Obama in Greensboro today for town hall, speech at 1PM

"Clintonistas"

I have been lurking on your blog for a while but have just joined.  I am a Clinton supporter and will absolutely vote for WHOEVER the Democratic candidate is in the general election.  In the meantime, however, please stop calling Clinton and Clinton supporters names.  This may be part of why those Clinton supporters increasingly feel alienated.  My idea is, let's let people vote.  At some point we'll have a nominee.  I personally think most Democrats will coalesce behind the ultimate nominee.  No matter which candidate you support the alternative is 4 more years of unending war, 4 more years of not doing anything about the economy, 4 more years of not doing anything about healthcare and 4 more years of political hit jobs on the LGBT community.

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by: relawyer @ Wed Mar 26, 2008 at 12:18:03 PM CDT

I don't feel great...

...about the months of being told that I make political decisions based on naiveté, but that will never make me feel "alienated" enough to vote for John McCain if Clinton gets the nod.  

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by: janinedm @ Wed Mar 26, 2008 at 13:57:55 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

McCain? No way

I heard the governor of Pennsylvania speak recently on this topic.  He's giving all Dems 10 days to kvetch and moan about whoever is the eventual nominee is.  Then we have to shut up and support that nominee.

I think I agree with him.

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by: Cheryl @ Wed Mar 26, 2008 at 14:51:38 PM CDT

Third Party

I cannot vote for John McCain.  But I also cannot vote for someone who voted:

YES on Authorization to Use Military Force in Iraq
YES on Kyl/Lieberman Amendment ("Let's bomb Iran!")
YES on the Biden Bankruptcy Bill
NO on banning land mines
NO on banning cluster bombs
CO-SPONSORED a bill to punish flag burning

...and who is more than willing to pull a "Tonya Harding" on the Democratic front-runner.  So if my choices end up being "McCain" and "Clinton", I will vote third party.

At some point, the Democratic Party is going to have to respond to the will of its base.  I will not reward Hillary Clinton based on her votes and her campaigning.

Will that lead to a McCain presidency, more war, and a more conservative SCOTUS?  Perhaps, but if so, don't blame me, blame the Democratic Party for not being democratic anymore.

"If people let government decide which foods they eat and medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny." -- Thomas Jefferson

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by: RadicalRuss @ Wed Mar 26, 2008 at 15:00:46 PM CDT

Russ, I am with you,

  If Hillary is the Dem Nom.  I will vote for a third party.   I am watching the delgates from Florida and Michigan BS.  The Florida part very closely.

 I view it this way, STATES RIGHTS The people of the state voted these people into office, they supported Florida's voice being heard in the primary elections.  They allowed the rules to be changed and said the rules where fine as they believed the change in the rules would be a plus for one side.

 OOPS, the rule change made the votes in Florida not count.  BAD RULE, lets fix it at halftime in the middle of the super bowl.  

 From every take that one can read or watch on TV, Hillary has a snow balls chance in hell getting the nomination.  Hillary needs the Florida delegates and will do anything to get them seated.  In Florida she had a clear win over Obama as Obama was on the ballot.

 The Super Delegates will piss me off as well if they give the nomination to Hillary.  

 Let the rest of the primaries happen and the winner be decided.   I think enough people who pay attention in penn and the other states have a clear candidate between Obama and Hillary.   Those who have questions will vote for McCain as the other two got to nasty for their tastes.

 

If I make sense? it was quite by accident.

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by: HappyCat @ Thu Mar 27, 2008 at 00:40:37 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

How do you view the point...

   that a vote for a third party, is a vote for the republicans. Isn't it like a protest vote and won't help the democratic party but will in fact help the republicans by watering down the democratic voting base?

 

I'd rather be a lion for one day, than a sheep for my entire life.

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by: PhyllisMs @ Thu Mar 27, 2008 at 09:55:50 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Will Dem's lose a majority in the Congress...

if too many jump ship for a third party? Thats why desertion is such a seriously punished offense, because an army can't stand and fight if too many desert and a ship cannot sail without crew so deserters were shot on sight to send a clear message to would be deserters.

  How do you feel about losing Congress to another Republican majority for four or, very possibly, eight more years?

I will not reward Hillary Clinton based on her votes and her campaigning.

I'd rather be a lion for one day, than a sheep for my entire life.

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by: PhyllisMs @ Thu Mar 27, 2008 at 10:42:15 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Sore Losers? Patriots!

John McCain will likely be a far better President than Barack Obama could ever be. Are Blenders concerned about what's good for the USA or only their own narrow self-interest?

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by: Holly in Cincinnati @ Wed Mar 26, 2008 at 15:05:07 PM CDT

ROTFLOL!

