I hate to see the Democratic Party so divided...

[kentuck]

That means it's going to be a kick ass primary again. Who's going to win this time around? Is Governor Dean going to get back into the fray? Or the good Governor of Maryland? Or maybe that lady Senator from Minnesota - what's her name? You just know it's going to be a knock-down, drag-out of a battle. But, I'm going to put my money on the progressive if there is one. How about you??

(I know we should be concentrating on taking back the House, but everybody seems to want to talk about something else? We have to put the House back into the people's hands.)

For the hard of hearing...

[Cleita]

1. The one's with the best money contributors.

Sorry I'm so cynical.

[babylonsister]

2. No offense, my friend, but

you haven't helped.

[Andy823]

5. +1,000,000 nt

[Pretzel_Warrior]

6. ^^^^^^THIS!!!^^^^^^^

[Cali_Democrat]

3. Obama has 80% support among Dems and this has been consistent throughout his Presidency.

The notion that the Democratic party is extremely divided is false.

A message board made up of anonymous posters pounding away on their keyboards is not representative of the Democratic Party.

[kentuck]

7. You're right Cali_Democrat.

DU is not representative of the Democratic Party.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

10. .

[LWolf]

4. I can't change the House.

My R- Rep isn't going anywhere; I live in a hard-red area.

Primaries? I want a great non-neoliberal, I want equal treatment and talking time in debates, and I want to cast my ballot before the whole thing is over, while there's still a candidate worthy of my vote on the ballot.

Is that too much to ask?

[Andy823]

17. Same here

My R-rep is pretty much a shoe in, but it won't stop me from casting my vote for the democrat who will be challenging him. If by some miracle the voters actually wake up and vote the republican out of office I will know that I had a hand in helping.

[LWolf]

41. I always do,

always thinking, "someday..."

[Mojorabbit]

34. I have Alan Grayson! and he is fighting hard against the

surveillance state and bankers. He is awesome. A real progressive.

[LWolf]

42. I want that kind of Democrat

in the WH. Not Grayson, specifically; I'm reluctant to pull valuable, needed members of Congress out to send them to the WH.

Somebody, though, who knows who to fight for, what to fight for, and how to fight.

[Raine1967]

13. How is he MIA?

I live right over here in NoVa and I don't see him as MIA. Who cares that he came out for Hillary? You say it like it is a bad thing. He supported her. As far as your claim that he sid "we are not better off than we were four years ago? " You are really reaching here and playing RWTP games.

Senator Mikulski is a great woman and I see no indiction that she is leaving. Nor do I see Cardin going anywhere.

The idea that Martin O'Malley should settle for the senate is curious.

[Raine1967]

9. How about this idea:

WE concentrate on 2014 and worry about 2016 November 5, 2014.

I'm far less concerned about the (D) presidential nominee as I am right now about the house and the senate.

Let's elect progressives to the house and the senate. If we can't do that, than let's elect People with (D) after their names.

(that was, after all, the 50 state strategy.)

[liberal_at_heart]

23. If you've noticed the Supreme Court is not our only problem but if you are a single issue voter I

understand, so am I. My single issue is education and the democrats are failing on this issue.

[liberal_at_heart]

27. don't care what you think the GOP will do. I know what Obama and the other democrats have done, and

it sucks. Chicago closed 50 schools and Philadelphia has to take out a loan just to open its doors this year. There is no way in hell I am voting for any democrat that does not support fully funding education.

[Andy823]

14. Exactly!

2014 should be the priority, and letting republicans win is not an option. There is no chance in hell we can change things with republicans in charge, with democrats we stand a much better chance.

[Andy823]

12. So how do we do that?

I keep seeing posters talk about staying home, or they no longer support the democratic party, and I also see posters who say that letting the teapublican crazies take control would be a good thing, and that would "help" get "real" liberals and progressives elected "after" the crazies have been in control! I mean come on does anyone really think that letting the crazies win in 2014, or 2016 is a smart move? Didn't we learn a lesson in 2010 when the teapublican crazies won the House, and took control so many state governments?

What I want is change, real change, and the one thing I know for sure is letting the crazies run things is not going to bring the kind of change I want to see. Turning the country into the right wing radicals idea of "taking back their country" would be a disaster. While many want change, and they want it "right now", it will take time, we can not afford a Christ Christie in the WH, or God forbid a Rand Paul. We also can't afford more tea party wackos in congress. I may not like who is running come election time, but one thing is for sure, I won't vote for republicans and I sure as hell won't vote for the Rand Paul type candidates. I may have to hold my nose to vote, but I see no other way to get "some kind of change? Think about what happened in 2010 and then ask if we really want to see more of the shit storm we got when we let republicans win!

