How To Vote Strategically

[G_j]

From the Kucinich site:


HOW TO VOTE STRATEGICALLY
......and still respect yourself in the morning.

THINK YOUR VOTE FOR DENNIS KUCINICH WON'T COUNT? THINK AGAIN. HERE'S WHY:

#1 CANDIDATES WHO TURN OUT 15% OF THE VOTES IN A GIVEN CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT GET DELEGATES

#2 DELEGATES COMMITTED TO A GIVEN CANDIDATE GO TO THE NATIONAL CONVENTION IN BOSTON (JULY)

#3 DELEGATES DETERMINE TH EPLATFORM, AND SELECT THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE

#4 WITH SO MANY CANDIDATES SPLITTING THE VOTE, IT IS HIGHLY LIKELY THAT THERE WILL BE A BROKERED CONVENTION (WE HAVEN'T HAD ONE SINCE JFK)

#5 IN A BROKERED CONVENTION ANY CANDIDATE WITH DELEGATES CAN WIN TH ENOMINATION
ARE YOUR HOPES AND DREAMS ELECTABLE?...YOU BET! BUT ONLY IF YOU VOTE FOR THEM. CONSIDER HOW MUCH MAY CHANGE BETWEEN NOW AND THE CONVENTION THIS SUMMER.
 
       * HOW MANY MORE AMERICANS WILL BE UNEMPLOYED?     *HOW MANY MORE SOLDIERS WILL DIE IN IRAQ?     *HOW MUCH DIRT WILL KARL ROVE AND THE GOP UNCOVER     OR SPILL ON THE FRONT RUNNERS?
          *HOW MANY DELEGATES WILL FIND THE COURAGE TO VOTE       FOR THE CHANGE THEY WANT IN AMERICA?
YOUR VOTE! YOUR VOICE! YOUR COUNTRY!
DON'T BE SILENCED!
DO YOU HAVE THE COURAGE OF YOUR CONVICTIONS? DENNIS DOES
KUCINICH 2004
The Strategic Choice

[DebJ]

1. Nice post. Keep it up. (Dean voter <G>)

:)

[rhite5]

2. Hi, I am spreading the same message in other forums

It is getting harder to assure a brokered convention now that we have had a couple of major drop outs. And one drop out with delegates has already endorsed Kerry.

Dean is still encouraging his voters to vote for him in the upcoming primaries. His name is still on the ballot. He stands to get more delegates and already has a good many. So his group will have major clout in the negotiations there. That is why he has not made any endorsement.

This is a time for us all to work together to make sure we do wind up with a brokered convention. To do that we have to keep Kerry from getting a winning majority of delegates before convention time.

Then we could have the deciding voice in the selection of the final nominee and especially will have an important impact on the party platform --- making sure we can make our case for it to reflect --- anti-Imperialism, anti-NAFTA, pro-Bill of Rights, pro-SERIOUS attempts to get healthcare out of the hands of the corporate profiteers, etc.

[DebJ]

3. At first I didn't like the idea of a brokered convention, but now I think

that it's a great idea. Time for democracy is dissension to be seen. Time to speak out and never stop speaking out. Time to show the DNC/DLC that guess what, we AREN"T united with you, especially when you intentionally sought to squash grassroots campaigns!
By the way, I love Dennis too.

[G_j]

4. yes, thank you nt

[G_j]

5. I noted that a brokered convention gave us JFK

remember as a Catholic, JFK was supposedly "unelectable".

[Kolesar]

6. This is fantasy, but if Bush is in handcuffs by June...

...the Dems could nominate anybody and still win. Dennis???

[G_j]

9. Bush in handcuffs by June?

sounds good to me!

[MaggieSwanson]

7. Thank you for posting this n/t

:toast:

[G_j]

8. kick

[dpbrown]

10. The strategic vote is clearly the vote for Dennis

Because we don't have a multiparty system requiring coalitions to get things done, a multi-candidate Convention will result in the first truly coalition platform and candidate since Kennedy.

Nice post.

Dan Brown
Saint Paul, Minnesota

[G_j]

19. sounds democratic doesn't it? n/t

[jansu]

11. Leaders do not want a brokered convention, they lose the POWER....

if this happens! I hope everyone votes FOR their Candidate! The front runners keep telling us that we MUST come over and vote for them NOW. And, it is because they do not want a brokered Convention.....they lose the power and WE HAVE THE POWER!

