I just voted for Dean in the SC Dem Primary!

[CheshireCat]

For those of you who don't know me, I see this election year as one in which I do not have the luxury of voting for the candidate I really prefer. Being a member for the far left for 35 years has always made voting a lesser of evils. But this year, I see our country in crisis, more than any time in those 35 years.

I love Kucinich - would love to vote for him. Maybe I will be able to do so in the future. However, 2004 is the election with one major goal: Defeat Bush! He is robbing us blind of our $$$, our democracy, and our future. He must be dealt with before we can hope to regain anything at all.

For weeks, I have been trying to decide for whom to vote in the SC Democratic Primary. I have wavered between Dean, Edwards, Kerry, and Kucinich.

Yesterday, The SC Democratic Party decided that anyone voting in the primary would have to sign an oath saying they were a Democrat. For those of you in states where you must declare a party when registering, the oath must seem like a small issue. In SC, I assure you it is not.

At first I didn't think much about it. Then a couple of friends who I have been trying to talk sense into since the 2000 election, said they could NOT vote if they had to sign the oath. (they voted for Bush, but have decided to vote Democratic)

After talking to some friends that had voted Green in 2000, I realized that they had the same objection to the oath.

Then it all came together for me. Not only was the Dem Party in SC trying to keep out Republicans, they were also trying to keep the leftwing of the party at home.

Democrats from all over the state started calling the Dem Party Headquarters complaining about the oath. I did my part by calling 3 different people high up in the party.

By 5pm yesterday, the Dem Party announced that the oath would not be required.

By 5pm yesterday, I decided I would vote for Dean, who the party in SC (and DC) would like to stop.

I still think Dean has the best chance in the long run, but come election time:

I will be voting for the Democratic Candidate who is running against GW

ABB

[Straight Shooter]

1. That's the struggle in this election, to vote our conscience and still

get rid of that Toxic Texan. Quite a dilemma.

And to you, CheshireCat :toast:

[Skinner]

2. Congrats on voting!

Feels good, doesn't it?

[Atlant]

3. Thank you. (NT)

[MoonAndSun]

4. Good for you, my family and I are voting for Dean here in Arizona.

:bounce:

[Mile Hi]

5. Thanks

Dean is the one that will change America for the best.

[NashVegas]

6. WTG

And good work on the oath.

[FredrickDouglass]

7. I couldn't disagree more with your strategy

Dean is simply NOT the best candidate. But I've heard people express the view you did, as to why they are going to vote for him in the primaries.
This is the primaries, not the general election. Vote for who most closely adheres with your beliefs. You'll have your chance to vote with your head come the general elections. But if we keep doing this voting for the front-runner thing, 20 years later when the society we've created for our kids and grandkids looks just as bleak it not worse, than it does today, we'll have no one to blame but ourselves for it.

[CheshireCat]

13. For any other election

I would agree with you. I have voted since 1972. Never miss an election. What you say sounds like what I usually say to others at election time.

This is the one time in my life when I feel that I do not have the luxury of voting for the best candidate - even in the primary. My goal is clear - defeat Bush.

We must get rid of this horror of a resident, then we can rebuild our country. Can you imagine the things that GW will do if he is not facing election? {{{{Shudder}}}}

[FredrickDouglass]

31. This Is Only The Primary

I believe that just about any Democrat will be able to beat Bush, so this strategy of voting 'with my mind, not my heart' doesn't make any sense, in the Primary. We are supposed to be fielding the best candidate we can.
And we don't have a better candidate in Dean than we do in Kucinich.

When I hear this 'let's rally behind who the media hypes' kinda talk, I begin to get worried. I'd much rather have a guy like Kucinich determining policy. And on top of that, I'd much rather see Kucinich take on Bush in debates. He's heads and tails above Dean. Not to bash Dean as a guy but he simply resorts to rhetoric and anecdotal jabs at Bush. No substance. People know substance and straight talk when they hear it. And its going to be so obvious once we're in the presidential debates.

If we waste this monumental opportunity to make a difference by selecting an inferior Democratic candidate that we've been convinced by "TeeVee" is more "electable" it will truly be a tragedy.

[joshcryer]

24. Way to go!

FredrickDouglass, people. Spreading the voice of democracy!

[dorktv]

8. *gives you a warm hug* thank you.

[creativelcro]

9. Well done!

[GumboYaYa]

10. WooHoo, I love voting.

This morning I cast my ballot for the good doctor here in Missouri.

