I will NOT simply be a blind follower.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

I will NOT simply ignore the issues. I will NOT simply forget that The front-runner voted for the patriot act, IWR, NCLB, trillion dollar tax cut. I will NOT simply be a band wagon jumper. I will NOT simply sacrifice my principles. I will NOT simply kow tow. I will NOT simply be driven by fear. I will NOT simply be a blind follower.

[sleipnir]

1. YES!!! ROCK ON!

This is the true spirit of the Dem party and the fight of the Progressives. It seems to have been lost on here by a few prolific posters, but rest assured they don't speak for all of DU.

PTBL, that's one oath I'm willing to take, hands down.

Note, look who kow-towed to * over the last three years, and look who is supporting them.

[onebigbadwulf]

2. Amen

Too bad this wasnt made more clear 3 months ago when Dean was the target of EVERY attack

[John_H]

3. Sure you will. You'll be following the piper that leads us to GOP control

[ProudToBeLiberal]

5. are you suggesting my principles are more GOP like?

I would strongly disagree, my ideals lean more towards the democratic party.... but whatever floats your boat man.

[John_H]

7. I'm suugesting that the result of your princliples are identical

to the result if your principles were GOP like.My principles won't allow me to enable the GOP by depriving a vote from the only person who can defeat them.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

9. but what if my principles tells me not to be a blind follower?

What if my principles tell me to take a stand? Are you telling me to compromise of WHO I AM? Of my core values? Are you telling me to vote blindly and sacrifice of who you are?

[John_H]

10. I'm asking you to embrace the principle of denying the right wing

unified control of every branch of government.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

but you're basically telling me to be a blind follower.

You just backed up my point

[John_H]

22. How on earth can stopping bush be anything but

a sensible, thoughtful decision?

[ProudToBeLiberal]

34. But what if I don't agree on the issues with the Democratic cands.?

But I agree just for example with nader more on the issues. Then just because people are so fearful they want me to be blind to my principles and vote for kerry. That is the reason

[John_H]

38. Two people have a shot at winning--who's better?

[ProudToBeLiberal]

40. what do you consider a win?

I mean we can all look at the short term picture. But I think we have to look farther ahead. Just my opinion. I need to sleep talk you later. Interesting convo.

[John_H]

42. nite.

[dawn]

4. Well, hope you'd be happy with 4 more years of the chimp.

At least you won't be a band-wagon jumper, right?

...........

[ProudToBeLiberal]

6. that's a flawed premise.

you're automatically assuming that I was a part of the democratic party before. But what if I'm only part of the democratic party because someone I believed in was running in the democratic primary. Without him i wouldn't have been part of the democratic party. So essentially I'm not helping or being detrimental.

[G_j]

8. oh the drama of it all! n/t

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

11. I will not be called names by people pounding their cyber fists

DO what the fuck you want. Nobody is asking you to be a blind follower. In fact, they are asking you to wake up and smell the fucking mutiny...do it with your fucking eyes wide open...your nose should still work just fine.

[For PaisAn]

12. Thank you

I am torn by this issue but don't appreciate being labeled the bane of this country because of it.

[arwalden]

13. Regarding The IWR

The IWR was a meaningless exercise. No matter HOW the vote had turned out, the invasion of Iraq would have taken place, on the military and political schedule desired Bush* and his cabal.

The sole responsibility for the invasion of Iraq lies with the person who conceived, pressed, and executed the policy, and with no other person whatever.

The war-mongers are the CRIMINALS of the 2000 Coup, and nobody else.

The IWR had all the elements of a political trap. If enough Democrats had voted against it, then the ENTIRE PARTY would be slurred as being "soft" and seeking to tie the hands of Our Great Leader seeking to defend the country against Satan himself. The great majority of Americans would have rallied to that cry.

This line was launched anyway, but without the effect nationwide it would have had, had the vote been much closer.

The vote for the resolution preserved viability for campaign for higher office, and that is why Sen. Kerry, and Sen. Edwards, cast the votes they did. They preserved themselves from widespread harm, which is the chief object of political calculation. Persons incapable of political calculation would do well to avoid the profession, and will experience difficulty in commenting on persons who are professionals at it.

You cling to the view that the invasion of Iraq could have been stopped by a vote in the Senate. It could not have been. Therefore the cry of "enabler" is hollow and false. The fact is that the invasion of Iraq is the responsibility of the criminals of the '00 Coup who conceived, pressed, and executed the act, and of no other. The only thing that "enabled" them is the structure and practice of governance. It has a nice sound, the line you press, but it is a false and misguided line, that will produce no good result.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

14. There's only one enabler in this current paradigm

and it's the person that would do anything that will benefit the re-election of George W Bush.

