One of the biggest reasons I will vote for whoever the Dem nominee is:

[SeattleGirl]

This picture was on the front page of The Seattle Times this morning, and has haunted me all day. The headline above the picture just said, "4,000".

I am a Barack Obama supporter, and yes, I know Hilary Clinton voted for the war resolution, but if she is the nominee, I WILL vote for her.

She has a plan to get out of Iraq, as does Obama. McCain has a plan to keep us there for many more years, and I know he is just itching to start one with Iran.

Today, our poor excuse for a president said that he would make sure that those who have died in the Iraq war did not die in vain. How? By getting another 4,000, or 8,000, or 12,000 killed?

Cheney just said, "Meh, they volunteered." (When I mentioned that to MrSG, he said, "Yeah, ONCE. A lot of them are being sent there again and again.")

Bush and Cheney don't give a flying fuck about the military. And McCain, whose service in the military I do admire, is becoming just like them. A man who was himself tortured, now thinks it's okay for the United States to torture people. A man who was held as a POW thinks it's okay for the United States to hold people without charge, in secret prisons, and with no access to attorneys, or to anyone who can make sure they are okay.

I DO NOT WANT JOHN MCCAIN TO GET INTO THE WHITE HOUSE!!!

Do you?

I'm excited about Barack Obama, and I think he would be a great President. I confess that I am not nearly as excited about Hilary Clinton, but "my friends," EITHER of them will be better for this country than John McCain. EITHER OF THEM.

So, when your candidate doesn't get the nomination (whether it's the Obama supporters OR the Clinton supporters), before you decide to say "Fuck it, I'm not going to vote!" or worse, "Fuck it, I'm voting for McCain!", take another look at that picture.

Because if you say "Fuck it", you just may be helping the GOP to keep fucking the United States, and We The People, six ways to Sunday.

I've had enough.

Have you?

[Nitrogenica]

1. Great post. Thank you.

[MikeNearMcChord]

2. Here is my reason.

Thanks to nyceve from the DailyKos
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3/24/115039/455/421/481639

[SeattleGirl]

3. Another excellent reason, Mike.

Thanks for that.

[NNN0LHI]

4. That is just one of MANY good reasons I will be voting for the Dem nominee

No matter who that is. I will actually be running down to the polls this November so if someone sees a blur whisk pass them it will be me.

Don

[MethuenProgressive]

5. "EITHER of them will be better for this country than John McCain." Amen, sister

Been saying that for ever.

[Maddy McCall]

6. Excellent post.

Recommend.

[SeattleGirl]

7. Thanks, Maddy.

:hi:

[KitchenWitch]

8. I am voting for the Democratic candidate. No. Matter. What.

:hi:

[SeattleGirl]

11. Good on ya, Kitchey!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Guava Jelly]

9. I've had quite enough!

K&R

[Dangerously Amused]

10. Nailed it. K&R.

[Bigleaf]

12. Agreed!

[ZombieHorde]

13. Fantastic post. nt

[Kurovski]

14. I don't know what will happen with either Clinton or Obama in the White House,

but I know for certain what will happen with McCain.

I'm voting Dem.

[SeattleGirl]

16. Yep. This IS one thing we can be certain of.

And the thought of that scares the crap out of me.

[tbyg52]

15. Here's another

www.supremecourtus.gov

[SeattleGirl]

18. Absolutely, tbyg52.

The thought of any more rethugs being named to the court scares me too.

[demo dutch]

17. You're awesome!

[cbayer]

19. Excellent.

Anyone who has not seen Bill Moyers Journal this week called "Body of War" should check it out. It is an incredible story.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/index-flash.html

[SeattleGirl]

21. I watched the Journal on Friday night.

Excellent program, and I look forward to seeing the documentary when comes out. That young man was great in how he allowed such close access to his life. THAT is what people need to see: the toll of this war, not only in terms of how many have died, but the toll on those who come back wounded, with PTSD, and the toll it takes on their families.

[cbayer]

24. It moved me tremendously.

I am hopeful that a lot of people will see the documentary. How can anyone watch it and vote Republican at this point? Even thinking of it now makes me tearful.

[Maureen1322]

50. Please watch Part II of "Bush's War" tonight on Frontline

if you can stand the sight of him. I can't imagine a Republican in the WH for another term. Bush and Cheney have slimed this country.

[SharonRB]

20. You are so right, SG

:hi:

[Tresalisa]

22. The dem nominee gets my vote!

They are both great candidates!

:kick:aroo!

[Patsy Stone]

23. I will vote for the Democrat

Whoever it will be. No one else should lose their life because of this horrible pre-emptive war.

Excellent thread, SG!

