I have a question for my fellow Edwardians

[SeattleGirl]

I know that we are all very disappointed that John suspended his campaign; that he was marginalized by the M$M. I share that disappointment, that anger, that pain, and I wish like hell it hadn't happened.

However, I do have a question for you. Despite all of those feelings, do you know what you are going to do in the General Election in November?

Are you going to vote for the Democratic nominee?

Are you going to write JRE's name in?

Are you going to stay home?

I'm curious, because I know in my heart what a blow this was for all of us.

[zalinda]

1. I have absolutely no idea of what I'm going to do

Right now, I don't want any thing more to do with politics. The first candidate that I thought could really fix things and he is forced out. I don't care for either of them left. But, I have nightmares on listening to Obama if he becomes President. There goes another at least 4 years that I won't be able to listen to my President. Damn I hate his voice and how he says things.

I'd love to know who talked Obama into running, (I'm sure it didn't take much, he has such a huge ego) was it Clinton's enemies? How I wish big money wasn't involved, and we the poor people were even considered.

zalinda

[MissDeeds]

2. A lot of Edwards folks are struggling with this

At this point, I am determined to write Edwards' name in for the GE. I have very serious concerns about the other two Dem candidates and cannot see using my vote to facilitate a win for anyone I do not support.

[bpeale]

8. i, too, am writing JRE's name in at the general election

i can't support the other two. i have serious problems with both of them (although if i was absolutely forced to vote for one, i would choose Hillary ... can't stand obama or his supporters). my vote for president now has to be "earned" ... it's not a given. and right now my heart AND vote belong to the only one i can enthusiastically support, John Reid Edwards.

[Greylyn58]

3. I honestly don't know what I will do

I don't want another Republican in the White House and if the stakes weren't so high I would probably write John's name in for the GE. I do plan on voting for him in NC's primary in May.

Having said that, I am becoming more and more disgusted with the supporters on this site of Obama and Clinton. They are doing their respective candidates no favors by their current behavior. I will most likely vote for the Dem in Nov, I just don't plan to actively support either.

I have my principles, but I also think that if John McCain or some other Republican is elected then this country is finished. We would never survive another 4 yrs under someone who wants to continue in the footsteps of the Shrub.

For now, I'm in mourning.

[bpeale]

10. right now, the two left can both be defeated by McCain

welcome to hell. better get your passports ready.

[MaryRN]

34. I understand the "mourning." I cried at the poll today when I cast my vote for John.

[onehandle]

4. I'm pretty sure he's still be on most ballots.

I'm still going to vote for him.

I can't vote for Obama because his supporters here at DU are the biggest dicks outside of Free Republic.

I can't vote for Hillary because my wife would kill me.

[Andrea]

5. I don't know yet

I am 100% committed to voting for Edwards in the primary. As far as the GE, I think it's too early to tell. A lot of things oculd happen between now and then - including a brokered convention or a 3rd party run by Edwards or Gore or someone else I could support.

Some of my friends think I'm always too optimistic, but I really believe that we are consistently moving closer to a brokered convention. Just this morning on NPR, I heard Cokie Roberts talking about some recent polling that shows there is no way that Clinton can beat McCain. If that stays the same, and the scandals around Obama get legs (or new scandals emerge, or whatever) and he becomes unelectable as well by the time of the convention, the entire party is going to be motivated to have a brokered convention and a nominee other than those two.

So, I'm keeping my options open. We've got a long way to before the GE - 9 months.

[MissDeeds]

6. I think a brokered convention is a real possibility

When it comes down to it, the Dems must win the WH. But the polling doesn't really give either remaining candidate a strong edge in the GE. Many Obama people won't vote for Clinton, and many Clinton supporters won't vote for Obama. And a lot of Edwards supporters don't like either one of them. I can't see Republicans coming out to vote for either BO or HRC, but they would come out in droves to vote against them, even though a lot of them don't like their likely candidate, McCain.

John Edwards was (and is) our most electable candidate. I hate to be pessimistic, but I don't see a win for the Dems in November if we go with what we currently have.

[Andrea]

9. It may be starting already

There is a thread on the front page right now about Obama's ties to the nuclear energy company Exelon. I don't have time to read the thread, but I read the article it links to, from yesterday's NYTimes.

