process in 30 years on Saturday, a rewriting of its election-year calendar for 2008.

The immediate effect would be to decrease the influence of Iowa and New Hampshire, the two states that have started — and some party officials argued, unfairly dominated — the nominating process since 1976.

The change was resisted by officials in New Hampshire, which would be sandwiched between a caucus on the Saturday before its famous primary and another primary on the next Tuesday. Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat, warned in a private letter to Democratic officials that the state party might defiantly try to invoke a New Hampshire state law to move the primary earlier.

Republican Party officials said that they were watching the Democratic maneuvering closely, and that it was likely, but not certain, that Republicans would also change their calendar along these same lines.

(more)

[rubberducky]

1. But................

This is assuming that this administration will vacate the white house!

[ChiciB1]

2. Oh Boy.... I LIKE This! Looks Like The "Insider" Dems Such As

Ickes are a bit miffed, but then too bad! I always felt Ickes was very intelligent and a liberal, but since he an Rahm Emmanuel have been trying to hijack the Party from Howard Dean, I've lost a lot of respect for both of them.

It's common knowledge that they BOTH want Hillary as the candidate and this just won't work for me. Of course, I am a brazen Edwards fan so not as objective myself. I would LOVE to see Feingold too, but I fear he would come across and be maligned as an EXTREME Liberal. I agree with Feingold on almost all issues and like his assertiveness, however I was put off last week with his very open support of Israel. I think the Israel issue is going to be a tough one for many Democrats. I realize they have a right to defend, but the way they are going about it has turned me off. I in no way support Syria or Iran or their persistence in war-mongering, I just don't think we need MORE War in the Middle East. The ant bed was stirred to the maximum with Iraq and Israel seems to have made it even more dire.

Edwards is much more moderate and as a liberal I thought long and hard about this. I do see him as a very viable candidate with many many pluses, not the least of which is that he's a southerner. I respect him for going out and getting to work against poverty right after the election instead of just sitting back and waiting for '08. As one who never thought Kerry/Edwards lost 2004 I have to dismiss any attacks that he couldn't even deliver North Carlina. I saw him in person at a rally in St. Pete, FL and got to shake his hand. He had the crowd "rocking" and we were all very pumped.

And not to overlook one of his MAIN pluses.... Elizabeth, a woman who has not only intelligence, but so much grace. I watched many times during the last election and saw how well she performed at town meetings and I was sold and became solid for Edwards. Living here in the south, many have told me that while they didn't really like Bush, they would have voted for Edwards had it not been for Kerry. But that's the south for you. Many did vote for Kerry BECAUSE of Edwards though. I was one who had waited for many years for Kerry to run, and still do support him. However, it will be Edwards I will support first this time around. Kerry has made some movements lately to stand up taller, but I think he could have done more! Well, almost ALL the Democrats could have done more, BUT!

If Al Gore were to run, and I DON'T think he will.... I can go for him too. It would be nice to have a Gore/Edwards ticket. I put Gore 1st because he's more seasoned, plus it would then give Edwards a good position to move forward.

I'm Done!

[blm]

3. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY disagree with your premise - Kerry WON and he was such

a great candidate that BushInc had to pull a swiftboat type stunt, work their whores in the media 24/7 for months, suppress Dem voters, purge voter rolls, and STILL had to rig voting machines all across the country.

I think it's utter southern centrist "Dem strategist" BULLSHIT to claim that the problem was the top of the ticket. Fixing the voting machines and working to COUNTER GOP tricks against Dem voters doesn't pay strategists as well as promoting the MYTH that only southerners can win a general election.

Dem strategists are fucking over all of us Democrats who are working to draw attention to election fraud.

I am fine with earlier primaries for those states, but it is BULLSHIT to do it because OTHER primaries produced FAILED candidates.

Gore and Kerry both won.

[Robbins]

4. New Calender

This could be bad for Hilary and Good for Edwards. Edwards has the inside track to win Iowa. Richardson has a good shot at winning the Nevada caucus(don't count out Edwards or Kerry here eather) Kerry has a good shot at winning New Hamphshere while Edwards has a nice shot at South Carolina(don't count out Clark,or Warner here) the Clinton opposse this move because they want only 2 before supertuesday. The hope Is for Hilary to survive with 2 or 3 In Iowa or 2 In new Hampshere and then use her money to win the supertuesday states. Having 4 early ones that she could lose Is not a good thing for them.

