Can you rank the last 6 pres. contenders from most left to most center?

[skipos]

Of the last 6 dems to run for president: Kerry, Gore, Clinton, Dukakis, Mondale, and Carter, there are a few I know nothing about as I was just a wee lass when they ran!

I'd like to know how DUers rank them, not from best to worst, but from most left to most center. I'd also like to know why you rank them the way you do.

Thanks!

[blm]

1. On their records when they ran - Kerry, Dukakis, Mondale, Gore, Clinton

and Carter.

People forget that Carter ran as a conservative Democrat, governed so centrist and got pulled to the right militarily that Ted Kennedy ran against him in 1980 out of pure frustration.

Carter has since become a more progressive voice, but I only wish he recognized the voting machine fraud.

[skipos]

5. Interesting. What where some of the things that Carter did

that where so center/right?

He really had such an impressive post-presidency, doing things because they are right, and not for any attention.

[salin]

9. I believe it was under Carter that we began to support the Mujahudeen (sp)

in Afghanistan - including exploiting and pushing extreme islamic philosophy as a rationale for resistance against the soviets occupying Afghanistan.

[blm]

12. Carter was under the thrall of Brzezinski and some other hardline figures

at the time. I think he needed a second term to outgrow his dependency on their opinions.

[1932]

18. However, Carter did want to give the panama canal back to panama

and wasn't interested in exploiting the rest of the western hemisphere.

John Perkins, the author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, really thinks Carter offered a real alternative to the Nixon-Kissinger crap that was cut short by the Reagan administration.

[blm]

10. His post-presidency has been a progressive's dream - that's for sure.

I think you could probably learn more about how he governed too far right for progressives by researching some of Ted Kennedy's primary speeches, or maybe his announcement speech for why he decided to run.

[warrens]

13. That sounds about right

Although in retrospect, I'd probably put Mondale further to the right. At the time, he was far more visibly liberal than most of the others.

[Hippo_Tron]

2. Mondale, Dukakis, Carter, Kerry, Gore, Clinton

With Clinton, Gore, and Kerry it is tough. I think that Clinton ran to the left of both Kerry and Gore but governed more to the center than any one of them would have.

[Laelth]

3. I agree with that assessment.

Mondale would have been a great President.

-Laelth

[blm]

11. Except Carter ran as a conservative Democrat. You're mixing his post

presideny progressiveness with his actual governance in the 70s.

I assumed that most people knew that Ted Kennedy challenged Carter in the primaries because he was angry how far right Carter was governing at the time.

[Hippo_Tron]

15. Okay, but we're talking about a different era

Do I think that Carter governed as progressively as Lyndon Johnson? No, of course not. But while Carter may have been on the "conservative" side back then, his presidency was left of center by today's standards. Would you care to give me an example of what policies of his were so conservative?

[win_in_06]

4. McGovern, Humpherey, Dukakis, Mondale, Carter, Gore, Kerry, Clinton

from left to right going back to 68.

[goodhue]

16. Yes - McGovern, Humphrey, Dukakis, Mondale, Carter, Gore, Kerry, Clinton

From left to right, as to how they ran during their presidential campaigns.

[sandnsea]

20. McGovern, Humphrey, Dukakis, Kerry, Mondale, Gore, Carter, Clinton

That's how I see it anyway.

[whoretaculture]

6. Who's the lefty?

Mondale: Actually ran as a liberal. Promised tax increases.

Gore: Earth in the Balance.

Dukakis: So lame I really don't remember, MA Lib?

Carter: Ran center, ruled left of.

Kerry: Ran center, poorly.

Clinton: Ran center, went both ways.

This is a much better question than I first thought. So many ways to look at it. For instance, this question makes the east coast establishment liberal stand out. The southern governor does too. Then again, Clinton is satan to the Pugs. Is he really more centrist?

[Awsi Dooger]

7. Just on first instinct

I would say:

McGovern, Mondale, Humphrey, Dukakis, Gore, Kerry, Carter, Clinton

It gets tougher and closer with the last four names.

[salin]

8. I would switch the last four - but agree wityh the first three:

McGovern, Mondale, Humphrey, Dukakis, Kerry, Gore, Clinton, Carter.

Clinton ran somewhat middle (for the times) - but also campaigned a great deal on health care - in a way that harkened back to the view of govt supported by the great society initiatives ... though targeted towards middle and lower income families for appeal (not targetted to the wealthy who had and still have enough money for the issue not to be of any concern.)

[Neil Lisst]

14. Mondale, Dukakis, Kerry, Carter, Gore, Clinton

public perceptions of them, left to right

Mondale, Dukakis, Kerry, Carter, Gore, Clinton

[1932]

17. Dukakis. Mondale. Kerry.Carter. Clinton...... ....... ....... .....Gore

[Odin2005]

19. Hmmm.

Mondale
Dukakis
Kerry
McGovern
Gore
Clinton
Carter

[cantstandbush]

21. McGovern, Dukakis, Mondale, Kerry, Gore, Clinton. n/t

[noonwitch]

22. Dukakis, Kerry, Carter, Mondale, Gore, Clinton

Gore's not all that liberal. Clinton isn't a liberal at all. True liberals don't support the death penalty.