Nuclear energy gets people wound up. Combine that with lying and taking huge donations and you've got a scandal that might not go away. Not to mention that it's an issue tailor made for Edwards after his strong statements about nuclear energy in the SC debate, and his well-known stance on money from lobbyists.

Something is going to have to give - I can just feel it. We have to win back the whitehouse and Clobama (as I saw someone calling them) can't do it.

[MissDeeds]

15. I may be getting overly hopeful

and may be analyzing things to death, but it seems strange that Edwards 'suspended' his campaign - Don't candidates usually say they're withdrawing or ending their campaigns? And hasn't he contacted states holding primaries on Super Tues. and asked that his name be left on the ballot?

I may be grasping at straws, but all that offers a bit of hope. Now if JE endorses someone (please no!), all bets are off.

[bpeale]

12. i know what i'm about to say is not popular, but ...

everyone says USA is ready for a black president. i don't know about that. those krackers down south will put the kibosh on that. racism is alive and well in the U.S. and all you have to do is look at the Jena 6 stuff to know that. a black man, i don't care how charismatic he is, short of Martin Luther King (who's dead), will not have a snowball's chance in hell of getting into the white house. that's my thoughts on obama.

everyone says USA is ready for a woman president, and they probably are. but mainstream america i don't think would ever vote for her. i think the clinton's have worn out their welcome in the white house. the thought of having their bullshit to deal with makes me sick.

i think these two candidates will absolutely splinter the democratic party irrevocably. both their egos are so large that they would rather see McCain in the white house than either of them give up or throw their support to someone who can defeat McCain ... like, oh, John Edwards. It wasn't edwards who was splintering the party, it was the other two who refused to talk about the issues. hell, they're still refusing to discuss the issues. i don't believe either one of them anymore.

[asdjrocky]

7. I'm a pretty simple, pretty basic guy-

I've said that I'll vote for the Dem on the ticket. That being said, I'm still not convince that John Edwards won't be on that ticket. Only time will tell, but I have to think that John didn't drop like this, without some promises and some guarantees.

I'm still trying to keep my hopes up.

[iris5426]

11. Oh I hope you're right Rocky

Your hopes being up raises mine :hug:

As far as the OP:
I'm obviously voting for him in the primary, come what may in the general, I think I have to vote for the D. The supreme court hangs in the balance more likely than not, and I don't think I could live with myself if the R wins and I didn't vote for the D. But just because of the SC.

[bpeale]

13. like i said before, the supreme court is irrelevant

the dems helped to put roberts, alito & thomas where they are. don't expect it to get any better.

[iris5426]

16. that's my fear...

but i figure we've got to have a better chance with a D than an R in there...not that i feel very strongly that either of the remaining two can make it there...

[Two Americas]

39. history again

In the 1850's, the pro-slavery people elected a president in 1852 and 1856, and controlled the Supreme Court. But the anti-slavery people didn't say "oh well we will vote for the lesser of two evils and maybe that will be a little better than the alternative, and then maybe next time we will get a good candidate." No, they got to work.

If they had that courage in the face of the slave power and its allies, can not we have a fraction of that courage in the face of the corporate powers that run our lives?

As Lincoln said at the time -

"Our cause, then, must be intrusted to, and conducted by, its own undoubted friends - those whose hands are free, whose hearts are in the work - who do care for the result."

Of course, we must define the cause and we must commit to it. But those things are under our control, not under the control of the corporations or the media or the party as everything else is.

On the other hand, there was a Democrat in the White House in the 1990's, and the Republicans grew and grew in power, and in 2006 the Democrats gained control of Congress and failed to arrest an out of control republican administration.

For any who think that we are not facing a life and death crisis that the party is failing to even address or acknowledge, vote for the party, go about your life and be happy.

For any who think that we are facing a life and death crisis that the party is failing to even address or acknowledge, stop reaching for the same inadequate and failed remedy, get to work and be happy.

But both things cannot be true. All of the bickering, stress, anger, frustration and disappointment come from trying to hold two contradictory things in our minds at the same time.

[asdjrocky]

14. Yeah, for the record, I could really use some hope right about now.

[iris5426]

17. We all can

:hug:

At least we are directing our energy towards still getting his message out. I think that's important, and says a lot about him, and us.