K&R

[SeattleGirl]

25. Thanks, Patsy.

I hope the majority of people, whether they support Obama or Clinton, will come to that conclusion too.

[Kurovski]

28. Hi Patsy!

(I'm also kicking this thread.)

:* And just slip a wee bit of tongue! :D

[Patsy Stone]

32. The perfect amount...

not too drooly.

:loveya:

[powergirl]

The Supreme Court

is the Supreme reason to vote for the Democratic nominee. I support Obama. But I would vote for Clinton over McCain to save the United State Supreme Court from being filled up with more Scalias. We will lose the Supreme Court for a generation if we don't get a Democratic president now. And I find disturbing the polling information regarding some supporters who would rather vote McCain. They aren't considering the impact on our nation.

:toast:

[SeattleGirl]

27. Amen, powergirl!

To have McCain win, and then be able to appoint several SCOTUS judges, is too scary!

[blayne]

78. A point that often gets overlooked.

I think this will get more play in the general election. k&r

[Cha]

26. Yeah, too bad hilary doesn't share

your sentiment about a Dem winning.

That's an extraordinarily shocking image of what this War On Iraq has wrought for our Soldiers and the Iraqis.

[WyldRogue]

80. Guess someone doesn't want unity...

...as I cannot see why you had to have one last jab at a candidate...

Really sad to read your snide comment when it's either you Dems unite for a common goal or just hand the WH over to McCain and the Rethugs.

This Independent as well as my fellow constituents are absolutely tired of the tit-for-tat attitudes the Dem party is so supportive of... I mean in all seriousness, both ARE viable candidates and are alot better than having the Rethugs claim the WH again.

My vote goes to WHOEVER the Dem nominee is as it is time for a regime change.

As a side note, Pelosi should not be re-elected as she has enabled * to continue to thwart the Constitution and laws that GOVERN elected officials. Sad that she became the first FEMALE Speaker of the House and she's done NOTHING to stop * and company.

Here's to a Dem victory in 2008 whoever it may be!

[Uzybone]

29. I agree 100%

Im not overly excited about either of them (they are both politicians to the core)...I prefer Obama only by the slightest of margins. But I will happily vote for the nominee.

Havent we seen this before??? McCain will get us into another war with Iran, does anyone doubt that?

[pnwmom]

30. We've all had enough for a very long time. Thanks for the reminder. n/t

[SeattleGirl]

31. Damn right!

I want the GOP OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE!

Give this country a chance to catch it's breath, and start repairing some of the damage of the done by 8 years of Bushco.

[Greylyn58]

33. Excellent post SG

That photo is incredibly sobering and sad. This damn President and Vice-President have stood by and watched as 4,000 men and women gave their lives in a war that never should have occurred.

Bush and Cheney should be haunted for the rest of their miserable, pathetic lives by that image.

Also, that picture should be enlarged, posted in the chambers of both The House and Senate, so they have to stare at it every time they gather to consider giving in to Bush on more war funding. It should be a constant reminder to every member of Congress of everyone who has lost their lives in this illegal horror.

[SeattleGirl]

35. Exactly.

They all need to be reminded of this every single day.

Yes, there are other issues out there that are also important, but I think they can focus on more than one thing in a day.

[Kurovski]

34. Kick. (nt)

[walldude]

36. K&R for party unity.. Kick McCains ass!

[SeattleGirl]

37. I've got just the pair of boots to do it with:

(I have a pair just like this.)

[RevCheesehead]

38. Thanks for reminding us of what's REALLY important.

:patriot:

[ovidsen]

39. Applause! K&R. I'm sick and tired of the sniping...

the awful, toxic sniping here at DU between some members of the Hillary Clinton camp and the Barak Obama camp.

I'm not even going to bother to tell you I support because I don't want to get flamed.

One thing I DON'T want is John McCain in the White House. His "nouvelle" Republican style may appeal to some moderates, but it doesn't pass the smell test here. Any candidate who doesn't know the difference between Shiite and Sunni in Iraq (and McCain doesn't) is doomed to be a foreign policy failure who will cost the US more wasted lives in the Middle East.

I don't care if Bozo the Clown is the Democratic nominee. I'm not voting for McCain and that's that.

[SeattleGirl]

41. Hate to say it, but I think even Bozo could do a better job

than McCain.

Far as I know, Bozo isn't given to having "senior moments".

GAH!

Come on, Dems!

Make sure you get out there and VOTE in November! Let's make it a theft-proof majority vote.

[IndependentDem]

40. i have had too damn much...

a democrat not voting for the dem nominee is the same as voting for the republican. I honestly see no argument that can challenge this fact.

