Here's a prediction: Russ Feingold for President in 2008

[derby378]

John Kerry botches a joke about Bush, finally pressured into apologizing to troops he never insulted.

Hillary Clinton now accused of stabbing Vietnam war veteran in back with her own comments.

Barack Obama has a killer smile, but not enough political experience to go for the White House.

Al Gore? One hell of a guy, but needs extensive retooling to prevent a repeat of 2000.

Who's left for 2008? Russ Feingold.

Discuss!

[SaveElmer]

1. Usually I would wade right in on this...but...

I will wait till after next Tuesday....

[Jackpine Radical]

2. I'm a Feingold fan all the way, but

a twice-divorced, single Jew from a small midwestern state?

BTW I think "An Inconvenient Truth" did one helluva job of retooling Gore.

[Phredicles]

3. He's a close second in my book after Gore.

Maybe first, if Gore isn't more effective a campaigner than in '00 - he has given some great speeches, though.

[rusty_parts2001]

4. I like him alot!

Sttod tall during the supreme court nominations hearings.

[Crunchy Frog]

5. Wes Clark.

But I like Russ alot too.

[FrenchieCat]

6. Maybe Wes Clark? I mean, Bush did say that the Iraq debacle along

with the rest of the shit he started would have to be finished by our next President!

Far as I'm concerned, Wes Clark is imminently qualified to deal with all of that and then some!

[FrenchieCat]

7. Oh...and don't forget John Edwards. The Corporate media like him a lot and

have promoted him quite a bit! They'll be pushing him and Bayh real soon....like on November 8th as the "anti-Hillaries"!

Wes and Russ....not so much!

[Infinite Hope]

8. I'm all for it...

Gore is my top choice, but Feingold is my second. Then Edwards.

[Le Taz Hot]

9. Feingold and Gore are the only 2

that I believe the Progressives will support. I believe Gore HAS gone through that retooling in the form of some serious soul-searching since the 2000 election. I think he knows he was wrong in allowing the political "experts" to run his campaign. Gore had the smarts, experience and charisma it takes to get re-elected. Unfortunately he allowed the "experts" to turn him into milquetoast. I don't know about Gore in 2008, as soon as I become convinced he WON'T run again he comes out with a "maybe" so I've quit speculating. Gore is my first choice because he is the only with the political clout enough to wipe out McCain (who has already been promised the nomination). Barring a Gore run, Feingold is, by far, the best candidate and is the only Dem I, along with many millions of other progressives, will support.

[IA_Seth]

14. Ultimatums 2 years out?

"Barring a Gore run, Feingold is, by far, the best candidate and is the only Dem I, along with many millions of other progressives, will support."

I'd challenge your 'millons of other' statement right off the bat, but I won't distract from the real issue...

We are TWO years out from the election, at least a year out from narrowing the field down significantly, and already you claim to speak for 'millions' of progressives in saying the ONLY viable candidates to represent you are Gore or Feingold. So what happens if they lose? You just give up? Go third party?

Where is the open mind in this scenario? It certainly isn't you or the 'millions' of progressives you speak for.

[Le Taz Hot]

19. I don't know where you get

"ultimatum" from that post. I've also no idea where you get that I claimed to speak for millions of progressives. I'm just letting you know what I'm hearing in the Progressive community (IRL & blog). The millions comes from the number of people who say they they are progressives and who DID NOT vote for Kerry (or Bush) in 2004. That number, I believe, will actually increase significantly in 2008, especially after so many felt abandoned by him after his promise to make sure "every vote is counted."

The "shut up and vote" tactics from the puppetmasters of the mainstream candidates (Kerry, Biden, H. Clinton, Warner, Obama) don't work anymore and 2004 proved that out. Now, where you guys WILL gain votes will be from the mushy middle (hardly reliable) and some of the more mainstream Republicans who are disgusted with the corruption of our current legislative and executive branches.

Now, if you guys want to have an "open mind" and consider a candidate who holds traditional Democratic values, i.e., isn't a corporate whore, who was against the war before he was against it, didn't vote for the bankruptcy bill or to confirm Alito or Roberts and who didn't vote for the Patriot Act (to name a few), then we welcome you to the fold.

[IA_Seth]

20. Here is where...

You stated: "Feingold and Gore are the only 2 that I believe the Progressives will support" and "Barring a Gore run, Feingold is, by far, the best candidate and is the only Dem I, along with many millions of other progressives, will support."

The way I interpret those statement is that should the primary process fail to produce candidates that YOU want, you will either A) sit out of the whole thing, or B) vote for a 3rd party candidate.

Now, I don't disagree in general with your theory, no one should vote for a candidate they don't agree with...however in the context of me being a Democrat, this seems to be an ultimatum saying that unless you get what you want you will abandon the party. I guess I take exception to that and think it's just this sort of thinking that contributes to the problem, not the solution.

Those millions that you refer to, the ones that didn't vote for Kerry, who did they vote for? Did they contribute to the problem or the solution? If that number increases significantly, say there are tens of millions this go round that don't vote for the Democrat, do you think that will help or hurt our current situation?

Look, I'm not any more excited about Kerry, Biden, Clinton, Warner, or Obama than you are, believe me. But I do believe that until this current struggle is over we all need to work towards removing the neocons from power, and I believe our best shot of doing that is through the Democratic Party. Should we settle for the media's choice on our candidate? Hell no. But we do need to stay engaged in the process, help the good guys win the primaries, and above all, vote for the Democrat in our elections.

