Any KERRY or DEAN supporters who would vote for the other?: A PEACE THREAD

[liberalpragmatist]

I certainly am one. I support Kerry -- while I've been disappointed with his campaign I honestly believe that he is the best potential president of the bunch. But that's just my opinion. Everyone else is free to think otherwise.

I'm getting worried. I look around DU and all I see is negativity, negativity, negativity. Everywhere there are flames and flamebait. We seem to have lost sight of the ultimate goal: getting rid of Bush. Our candidates are guilty of this too, but while I'm disappointed when they stoop to that level, so many of the posters on this site are responsible for this too. Everywhere posters are taking every opportunity to bash another candidate. Of course, the biggest struggle seems to be DEAN supporters v. KERRY supporters. And it saddens me. To see people bashing either one of these great progressives frightens me. If we're divided next November, we won't win. It happened in '68. It happened in '84 (though, admittedly, '84 was probably a lost cause from the start). It could very well happen again, especially if Dean isn't the nominee, but it's very possible if Dean IS the nominee. Bill Clinton probably put in best at Harkin's Iowa ... what was it called again?...I don't remember...anyway, there, Clinton said that "Democrats fall in love. Republicans fall in line. I encourage y'all to fall in love. But next yr. when the nominee is chosen, fall in line." I proudly state that while I sincerely hope that Kerry wins the nomination, I will enthusiastically support ANY of the candidates, and that goes doubly for Dean.

I know I can't be the only Kerry supporter out there who feels this way. I know there have to be Dean supporters out there who feel this way too. I'm not going to say I'm not going to vote for Dean if he's the nominee. Of course I will. If, come early March, it's clear he's the one, I'll immediately pledge money to his campaign and stick a "Dean for America" button on my jacket and/or backpack. He brings passion, commitment to the race and I'll admit that at this stage it's looking like he'll be the nominee (though I wouldn't count Kerry, or any of the others exc. Lieberman out).

Can we please just acknowledge here our differences politely and pledge to support one another? I'm sure we all agree FAR more than we disagree and it would be tragic if we let this cost us the WH next yr. I want to see us win, no matter who that may be: Kerry, Dean, Edwards, Gephardt, Clark, even Lieberman (who I think is light-years ahead of Bush, but, alas, isn't getting the nod at this point).

Thank you. Please respect my asking not to flame this post.

[LuminousX]

1. I assert

that while Kerry isn't the top of my choices, I can and will vote for him, campaign for him and donate money to him if he gets the Democratic nominee.

My eyes are on the prize.

[blm]

14. Always a Dem vote here.

.

[mdmc]

2. Dean supporter for Kerry

But sadly,
I would have never, ever supported Dean if Kerry didn't speak out both sides of his mouth. He lost me in his support for pre emption.

I love Kerry and would vote for him in a NY minute. And I will conceed that he is the more liberal of the two.

ABBA
ABBA
ABBA
anyone but BUSH again
:dem:

[mikehiggins]

3. Anybody but Bush, baby!

I'd vote for that legendary ham sandwich before I'd vote for Dubya. Kerry is just fine with me.

[Egnever]

4. I'll vote for kerry if he gets the nod

Anything is better than bush.

[joeybee12]

5. I'll vote for Kerry if he gets the nomination, but I will not do so

enthusiastically. Sorry, I won't flame, but obviously I'll vote for anyone but Bush, but I've been very disappointed in Kerry in his campaign and his tactics.

[tpub]

6. here's one

I agree with you that Kerry would make the best president. But I most certainly will vote for Dean over Bush. Any day.

[deutsey]

7. I was an early supporter of Kerry

(back in late 2001, in fact, I wrote him a letter encouraging him to run...he sent me back a nice handwritten note thanking me).

I've since become a Dean supporter (disappointed in many of Kerry's votes), but if Kerry gets the nomination, I'll support him, no question about it.

