Dean dropping out might be the best thing...

[Robb]

...even if he has a good showing in WI. Consider how bad things could get.

If Kerry loses his apparent plurality, the media will start talking about the Dem party supporters splitting up, using words like "schism". And then they will... you know the Dem leadership will never abandon Kerry. Can you imagine anything worse than Dean, say, being convinced by the press that there's some kind of national movement for him to go 3rd party? And a bunch of us would go along with it.

Worse still, imagine this perceived split leading to a Nader/Dean 3rd party ticket. People convincing themselves that this time it'll be different, because the media keeps saying there's a big split among the Democrats. "Kerry in trouble" they'll say. "Dean and Nader have huge grassroots support" they'll say.

Nader/Dean will only siphon votes from the left, not the right. They'll call Kerry supporters DLC slaves, and maybe they'll be right -- but it won't matter. On election night it'll suddenly become apparent that this "massive movement" behind Nader/Dean only amounts to say 15% of the electorate. Impressive, yes, but it'd be 15% Kerry won't have, and in the end * will have far more votes.

I know this is extraordinarily alarmist and far-fetched... but I can still see it happening. I want a President Dean more than you can believe... but the idea of four more years of the current crap is too horrible to imagine.

[still_one]

1. I cannot believe that would happen

Any Democratic candidate will support the nomination, the stakes are too high

[IronLionZion]

2. Dean will bend over backwards to help the Dem nominee

he has said that over and over again and I believe him. Who do you think you're dealing with?

[candy331]

3. I don't want Dean to drop out

To me his staying in and taking all the garbage that is dumped only means that he is the one with integrity and honesty and really is too good for the party. The small fry will see how they were screwed by the big wigs in November if not before and realize they have been sold down the river again , so long democratic party.

[EXE619K]

4. You're right.

Just like all the other posts that demand Dr. Dean's capitulation.

Yes, He should drop out.

He should go form a third party because it's obvious that no one wants him around.

Villification will never stop.

[KoKo]

5. Dean should not drop out at this point. Most of America hasn't had a

chance to vote, yet. If Kerry wins it fair and square it's better than if all his opposition drops out now and those of us who couldn't vote yet are angry because our voice wasn't heard. He could stay in on a "shoestring" budget if need be.

It's not healthy for the Democratic Party to have it be declared this Tuesday that Kerry is the Nominee.

And, it puts too much pressure on Kerry, too soon,imho.

[WilliamPitt]

6. No one has sufficiently explained

how Dean and Nader have somehow become commingled. They couldn't be farther apart policy-wise. Does this come up because some Dean supporters are furious at the Party and see Nader as an outlet for that anger?

I honestly believe that someone who leaps from Dean to Nader never had a dime's worth of purchase on the economic or social issues that define either of those two candidates, but that's just my humble o.

[Robb]

11. I couldn't agree with you more!

And I wish I just pulled that one out of my Cheney. ;) My local leftist bookstore owner dropped that combo on me. She's a kook by any definition (a nice one, but regardless...), but at the same time I can't imagine she made it up either.

Maybe if we think of it as more of a cautionary tale (you know, in the German sense, where people get all bloody). :shrug:

[WiseMen]

7. What is happening ALREADY like will Depress Kerry by 5 points.

That is all that is needed to loose badly rather than win handily
in the GE. My question: how long will the self-destruction continue.

Fighting over the issues is fine. But that is not what is happening.

[drfemoe]

8. I'm not afraid of four more years

I honestly don't believe a Kerry presidency would yeild any different results than we have seen so far. There is plenty of evidence to support my belief posted at DU every day. The fear card doesn't play for me.

[MaineDem]

9. As a woman I must disagree with you

I am sickened by what this current adminstration has done for women all over the world.

Closing the White House Office for Women, disbanding the Labor Dept Office for Women, pulling the US funding for the UN Family Planning, appointing right-wing judges, this crap about abstinence and the push for marriage...these are more are reason enough to want a Democratic administration.

I have had great faith in John Kerry's dedication to the protection of women's rights for a very long time. I was a constituent of his when he was a prosecutor in Middlesex County in MA. He worked then for abused and victimized women. I trust him to protect my sisters' and daughters' rights in a way that the Bush people don't even think about.

I also believe any Democrat will be better than what we have.

[drfemoe]

12. Yes ma'am .. they are counting on that ..

I also believe any Democrat will be better than what we have.

"I cannot recall a time when there was more consensus on the policy direction we should take," Daschle said. "As you go down the list, on virtually every one of these questions, Democrats believe Republicans are ceding the middle, and we are willing to take it."
...
Kerry and top Democratic congressional leaders have rejected broad policy changes such as repealing all of Bush's tax cuts and moving too quickly to provide health coverage to every American. "While some wanted everything, there is consensus around repealing those on high income," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
...
The result: Voters this year likely will be presented with two clear, but not dramatically different, approaches to solving the nation's domestic problems, ranging from failing schools to soaring drug costs.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=336677

[MaineDem]

15. Who are "they"? (nt)

[Cheswick2.0]

10. Dean/Nader?

oh please

[stickdog]

13. Dean is a Democrat. We want our party back, thank you. (nt)

[robertpaulsen]

14. Dean would look like the biggest hypocrite!

Why would Dean ever consider forming a third party after calling out his fellow nominees to support whoever the Democratic nominee may be in that pre-Iowa caucus debate? Running third party would betray the original purpose of his campaign: getting Bush out of office. He'd also lose a lot of his supporter looking like a sore loser.

Nader is considering a run on his own. Who would step down and play second fiddle on a Nader/Dean ticket? Nader, to the best of my knowledge, has never endorsed Dean. Nader's world vision seems much closer to Kucinich than Dean for that matter.

Bottom line: Dean cares too much about defeating Bush to turn his back on the Democratic Party for his own selfish miniscule gain. He has said so and it would shock the hell out of me if Dean reversed himself.