[Le Taz Hot]

21. The progressives I've had the privilege to know

for the last 35 years won't be sitting out anything. They can vote 3rd party or write in a candidate, something many of us did in 2004. If you choose to interpret that as an ultimatum then that is your choice. That was not the intent, implied or otherwise. Most of us felt it was our only choice.

If those tens of millions aren't inclined to vote for the Democratic candidate, perhaps the Democrats might consider putting up someone who actually stands for traditional (I loathe having to use that word) Democratic values. Progressives aren't easily fooled and, by definition are independent thinkers. That's why they, for the most part, refused to "shut up and vote" for Kerry in 2004. They will be even less inclined to do so with the party machine's pick for 2008. If anyone is hurting the Democrats' chances it's those who represent the monied interests, certainly not the progressives who have been longing all along for a real Democratic candidate.

And just for the record, I did not abandon the Democratic party, the Democratic Party abandoned me. It happened along about 1992 and continued with Clinton signing the bill that eliminated the Fairness Doctrine, signing the Communications Bill of 1996 and the signing of NAFTA, to name a few examples. NONE of those had anything remotely to do with Democratic values. They had to do with selling out our labor force to the lowest possible bidder and facilitated the right-wing takeover of the 4th Estate. All in the name of "triangulation" which attracted the monied interests which sold out the party.

If it makes you feel any better, I'm EXTREMELY reluctantly voting for TJ Cox for CA-19 (though he doesn't actually stand for anything), voting for Jerry Brown for AG (never been much of a fan of Governor Moonbeam) and Debra Bowen (even though she can show absolutely nothing for the millions in campaign contributions). I cannot, however, bring myself to vote for Feinstein or Cruz Bustamante for insurance commissioner. Both of them are sleazes and I don't care if the DO have "D" next to their name. Voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil.

[IA_Seth]

25. I respect your decisions....

But at the same time I think you are fooling yourself if you think that your actions (writing in candidates or voting 3rd party) are actually contributing toward a solution to the current crisis (especially in regards to our federal government, but I won't get into where I think fed/local elections are different).

You say that the Democrats should change, you say that the party abandoned you. YOU are the party, YOU are the change. If you leave the party or don't support the party when they need it (the elections) you certainly won't helping any of us that are trying to steer the party back to it's roots. In fact, I argue that you only push it FURTHER toward the right by removing your voice from the process.

If the progressives abandon the party, who does that leave? If those that remain move the party more toward the right, what are you left with? Yes, eventually perhaps mainstream america would support a 3rd party, should the two traditional parties become more similar, but how long will that be? at what cost?

I certainly wouldn't ask you to 'shut up and vote'. What I'd ask is that you not win a battle and lose a war. I'd ask that you work toward recapturing the Democratic party, and not give up and leave.

I know we probably won't agree on this, and if not than so be it, but I hope you at least consider your actions and the heavy consequences they bring to not only the Democratic Party, but the United States in general. We can't have everything we want all the time, politics is all about compromise. If it's to the point that you can't accept it at all....well then I don't know what to say.

Oh, and for the record, I read a post once where you said Clark supporters could just go ahead and put you on ignore. I didn't, and I am glad I didn't.

Thanks for talkin!

[Le Taz Hot]

26. LOL!

I hate it when my words come back to haunt me!

[IA_Seth]

27. Lol...

Yeah, yeah...I am sure I've said a thing or two that would ruffle some feathers.

Now, if you ever want to hear why I think Clark is different than most other candidates out there, just let me know! I promise I will be gentle.

Have a good weekend.

[wyldwolf]

10. I don't see it. Sorry.

[Pierzin]

11. I feel sorry for whoever has to clean up after this frat boy

.....Whoever that may be.

Goddamn, how many people did I hear plea with Kerry for him to fight back against Bush???

[wicket]

12. Feigold / Clark '08!

:kick:

[KKKarl is an idiot]

13. Gore/Clark

It is about time we got rid of the Chickenhawks from the Whitehouse with some fine military men.

[LeFleur1]

15. Top Three

Clark, Feingold, Edwards. Obama might be okay as VP on any ticket.

I believe Clark could bring in other voters besides Democrats. Because he's been on FOX his views are known by a wide range of people and they don't see him as a wild eyed 'liberal' :P
He's smart. He's loyal. He knows war strategies and would not embroil us in a no win situation or an unjust war.

And he's not one of the dumber donkeys calling for Kerry to kiss bramble ass.

[caledesi]

22. These are my choices too LeFleur. They are ALL winners. nt

[blm]

16. Whoever dominates the SERIES OF DEBATES. That's who Dems vote for.

.

[OKthatsIT]

17. I think he's the only one....besides Kucinich

[Imagevision]

18. Obama currently is more qualified as prez then Bush-boy, experience? all

one needs is financial backing, the rest takes care of itself, and besides, this president is nothing more then a spokesman for the group (s).

[AtomicKitten]

23. Gore, Clark, Obama

eom

[rep the dems]

24. I would happily vote for him but there are other candidates that

could beat him. Despite his lack of experience, I don't think Obama should be ruled out, and there's also Bayh, Edwards, Richardson, maybe Clark. It's hard to guess how it will turn out.