[wryter2000]

8. Of course

I love Dean, but I'd vote for Kerry in a heartbeat if he gets the nomination. I'll donate for him, too.

[Khephra]

9. ABB in the general election

But no pro-resolution voter will get my vote in the primaries. Not a single one of them.

[illini]

10. ABBB!!!!

Anybody but * BABY!!!

[AWD]

11. I'm a Dean supporter......and would vote for Kerry in 2004

..if he gets the nomination.

[Padraig18]

12. ABB!

And that means if it's Kerry, I'll work my fingers to the bone to get him elected; once the primaries are over, the slate's clean, as far as I'm concerned.

[Old and In the Way]

13. I want to get the primaries over ASAP

So we can come together and focus our energies on booting the squating fraud out of the WH.

[caledesi]

15. ABB. nt

[sventvkg]

16. A moot point since there is no way Kerry will get the nomination

Sorry to say it...That Skull and Bones society member, high societly New England Zillionaire is not represenative of the working man in the least bit. No one I know likes this guy and with the apathy many feel for the current washington insiders I don't see any one of them getting the nomination. If any of the insiders get the nomination get ready for 4 more years of Bush destruction.

[onehandle]

17. Point missed

yawn

[BushGone04]

28. Wow

Liberalpragmatist starts a thread in an entirely positive vein (not even positive specifically about Kerry, positive generally about the candidates), and even refers to it as a "Peace Thread." you proceed to post personally inflammatory comments about Kerry ("high society New England Zillionaire? Come on.) on that thread. Real classy.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

18. Very well written and sincere

As a Dean supporter, I pledge that if he doesn't get the nomination, I'll vote for whatever Democrat does. I'll put a sign in my car window and wear his button. If I have the money, I'll donate. If I can, I'll phone people and make sure they get to the polls. You are absolutely right-the most important thing to do is BEAT BUSH.

[onehandle]

19. megaABBditto. nt

[sandnsea]

20. Vote yes, support no

I honestly don't know what in the world I could say to convince someone to vote for Howard Dean. He's not going to lead us into wars based on lies is about all I really know for sure. That's important enough to give him my vote, but not much to campaign on. At least not to undecided voters who likely support the Iraq war anyway.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

21. Anybody who would consider not voting for the Democratic nominee

is nuts. But to constantly have to defend yourself against charges that you wouldn't is not constructive. I'm just assuming everybody here is smart enough to vote against Bush and I wish everyone else would do the same.

[mitchum]

22. ABB

[JohnKleeb]

23. I know I am a Kucinich supporter so this isnt about me

but I will support any of those two. Viva la Liberation.

[Lady President]

24. Yeah...

I'm sure next Nov. I'll probably vote for Dean, but that's it. I won't actively campaign for him. I'm hoping Ohio will be a swing state, so I'll vote Dem. rather than a third-party candidate. My money and time will be given to a candidate in a local race.

[mzmolly]

25. HELL YES! This Dean supporter would 'work' for Kerry if he gets the nom.

:toast:

[RevolutionStartsNow]

26. I'll vote for Kerry

of course!

[CMT]

27. of course I would vote for John Kerry if he is the nominee of dem party

I do like the man, but of the "washington" candidates I like Edwards and Gephardt even more. I'm proud of all the Dean supporters who have publically declared they would support Kerry on this thread and those Kerry supporters who say likewise.

[ludwigb]

29. I didn't even read the thread

Because I know I would be proud to campaign for and vote for John Kerry, just as I would be even prouder to do the same for Dean.

[NastyRiffraff]

30. No question

I always vote. I WILL NOT vote for Bush under any circumstances. And the stakes are too high now to vote for any third party candidate.

I can understand defending your candidate, and strongly, before the primary, but after the Dem nomination we NEED to forget our differences and work for that nominee. If you can't put your passion behind whoever that is, at least work against Bush.

And for your country.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

31. Kerry or Bush?

Not even close. It wouldn't even register as a "choice." Kerry by a country mile.

