Why ABB shouldn't be the unifying slogan:

[Bread and Circus]

I noticed a lot of folks say "ABB" when they call for
party unity.

Party unity is great, promoting a solid supportive front
is paramount but saying "ABB" doesn't cut it.

First off, it is technically inaccurate. If Bush were to die,
Cheney would be President and that would be no better.

Secondly, it is even inaccurate in spirit given that
"any dem will do" is not correct. Zell Miller would
be no better than Bush. He would embarass us and set us up
for a whoopin' in 4 years so we would be back to GOP rule.

Third, if you only consider the Dem candidates we have, then maybe
you can say "ABB" but you also have to realize that not
all of them can beat Bush. The "ABB" statement short circuits
the notion that we have to win the GE come 2004. Believe it
or not, it is not all about the primary. "ABB" is kind of a
lazy way of saying "don't bash my candidate" or "don't bash
candidate x because of Y and "ABB" is the reason"

We need something else that means more and says more while
remaining accurate. I am not sure what to suggest but I
think "ABB" sounds slogany but doesn't really say anything that
helps the situation (unless it gets us to quit nuking each other).
If that's its only intention, it's not doing a good of it either.

Anyone have any ideas?

[LittleApple81]

1. I guess I say that because ABB for me is really ADAB

Any Democrat Against Bush. And that does not even describe my opinion accurately, because I would have a very hard time in voting for Lieberman.

[MercutioATC]

2. You're kidding, right?

I wouldn't vote for an encephilitic Venezualian child over Bush, either (unless he named a really good cabinet).

ABB is understood to mean "Any of the Dem candidates But Bush" I believe..

[Bread and Circus]

11. Yeah, I know that, but even then it is not really accurate or useful

my point stands....and no I am not kidding.

ABB is a dumb statement.

I would loathe voting for Lieberman -- and I think voting
him in would be about as catastrophic as re-electing Bush.

[Bluzmann57]

3. Howard Dean said it best

at the J-J dinner, something like "any candidate here would make a better President than bush". I'm not sure if these are the EXACT words that were spoken, but that was the gist of the message. And it's true.

[Maple]

4. Such silly semantic games

will kill the Democrats yet.

[NNN0LHI]

6. Ain't it the truth. n/t

[Bread and Circus]

12. I think we have enough time and intelligence to discuss such things

....it's not inflammatory.

and it's not sematics only.

[Dr Satan]

5. Am I the only one who sees the irony?

Clark's only hope is the ABB "strategy," which is equivalent to the hail mary pass.

[Astarho]

7. I agree but

for different reasons. ABB may rally the party faithful, but it won't win any new converts.

It's like we have nothing to say about our own candidate other then, "at least he's not the other guy!"

[KittyWampus]

9. Amen! It Sets The Bar To Low

I'm sick of low expectations.

[quinnox]

8. ABD should be the unifying slogan

"Anybody but Dean"

[poskonig]

10. Bitter, eh?

Some people seem to hate Dean more than Bush.

[Bread and Circus]

14. This isn't about Dean or Clark specifically....

it's about where we "set the bar" and what our party stands for.

[HFishbine]

15. I Like

"I want my country back."

[DemBones DemBones]

16. No, realistic.

Quite a few of us believe that Dean would lose to Bush* and that, if he did win by some fluke, he'd make a piss poor president.

I don't hate Dean himself but I hate his spinning and waffling. He impresses me as another smart ass rich guy.

[jenk]

13. no, stick with ABB

in the primaries, it's ABDOL, Anybody But Dean Or Lieberman.

but in the general election I will support anybody