DU is not an accurate reflection of the "real world"

[ringmastery]

This forum obviously skews to the left and many posters here are well out of the political mainstream. Everything I read and hear outside of this board shows me that democrats are united like never before. ABB is a way of life. People are happy with Kerry. People would be happy with Edwards. People just don't care who the democratic nominee is as long as Bush gets out, cause NOBODY can fuck this country up worse than Bush.

[boobooday]

1. I know that's true

But it's too bad they don't look closely at the platforms.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[TennesseeWalker]

2. I think you're right. Kerry is fine with most of the electorate.

Moderate folks will feel good about him. This gay marriage stuff is probably going to be a HUGE landmine for him, though. I think that's more important than any negatives about Kerry's personal life.

There are a lot of older voters who want to vote against Bush. But, the changing of their traditional ideas of marriage may be really hard for us to overcome. I wish this issue would die down until we get rid of Bush. I don't give a fiddle about the issue, and think you ought to be able to marry whomever you love, but other people aren't quite as broad minded as I am.

Kerry needs to figure out how to handle this issue. He can't afford to offend either side very much. I think consideration of civil unions may be the compromise most people can accept. The marriage thing will never fly with the fundy coningent. *On edit, I wanted to add that the fundies are really loud and annoying. Sometimes people who really don't care about an issue give in to them just so they'll shut up and leave them alone.

[Catholic Sensation]

3. well he's said his opinion on gay marriage is the same as cheney's

it would be hypocritical for the Bush team to... oh yeah, these people are evil shitheads who'd smear their own relatives to get re-elected.

[DjTj]

6. I agree wholeheartedly.

I just did 100 calls to NY today and the only really difficult ones were where (a) the person was gay or (b) the person was strongly against gay-marriage.

Gay Marriage is the most polarizing issue there is, and I don't think there really is a very good way to deal with it.

[lancdem]

4. I agree with your assessment

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. True. However

I think this place is often a harbinger of things to come. Think back to last year-knowing there were no WMDs, the AWOL factor, the dirty tricks of the Rethugs-all were discussed here. There were times when I'd come in from a protest and feel like my group was all alone-and then I'd come here and be encouraged again. And now more and more of the American people are coming to realize that what we saw and discussed last year was the truth.

[capriccio]

9. The paradox

DUers like to pride themselves on knowing so much more than mainstream America does but then they get frustrated when the mainstream doesn't see the world as they do. The fact is that most everyone here is far more interested (and in most cases more knowledgable) in politics than the average person (and I don't mean that in a negative way); but too many DUers find it impossible to look at the world the way the average person does...average here, in fact, is often totally dismissed with some denigrating term like "sheeple"....and thus the left gets tagged with the elitist label. Too well earned in many cases unfortunately.

[Indiana Democrat]

7. Great post!

[kher-heb]

8. partisan unity is nothing to be proud of

especially when as you say "nobody cares who the nominee is."
That is how Republicans ended up with Bush as their nominee.

[Skittles]

11. with all due respect, B.S.

I live in Texas and that piece of shit Bush had been groomed for some time to be run to be puppet "president" of America. Republicans did NOT "end up with Bush" - THEY CREATED HIM TO DO EXACTLY WHAT HE IS DOING NOW.

[kentuck]

12. Also, they accepted him because he had a shitload of money and...

they bought into his load of bullshit about being a "compassionate conservative", etc. They have been proven to be idiots.

[Skittles]

14. and NAME RECOGITION, f or the IDIOT VOTE

:puke:

[oasis]

10. ABBer's want a return to sanity. They could care less about DU insanity.

[fishnfla]

13. roger that.

nt

[woo me with science]

15. i think this is true

which is why i'm not worried about a nader run....in fact, i celebrate the fact that nader can and probably will run--it's healthy for democracy to have choices. but even though i think his doing so is important, i also think it'll matter very little in terms of the general election, because kerry's appeal will be broad--he'll appeal to moderates, and to those who would really prefer nader but choose to be pragmatic.

kerry can do this if he can avoid the aloof and opportunist/shifty labels. everything i've heard suggests that he has the capacity to be both articulate and charming in personal settings, and even if he falters now and then on the latter, he's still got the former over bush. i think dems have a real chance at this one with him.

[newyawker99]

16. Hi antfarm!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[woo me with science]

17. hi

thanks for the nice welcome. this site is kind of addictive. :o)