Two long years ahead, and this place already looks like the primaries

[BelgianMadCow]

As important a choice as the '08 presidential candidate is, I honestly cannot fathom how this takes precedence over the debate on how to spend the democratic political capital in the coming months and years.

The corporate media are singing this tune loudly as well, as if THAT is the main question before us after the landslide victory. Nice strawman on their part. Don't get me wrong, I do not mean to say the DUers discussing candidates have bad intentions, not at all.

It is just that such debate often brings acrimony and division at a time if ever there is a need for strength and unity.

I am only pleading not to focus on the next prize before the last one is cashed in on.


bmc

[OneBlueSky]

1. in political time, two years is an eternity . . . n/t

[BelgianMadCow]

2. Indeed. I was inclined to add to my OP

that I would base much of my choice on how the elected dems use their power in those two long years.

After all, in the total minority situation a lot of political expediency arguments carried water.
That is much less true ine the coming years and it will consequently be easier to see what people are made of so to speak.

I am inclined to say time to put your money where your mouth is but I should rephrase that in a positive way.

[lapfog_1]

3. People like to look forward.

And people may be engaging in a bit of fantasizing. Given that we are likely stuck with * and the Creep for another two long years (impeachment being off the table right now, so it would seem), I understand the need to get through the next two and the selection of a real Presidential candidate. Plus, given the success of the midterm in taking back both the House and Senate, there is real hope that a Dem can win the Presidency again (even with the cooked voting machines and the repuke dirty tricks and negative campaigns).

How nice it would be to say President Gore or President Obama or President Clark or President H. Clinton. Or even President Vilsack or whatever his name is.

Of course, before that happens, I would be tickled at President Pelosi. If we could impeach these assholes and restore democracy to the United States, perhaps then we can spread it around the world, not at gunpoint, but by example.

[BelgianMadCow]

5. As do I, as we all do.

There is hardly anything more understandable than wanting to get past these years of infamy, and the selection of a presidential candidate is key to that.

How nice it would be to say President Gore or President Obama or President Clark or President H. Clinton. Or even President Vilsack or whatever his name is.

Of course, before that happens, I would be tickled at President Pelosi.

I agree with that. It is just that the differences between these honest men and women seem relatvely small in comparison to Bush*co, and untimely to be divided upon in the face of the challenges in the here and now, such as integrity of the vote, the war in Iraq and the one on terror (I disagree with the entire concept), the deficit and tax cuts, affordable health care and so on.

My opinion may also have to do with being a foreigner though, I am not used to your sytem with an executive that sets so much of the agenda and that wields such power.

[liberalpragmatist]

4. Part of it is that NOTHING is going on right now politically

... in the United States. People in Congress are winding down and planning to go home, Democrats are preparing to assume control in January. For political junkies like us, what else is there to talk about?

[BelgianMadCow]

6. Good point

carry on :-)

I do understand there is relatively little "hard" political news now.

And with Bush*co postponing the major statement on Iraq he has depraved us of another worthy topic. Going into the holidays and planning 24 christmas parties ate the WH while saying I will not be pressured after 3 years is astonishing. As Malloy said, you just know some people will be getting that dreaded knock on the door in the mean time.

Are the nominations for the comittees hard fact in the mean time? Conyers, Leahy etc?

I heard Randi say she saw the agenda of some of the comittees and she said will be kicking ass. I would like to read more on that on DU.

[Bombtrack]

7. The actual primaries are done 13 months from now, so the primary campaign

isn't really thaat far off.

[fuzzyball]

17. Exactly !!!!!

[Clarkie1]

18. Man....that bumpersticker looks sooooooooo awesome! I want one!

[Le Taz Hot]

8. And in the next two years

there will be 4,562 more posts begging DUers to stop the acrimony -- all to no avail as the same people will start the same threads over and over and over for/against someone and the same players will post the same responses over and over and over again. The difference is that this time, the paid operatives are already here. The whole thing turns into some kind of rah rah football game instead of intelligent discussion. It's a good time to take a vacation from DU.

[tanyev]

9. Only if you actually click on those threads and read them.

[Sapere aude]

12. You could also put these posts in a forum of their own and we would not have to be bothered with

them. I am just plain sick of seeing them here. I don't click on them but what a waste of a good discussion board.

[Sapere aude]

10. Don't waste your time with this. The bashing is the fun part of DU.

I agree with you but so many people need to do battle over the internet that, DU has become more and more irrelevant to me. I even feel like taking my bumper sticker off my truck because I am embarrassed by many of the posts here.

[AtomicKitten]

11. as long as everyone supports Al Gore

nobody gets hurt

[rinsd]

14. LOL. Good one AK (nt)

[CK_John]

13. IMO, DU is being used as a focus group by the RW, the flame

threads and polls about economic class, political forums, etc., are being made into attack ads as we speak. Ask yourself what candidate smokes and from the reaction here, I can image what the RW pros will do with that info.

[bluehighways911]

15. Agree Completely

Used to be one of the first sites I read.

But it is just a sophmore food fight.

Al Franken said it, we have plenty of wonderful candidates.

Why do you have to make up your mind now.

Give them all the floor and listen, and maybe the media will even cover issues.

[thatsrightimirish]

16. I agree

In the future I'm sure we will all work hard to elect President whatever his last name may be.But we worked very hard for SPEAKER Pelosi and SENATE MAJORITY LEADER Reid and I think we need to use this time to ask questions to our leaders on what exactly the agenda is before outsiders do.