Go Dean.

[Redneck Socialist]

11. Thank You. n/t

[emulatorloo]

12. Thanks for getting out to vote and talking to others about it! n/t

[SCDem]

14. Thank you!

Thank you so much maybe Dean will surprise us in South Carolina.... I'll be voting in Rock Hill tonight

[CheshireCat]

23. Good Morning SC Dem!

Hope you don not have to wait in line.

[chocolateeater]

15. Thank you for voting

:toast:

[DenverDem]

16. Herein lies the crux of the biscuit

While Kucinich is presenting the only sane policy proposals that could possibly address sustainability in economics, energy and freedom, we can only buy into a candidate who is "electable" i.e. is committed to "politricks as usual". So we end up with a neo liberal corporate globalist apologist who merely slows the lemming like rush to the economic and environmental catastrophe that "free" trade and the unchecked petro culture is leading us toward. Sure, Kerry is better than Bush, but only fractionally. What we need, as a world, to survive, is a leader who will tell the truth about where we are and take us to the difficult path that leads to sustainability. The problem is that spoiled rotten, living in denial, greed driven Americans can't handle the truth so we justify our cowardice with the explanation of "electability".

[liberalmike27]

20. Kudo's to You-does

Great, glad to hear it.

Dean is the best candidate, Kerry has been in WAshington too long, and has too many S & B friends, has gotten too much money from the wealthy to be trustworthy.

Vote Dean!!!

[Abigail147]

30. Dean from the start, but your insight just shone the light on yet

another attempt to marginalize this part of the Democratic Party--the ones that really pay attention.

[Jersey Devil]

17. Congrats on your vote & I agree about the oath

I know that some may say that having an "open" primary leaves too much of a risk for monkey business by the Republicans who might want to screw up the Democratic primary, but I believe most people are very serious about their votes and would not go to the polls in large numbers with the intention of using their votes to play dirty tricks. To me that risk is far outweighed by the benefit of allowing all those who favor the Democratic candidates to participate no matter what their party affiliation, if any, may be.

[beyurslf]

18. Way to go!

I hope to see high turnout in every state today. I think there is a lot of excitement around all the candidates and getting Bush out of office.

[Donkeyboy75]

19. Thank you!

I'm hoping I still have the chance to vote for Dean in the Illinois primary.

[Ninga]

21. It is wonderful to check in with DU

and find such a supportive post.

Keep hope alive!

Vote for a change.

ABB

[DianeK]

22. Thank You

[Egnever]

25. You rock!

Thank you so much for that I hope many more make the same decision you do.

Dean has proven he is willing to stand up to the powers that be and untill we get someone in office willing to do that there will be no change in this country.

[WI_DEM]

26. Great to hear

I'm convinced Dean will do better in some of these states today than expected which for him would be wonderful since he has not spent money on media during the past week.

[Anwen]

27. Way to go!

I can't wait to cast my vote on Super Tuesday! :)

[Tweed]

28. You are far left and you didn't look at Clark and you voted for Dean?

Just curious about what part of Dean's A+ rating from the NRA, refusing to cut Pentagon funds, raising taxes on the middle class, and support of the death penalty appealed to your far left side? What part of Clark's progressive tax structure, promise to cut Pentagon spending, endorsements from Native American tribes across the nation, Michael Moore, Gaylord Nelson (the founder of Earth Day), George McGovern, and several far-left organizations didn't appeal to your Green party roots?

[CheshireCat]

29. Hi Tweed

Normally, all of that would matter. I think Dean is a conservative Dem in liberal clothes. Normally, I would not have considered him in a primary.

If you have read my posts on this thread, you know that I am ABB. Never before I have felt like that the only hope of retaining our democracy is getting a pResident out of office.

After much thought, I decided that Dean is the best man to defeat Georgie Boy. There are many reasons for my decision with the most important one being: Dean is the only one that has not been afraid to stand up to the media. We MUST have someone who has no fear of the media and the bushista's.

For a while, I thought Clark might be that man, but he turned out to be meely mouthed with the media.

Maybe I made the right decision. Maybe not. However things turn out, I voted for the person I thought most likely to defeat Georgie Boy.

If we win in 2004, I will return to my more idealistic method of choosing a candidate in 2008.

As for what appeals to my Green party roots, one name - Kucinich!

Maybe some day we will regain our democracy and I will be able to vote for Kucinich or someone much like him.

ABB