Too many DU'ers are becoming complacent about Kerry's chances

[drumwolf]

I'm noticing that a lot of people here are now completely taking it for granted that Kerry will be our president next year. I don't think this is a particularly smart thing to do.

Yes, Kerry is handling himself quite well. And yes, right now Bush is in an enormous world of shit of his own making. But I am not going to assume for one second that Kerry has it in the bag for sure, and neither should you. For fucking fuck's sake, the guy isn't even the official Democratic nominee yet, and yet people are already acting as though he's already been elected president. Folks, the election is still six months away and anything can happen in that time.

I don't give a shit how low Bush's approval ratings go or how high Kerry's gets at any time before November. The stakes are way too high for us to have the luxury of letting our guard down, no matter how tempting it may get.

[RafterMan]

1. I think you have mistaken

the feeling that Kerry is going to win with complacency. I get the impression that most people here will kick Bush down from 45 to zero with all the zest and vigor they have used in the last 20-point fall. Perhaps moreso, since it's always more fun to travel downhill.

Don't expect anyone to let their guard down -- it'll look more like piling on.

[yorgatron]

2. it's MUCH too early for complacency

but i do think it's good to have confidence.people love a winner,and Kerry is the kinda guy that knows how to run the home stretch.

[RoyGBiv]

3. I don't notice complacency...or taking anything for granted.

I do notice a little more positive energy than is normal. Positive energy is, well, positive. The key is to channel that energy into positive action.

The level of frustration and abject anger at the current administration, or more precisely the current state of the country, has built a lot of emotional pressure. This pressure will be released one way or another. In several prior election cycles that pressure was released in ways that were destructive, particularly, in recent history, '68 and '80. We don't want a repeat of those years. We don't want all the negative feelings to be transformed into negative action that would tear us apart.

[izzie]

4. I wait for the vote count.

Yar 2000 shocked me.

[0rganism]

5. Don't confuse confidence with complacency

Many people here are pleased with the careful tactics Sen. Kerry has employed over the last few months of campaigning. I trust we are all aware of the seriousness of the coming struggle; however, right now it would be exceedingly difficult for any of us to do more to undermine bush's chances than he himself has done. Kerry can now pretty much coast to the Democratic nomination, while bush tries to extricate himself from his warcrimes. After the convention, everything changes and the tough part really starts.

[Dookus]

6. I see no complacency...

I see some satisfaction with our current position, but no complacency. At all.

We know we gotta win, and we gotta win big. And we will.

[turiya]

7. Kerry will be President

its time to stop crying about strategy and start worrying about REAL ISSUES.
Kerry has it locked up and needs to start being a damn leader.

[Skittles]

8. I agree

too many of them seem to forget BUSH DID NOT WIN THE LAST ELECTION.

[drumwolf]

9. kick for the morning crowd

As someone in the comments section of a blog said, "From now until November we need to act like we're 10 points behind Bush. I don't want to see us fuck up this election because we got cocky."

[barbaraann]

10. Not me.

I started a thread about how we need to have protest places in case there is another GOP coup. Unfortunately, it dropped off the face of the earth...

[WFF]

11. Complacency could lead to more Nader votes

Assuming of course that he gets on some ballots. If people feel that Kerry has a big enough lead, Nader could steal enough votes from Kerry to make a difference.

You're right, drumwolf, we need to keep fighting for Kerry.

[RichardRay]

12. Nope, not me

I still feel at risk and unsure. Whenever I see anything positive about Kerry's campaign my visceral reaction is that it's somehow mistaken, whenever I see something negative about Bush it's an equally visceral reaction that the other shoe just dropped.

I'll be confident when I see Theresa holding the bible while John takes the oath of office.

[LeahMira]

13. Not asleep... just taking a deep breath

The stakes are way too high for us to have the luxury of letting our guard down, no matter how tempting it may get.

Well, I think that for a long time we have been feeling sort of depressed at how bad things have become. Finally, it seems we have a real shot at changing the direction of the country. I also think that instead of reacting to each Bush screw-up, it's time for Democrats to be pro-active and to take a message of hope and idealism to the country.

I think everyone is aware of the fact that "you gotta believe" and "if you build it, they will come" sorts of attitudes demand a lot of risk taking and a lot of faith and especially a lot of hard work. But I also think that people keep going longer on hope and ideals than they do on fear and aggression and arrogance.

Maybe what you are seeing is everyone taking a huge deep breath (while "torturegate" is playing out in the press) and getting psyched for the next round of the campaign that leads up to the convention. Anyway, I hope so.

[cheezus]

14. do you have a solution, or are you just bitching?

are you simply saying that we should express our opinions, because you don't agree, or is it the case that you have a plan of action to replace this complacency?

[drumwolf]

15. my "solution"/"plan of action" is a REAL simple and basic one

Keep fighting and don't let your guard down between now and November (or even after the election, for that matter, but that's a subject for a different thread). It's just that simple.

We're kicking Bush's hiney right now, but anyone who's a sports fan has watched the occasional game where their team takes an early lead only to have the opponent come from behind later on. To use another sports analogy, this is a marathon, not a sprint -- we're in the lead now, but there's still time for Bush to overtake us.

ON EDIT: Actually, I have an even better sports metaphor. Instead of thinking of this election in terms of winning a single game, we need to think of it as like trying to win enough games over the entire regular sports season that we ultimately make it into the playoffs.