[DeepModem Mom]

42. A heartfelt thank-you for this excellent post, SeattleGirl -- and a grateful K&R!

[donheld]

43. This should be pinned to the top of GD:P

Maybe then people would, once in a while, see what really matters.

[bigbrother05]

44. k&r

[McCamy Taylor]

45. k&r

[FatDave]

46. Agreed!

I have a favorite candidate, but more importantly I am a democrat. I will vote for the democrat at the top of the ticket (and many below) this fall. I have never missed a presidential election, and I have never voted for a republican. I intend to keep it that way.

[Patriot Abroad]

47. I think most of us will vote for either of them.

We may have to put a clothespin on our noses to do so . . . but the thought of allowing McCain to wage unlimited war and nominate multiple Supreme court justices should bring us to the voting booth.

If the elections haven't been called off due to the sudden crisis of a nuclear exchange with Iran, of course.

[InfiniteNether]

48. Don't forget who his VP might be...

That, my friends, is an even scarier scenario than John McCain as prez. Who will it be? I don't know, but probably a true neoconservative psychopath. Then McCain will be forced out within a year or so, probably due to "illness".

[MaraJade]

98. Certainly not Hillary. . .

She won't play second fiddle, and I don't blame her. I have no idea who Obama's VP will be. . .

[DFW]

49. "Fuck it," in this case, means "fuck us."

So, you are right as rain.

I know there are people out there who will tell anyone willing to
listen, and most anyone who is not, that if "their" candidate is not
the nominee, then they will write in someone else, vote for McCain,
or not vote at all.

That is their right, of course, but I have spent the last thirty years
or so trying to tell people in other countries why we are not such a
bad place, and I would very much appreciate a break from the uphill
battle I have had for the last 7½ years. Reagan was bad enough. Now,
I even know Swiss bankers who will no longer travel to the USA due to
how they get treated at the border. These are possibly the only people
left on earth who worship money as much as Republicans do.

I have indeed had enough. I sat in front of Barack Obama when he gave
that speech at a meeting in Washington in May, 2006. I had already
had enough then. I've had more than enough now. I'm voting D. I won't
even be holding my nose when I do it, either.

[bpeale]

93. i don't support either candidate & won't vote for either of them

the democrats better do better than this if they know what's good for them. there are a lot more just like me out there.

[DFW]

100. I know there are. We get imperfect results from an imperfect system

Plus the MSM loves pissing in our soup anyway.

All the same, a president McCain will be a disaster for our civil liberties,
our foreign policy, our military capabilities, and our currency. A president
Clinton or a President Obama would do far less damage.

Your choice, of course.......

[Berry Cool]

51. I sure have had enough.

K&R

[Justice]

52. Excellent Post - I completely agree

I have supported candidates in the primary in other years, but have deliberately not supported any particular candidate this year, as I am ready to help and vote for the Democratic nominee.

Once our nominee is decided, the issues that will be discussed will be the war and the economy. These issues are linked in my view - substantially linked. We must get out of Iraq in order to save our country - we have hard times facing us, largely because of the war (yes there are other reasons, but with the money we've spent and borrowed for the war, we have no fallback funds or credit).

[Bluenorthwest]

53. As long as the ticket is 100% Democratic

I will vote for the nominated ticket, I always do, although my Primary choices are always long gone for doing things like really opposing war or really supporting equality. But I will say right here and now, that if either candidate picks a Republican running mate, I will not vote for that ticket. I am a Democrat and I do not vote to place Republicans in office, ever. I keep reading that Obama might go GOP VP, yesterday a thread in support of Colin Powell for that spot. The photo from the OP is why such talk makes me puke.
I don't know if such talk is serious, but if it is, I'd be out. It would be the same as voting GOP and I will not do it. No sir. No how. No way. I will only vote for a pure Democratic ticket. I may compromise to the right far enough for Clinton or Obama, but no way would I go that extra mile to the right and vote for a Republican on our ticket. Patriot Act and Cluster bombs, war funding and Fundies at war, that is enough for this Party to ask of liberal voters. And there is a line I will not cross, and that line is putting a Republican in Blair House. Forget it.

[Time for change]

54. Yes -- This needs to be said often -- and 2 other very important reasons for supporting the nominee

1) One more fundie conservative USSC justice and we will be in big trouble. Roe v. Wade will be overturned easily, and so will a lot of other very important liberal/progressive principles:
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Time%20for%20change/282

Furthermore, all of the current fundy USSC justices are young (under 60), except Scalia, who is 72, and can be expected to last close to another 30 years -- longer than many of us expect to live. Stevens is 87 years old, so can't last much longer.

