Looks like Terry is determined to recapture the last-ditch anti-Semite and hard-left Communist vote, isn’t he?

Posted by: Mitch H. at July 4, 2004 03:02 PM

What a sorry spectacle the Democratic party has become. And it’s only July.

Posted by: marymcl at July 4, 2004 03:23 PM

Democrats only believe in Democracy for them.

Posted by: eric at July 4, 2004 03:32 PM

Well said, Eric, and pathetically, all too true.

Posted by: jeffers at July 4, 2004 04:37 PM

But, isn’t Nader’s avowed goal to break the democratic party so it can be replaced with an even more socialist entity? Why should he pull out? A bush win is necessary to his long term goals.

Posted by: CCR at July 4, 2004 07:46 PM

Whatever else you can say about Nader, at least when he talks he’s talking from the heart. He knows what he believes and he isn’t shy about articulating it.

Frankly, I’d rather have Nader in the WH than Kerry.

Posted by: eric at July 4, 2004 08:43 PM

I don’t know Eric, I think that could be called ‘a horse a piece’. Especially when it was Kerry instead of his horse walking into the bar; and the bartender still said….”why the long face?”

Posted by: dickD at July 5, 2004 01:16 AM

The Democrats are just betraying the fact they take certain voting blocs for granted and are therefore ENTITLED to any votes that aren’t cast for Bush.

Nader does speak from the heart and while I think his platform is fatally myopic in general and utterly wrongheaded in some of its particulars, he does address certain issues that matter tremendously to a lot of people who by and large don’t vote. Moreover he does so with the strength of certain convictions sustained over a lifetime. Say what you will about him, that is a rarity among politicians and not to be lightly dismissed. Getting back to the non-voters, what’s wrong with those people having someone to vote for? And what makes Terry MacAuliffe think anybody OWES the Democrats a vote about anything?

As I said, the Democrats are just showing their true colors here. I’m not a Republican, but I find this train wreck in progress mesmerizing at times.

Posted by: marymcl at July 5, 2004 02:45 PM

MmC: If Ralphie were a credible candidate, the R’s would be railing against him. They rather like him because he’s marginal and in a close election might draw some of the Looney Lefty votes that otherwise the D’s might get.

Why else do you think the R’s are working so hard to get him on the ballot?

At Least have the intellectual honesty to admit what is going on, and what the R’s working for Ralphie have said is going on.

Posted by: Don at July 5, 2004 07:13 PM

Have the intellectual honesty to admit what exactly? What am I denying Don? Can you read English? You’re so desperate to get bitchy with everyone you just make things up to give yourself the excuse.

I’m not a Republican, I’m not a Democrat and I’m not working to get anybody on the ballot. The Republican tactic you speak of isn’t even under discussion here, but it seems to me you could have easily introduced it without implying that I’m a liar for no good reason other than it gives you a neat little vehicle for steering the converstion your way. That’s called using people, Don, and where I come from it’s where intellectual dishonesty begins and ends OK? It seems to be one of the guiding principles of your party these days so don’t come crying to me when the tables get turned. Moreover, at least the GOP aren’t lying about what they’re doing on Nader’s behalf. You are a piece of work, Don, and if you really think Kerry’s the better man, you could help him out a lot by campaining for Bush.

Posted by: marymcl at July 5, 2004 08:16 PM

Democrats trying to stifle a marginal 3rd party candidate? Wow, the DNC must be in full-blown panic mode if they’re so worried about the election they see Nader as a real threat to Kerry.

Frankly, I think Nader’s a joke. But the man’s sincere in his beliefs, and that’s something that I’ll give him points for.

Kennedy must be spinning in his grave. And I can understand why Zell Miller’s saying he didn’t leave the Democratic Party - the Party left him.

J.

Posted by: JLawson at July 5, 2004 11:28 PM

There are two reasons for Greens to vote Kerry. First, by voting for Kerry this year we become more relevant in presidential politics. We become swing voters. Swing voters matter to politicians seeking elected office. Often called moderate voters, swing voters are actually not middle voters but voters on the margins. Marginal voters who will move will be courted. While I see no panacea for the Left from a Kerry victory, I do see benefits in asserting the relevance of the Left - especially this year.

Dean’s rise was a victory for the Left. Gore’s series of speeches on civil liberties and the brazen lies of the Bush administration were remarkable. Kerry meeting with Nader was better than the Democratic shunning of Greens since 2000. These changes do not count as a transformation of society, but given how little power the Left has we are best realistic about how much of role we have at this time. Let’s be swing voters this year and so that others will know that we can help Democrats lose (as in 2000) and we can help Democrats win (as in this year).

But the swing voter argument is not the best reason for Greens vote Kerry. More important relates to why we usually vote Green or independent, which is to send a message about what really matters to us. I voted third party in all of the past presidential elections to send a message to the Democrats. Now I want to send a message to the Republicans.

The message is simple: Go too far and you will lose.

There are limits to how far either party can go. Bush went way beyond these limits. Defeating Bush matters because all politicians need to know that even the radical Left will back a Democrat if things go too far. Bush’s radical agenda goes beyond anything any recent president has done. Not Nixon, not Ford, not Carter, not Reagan, not Bush’s dad, and not Clinton come close to the hugely radical abuse of power and threat to the Republic of this president. That’s why this president must be defeated and why it makes sense for Greens to help do it.

Bush invaded a sovereign state in a war of aggression without even pretense of following international law. Bush lied to the Congress and the American people to take our nation to war. Bush used the September 11th tragedy to restrict civil liberties and to massively expand police powers. Bush used fear of foreigners to push forward a radical domestic agenda. Bush was caught leading a government that tortures and ignores human rights with impunity. Bush suspended habeas corpus, locked citizens in secret jails and challenged the basic tenets on which civil society is based. Bush engaged in massive propaganda, abused the power of the Executive, challenged our Constitutional system, violated international law and pushed an unprecedented militaristic and corporate radical agenda.

Sure, other presidents have engaged in other acts that approach those of Bush - but none have been so bold and brazen as has been Bush. He is dangerous to our Republic and to the world. And we, the far Left, must join with moderates and liberals to send a message to radicals of the radical-Right. We will not tolerate anything that approaches Bush, not now and not ever - even if this means that we’ll pause from building our own Green Party. Join me in sending this message because the right to vote matters and this year we can employ our right to make a real difference for America and for the world.

Posted by: Liberation Learning at October 23, 2004 12:09 AM