That's waaaay out there Holly. FEC lawbreaking "Straight Talk" McCain feels that he is clearly above the law. And with his infamous temper and short fuse, I think the man will have us as in bad a mess with foreign countries as Bush has the U.S. now.

McCain's marginally better than the most of the clowns in that faux-fundie GOP clown car, but I can't imagine my "narrow interests" will be served by a man who brings nothing fresh to the mix - he's already brought on all the Bushies who want another crack at West Wing occupancy. Nuff said.

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by: Pam Spaulding @ Wed Mar 26, 2008 at 15:38:14 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Narrow self interest?

If he doesn't care about domestic issues like the economy (which he says, often) and he doesn't know that the Sunni's don't run Iran, then where's the expertise?

You want right-thinking democrats to vote for this guy?

And then someone asked about public funding for contraception in Africa to prevent the spread of AIDS.

"I'm sure I've taken a position on it in the past," he stammered as he looked to his communications director. "I'm sure I'm opposed to government funding."

Sensing a vulnerable moment, reporters kept the questions coming. What about sex education in the schools? Should it mention contraceptives? Or only abstinence, like President Bush wants?

"I think I support the president's present policy," he said, tentatively.

More questions: Do condoms stop sexually transmitted disease?

A long pause.

A stern look.

"I've never gotten into these issues or thought much about them," he said, almost crying uncle. "Obviously, we all want to stop the spread of AIDS. Everybody wants to do that. What's the most viable way of doing that?"

Well? The reporters asked?

In a last ditch attempt to rescue himself, McCain told an aide to go get a briefing paper prepared by Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn, a doctor, who he said has been advising him on "these issues." But the aide couldn't find the briefing paper. "We've lost it," McCain mumbled.

"Whether I support government funding for them or not, I don't know," McCain said about contraceptives. He then said he'd look into it for the reporters, who finally let him off the hook and moved onto other subjects again.

Sorry. Not in a million years. I'm not saying that I could never vote for a Republican, but not McCain. I don't understand what sort of feminist could vote for John McCain, Middle-East Stupidity aside. On reproductive rights alone.

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by: janinedm @ Wed Mar 26, 2008 at 17:43:51 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Holly, hun...

People always vote for their own self-interests in elections. It is human nature. If you look at this primary season, ask yourself just why the campaigns change the major topics as they move from state to state. It is because they know what the so-called self-interests are in each state. Furthermore, why do conservative Christians vote Republican? Why does organized labor vote Democrat? Why do 25% of Americans still believe Bush is doing a good job? Hold your breath!!! - SELF INTEREST!!!

You talk of McCain "likely" being a better President than Obama. Think about this...

Al Gore would have made a better President than George W. Bush.

Michael Dukakis would have made a better President than George H.W. Bush. We could add more to the list.  

Get it together, dear. As we say in the South, "Bless your heart..."  

"I like your Christ, but do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ." ~Gandhi
"Upon the integrity, wisdom, and independence of the judiciary depend the sacred rights of free men and women."  

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by: keithan81 @ Wed Mar 26, 2008 at 18:35:22 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Who is this "Democratic Party" We Are Supposed to Blame?

Aren't we, the voters, the Democratic Party?  I know it would be a lot more comfortable to blame some "other guy" but the fact is that we are deeply divided over who we would rather see as the nominee.  The truth is, it wasn't really a blow-out on the Repub side, either, but they use a winner-take-all system that blows second-place finishers out of the water.  The reason the counts are so close is because the votes have been relatively close.  So far no one has broken any rules except FL and MI, and the rules also provide "what-ifs" if those states want to get their delegates seated.  So far they haven't been able to agree on a way to do that, because neither campaign (for obvious reasons) will agree to anything that they perceive as being more helpful to the other campaign.  Fine; there is no reason why they should.  But I still insist that we need to stop this shallow finger-pointing and name-calling.  Neither of these candidates is "evil" (even if certain "pundits" want you to think so).  This is politics, and we all tend to get into a "team" mentality in the heat of the battle.  But there are much larger issues at stake in who is elected POTUS than whether my "team" wins or your "team" wins.

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by: relawyer @ Wed Mar 26, 2008 at 16:02:24 PM CDT

It's tempting...

   when the "shitty committee" gets going in my brain, on Obama and Ms. Clinton, well with her "mis-spoke" on such a small matter as taking live fire. I don't remember it was such a small thing to forget it that easily. Most veterans, not to mention civilians can tell you exactly the first time they were shot at. The democrats are shooting themselves in the foot.

   But I'm done with republicans, for at least one to two terms. 

I'd rather be a lion for one day, than a sheep for my entire life.

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by: PhyllisMs @ Wed Mar 26, 2008 at 22:09:13 PM CDT