Looking forward: combatting a third party candidate

[Lerkfish]

strategy:

1. link the third party candidate as much as possible with the republicans: highlight their support of the Iraq war, their support of the Kyl Lieberman bill.
2. Make sure you don't let them coopt the word "change" if they're simply the same old thing.
3. Make sure they're taken off any committees as a democrat.


any other suggestions?

[Oregone]

1. Looking at the strategy, are you anticipating Hillary's 3rd party run?

[OmahaBlueDog]

2. Have any of the major pollsters asked about a 3rd party Hillary run?

.. and would the 3rd party, essentially, be the DLC?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

3. What Current Third Party Candidate Has A Committee Seat?

Can't be talkin bout 'got her ass whooped' McKinney. Are you feeling ok?

[Joe the Revelator]

4. The first step has already been done: Its too late for her to get her name on ballots

as an independent

[AZ Criminal JD]

16. Why do you make stuff up?

Anyone can go to the Federal Election Commission website and see the ballot deadlines for an independent have not run in the vast majority of states. She is not going to run but it has nothing to do with ballot access.

[LWolf]

5. I assume that means

I can continue opposing the Obama campaign's misuse of the word "change," since he isn't offering the change I'm working for, right?

I think McKinney has already been taken off all those Democratic committees. I also think it would be ludicrous to link her with republicans, since she's a lot further away from republican ideals than the democratic party, or either of the possible nominees, is.

Of course, you aren't referring to her, are you? ;)

I suggest that the Democratic delegates, super and otherwise, nominate a compromise candidate who is neither of the current two dividers, thus unifying the party and making 3rd party candidates irrelevant.

Not that I think many of my fellow Democrats really want to hear that suggestion.

[OmahaBlueDog]

6. Amen

[EFerrari]

8. McKinney is no longer in Congress. n/t

[LWolf]

10. No, but it looks like she will be the "3rd party candidate." n/t

[EFerrari]

12. I met her when she kicked off her campaign here.

She's little -- I could have picked her up with one hand -- and she's funny as hell.

There will be at least two 3rd party candidates, right? Greens and Libertarians. Ralph is running as an Independent, too.

[LWolf]

13. That could be 3.

I think Lerkfish was suggesting that HRC would run as an independent, if I interpret the OP correctly. I'm the one who took that intent off track by bringing up a real 3rd party candidate. ;)

I like McKinney. I always have.

[Elspeth]

17. Same here.

If I were not going to vote the ticket, she'd be my choice.

[LordJFT]

9. if a compromise candidate is nominated you'll find some reason to dislike him or her

you can't win with some people here

[LWolf]

11. Did you climb some mountain somewhere, past some burning bush,

and return with a tablet that proclaimed you the seer of the Democratic Party?

Obama can't win with me. That's true. Neither can Clinton.

Your ability to predict my responses don't win, either. I'm sure your talents lie in other directions.

There are many possibilities for compromise candidates that I would support, should they be nominated. All would truly be compromises; none would be ideal.

My willingness to compromise has limits, and they end before we get to Clinton or Obama. There are still plenty of compromises I AM willing to make.

[LordJFT]

14. well if you don't support the primaries being democratically decided you are not much of a democrat

[LWolf]

15. I do support the primaries being democratically decided.

That would include the following:

1. All candidates receive 100% public financing, with no campaigning by outside groups allowed. An even playing field.
2. No polling of any kind, disallowing the manipulation of the democratic process that occurs.
3. All candidates receive equal, neutral, press.
4. No corporate media debates. Debates held on CSPAN. Every candidate is given an equal opportunity to answer all questions, with equal talk time.
5. No caucuses: each citizen's vote counts for their first choice.
6. IRV.
7. Regardless of which state votes first, and which state votes last, there is one national counting day, after the final polls in the final state close. With no exit polling (see #2,) that means that every vote carries equal weight, every voter gets the same opportunity to vote for ANY of the candidates without a few states narrowing the choices.

THAT would be a democratic primary.

Until every voter's vote has equal weight, every voter gets to vote for the same slate of candidates, and every candidate gets an equal playing field, primaries are not "democratic," and I won't pretend any differently.

I'm a the kind of democrat that the Democratic Party is urgently in need of. I hold my party to higher democratic standards. That keeps the party honest and relevant, and I think that makes me a fine Democrat, too.

[kenny blankenship]

7. Third Party Candidate can Kiss My Ass.

Third Party Candidate has some distinctly shady business dealings and a hard time explaining their high net worth.