I am very interested in your ideas as well as anyone else's ideas for taking back the House, keeping the Senate, and taking back all the state governments from the hands of total republican rule. I just can't see how losing in 2014 is going to help us in any way shape or form.

[mick063]

18. Vote for a socialist Democrat

Really quite simple. Read the voter pamphlet, vote for the socialist Democrat.

If none are socialist Democrats, don't vote for a candidate that will negotiate Social Security away, jobs to foreign lands, poison into our soil, government assets into private hands.

How hard is that?

Really......how hard is it?

[Andy823]

22. What can I say

You are the guy that told be we could do worse that Chris Christie, the guy who wants the "crazies" to win to teak all those democrats you don't like a lesson. If the crazies win, we lose, how hard is that to understand? Everything we have gained in the last 5 years goes down the tube. Do you think that the "crazies" will keep any of the things like health care, women's rights, freedom of choice, etc. from being completely done away with? If they take the WH in 2016 do you really think the next Supreme court judges will be "liberals?

Sorry, but I just can't accept your ideas on how to change things.

[DonCoquixote]

35. which means

let the gop get back into power like in 2010.

[mick063]

36. Diminishing the rightward trend of the Democrats is job #1.

If your agenda is reform of the Democratic Party, no stone is left unturned. It starts by not rewarding them with victory.

The side benefit is letting the GOP do what they do best. Piss off a whole bunch of people.

Nothing harms the GOP more than political power. They will hang themselves. They are their own worst enemy.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party is purged of incompetent losers. The puppets can eat each other laying blame, pointing fingers.

There is also the chance that some Democratic reformers get surprise victories. Build seniority for them. Not the puppets.

[DonCoquixote]

39. we tried that in 2000

and for all the hate both sides have for W. he still managed to kill thousands, I di not want a giv christie ready to deliver that war with Iran that some people have had on backorder.

[mick063]

40. He would have been run out of town if not for 9/11.

He also set the perfect example of GOP economic failure at the end of his tenure. A long term Democratic victory with respect to economic ideology.

Another failed GOP example would reinforce the message for another two generations as well as motivate people to look for new solutions. Solutions from the left.

The drift left, for both parties, would begin in earnest.

[Demo_Chris]

37. Very, since we voted for a man and party who promised much of that....

And what we got is another Bush.

More, and perhaps worse, the vast majority of the Party leadership and elected officials are just fine with all of it.

[KittyWampus]

15. The Democratic Party isn't "so divided". Some DU'ers really need to step away from this site

and get some fresh air.

[BainsBane]

16. "the lady senator from MN" is Amy Klobuchar

Google is your friend.

[dflprincess]

24. And let us all hope she isn't serious about running

The speculation is that she's angling more for the VP slot or a cabinet position. Fine by me as it would give us a chance to elect someone from the Democratic wing of the party in her place.

She was shoved down our throats by the DSCC, DNC and the state party hierarchy which ignored its own rules to push her over a far more progressive candidate.

If you want a wishy washy, take no position on anything more controversial than whether or not kittens are cute and Amykins is the candidate for you.

[BainsBane]

26. I don't see that she's be a serious contender

[MineralMan]

45. Yup. She's testing the water, but only

has her big toe in it so far. She's a nice person, but not all that progressive. She does vote with the Democratic caucus, though, almost all of the time.

I've talked with her a couple of times, and it's hard not to like her as a person. That's been her key to success, so far.

[votesparks]

20. After voting twice for Obama

I will never, ever vote for a DNC candidate again.

Unless someone truly progressive runs, it's Green from here on out.

[Demo_Chris]

38. Pro Tip, you are not allowed to say that here. nt

[geek tragedy]

43. Jury voted to keep this post explicitly admitting this person is a third party troll.

Time to rename the site, no longer a Democratic discussion board. More like GreenPaulunderground.com

[Lil Missy]

28. DU is not representative of real life. n/t

[Zorra]

30. The smart money is always on the neoconservademlican. nt

[Peregrine Took]

31. Deaniac reporting for duty.

Older and more jaded but ready to go back into the fray.

[silvershadow]

33. Me, too. I'd also take Sanders, Warren, Grayson, and some others too. Far, far down my list are

some of the more "establishment" candidates of note.

[TreasonousBastard]

32. And I hate to see anyone think DU is the Democratic party.

[KharmaTrain]

44. 2014 Is All That Matters Right Now...

...it won't matter whose the nominee in 2016 if the rushpublicans increase their draconian hold on state legislatures as well as the House and (gulp) the Senate. This is the battleground on so many levels...women's reproductive and health rights, GLBT equality, voting and minority rights as well as union busting and ALEC organized "initiatives". This will require as much an effort as 2016 will and the stakes couldn't be higher...