2) Whatever the criticisms of Obama and Clinton, they both firmly believe that government has a role to play in uplifting the citizens of this country. They are both for national health care, for example, a stance that is to the left of Gore's and Kerry's positions when they ran for president. They are also both in favor of government support of housing and education. McCain, on the other hand, goes along with the Reagan/Bush disparagement of "big government" and believes that everything should be privatized.

Make no mistake about it -- If McCain is elected president, unless he adopts policies far to the left of what he has campaigned for and voter for in Congress, he will continue with the Bush/Cheney plan to ruin our country.

[DemzRock]

55. Yes, I will vote for whomever the nominee is...

even if it means holding my nose.

[lumberjack_jeff]

56. Happy to recommend. n/t

[Harry Monroe]

57. Great Post!!

Like you, I prefer any Democrat with a plan to a Republican who intends to keep us there for 100 years or more. I dislike Hillary Clinton, but will "hold my nose" once again (it always seems to come down to the lesser of the two evils) and vote for her in November should she somehow win the nomination. But, I am confident that this country is ready for real change and will elect Obama.

BTW, I remember a similar situation when I was living in Louisiana in 1992. We had a choice between Edwin Edwards and David Duke. A rotten choice, but nevertheless I "held my nose" and voted for Edwards. I even had a bumper sticker on my car that read "Vote for the Crook, It's Important". It was an embarrassment for the State of Louisiana.

[DinahMoeHum]

58. Thank you. As I've said numerous times - the worst Democrat

is STILL a thousand times better than the best Republikkkan.

Republikkkans Suck Like A Hoover.

:kick::kick::kick:

[treehuggnlibrul]

59. K&R. Exactly so. nt

[DCofVA]

60. Another reason: McCain gleefully singing “…bomb Iran.”

Need I say more?

[Deep13]

61. That "volunteer" thing is horseshit.

First, the part-timers, especially the state guardsmen did not volunteer. They are draftees in all but name. Same with the whole stop-loss thing. Those people are there against their wills. Besides, the trust an enlistee puts in the country is not unconditional. They had a right to expect that they would not be used frivolously or incompetently.

[SeattleGirl]

65. That's very true, Deep 13.

What this government has done to ALL of the military, guardsmen and those who enlisted full time, is beyond disgusting. They have done irrevocable harm to them, and it saddens and angers me more than I can ever say.

Bushco looks at them as if they are toy soldiers, and not living, breathing human beings. "Compassionate" is not a word that should ever be used in conjunction with these criminals.

[Danascot]

62. As if you need another reason

edited to include link to photographer's story of the photo - very moving.

http://blogs.gettyimages.com/news/2007/05/30/memorial-day-at-arlington-national-cemetery/

[PatGund]

63. If Sen. Clinton is the nominee......

.....my vote will not be "for Sen. Clinton" as much as "against Sen. McCain"

[frogcycle]

64. excellent post

see also my rant from this morning (that sank quickly out of sight) further dramatizing the critical nature of what we face

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5248031&mesg_id=5248031

[Zoigal]

66. Thanks, Seattle G

As a lifelong Democrat i have would NEVER even consider voting for for a republican
presidential candidate or not voting, for that matter. The Democratic platform imo has always
been worth supporting, even though i haven't always liked their choice of candidates. z

[SeattleGirl]

82. Exactly.

It would be crazy to think that a Republican would support the Democratic platform, and while neither Obama or Clinton are as lefty as I would like, they are a damn sight better than McCain!

[futureliveshere]

67. K & R ....n/t

:kick:

[suffragette]

68. Enough is enough is enough

Entirely with you on this SeattleGirl.

Exceptional post!

[dbmk]

69. I won't vote for either.

Then again I won't vote for McCain either, cause I can't.

But I certainly hope that you all vote for whoever Democrat takes the nomination.

Because they haven't just been fucking the US of A.

[malta blue]

70. DAMN right SG!

This is the real reason.

[momophile]

71. damn right. thanks, SeattleGirl nt

[tired]

72. Thank you

With all the fighting going on, its good to know there are people who will vote for whoever the Democratic nominee is. Thank you.

[katty]

73. I will support the Dem candidate-I certainly have big

reservations, but there is no way, no how, I will abstain or vote for a ReTHUG

[stlsaxman]

74. call me "treestump" saxman!

:patriot:

[DuaneBidoux]

75. Because their not a Republican?

[goodgd_yall]

76. REC! ! n/t

[rontun]

77. Always vote for the person

I'm a firm believer that when you cast your ballot you should always base the decision on the quality of the individual candidate. So when I go into that voting booth, I examine the ballot carefully, and if I see GOP, Republican, or an elephant next to someone's name, I know they're a no good, rotten son-of-a-bitch, which makes it easy to vote for whomever is on the opposing side of the ballot.

