Why on earth do we really WANT the primary season to end???

[IrateCitizen]

By asking this question, I'm referring to those who say we should all "rally around the nominee" (whom most have identified as Kerry). I really don't understand the rush to do this.

First off, recent polling has indicated that the public's perception of the Democratic Party has improved significantly since the beginning of the Primary season. While I'm not one for polls, the ones I read about were such significant results that they CAN'T be ignored.

What does this mean to me? Well, it means that people are seeing the Democratic Party in a positive light for two reasons. First, they are all over the news all of the time with the opportunity to air their views. Second, what many here perceive as "infighting" might possible be perceived by the public as showing a willingness to stand up for themselves. And given the dismal performance of the Democratic Party in the 2002 midterms based on their "me too, just not quite as much" strategy, ingraining that fighting spirit in the minds of the voting public might not be such a BAD thing.

And the longer that things go before a nominee is declared, it keeps the GOP from zeroing in on one target. Of course, this part of the strategy wasn't helped much by the efforts of Terry McAuliffe and the Clintonistas in their insistence to front-load the primary season in order to start fundraising earlier. I would have gladly traded those extra fundraising dollars for a little more time for our candidate to be clear of the GOP smear machine.

Anyway, I'd just appreciate people's thoughts on this. Do you think that there's any validity to this take on things?

[molly]

1. The GOP has already started - just wait until next week

[IrateCitizen]

3. Oh, I know they have -- with the Kerry=waffler meme...

I'm just saying that it DIDN'T have to be this way if McAuliffe wouldn't have insisted on front-loading the primary schedule, and that keeping the primary fight going seems to be doing wonders for our standing among the voting public.

[youngred]

14. In a normal year against someone like Bush that strategy makes sense

the way it turned out it wasnt as efficent as hoped

[youngred]

2. I don't

Keeps the GOP guessing, Keeps the free coverage from the media coming, Keeps the candidates at the forefront and teaches the public more about them.

Keep them going til the convention!

[placton]

4. You are 100% correct. [n/t]

[Scott Lee]

5. The Kerrynation has signaled Democratic politics as usual

When Dean was leading, there was an air of excitement and change to the Democratic side. They appeared to be changing in a very positive and formidable way. Now that the PTB has got everything back on track with the tired old losing game, it's another turn at "Here We Go Again". Kerry is already on the defensive, just where Rove and BushCo want him. They will keep him there all the way to November and then cream him.

It's going to be hard to watch, especially when we had a chance to change this and be a force of opposition - and blithely threw it away.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

6. I mostly agree

I've limited my "rally around the nominee to the point that once one is chosen I think it's the wise thing to do. In the primaries, people are free to do as they wish.

I have enjoyed the fact that Bush has it coming from him at every angle combined with Plame, WMD lies, Cheney/Scalia, it has been quite enjoyable to watch this admin dodging turdballs like the ones they have hurled for so long.

That said, there is a limited amount of funds on our side and the longer the primary goes, the greater the likelihood that we will tap all our resources early which actually interefere with having funds for GOTV efforts closer to the election.

That said, I'm not attached either way.

[sangh0]

17. I'm with beautiful (and smart)

Aside from the Dem's limited funds, I'd like to see the primaries go to Nov 1.

[PVnRT]

7. I agree

A longer primary season is basically free media coverage for the Democratic party. It would be better if it were a close contest, that way the GOP wouldn't have a single target to attack yet.

[AP]

8. Just in the last two weeks we've started debating the issues which

Democrats will win on (jobs/economy). Why do we want to stop that?

Oh, and by the way, notice which candidate turned the debate towards jobs and the economy.

[IrateCitizen]

9. Yes, I noticed. It was Dennis Kucinich.

;-)

[redqueen]

15. I want Dennis Kucinich!

Not a pale imitation, mouthing platitudes while furthering the status quo!

[Westegg]

10. But it's just reality! Time passes!

I agree with much of what you said, but maybe my true knee-jerk reaction is that things are going to get bad inevitably---via the Rebub masterminds----so why not have more time to allow Dems to counteract? We've already had, I would suggest, most of the surprises we're going to have in the Dem race: Clark; the ascendancy and crash-and-burn of Dean; the entry of Nader; the intriguing eloquence of Sharpton; the whole Al Gore business.

All of this, I humbly suggest, is for the good. But the entire process is speedd up these days, so I think we have to go with it, and embrace it. Long time gone since '72, when McGovern was strategizing to win the nomination on the floor of the Dem convention. The Clintonistas may wish otherwise---and I'm sure that there's at least one more shocker to come---but in the meantime, I say: Let's get it on! Sooner rather than later. I honestly think Bush is done. I didn't, three months ago. I feel much better now.

[emulatorloo]

11. I agree cuz this is great publicity, I disagree cuz they are burning up $$

personally I have a limited amt of $s I can give and I would feel better if those dollars were focused 100% on campaigning against GWB

[jansu]

12. When all our candidates were in, you hardly heard a peep from Bush, now

he is all over the news. Coverage of the President is always easy to get, but coverage of the party out of office, is hard to get. We were getting the Democratic message out to all of America. I have been saying this for weeks here. Keep all of the candidates in. The media has to spend big money to cover it, the debates are more lively and get more of the message out, and there is no need to end it now!

If this goes to the convention, it can be a brokered convention and this gives all the power to the people! John Kennedy came out of a brokered convention and won the Presidency!

Keep voting your choice! Delegates do matter!

[IrateCitizen]

13. Not only that, but now the GOP smear machine can zero in...

... on the prospective nominee.

[redqueen]

16. Seems obvious to me

Excellent thread. :)

[question everything]

18. Agree. And we can thank the "media"

All the mathematics show that Edwards cannot catch up with Kerry as far as number of delegates. Almost impossible. But the "media" and many of us still like Edwards and this helps keep him and the race and the Democrats in the limelight. Was it a sheer coincidence that Bush's number started to tumble as the primary season started?

[Nicholas_J]

19. The longer the primary season goes on

The more it looks like there is no one democratic candidate caapable of coming to the forefront in order to oppose Bush. The llonger it goes on, the weaker the party looks, and the wekaer its resolve appears.

The polls indicate something else. The more obvious it is that Kerry will be the candidate, the more state and national polls start showing Bush being badly beaten but the Democratic nominee in a number of states that Bush won in 2000. That is beginning to be of concern to Republicans who haave already started slinging significant mud at Kerry, which is always the Republican tack when they are dealing with a candidate who's record they cannot find serious flaws in. They will go after Kerry's vote on weapons systems and intelligence budgets, but Kerry will easily tear those apart as bloated and ineffective budget requests and weapons systems that were beconomg outdated on the day they finally went into production. REpukes are already calling for new budgets for new systems to replace those poorly planned ones they demanded to create big payoffs for Reagan's campaign support.

[Endangered Specie]

20. So we can get onto the business of ridding the WH of a parasite