Food for thought come November

[WilliamPitt]

A lot of people here are angry and disappointed because their candidate is gone. A lot of people feel dissatisfied with the candidates who remain. More and more, I'm hearing the refrain from 2000 that there isn't any difference between Kerry, Edwards and Bush.

I got this email yesterday from a reader:

---

I am one of the Bush "victims", a veteran working now in the housing field, who up untill the current administration could make a "decent" living, and afford medication for my disabled,terminally ill wife. Now we are on the brink of losing our home, struggle to meet the bills, and constantly worry. This is all just a preamble to tell you I totally agree with your Thursday Feb. 19 piece in Truthout; but you should have added one more line to the article. " Now you must be the hero, do what is nessessary, get out and vote. Only you can restore America to it's former high standards."

---

You can try to tell me there is no difference between the candidates. Don't try to tell this guy. He'll laugh at you, or maybe try to slap you, and then go back to trying to take care of his sick wife.

If you think a Democrat won't do better for this man as a veteran, you're wrong.

If you think a Democrat won't do better for this man's wife, you're wrong.

Don't ask me. Listen to him: "I am one of the Bush "victims", a veteran working now in the housing field, who up untill the current administration could make a "decent" living, and afford medication for my disabled,terminally ill wife. Now we are on the brink of losing our home, struggle to meet the bills, and constantly worry."

It's up to you.

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[WilliamPitt]

3. I'm not so much worried about Nader voters

as I am worried about Democrats who supported candidates besides the eventual nominee. The take-my-ball-and-go-home trend is 100x more dangerous than a platoon of Naders running for President.

[Name removed]

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[edzontar]

2. I agree that there are some differences.

I will have to vote for one of them in November.


But I don't like them.

And I hate their votes in favor of the Iraq war, which I will never forgive.

[Walt Starr]

14. I plan to take my ball and go home after Novemer 2nd

I'll be a good coward and cast a vote for the Democrats come this November,. but they damn well better never expect it again.

[Paulie]

15. Same here Walt

Another election, another nose holder.

Expectations for a Dem administration are going to be VERY VERY VERY HIGH. They better sack up and accomplish their promises, with or without a Dem congress. This is the last year for compromise.

[VelmaD]

18. If you want a Dem administration to succeed...

then it is up to you and me and all of us to help them do so. We MUST stand with whoever wins and support them against the worst of the right-wing when they need us and we MUST hold their feet to the fire and make them do the right thing on important issues. We CANNOT decide that it's over and all taken care of for us after the election. If a Democratic administration fails to live up to those high high expectations we may well have no one to blame but ourselves...it was certainly our fault last time.

[CityDem]

26. Not this time

I will not walk into a voting booth and cast a vote for someone who is not progressive. I cannot plug my nose, close my eyes and plug my ears. Nominate someone who supports a progressive agenda - or progressives will find someone else to support.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

28. No you cannot.

Everything's obviously plugged and closed already.

[mikehiggins]

5. Jeeze, this one is simple

Bush/Cheney is the greater AND the lesser of all evils. Kerry and Edwards and Kuchinich and Sharpton don't even show up on the radar.

It's a two-for-one deal this election cycle.

Voting against Dubya is a win-win situation without a downside. That doesn't come along very often in this world. Everyone who can vote should leap at the chance.

Except the Bush supporters. They should stay home, please, until the GOP puts up a candidate not quite so embarrassing as this one.

<edited cause I forgot to include Dick's name in there>

[West Coast Democrat]

6. I Will PROUDLY Vote Democratic in November

Thanks, Will!

[Zomby Woof]

7. thanks!

Some people cannot see the forest because they cut down all the trees.

[curse10]

8. Thanks for posting this Will

we all need to keep our eyes on the prize and realize that there are differences, VAST differences, between us Dems and the Republicans. We aren't even close.

[Zinnola]

9. I voted for Dean in the CA primary

and will support, with no enthusisasm, a possible Kerry nomination. I will vote for him and that is all.

[WilliamPitt]

10. Speaking 100% for myself

I think that is all you should do, if that is how you feel. Thanks.

[diamondsoul]

20. I fully expect Nov. 2nd to be my last

election affiliated with the Democratic Party, OR that I will be one of the squeakiest wheels they've ever had the misfortune to deal with in the local Party. I haven't quite decided which.

My vote this November will go to the Nominee no matter how pissed I may be about it.

[deutsey]

11. I am voting for the Democratic nominee in November

to do otherwise is foolishness.

I won't be staying with the Party, however. I'm registering Independent after November. I agree that there are certainly differences between the Democrats and Republicans, but I'm just too independent to be a "Party" man.

[Pale Blue Dot]

12. I have decided to vote for Kucinich in the PA primary

That is my little "protest" vote, which I believe by that point will be completely irrelevant. After that, I will work my ass off for the Democratic nominee to make sure we get this scumbag out of the oval office.

After that, I promise to work my ass off to bring the Democratic party, and our country, further to the left.

[diamondsoul]

21. Please do more than that if you can.

Seriously, every vote matter right now, and we're running out of time to make a change. Go to the Kucinich site www.kucinich.us and sign up to make phone calls or e-mail me and I'll hook you up with the letter-writing coordinator.

Don't just protest, TRY while we still can. THEN we can protest with a clear conscience before we hold our noses and vote for a new President.

[NuckinFutz]

24. I'm with you...

Dennis is my man. The others all pale in comparison.

But regardless of who the nominee winds up to be, W has GOT to GO!

[oasis]

13. VOB (Victims Of Bush), a group more influential than NASCAR dads.

[WilliamPitt]

16. Kick

[WilliamPitt]

17. Kick

[ulysses]

19. while I'm sorry for this guy,

the repeated posting of the email is nothing but an appeal to emotion (especially given your emphasis toward the end of the post). How many veterans suffered during the 90s? How many Americans could ill-afford medication for sick spouses? How many veterans, god forbid, had their welfare benefits limited by the Clinton administration in 1996?

The rising tide of the tech bubble did *not* raise all boats, and the overspeculation ensured a nasty recession. I don't blame Clinton for the bubble, as I think most major economic events are outside the control of government, but to suggest that this poor guy's continued suffering is contingent on whether or not anyone votes third party (which is your suggestion, no?) doesn't quite come full circle for me.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

22. Ahh.... the lock proof version.

I'm going to kick this as often as needed.

[Donna Zen]

23. Read "American Dynasty"

If bush is on the ballot, vote against him.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

25. kick

[union_maid]

27. How about we help create the right climate

You know how the free marketers are always talking about need to for a climate for robust job creation..or some such combination of those words? Well, sometime that works, if other conditions are just right. I think the conditions now are just right to create an environment for the Democratic party to be what it needs to be - progressive AND powerful. We are the ones that empower the politicians that lean our way to vote and govern that way. If the populace isn't behind things like gay marriage, universal healthcare, progressive taxation, workers' rights, help for the homeless and poor and so on, it's not going to happen. One of the reasons that I go apoplectic when I hear Nader's name is that in 2000 he never seemed to try to appeal to the mass of voters that are needed to affect change. I believed and still believe he was just picking off the low hanging fruit and not trying to cultivate a damn thing. Right now, this year, with so many working and middle class, and formerly working and middle class people, feeling pain and/or worry is the right time to try to help sell some of this to the the folks who started voting Republican 24 years ago. Much more can be done within the Democratic party if they have the will of the people behind those initiatives. If they don't, they won't succeed in getting much done.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

29. kick