[Plucketeer]

22. Edwards' name WILL BE on my ballot

It might get there thru my simple penmanship skills, but it'll be there.

The Dems ought to have a turn in the White House. How many gallons of Dem Blue does it take to cover the red blood that colors that mansion at the moment?

What's troubling tho - even if we do get to repaint it, the shades of blue available do nothing to eradicate the termites that eat it from within. Dem - Rethug - more Blah-Blah-Blah with a slant to please the color of the moment. It's as futile as thinking that if YOUR team wins the Super Bowl, it'll change your life. Right. So when DO the Giants start sending out all those fan appreciation checks???

JRE was/is the only one to consider eradicating the termites so that the occassional repaint won't be applied on a crumbling structure. But the termites have made sure John never got the attention he needed to succeed. After all - the termites have to hang in there until they've munched every sliver of democracy that's left. Blue - Red - I don't see the termites in peril of starvation. Quietly crafty as they are, they've bought insurance against famine - no matter which way the political winds blow.

[asdjrocky]

25. I hear ya Pluck.

And I love the way you put it. Keep the faith, I know it's hard, but we're all trying.

[lisainmilo]

18. I absolutely WILL NOT write JRE name in come November

Come November I think the most important issue at hand will be to get a Democrat elected. I love John Edwards, but he really is not running for president anymore. I will not split the Dem ticket and give votes to McCain. I will vote for whomever is the Democratic nominee.

[Beaverhausen]

19. The Supreme Court is the reason I will hold my nose and vote for the Dem nominee no matter who it is

Many of our civil liberties are hanging by a thin thread and it is imperative that the Democrats get to appoint the next batch of judges on the high court.

We really have no choice.

[bpeale]

20. IMO, you are giving in to the Dem Party without them having to earn your vote

[Beaverhausen]

26. well, yes and no. I am still voting for Edwards tomorrow

but in the fall, I'm pretty certain that since I have to choose one, I will pick Hillary or Obama over McCain or Romney. That will be a no-brainer.

PLease understand the ramifications of a conservative Supreme Court. Our country will be in bigger trouble than it is now.

[bpeale]

27. please understand that our Dems helped put those conservatives there

they are no different than the republicans. if the dems want my vote in the fall, then they damned well better earn it by giving me a candidate i can vote FOR. the people will get exactly what they deserve otherwise.

that's the difference between repubs and dems. the repubs can get their's to march in lockstep. the dems can't unless they give on the platform.

[MaryRN]

35. Bingo.

[smokey nj]

21. I'm probably going to vote for the nominee, but I'm going to wait and see how this plays out.

[Andrea]

23. Well, like CJP said in another thread

the issue of who to vote for in the GE and our drive to get Edwards' message out, don't have to be related, and we don't have to agree.

BTW, where is CJP? I haven't seen him around in a couple days.

[saracat]

24. It will depend on the nominee. I cannot vote for Obama.He continues to scare me.

I can force myself to vote for Hillary because I know what to expect from her.I also feel she has more spine, even if it is only in her own interests.Obama has already shown he would fold like a cheap suit. I was at the point of not voting at all, or writing in John's name until the Obama maniastarted to weigh on me and I began to research it and them. This is scary stuff.But it may not matter either way.

[MaryRN]

36. If you'd ever like to contribute writing to my blog, you're most welcome...

http://psychobabbleandpotpourri/blogspot/com.

You can write me at [e-mail].

[Two Americas]

28. stalking horse

The "who are you going to vote for" thing is a stalking horse for something else. Our one single individual vote is one of the least powerful things we do. Speaking out is one of the most powerful things we do. No one cares how you vote, but they very much care what you say.

Agreeing to vote for the Dem nominee really means "OK that means you are on the team, so stop saying things that are hurting the cause and stop criticizing the party."

Saying that you will not vote for the Dem nominee really means "OK you are the enemy and therefore nothing you say is valid, so stop saying things that are hurting the cause and stop criticizing the party."

It has nothing to do with how someone votes, and never has. It is a trick to steer and dominate the conversation.

Here are the two choices being offered:

Get in line, agree to vote for the Dem nominee, and STFU.

or...

Go ahead, I dare you, say you won't vote for the Dem nominee, and STFU.

[kelligesq]

40. scuse. what does STFU mean?