[DrFunkenstein]

32. Of Course I Would - My Worry Is No One Else Will

I despise Bush. DESPISE him. My dislike of Dean cannot compare with my hatred of Bush. If Dean becomes the man, I will swallow my pride and do everything I can to make sure it is him - and not Bush - sitting in the White House in 2005.

My hope is that everyone that doesn't like Bush will get and vote before that SOB blows up the world.

[KaraokeKarlton]

33. There are some things about Kerry I really dislike a lot

Ironically, his war vote isn't one of the things that leads me to dislike him. There actually is only one issue I absolutely can't stand his position on and that is the forced community service in order for kids to get a highschool diploma. I absolutely HATE that position. As it stands right now, I probably wouldn't vote for Kerry if he's the nominee, and the three reasons for that are as follows:

1) His policy on forcing kids to do community service to graduate.
2) His constant, incessant and malicious lies about my ex governor and state.
3) Some of his DU supporters have turned me off to Kerry so badly with the non-stop repeating of the lies Kerry tells that I am not sure I can ever like him enough to vote for him. I wish that wasn't the case, but it is. I think a lot of it is because I live in Vermont and I find misrepresentation and lies about my state extremely offensive, and Dean's record as governor being slandered, misrepresented and lied about is something that offends me deeply. I feel the same way about Gephardt as I do about Kerry, for what it's worth. I probably wouldn't feel so strongly if I didn't live in Vermont.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

34. Hey, KK...

don't let the Kerry supporters get you down. It's only like 30 people. Same for the Kerry people who don't like Dean supporters; it's only a few dozen people that are pissing you off.

If there's one criteria that I'm not taking into the voting booth, it's what was written on DU by a partisan.

[KaraokeKarlton]

35. It's not really what they're saying

It's more that because they repeat Kerry's lies about Vermont and Howard Dean I'm constantly reminded of what a liar Kerry is and it makes it impossible for me to get past what Kerry has said that isn't true. It wouldn't bother me if those few Kerry supporters were being like the Dean supporters who taunt Kerry supporters about Dean doing better than Kerry is. The key is the lies that get repeated and that they are Kerry's lies about my home and my governor for most of the time I've lived here. I might not dislike Kerry as much if I wasn't constantly reminded why I don't. I hope that clears up what I meant a little better.

[DrFunkenstein]

39. Forced Community Service?

Like they force you to take gym class?

As far as lies, can you name some so we can stop saying them? It seems to me that everything Kerry has said has been backed up. It's not like he's comparing Dean to a cockroach or worse - Bush.

PS - As a former Vermonter, can you tell us how many people lived in Vermont when Dean was Governor? And how many major metropolitan areas there are? I'd like to know the extent of his executive experience.

[KaraokeKarlton]

40. I'm not a former Vermonter. I still live here.

Yes, forced community service...and it's a TERRIBLE policy. Gym class is done on school time, not on personal time. It is done on school property. There is a huge difference in the two, so don't even go there.

Some of the lies:

1) Kerry has lied about Vermont's health care programs and how many people are both covered and eligible.

2) Kerry (and Gephardt) has lied about Dean's positions on Medicare and Social Security. He has criticized how both programs are run, but he has NEVER opposed providing those services. He has repeatedly testified in Washington for changes to cover MORE people and make the programs better...especially Medicare.

3) Kerry has lied about the effect repealing the tax cuts would have on the average American. He used a family that makes much more than the average American family as an example.

4) He misrepresented what Dean said about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

5) He misrepresented what Dean said about the poor white Confederate Flag wavers.

I have to go to work in a few minutes, so I don't have time to list more. I'm sure plenty of people can add things, though.

The size of a state doesn't matter. Smaller states have less money to work with. The most important thing to look at is how successful Dean was handling the money he had to work with. Seeing as Vermont is one of the few states that isn't in dire straights, I'd say he has proven himself to be a damn good executive leader of Vermont.

