How to tell when a politician isn't running? They tell the truth.

[Armstead]

It seems like the further away from seeking elctive office they are, the closer candidates come out with the unvarnished truth.

Al Gore springs to mind.

There are exceptions, but in the current climate they usually get branded as "fringe left" candidates when they do....dennis Kucinich and Howard Dean spring to mind.

It would sure be nice if the opposite rule of thumb were true. But that's the way it seems to be these days.

[benburch]

1. Al was telling the truth when he was running...

This is one reason it was close enough for the damned traitors to steal it.

[Armstead]

5. He flirted with it

he would occasionally come out with real truth and proghressive populism, but then he would draw back to a more safe "centrist" posture again.

IMO if he'd really told the truth (as has done since 2000) he would have kicked Bush back to Texas with an uncontestable margin in 200.

[lapfog_1]

2. Ike, the day before he left office to retire from politics - n/t

[Armstead]

7. Yuppers -- Wonder what would have happened if he'd said it sooner

[lapfog_1]

8. Weren't presidents riding around in open air convertibles

back then? I'm sure that some convenient Cuban / marxist / deranged person could have been found.

[tyedyeto]

3. Isn't that the truth!

With few exceptions, only those who are not seeking public office are telling the truth these days.

On edit:

This could easily turn into a DLCer thread...expect it to be hijacked by them.

[Time for change]

4. That's the way it is when the national news media is against you

Any Dem candidate that goes too far to the left will get lambasted in the media, especially if they think that that person may be a candidate for high office.

I don't blame our candidates, I blame the CM for this.

This is a terrible handicap to have to overcome IMO.

[Armstead]

6. I agree partially -- It's a big media problem

But too many Democrats join in the marginalizing of the marginalizinbg of the truth. Like all those Dem stategists and politicians who helped the media portray Howard dean as a wild-left nutcase....Or when democrats apologied for the Wellstone funeral, instead of defending it.

[Time for change]

10. Yes, I guess I didn't phrase my last post quite right

My statement was too general, when I said I don't blame the Dems for being too cautious. The point that I meant to make is that there is a limit to how honest a politician can be in today's climate without committing political suicide.

I love to see our candidates be hard hitting, and I quite agree with you that often they need to be more straight forward than they are. We can't let the media or the Republicans define for us what is acceptable. I love to hear our candidates give the kind of speech that Gore gave yesterday. I'm just saying that if our candidates have to exhibit some degree of caution in order to win an election then I'd rather that they do that rather than say exactly what's on their mind and lose as a result of that.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

9. We really need term limits.

n/t