Don't Fall For It! Keep the POWER! DELEGATES ARE WHERE THE POWER IS!

Vote your Choice, Not the Polls! That is why I am voting for Dean on March 2nd and asking everyone to keep voting their choice!

[dpbrown]

12. A vote for Dean is a vote for powerlessness UNTIL the Convention

Dean's not running. He can no longer keep the issues he was championing at the forefront of debate from now until the Convention, and even then may not wield as much influence as he and his supporters hope. Voting for someone other than the progressive remaining in the race smothers the chance that progressive issues will be talked about from now until the Convention. A "statement vote" for Dean doesn't mean as much as a vote for a candidate who is still in the race.

The best that can be hoped for from continued support of Dean is that the Convention will be forced to build a coalition with his delegates in order to get a majority - same as with Dennis, but Dennis is still in the race. The difference is that by choosing Dean in the primary, you're now choosing no one to represent your views from now until the Convention.

I don't think really committed Dean supporters may switch, but in my opinion, switching to a candidate that is still in the race will have more of an effect on the Party through:

1. Enhanced media coverage of the progressive that's actually still running for the nomination,

and

2. Forcing the progressive issues that are still important to be discussed at debates.

By dropping out, Dean took himself off the table of being able to push forward his agenda. Kucinich is still pushing forward a progressive agenda. No progressive who began with Dean, and who is satisfied to have his or her voice silenced until the Convention, ought to remain steadfast and cast his or her primary vote for Dean.

Only Kucinich remains to keep progressive issues on the front burner throughout the rest of the nomination season.

Only Kucinich can give voice to the concerns of former Dean supporters worried about the direction the Party is taking.

Only Kucinich is still in the race.

In my opinion, Dean supporters ought to, while gritting their teeth if they have to, vote for Kucinich in order to keep both a) the fight for the soul of the Party, and b) the anti-war message on the FRONT burner from now until the Convention.

To continue to support Dean, even though he's not running, is to choose to silence the voice of the remaining progressive in the race.

Obviously I don't know what's going on in the heads of all Dean supporters, but I wouldn't want to sit on my hands and watch my issues wither from now until the Convention on the hope that by NOT running, Dean will wield enough clout at the Convention to once again bring those issues to life, and I wouldn't want to cast a Democratic protest vote in the primary, knowing that my candidate wasn't even trying to win anymore and that the platform was going to be written by the winning candidate regardless.

I think Dean supporters do the best thing they can do for both progressive values and for keeping alive the hope of retaking our Party from "insiders" by switching to Kucinich now.

Dan Brown
Saint Paul, Minnesota

[scarletwoman]

13. This is SO IMPORTANT!

A thousand thank yous for posting this! :loveya:

I just posted the following on another thread, but I want to repeat it here:

This is a HUGE opportunity for progressives to virtually FORCE the Democratic Party to deal with our agenda. This is VITALLY IMPORTANT!

This is THE opportunity in these black and sorrowful times to stand up and take our power back! I wish that all the people of good heart in this country would understand that if we pull together, we can change the shape of the national convention -- not by marching in the streets, but by taking our rightful place inside at the table with those who seek to determine our destiny.


sw

[G_j]

16. I'm glad you see the significance

of this shrinking window of opportunity.
Time is running out.

If your chance to vote in a primary/caucus is still in front of you vote DK. Remember JFK was called unelectable. Down with defeatism!

[scarletwoman]

20. I'll be caucussing in MN on 3/2 -- we're working for a big DK vote.

I'm SOOOOOOOOO grateful that you brought this up -- even though it's obvious as soon as one gives it some serious thought, I must admit that the big picture was slow to strike me.

I've been making the same pitch to as many as possible: let's get our progressive agenda straight to the national convention. Make ourselves a presence there that is impossible to ignore.

It's a grand and ambitious plan -- but we CAN pull it off if we can just get enough dedicated progressives to pay attention to this strategy!

sw

[scarletwoman]

14. Please, people -- read this thread!

:kick:

sw

[Stone_Spirits]

15. kick

:bounce::bounce::bounce:

[asthmaticeog]

17. kick

Go Dennis!

[G_j]

18. kick

:kick:

[G_j]

21. kick

:kick: :kick:

[G_j]

22. kick

:kick: