Why I don't believe candidate bashing within our party is in our

[Cleita]

interest. After watching Congressman Gephardt hurl nasty accusation after nasty accusation towards Howard Dean in an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN, I know he won't get my vote. He does not make me feel HOPE. The candidate that will beat Bush will be the one that offers hope, you know the 40 acres and chicken in every pot guy.

Even Hitler understood this. He even went as far as to say that every German girl would find a husband if he were elected. So the candidate who offers hope, who says that he will bring our soldiers back from Iraq and that not one more American life needs to be lost in the ME will offer hope. The candidate who offers to make social security and Medicare secure for the up coming baby boomer generation will offer hope. The candidate who promises to bring unemployment back down to pre-Bush levels will offer hope. The candidate who promises true equality to minorities, women, and gays will offer hope. He will be the candidate that gets my vote.

I am now putting on my asbestos suit and flame shield and retreating.

[Turkw]

1. That's one reason I like Clark, he stays out of this kind of fight.

Bush is the target

[blm]

2. I posted that last January when Dean first attacked the others

in the same why Nader attacked Gore. Very harmful to say that the others weren't much different than Bush. And demonstrably untrue.

[sandnsea]

4. No kidding

The funny thing is, I really don't care so much about anything Dean said. It was and is all part of the process to me. When he started whining whenever something was said about him is when I got ticked off. I just don't understand the way the mind works I guess. I've known a few people who were able to just paint any picture in their minds that they wanted to see, but I never thought it was such a rampant character trait. I guess I've worried about telling the exact truth all my life for nothing!!

[Scott Lee]

10. Somehow I knew you'd take this olive branch and weaponize it

yet again. I'm not surprised in the least.

[liberalnurse]

3. It is the root of our downfall as a Democratic Party.

Ego's out of control coupled with self anointed delusions make us look impotent. Not all of the candidates are in it to defeat *bush and take back the country. Some have missed the memo.

[donsu]

5. I say let them bash because

then we will be able to know who is real. and who is doing the bashing and why. who are the game players.

let the sunlight in.

[OhioStateProgressive]

6. Fear Ends. HOPE begins

i say let the attack ads go on between the "frontrunners"...when these people leave the battle to look for hope, they will turn to Dennis

[Politiclo8]

7. I agree wholeheartedly.......

but what can we do? I'm a 31 y/o who has decided to vote AB(MF)B (anybody but Motherf**king Bush) in November. I think that the biggest problem besides the DLC and Terry McCulliff(sic) is that most Democrats are idealists, and most Republicans are realists.

I read a post from a guy yesterday t hat stated that he was so fed-up with the Democratic circular firing squad that he is not going to vote at all in November. I can't say that I blame him. The DLC which has moved the party to the mushy middle and their golden boy Clinton and their golden girl Hillary have pretty much given this party a serious identity crisis and it was this trying to hug the mushy middle (along with the Democrats not getting the base out to vote) that cost Democrats the 2002 midterm elections.

Now we have Democrats destroying each other in the debates trying to becomes the nominee while Terry McCuliff (sic) sits by and refuses to tell those (like Lieberman (sic))that attacking other Dems only emboldens the Republicans and gives them ammunition in November.

I was so furious at Edwards response to Dean's comment about the Confederate flag that I could have smacked him. That is just the arrogant attitude that Republicans count on southern white males having so that they will continue to vote against their own interests.

Obviously the Democrats have learned nothing from the 2002 midterm elections which is solidify your base and make sure that your base turns out and then reach out to the others with your core message!!!!!!

[newyawker99]

9. Hi Politiclo8!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Mairead]

8. Many people seem to use 'bash' for any criticism

I'm happy to let supporters tell the truth about their candidate. But when someone goes off the deep end and says 'while X was Gaekwar of Baroda, he made everyone millionaires, doubled lifespans to 150 years, and now regularly walks on water' I feel the need to set the record straight, just as I would if some Bush supporter came in here and told us how Bush has increased world peace, created billions of wonderful jobs, etc.

Bullshit shouldn't get a pass.