my wishy-washy shifting opinions on the candidates

[TheBigGuy]

Sometimes I feel Im going to flip a coin in the voting booth....

I seem to be moving from one candidate to the other...I like them all in one way or another. I was supporting Kucinich, then backed off from that. I liked Edwards and appreciated Gephardt. Then there was Wes Clark. Then maybe Dean, but then maybe Wes Clark again....

I do tend to keep coming back to Kucinich, though...my first choice, I guess. He would not necessarily be the most self-interested choice for me. But I do like him and what he stands for..the traditional Democratic left-liberalism and populism. I know about all the "he not electable" arguments and all that and that is not the most telegenic or polished candidate (by far).

But really, when it comes down to it which candidate most reflects my core political beliefs and ideals...and it really is Kucinich. Voting for Dennis would be voting my conscience.

Im really still undecided, but i am indeed leaning back toward Kucinich.

[lcordero]

1. I'm going with Kucinich

If he decides to drop out then I will go with Sharpton or Moseley-Braun. I really do not see myself voting for the other six because the other six represent to me the continuation of the policies of the current administration. They do NOT represent my interests in any way shape or form.

[flyingfish]

2. No need to decide right now

Six months is a long time in politics.
MANY people on this site made the mistake of supporting a candidate too early.

Take your time, do your research, see what happens.
Time is on your side.

[tlcandie]

3. Supporting Kucinichtsunami2win...!

At this point, I believe many are supporting various candidates because they need a place to focus their energies in a postive way to hedge the tide of negativities thrust at them daily!

This doesn't mean I'm close-minded, however. I will be watching and weighing ALL the candidates.

[snyttri]

4. Could this be the election that ,due to indecision,later primaries matter?

[JanMichael]

5. For me I lean to 4 candidates.

1. DK- He's as close to what I'd like policy wise, the closest.

2. Dean- All around good candidate. UHC is important to me and I think he could do it.

3. Edwards- He's a polished Populist. I honestly believe that he's farther Left than he claims, the whole NC mill town backgroud is ripe for DK style politics from Edwards.

4. Kerry- He's a great candidate that can win it all and very Liberal in his time in the Senate.



(5). Clark- I need more info but so far I like what I've seen.

[bpilgrim]

6. i used to be for dean, while i was still in panic mode... till KUCINICH!

got into the 'ring' :bounce:

but he's still my number two choice, i see him as ANOTHER 'clinton' rideing a wave of POPULOUS sentimite that is literally sweeping the nation - yes clintons campaign speeches were POPULOUS - and folks PROVE practically every election that they are DESPERATE for CHANGE... REAL CHANGE.

don't believe me look who the number 2 canidate is for GOVONER of Cali.

imagine if Kucinich got it :wow: i'd even take V.P. and be psyched at this point especially if dean got the opprotunity to kick the crap out of the horseless cowboy down at the pig farm.

peace

[Elidor]

7. Me, too

My first love in this bunch was Kucinich, too. He has cojones. He stands up in the House and rails against the murderous greed and profitable blood-lust of the goons in power. I'll never stop loving him for that, and I hope he lasts long enough to become someone's vice president and give some leftist teeth to the eventual power compromise. But I can't actively hope for Dennis as president anymore.

Then there's Dean. By the time Kucinich became unviable, Dean had already made quite a splash, and I was eagerly wooed. But the closer I look, the less liberal he looks. I look at Dean and see the Second Coming of Big Dog, and there's a lot to be said for that. There's also a lot of salt to eat with it. Dean is almost as slick a liar as Clinton, and I don't trust people who sound like they're telling me everything I want to hear. I have a very finely tuned bullshit detector, and Dean has set it off more than once. But I'll take Dean over Kerry.

I can't point to much in my dislike of Kerry. I respect his military experience very much, but its relation to his suitablility as a politician doesn't do all that much for me. His support of the war certainly sticks in my craw, and he is not even repentent about it.

Gephardt. Gephardt? Gephardt? Oh, yeah, I remember him. Lots of union votes. I don't care. Miscast as a politician. Should have been an actor playing the jolly green giant or perhaps an Ent in LOTR.

Graham has garnered some big names in support, none of whom I can remember at the moment. He has been outspoken lately, and perhaps I will change my mind on him, but he's not going to win anyway.

Al Sharpton: I like Al. He makes me laugh. Not a quality I want in a president. Al is a great attack-dog, though, and you can count on him for some great one-liners. I don't think he'll ever live down Tawana Brawley.

Molly Ivins says Carol Mosely-Braun is on a vanity run. Be that as it may, she's impressive to me. Articulate and smart, good on her feet. I hope she lasts a while, too. The longer the little guys last, the richer our primary is for it. There is no conceivable reason for anyone to drop out now...well, except Holy Joe. He's not helping anyfuckingthing. Go away, Joe. You suck.

[DemBones DemBones]

8. The votes of the relatively few people who post on DU regularly

are hardly going to swing the primaries, IMO. So vote for the candidate you believe to be the best (i.e., Kucinich) in the primary. Chances are good that the party will nominate someone who's not the best and you can vote for him against Bush* in the general election.

Or maybe, if everyone votes their conscience/ gut/ heart instead of expediency, the party will nominate Kucinich, and we can get a real change from the Bush*ocracy. Wouldn't that be great?

[LWolf]

9. I think taking your time

and making a well-research, well-defined choice is good. I've found things to like about most of the candidates, even if I don't think they ought to be president. I can find things to criticize about all of them, too. But why? I'll hear enough of that between now and the primaries, and more than that in the general election.

I moved back and forth in the beginning. I was impressed with Dean's energy, and the way he seems willing to take on Bush. On closer look, I kept finding more things that just didn't match. So I looked further.

Edwards interested me, but I cannot swallow one of his positions. I'm not really a single-issue person, but this issue is my profession, and I'm unrepentant about what I want.

I really like Moseley-Braun, but didn't feel like she was ready for something this big. And then came Dennis.

He really does reflect my core beliefs and ideals. And to me, the primary is my opportunity to vote my conscience. I try to live my conscience. I'm going to spend my primary vote there. In the general election, my conscience will compel me to vote for whoever the dems nominate, as the best chance of beating Mr. Bush. In the primary, my conscience tells me to vote for the candidate I think holds the most hope for a better America and better world. That's Kucinich.

[nomaco-10]

10. I started out liking Kucinich, but switched to.....

Kerry thinking he could garner more numbers (moderate voters) for the nomination. The more I learn about Dean, the more he has become my favorite. My dream team would be a Dean/Clark ticket, I think they would be unstoppable. If Leiberman gets the nom, someone will have to buy me a ice cream cone and hold my hand all the way to the polls.