[Two Americas]

44. STFU

Shut the f*** up.

[MissDeeds]

29. I can't believe we are in this situation

We have been waiting for years to put the Bush presidency behind us, to get a Dem in office, to really go full throttle to support The Democratic Candidate. And here we are, faced with deep divisions in our own party. The fighting between the Obama and Clinton camps is fierce, and those of us who are Edwards Democrats are disenchanted with either of their candidates. We are so fractured.

Who would have thought four years ago that many of us would be contemplating writing in the Dem candidate of our choice or holding our noses to vote for the eventual nominee? No wonder a lot of us are depressed and dispirited. How did we get here? And more importantly, where do we go from here?

[asdjrocky]

31. It almost feels like we're being set up.

You know, in street terms, I feel like I'm heading down a dark ally, and I spot two guys at one end, and another following behind me. It just doesn't feel right to me, and I hate it.

I want to pound my fist against the wall and shout, "How in the hell did we get here?"

[waiting for hope]

30. I'm writing him in -

I'm getting too damn old for playing games - I'm voting what my Conscience tells me too.

[SeattleGirl]

32. Thanks, everyone, for your responses.

I really was curious about your thoughts and intentions.

[MaryRN]

33. I'll be writing in Edwards.

[Seabiscuit]

37. Good question. My wife and I have decided to support the Dem. nominee.

Although we are not happy with either Dem. candidate at this time, we are hoping for Hillary C. because Obama is simply not ready to run this country he needs not only more government experience, but life experience. It is pretty clear that the Republicans will throw everything they've got at our nominee. We will stand with the Dem. and the next Dem. administration which we hope and believe that John Edwards will be a part of. We are voting against another Republican administration and all it stands for.

[kelligesq]

38. Neither of the other two, and especially not Obama who various things are comig out about such as

he'a homophobe, which is ironic since he should know what prejudice is, and the
"present" votes on abortion, etc etc...I dont think people have the slightest idea who or what he really stands for..he's the establishment obviously since the establishment is behind him......but its certainly not close to John Edwards ideals - (and now the media is trying to sell him as a liberal, when he's to the right of even Hillary and that's pretty far right!

Anyway I cant vote for either of them

I'm writing John Edwards name in.

[Der Blaue Engel]

41. I'm absolutely voting for the Democratic nominee in the GE

I don't seem to be fitting in here anymore. :(

[Silver Gaia]

42. You aren't alone, Der Blaue Engel.

My husband and I will also be voting for the Democratic nominee in the GE. At this point, I am hoping that will be Hillary, because, like saracat has said, Obama scares me, too.

I would, obviously, MUCH rather it could have been Edwards as our nominee for next November. But I'm coming around to having to face the reality that this is no longer possible. I voted for Edwards today, but beyond that, I must think of the greater good, or to be more accurate, perhaps, I must help us to avoid the greater evil. IF there was a viable third party with a candidate I could get behind, that would definitely be a consideration. But that is not the case, at this time. What we currently have is a two-party system, and that cannot be effectively changed at the national level. To be viable, a third party has to be built from the ground up first. That's my opinion, and it isn't going to change, so please, no flames. Thanks.

[Der Blaue Engel]

45. I'm also hoping it will be Hillary; Obama scares me, too

I agree with your assessment about the viability of a third party. The work hasn't been done, so voting third party at this point is only to make a point, and not a vote to put someone in the White House.

No matter what anyone else says about "Democrats have approved these conservative judges," the situation is vastly different when a Democrat is in the White House (even a conservative Democrat) than when it is a Republican. Congress rarely disputes a presidential judicial nominee; that's just how it works. So when a Republican is in office, you WILL get anti-Roe v Wade, anti-GLBT, pro-fundie judges, and you will NOT get them when a Democrat is in office (even if it's Obama, as much as I distrust him). It's really that simple. And with so much up for grabs on the Supreme Court right now, I truly believe another Republican term will be the end of this country. We still have semblance of democracy left, and I believe we can get it back if we have a Dem president.

[Silver Gaia]

46. I agree with your points about the Supreme Court justices, too.

I've been thinking the same thing, but hadn't gotten around to posting it. Thank you for saying this. It needed to be said.

[benny05]

43. If there is a space for a write in on the ballot

I will write his name in.