[Name removed]

50. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[KaraokeKarlton]

51. My kids already volunteer

and they do it by choice, when they have the time and want to do it. When Kerry pays to raise and care for my kids, then he can tell them what they have to do in their spare time. Until then he can keep his nose out parenting my children, thank you very much.

[JohnKleeb]

52. No offense but I was reading today that Clinton proposed the same thing

Well at least you arent acting how the Ayn Rand people did by comparing it to the Hitler Youth or the Soviet Pioneers and by calling the idea of volunteerism wrong. No I dont have the link because it came in my philosophy packet on Rand but I tell you this, Ayn Rand makes me :puke: I cant stand absolute laizze faire. Sorry for the rant but this idea is nothing new. You should perhaps email him about it at his senate page or something, he'll probably respond, I know people have written him before and gotten written back. Good luck to you on this but I tell you again and dont jump on me for this but this idea of community service is nothing new and I apologize for ranting about Ayn Rand and etc.

[mitchum]

53. But if it becomes a mandate, it's no longer spare time

And since everyone's taxes go towards the education and safety/welfare of your (and everyone else's) children, what is wrong with children contributing to the commonwealth?

[NNadir]

44. This election is too important to take things personally.

I don't think Kerry will be nominated, but if he is, he deserves our unqualified support. It's about putting your country first.

[thinkahead]

36. I vote for the nominee

even if it's a hamster

[burr]

37. I'm neither a Dean supporter or a Kerry supporter...yet!

But I am still considering both candidates. I would certainly vote for each of them as the nominee, and I think each has served our nation well as public servants.

But each has serious flaws. No politician...or human being is flawless. And the day a politician wins who has no flaws, will be the day a cold-blooded, inhuman egalitarian has been placed in power. This would mean annihilation to us all.

Hopefully these primary wounds will be healed, so that we can begin the real fight of retaking our nation. After all..Clark, Kerry, and Dean have more in comman on their campaign agenda than with the agenda of the other Presidential contenders.

[Ediacara]

38. in a heartbeat

and not just Kerry, but ABB, even yucky Joe :-(

[phillybri]

41. Hell yeah I'd vote for Dean!!!

And I'd do it with a HUUUUUGE smile on my face!!!

[eissa]

42. ABB baby!

I'm a strong Dean supporter, but of course I'd vote for whomever the democratic candidate is. But let me say this also -- early on Kerry was a favorite second choice. However, his relentless attacks on Dean have really dampened my enthusiasm for him. I'd definitely vote for him, but I'm not sure I'd go out and campaign for him.

[NNadir]

43. ABB.

I'd vote for Kerry. I'd vote for Clark. Hell, even though I doubt it will happen I'd vote for Kucinich (near the bottom of my list, just before Lieberman). Yeah, ugh, I'd even vote for Lieberman.

My personal fav list: 1. Dean 2. Kerry 3,4,5 (with no distinction) Clark/Gephardt/Edwards. 6. Moseley Brown. 7. Sharpton 8. Kucinich 9. Lieberman.

Even #9 would be an improvement on Bush.

[indigo32]

45. ABB all the way

:)

[AWD]

46. I'd like to point out....

...that a LARGE percentage of the frequent Dean-bashers habve NOT said a word in this thread yet.

But a majority of the Kerry-bashers have spoken up loud and clear to voice their support if Kerry should win the nomination.

The silence is deafening.

[LuminousX]

47. Perhaps they haven't bothered to read the thread

It's a peace thread so let's keep the message positive.

[helleborient]

48. Actually, I've seen quite a few of both...

We can't call them out due to rules...but I see quite a few on both sides.

Add this voice to the ABB crowd.

[nocreativename]

49. We're still on the same team, kind of

I put Kerry, Lierberman, and Clark on my "green list" meaning if this is who the dems pick I go back to the green party.

But putting some thought in to it, I could vote for Kerry, but never ever do anything more.

I still can't vote for Clark or Lierberman.