[robertpaulsen]

79. K & R. Because war happens when people look at the GE through Coke/Pepsi colored glasses.

:kick:

[Irishonly]

81. Wonderful Post

That a democrat would think different-shameful

[7horses]

83. Wow!

After eight years of Bush, I would vote for a yellow dog, if he were the Democratic nominee.

[Taverner]

84. But But I want to vote for Nader

Because Gore and Bush are the same!
Because Gore and Bush are the same!
Because Gore and Bush are the same!
Because Gore and Bush are the same!
Because Gore and Bush are the same!
Because Gore and Bush are the same!
Because Gore and Bush are the same!
Because Gore and Bush are the same!
Because Gore and Bush are the same!

:sarcasm:

The Naderites never tire of that old cliche

[happygoluckytoyou]

85. SADLY I WILL NOT STAND WITH HILLARY.....

SHE IS WRONG ON THE WAR... AND I WOULD RATHER WAIT FOR 2012 TO GET ANOTHER CHANCE THAN ALLOW HER THE OFFICE...

[SeattleGirl]

86. Even if it meant McCain would be President?

I agree that she was wrong on the war, but once again, I think that McCain would be the WORST thing to happen to this country. In some ways, if at all possible, worse than Bush.

I'm sorry you feel that way.

[bpeale]

92. I SEE NO DIFF. IN HRC VOTING FOR WAR OR OBAMA VOTING TO FUND IT

I WILL NOT VOTE FOR EITHER OF THEM. THEY ARE BOTH UNFIT FOR OFFICE.

[Butch350]

87. Wake Up

And smell the roses. The Busch Administration went into IRAQ not to bring Democracy to
Iraq e's but to bring untold wealth to contractors.

You can listen to the, "we'll get out of Irag", rhetoric. But there will be fighting forces in
Irag til the day you die and your children reach eligibility age to enlist.

McCain will be president in '09 - you all better cuddle up to that idea.

It won't be Barack and it won't be Hillary.

The current powers to be went into Iraq for a reason other than Democracy for Iraq.

PS

CAN YOU SAY IRAN!?

[katandmoon]

88. Bingo -- I vote for Democrats first ,last and always

[GOPBasher]

89. Amen. Thank you for being a voice of reason. n/t

[designforce]

90. I've had enough...

As a retired military man, I was against this folly from the beginning. However, the power is in the House and the Senate, as long as we take that back with overwhelming majorities, it doesn't matter who the Prez is.

I cannot vote for HRC. I have had a lifetime of voting for the 'lesser of two evils' and I can't do it anymore.

I will vote a straight Democratic ticket, but as far as President, if it is HRC, then no, I will go for Nader. I want the Clinton machine and the DLC to know that true democrats will no longer hold their nose and take what they decide.

Not again, never, never, never.

I sense your anger and I am right there with you, but I will not bend again.

PEACE

[bpeale]

91. even if its not McCain fucking us, our elected representatives will

continue to fuck us. either get people downstream who will do their jobs or get them the hell out of there. they are, then, part of the problem not part of the solution.

[RTBerry]

94. Thank you SeattleGirl.

This is the kind of post that has kept me (and probably hundreds of lurkers like me) returning to DU day after day.

Folks, always treat your brothers and sisters in the Democratic party with respect, despite our minor momentary differences; because the alternative is unthinkable.

[cemaphonic]

95. And remember, the primary loser goes back to the Senate

where their ability to follow their agenda will be directly enhanced by:

1) having a Democrat in the White House

2) having a stronger (and Lieberman-free) majority in Congress

If you truly, honestly support Clinton, you should vote for Obama if he wins the nomination, and vice versa.

Awesome post SeattleGirl.

[MaraJade]

99. They can also make trouble for whomever is in the White House. . .

democrat or no. Obamaites need to remember this. . .

[Old and In the Way]

96. Well said.

Hard to look past the candidate you support in the primary, but this is a universal fact of politics. Sometimes, it's not your candidate that gets the nod. Don't take it personal and don't take it as a slam against your candidate. It's everyone's right to support their choice. But we have to come together after we select a nominee, because there's too much at stake if we don't.

Hard to believe now, but there's lots of common ground between us. Iraq will end with a Democrat...and we will be electing Supreme Court judges. We've got real investigations to hold people accountable for their criminal acts.

I'm an Obama supporter, but you can count on me to vote for Hillary if she does win the nomination.

[MaraJade]

97. Anyone but Obama. . .

we'll be staying home if he is the nominee. . .