[ChiciB1]

5. Whoops... Didn't Mean To Ruffle Your Feathers!

I was born a YANKEE, lived the life in a YANKEE family and most definitely will never call myself a SOUTHERNER!

I just happen to live where I live because I married a guy from Florida. Both of our parents were military and we met in school in TEXAS.... Ft. Hood, TX to be exact. That place is about 40 miles from Crawford, TX and even though I graduated from school in Texas and have spent most of my life in the south, I remain a YANKEE!

I'm just relaying a message that breathes around me. Let me also say that I live smack dab in "red central" and my representative is Katherine "Cruella" Harris. Maybe that will explain to you why I made the comments I made. People DO THINK like I stated, I'm sorry but some of them are just THAT STUPID! They want someone from the South, something I will NEVER understand! So, if you can find a very likeable candidate from the South.... they will vote for him/her. Dumb beyond comprehension for sure, but it is true. They voted for Clinton didn't they??? Even this very red county went for Clinton the 2nd time around.

THEY cheated, Gore & Kerry won of course, but since it can not or will not ever be proved, far too many "southerners" will never believe it! The people I speak of could be presented with absolute PROOF, stare it right in the face and say it's a LIE!

Let me give you an example of something that just happened to me yesterday. A longtime friend from school (my husband's friend first) emailed me yet another stupid Clinton joke (stab in the back) like he always does when The Idiot gets too deep in his own shit. Many of the people I went to school with are Repukes and stand by their man no matter what. I get email from them all the time.... about CLINTON! I generally read it, ignore it and don't even mention it. But maybe I was in a bad mood yesterday or something and I replied with this statement. "Do you people think you're EVER going to get over Clinton? We did! So just an hour ago, he called from Texas, I answered and chatted while I went to get my husband so he could talk to HIM. I asked him if he got my reply to his email and he said yes, BUT he thought it was kind of nasty! I COULD NOT stop laughing and he actually wondered why. So I told him... you constantly send me this crap, knowing full well where both my husband and I stand and when I finally reply YOU think it's nasty, that is very FUNNY to me! So you see, THEY think it's quite alright spread it around, but when it comes to having to eat it.... well it's another thing altogether!

I grant you that my life experiences might be different from yours, but this is the stuff I hear! Why would I make it up?? What is even more ironic is the fact that most of them still support The Idiot. Another friend from there even told me that she was upset that The Idiot didn't turn out to be the Christian person she thought he was, but still "he's her guy!" There are some back there who aren't Bushbots... but for the most part, my old school friends still are pretty addled when it comes to figuring out what has happened. For some strange reason, for them it's ALL about Clinton! I say "grow-up" and almost always ignore the stupidity. But they were my friends way back when, and they still are.... I just don't talk politics with them. And I'm not so low that I send them emails with "gotcha" included because frankly it's not worth my time. I'm sorry that they feel the need to send the stuff to me, but I guess it's THEIR insecurity. I've even had some tell me that they won't go one on one with me because I'm too political! Do tell, what does that mean??

I'm sure the exit polls here in Florida were correct, but I'm surrounded by far too many screw-balls who believe, just because someone told them to believe. Why do you think BushCo thought they could get away with rigged elections in the first place??? And why, if more people thought like you and I didn't Gore & Kerry fight like hell and rub their noses in it??

Somewhere in my mind I feel it's because they were better people for it, not wanting to put the country through the crap, but take a look around.... things ain't so GREAT right now are they?? I don't have the answers, but I do have a lot of irritation and anger about the state of America these days!!!!

[blm]

6. Fact: Kerry won 11 million more votes than Clinton at the top of his power

in 96.

Southern Dem strategists spread the BS that northerners are the reason why Dems aren't in the WH, when the really big difference from 92 is that the corporate media has been almost completely coopted for BushInc and the MIC since 97 and it hardened its protective shell around Bush and the WH since 9-11.

Add the GOP control of electronic voting machines since 2002.

Either we DEAL with these issues in ways that expose them and secure the future vote by strengthening our Dem party infrastructure in every state, or we buy into the blame it on the northern guy meme.

Blame it on the ticket - the collapsed party infrastructures in crucial states is just a figment of the election fraud conspiracists' fevered imaginations.