Democrats See Unified Party for November

[Judi Lynn]

Democrats See Unified Party for November
By ADAM NAGOURNEY

Published: February 9, 2004


NASHVILLE, Feb. 8 — Democratic leaders, once fearful that their presidential nominee would inherit a demoralized and divided party, said Sunday that Democrats now seemed poised to nominate a candidate who had escaped damage from internal battling and enjoyed broad support from all factions of the party.

With Senator John Kerry's lopsided victories this weekend in Michigan, Washington and Maine, states that were once considered the heart of Howard Dean's support, many Democrats said Mr. Kerry could become one of the party's earliest nominees in memory. Some Democratic leaders had openly worried that if Dr. Dean lost the nomination, after being perceived as having it all but locked up, the eventual nominee would have to revive a broken party.

"There is unity within our party; they are not going after each other," said Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic national chairman, in an assessment that was echoed in the camps of Mr. Kerry's rivals. Mr. McAuliffe took care not to proclaim any winner in the race but said he expected the contest to be resolved within weeks, saying that would be "a great result."

Art Torres, the California Democratic Party chairman, said in an interview on Sunday that in a career dating to working for Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, he had never seen "a party more unified proceeding through the primary season." Mr. Torres said that development made him increasingly hopeful about his party's prospects in November.
(snip/...)

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/09/politics/campaign/09CAMP.html?th
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[lancdem]

1. I am optimistic we will be united, too

I just read Zogby, and he says Kerry's support is wide and deep, meaning it runs the gamut from liberal and moderate Dems to independents pissed at Bush. Who knows - maybe our nominee will even pick up some disaffected Repubs. I've been pleased that our candidates are directing most of their fire at Bush rather than at each other.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. Sadly

If you look at these boards, you might be compelled to disagree. There are those here that would rather fight to the death with a particular candidate in the Primaries than win when it really matters in November. It saddens me, especially when the Democratic candidates (except Lieberman who is not a Democrat) are NOT, despite the ranting and raving of some here, are NOT all that dissimilar from each other.

But you know what? It all comes down to one thing: Would you rather have half the things you care about in one of the remaining Democrats or NONE of the things you care about by using some kind of protest vote and enabling Bush to win?

For me, that choice is clear. ABB all the way.

[lancdem]

3. I don't really worry about it

because as much as I love DU, it does not represent the Dem Party at all. The large majority of Dems are not liberal, and many who are are pragmatic and not interested in cutting off their nose to spite their face.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Would it be possible for you to provide a reference to your claim

that the majority of Democrats are NOT liberal.

Do you think it's possible you would associate with people with whom you have a lot in common, and may not actually know much about other Democrats?

[lancdem]

21. Check the polls

A majority of Dems do not describe themselves as liberal. Our party includes many moderates and even conservatives. But we share many common values nonetheless. I'm not sure where you get the idea that most Dems are liberal.

[Judi Lynn]

24. Here's a poll result you might want to check

(snip) Poll: Public sees Dean as most liberal, but in mainstream of voters

The Associated Press
January 16th, 2004

WASHINGTON -- Howard Dean is seen by the general public as the most liberal of the leading Democratic presidential candidates but he appears to be in the mainstream as far as likely Democratic primary voters are concerned, a poll found.

Dean was seen as further from the average Americans’ political views than President Bush, according to the poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. But some other leading Democratic candidates were closer to the average voter’s views than Bush. (snip)

The Pew Research Center measured political ideology by asking respondents where they would place themselves on a scale of 1 to 6, with 1 being the most conservative and 6 being the most liberal. The pollsters also asked them to place the leading presidential candidates on that same scale.

The poll found that Democrats and Republicans are moving further toward the ideological extreme of their party, with Democrats becoming more liberal and Republicans becoming more conservative.
(snip)

http://www.thedesertsun.com/news/stories2004/election/20040116025520.shtml

[Just Me]

27. The great thing about Democrats is that they are a "melting pot",...

,...DU represents a good chunk of that very diverse "melting pot". I personally believe it is a mistake to get into the simplistic liberal/conservative labeling because it simply misses the multifarious characteristics of individuals and of the Democratic party.

[Nicholas_J]

4. Give me a break about Lieberman

His actual record in Congress is just three points shy of John Kerry and Ted Kennedy's for being the most Liberal members of Congress. His Sierra Club rating as well, with him getting 93 percent on liberal scale compared to Kerry's 96 percent. Even Edwards has not rated as highly on any scales that measure such things.

[Beetwasher]

7. DU, As Much As I Love This Place

Is hard core. It is not indicative of the Dem party as a whole...

Hell, become are only now just becoming mildly interested in the campaigns, we've been hashing out this stuff for a year already...

[Triana]

5. good news...

...no matter what or who - the Dem party has GOT to present a unified front to the voters and against bu$hit. If they don't, bu$hit gets re(s)elected...and he may anyway if he manages to use enough voter cleansing lists (a al FL 2000) and erroneous, hacked up voting machines to 'count' the votes.

[Beetwasher]

6. This will be a great thing

Kerry will be able to answer every one of Bush's idiotic statments and his responses will get the attention they deserve.

I'm very psyched about this.

[CWebster]

9. So, they would like to project the illusion of

We shall see.

[onehandle]

10. Me too...

We are going to kick Karl's ass!

[Bandit]

11. I think the majority of Americans are going to vote Anybody but Bush*

So that will unify the Democrats like never before. Bush* is/has been a miserable failure and most "intelligent" people realize that. I will be surprised if he wins a single state unless they get McCain to run with him as VP and even then I don't know if McCain's star power will be enough.

[Yavin4]

12. Kerry Is Winning Fair and Square

The Dem rank and file are the ones voting for him. If Kerry is their choice, then I'll go along with it. I respect my fellow Dems.

[CWebster]

13. Always remember

What in Kerry's entire campaign has caused voters to jump on his bandwagon? ABB? If voters can be herded to Kerry as the pre-selected chosen, and accept the "assassination" of Dean or the dismissal of Clark and Kucinich, then why is it unconceivable that they can not be herded to vote against Kerry?

[lancdem]

22. Thanks for another "voters are dumb" post

There's been no "herding," and Dean has not been "assassinated." If he can't take the heat during the primaries, how would he have any chance of standing up to the Rove machine? Of course Dean was a target, and the criticism was often not fair. Welcome to politics. He's not the first person it has happened to, and he won't be the last.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

14. DU represents the hard-core of the party. In no way are...

we the majority of the Democratic Party, yes we are a branch of it but the 39,000+ members here do not represent the view of the millions of Democrats out their.

The LARGE majority of Democrats, myself included, are going to unite
and fight like hell to get the nomminee into the WH in November. We know what's at stake here!

Bush and the Neo-Cons have badly damaged a great nation and we must
stop the bleeding NOW!

"Like Father, Like Son, One Term and He's Done"

[Dulcinea]

15. We have to be united! We have no choice!

The ONLY way we'll get rid of Boy George & his posse of whackos is to come together!

Are we going to let them splinter the Democratic Party? I think not.

THEY cannot define us; WE must define ourselves!

[eileen_d]

16. It will be a large, united Democratic Party in 11/04

:party:

And for those who choose not to come... peace out.

[MasonJar]

17. I think that people are paying attention now. Most Dems who

are not bothering already know that they hate Bush. I just hope the Greens realize that the earth is going with this ideological, illogical cabal and join us this time.

[Larkspur]

18. The Dem Party may be unifed in November but the non-Dean Dem nominee

will not get my money or my enthusiasm.

If Kerry is the nominee, he can sell all his property to fund his GE campaign. I will never donate to Kerry.

[David__77]

20. If you can't work for Kerry, then work for the party.

I'm supporting Dean as well. And I may not be able to give to whoever the nominee is. But I certainly will be winning votes for the Democratic Party. I think the activism is in the end most important. Write letters, call friends and organize.

[Larkspur]

26. I'm already a member of my Dem Town Comm

and helped the Party during the 2002 election debacle. So don't preach to me.

[llmart]

19. Though John Kerry

wasn't my first choice and I voted for Dean in my caucus, I will wholeheartedly support him. I think that our party is united like never before against the disaster of the past 3 years and I do believe that unity is already showing itself in the numbers of people going to the polls in the states that have already held primaries. Primaries don't usually bring out this many people.

[Piperay]

23. Good news and that

is what having a common enemy like the chimp does, unifies. :thumbsup:

[Malva Zebrina]

25. On Sunday in our caucus there were at least 50 times the turnout

that there had been in the previous times.

There were so many people crowded into the area that it was stifling and not the place for a person who had some clautrophobic tendencies, and they had to shunt some of the localities out into classrooms and they ran out of registration forms!!!

People lined up for the candidates, but, and here is the comfort, cheered for all the other candidates and their supporters. I kid you not. It was so great. I knew almost every person that showed up, at least two hundred, from my town. So great--such a tribute to democracy.

Clark supporters, Dean and Kucinich supportes were applauded loudly by the whole group, even though the majority were supporting Kerry. There was an unmistakeable sense of unity in the entire exercise. No resentment and nothing divisive at all. It was, rather invigorating this comminity action caucus. Everybody seemed to be saying ABB.

[JPace]

28. Its that American Spirit that I love so much

when it sets out to right a wrong.

Democrats are uniting with a single
purpose, to take out AWOL!

Get your change of address card filled
out rOve.....you are going to be moving
soon.