[For PaisAn]

17. nonsense

Sometimes we as human beings just have to take a stand and do the right thing. Their votes SANCTIONED Bush. It does make a difference.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

19. No it doesn't

Sometimes we have to take a stand and do the right thing...throw the motherfucker out on his ass in November...

[arwalden]

37. I Cannot Reason With People Who Disregard Reason.

-- Allen

[BruinAlum]

48. Very well stated!

I'm copying this for future reference. Excellent response.

The game is chess, not checkers.

[Tank in Texas]

15. No Bandwagoner Here Either

I also refuse to play along with McAuliffe's coronation of a primary season. Luckily my first choice is still alive. We'll see how things shake out now that its a two-man race. I am holding out hope that the Edwards camp will talk to the Dean camp and strike a deal... Edwards/Dean ticket anyone?

(Please don't flood me with reasons why this "will never work." Thanks.)

[AP]

16. I'm proud to be a liberal and I WILL win in November.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

18. You know what they say: Lead, follow, or get out of the way.

You've decided not to follow. Maybe you should run for office.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

21. I'm going to run for the president of the United States

I'm serious. I'm only 18 but eventually I'm going to be the President and protect the constitution and help the people of the WORLD and not just the United States.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

26. Well the time to start is now.

Take that energy and direct it towards something useful. Get involved at the local level. If you are 18 you are old enough to run for office. Perhaps there is something that you could run for. Or perhaps you can find another campaign other than at the Presidential level, where your energy and enthusiasm can do some good.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

28. Well I'm going to Cornell first to study government then

I'm going to law school because if you want to defend the people the best way then you should know the law and the constitution. So yeah then I'm going to run for rep or attorney general. Then for governor of washington probably. then run for the presidency.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

36. Surely there is some issue, or some candidate, at some level

to which you can direct some of your political and civic zeal in the near term.

But it sounds like you've got a good long range plan.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

39. Oh I did help out in Deans campaign...but then he stopped

actively campaigning. So Now I'm mostly concentrating on the issues. I'm the president of ACLU at my high school and we have a lot of active activieties and stuff.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

43. Well if you really want to get involved in politics you may have to

face other losses in the future. In some ways it gets easier, but not the essence of it. You can't let it get you down.

[sleipnir]

24. Seems that many of the current candidates chose the 2nd option

Especially when Bush asked them, too. They've followed him down one too many dark paths for my quick forgiveness. Kerry/Edwards will have to earn my support over the next few months. They'll at least get a check mark on Nov 2nd, but that's all at present.

[MurikanDemocrat]

20. Vote as you wish. Spare us the bullshit.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

23. You do not have the right to not be offended.

That is what my civics teacher taught me.

[MurikanDemocrat]

45. Run that double negative by your English teacher now

so he/she can explain to you what you just said.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

27. Oh, come on.. if you are gonna come to DU, you have to be willing

to put up with some bullshit.

[RichM]

25. Good for you! I'm on your side, & I won't forget those things, either.

Today, I voted early in the Calif primary. I voted for Dennis Kucinich, and when I left our local City Hall, I felt excited, clean, and proud. I knew I'd supported the guy who most speaks for me. I can accept not winning - but I am not going to vote for someone who betrays my core principles, ever again. When enough people come to feel this way, there will be no limit to what we can do.

[mitchum]

29. whatever makes you feel good

knock yourself out

ABB

[John_H]

30. 'cause after all, that's the primary concern!

[ProudToBeLiberal]

31. that's not my primary concern...

[John_H]

32. any response to post 22?

[George_Bonanza]

33. Funny, I felt that Dean's campaign was full of blind support as well

One of the first things I encountered about the 2004 election were pushy Dean supporters who knew too much about other candidates' faults and too little of their own.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

35. you're assuming that I'm a dean supporter.

You're starting to generalize. It's not a good thing to try to label people and to put them into categories.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

44. But you are...

[ClintonTyree]

41. You know..............

it's Kerry supporters like yourself that could make the transition from supporting other candidates to supporting kerry a little easier. Perhaps a little tact and diplomacy may win a few people over, insults and innuendo wont. Just a little helpful hint from your Uncle DumpGump.

[Lexingtonian]

46. hey, no one told you to

It seems to me that your thoughts are in fact driven by fear.

And I think that, as a technical matter, your political commitments sound far more Left than liberal, if liberal at all.

[tedzbear]

47. I will vote for Kucinich in the Calif. primary...

Come November, who knows what I'll do? A lot can happen by then. Being queer, I will be watching how Kerry handles this gay marriage thing. If he's as reactionary as * is in this matter, then I'll decide they're both just two sides of the same coin and vote Green Party.

Is Nader pro gay marriage???

:kick:

[mmonk]

49. then be an enabler for bush

[kalian]

50. Exactly!

:toast: