Could Alan Grayson become President ?

[steve2470]

I really like this guy and regret I'm not in his CD.

[LiberalLoner]

1. Boy I would vote for him with such enthusiasm I would be bouncing off the walls! n/t

[Solomon]

29. The bigger question is, would he still be Alan Grayson if he

were president? Lot easier to say popular things when you're not in the hot-seat.

The moment he couldn't do something "progressive" enough, DU would throw him under the bus and call for the next guy.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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[steve2470]

3. I admit I don't like his stance on net neutrality nt

[FrenchieCat]

4. No, he couldn't.

And why one would imagine that him being the Representative in one district of the many in Florida, would mean that there would be a remote possibility that he could win enough states to become President is silly.

The fact that he can say a whole lot of things because his constituency is so small, and the Media hasn't decided to destroy him just yet, does not presidential material make.

Politics is the art of the possible, not the art of knowing how to have "spine" when most folks are barely listening, let alone paying any attention.

[steve2470]

5. just wondering... I'm not sure he could be elected

I'm sure the corporate media would do a major hatchet job on him, as they did on Kucinich.

[Donnachaidh]

19. yeah, he doesn't have *celebrity endorsements* or elite campaign donors

He hasn't gotten a foot up by the powermongers in the media. :eyes:

[NorthCarolina]

23. Yeah...you have to be a DLC New Dem right?

:eyes:

If Bush could get elected...TWICE...I think Grayson would have a chance.

[AnArmyVeteran]

39. But if he spoke with voyage & honesty people WOULD listen.

I don't think Grayson would sell out as so many politicians have done to us. Grayson sure wouldn't waste a year and a half caving into the enemy which virtually destroyed this country. He would have outed all of the anti-American people in the right wing hate machine as Obama should have done. And Grayson wouldn't have let the ignorant, illiterate tea baggers beat him by allowing them to take total control of the national dialogue over health care reform as Obama did when he sat on his hands for 18 months, not saying a word to rebut the insane rantings from the right wing. Grayson is a real man who wouldn't take crap off of anyone. He's a REAL leader because he doesn't mince words. That would attract not only his base, but also the huge independent voting bloc. President Grayson? Hell yeah it could happen! And I hope it does. This country needs a leader with GUTS for real change we can believe in.


Btw, I was an Obama delegate...

[NorthCarolina]

40. Some simply want to perpetuate the notion that Liberals are unelectable. eom

[AnArmyVeteran]

41. Not me! I just wish they'd be proud of being liberals!

Liberals have allowed the word liberal to be demonized. They need to take back that word and show the right wingers what it means to be liberal. Being 'conservative' just means tax cuts, deregulation and overbloated military spending, all totally irresponsible ways of governing our country. When Bush came in and there was a surplus he gave a nationwide speech saying the surplus meant people were being taxed too much and he was going to 'give them a refund' when we all know it was just a huge tax cut for the extremely wealthy. Liberals should have pounced on that tax cut saying it was reckless.

What Bush said was the equivalent to a typical family who found themselves with a few thousand extra dollars to give it away and not have a rainy day fund. Both people and families, if they are acting responsibly, would save the extra money in case something happened. But the entire republican philosophy is built on bankrupting the government and burdening the bottom 90% of the population by giving the deadbeat rich even more money, money they will never use to invest in hiring new American workers or building new businesses in the US. They do the opposite and send jobs overseas to use slave labor and fire American workers.

Liberals could be kicking the hell out of republicans right now but they seem totally timid against the republicans. Republicans have given democrats so much ammunition to absolutely pummel conservatives, but for some reason democratic leaders are too afraid to confront republicans. If we had more real leaders like Grayson telling it like it is and not mincing words the independents would be favoring the democrats right now. But time after time democrats give in to the enemy. They caved in on almost every piece of legislation without getting a single republican vote. I can understand making that mistake one time, but not EVERY time.

We need leaders who have guts and can articulate the liberal message and be proud to do so.

For the administration to lose the national dialogue to a group of illiterate and ignorant tea baggers is inexcusable. And then democrats gutted any real reform out of the HCR bill until it was almost useless. If liberals just stuck to their principles and did so with force and guts their poll numbers would be double what the republicans are and would probably be positioned to pick up seats in November. But I have seen one squandered opportunity after another and I keep waiting for democratic leadership to demonstrate they have enough guts to represent the American people and do what they said they were going to do. Giving in and giving up is not going to get good bills passed or win any elections. Hell, not once did Reid even force republicans to even filibuster. All republicans had to do was to say that word and Reid went running to cower in a dark corner. I would have FORCED republicans to actually stand up for days, weeks or months until THEY gave in. But Reid didn't even try. That's not leadership. That's stupidity and cowardness.

I'm a proud liberal, but very few democrats in office are. They keep running from that word like it was a disease because they have allowed republicans to redefine it without a whimper of protest from the democratic party. It's time to take it back.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox now :) Have a great night!

[NorthCarolina]

42. You cannot count

the DLC New Dems as "Liberal". They despise Liberals as much as any right winger does....just ask Rahm.

[AnArmyVeteran]

46. Rahm must be fired. It's sad that weasel is anywhere near Obama.

[NorthCarolina]

47. Well

Obama certainly knows what Rahm is all about, and there is absolutely a reason he made Rahm his right-hand man. Both Obama and Rahm are DLC New Dems, as such they obviously hold the same pro-corporate political ideology.

[Lorien]

52. Exactly. All part of their Rightward push. nt

[doc03]

6. no n/t

[Iggo]

7. Barack Obama could never become president, either.

Remember?

Neither could Kennedy. Or Reagan. Or Baby Bush.

Not a chance in hell.

[lumberjack_jeff]

8. Yes. Americans respect ass-kickers. n/t

[Smarmie Doofus]

9. Probably not. But he's a gifted communicator and could be outlandishly....

... effective in the House or in the senate.


This assumes he can survive what is essentially a very conservative political culture in Florida. My guess is he's going to need truck loads of $$ to keep that seat in central FLA . The national GOP will be out to get him big time. They hate his guts.

I sent him 25$ the other day.

[steve2470]

11. I was very shocked to learn he was in my area

Central Florida, most of it, is conservative R territory.

[Smarmie Doofus]

13. He's from 'up nawth" originally.

The Bronx... to be precise. And he sounds like it. But his politics wouldn't play here either. The local party organization would have buried him by now.


Read up up on Grayson. He's a very interesting, very BRILLIANT fellow.

[steve2470]

14. not even in NYC ??

I guess I'm naive.

[Smarmie Doofus]

15. Especially in NYC. We've had a republican, pro war mayor for three terms....

... and our congressional delegation is for the most part... let's be charitable now.... "undistinguished".

And indistinguishable..... for the most part.

Example: Grayson was publicly scolded by Elliot Engel... my own rep... for using the word 'holocaust' to describe millions of American citizens getting sick and dying needlessly under our relentlessly-for-profit "health care" system.

The word "holocaust', understand, may only be used to describe the extermination of Jews by the Nazis during the early 1940s. Far as i know , Engel had no idea what to call the death of millions of American citizens that Grayson was referencing.

Anyway... this is basically the tenor of political dialog in these shires. Grayson's better off in FLA. He'd still be in private practice here.

[steve2470]

17. so much for NYC being a liberal mecca nt

[asdjrocky]

10. Not in this system with this media.

Just look what they did to DK.

[OHdem10]

12. Not Yet. Grayson is great. Wrong time now.

[obxhead]

22. I actually think it's the perfect time. We need a President that is

not afraid to stand up for us.

[MissDeeds]

36. +1

A real dream ticket for me would be Dean and Grayson.

[Common Sense Party]

16. No.

[disillusioned73]

18. He's got my vote - on lock!!

[bigbaddan]

20. NO, I like him but like Kucinich he is un-electable.

[NorthCarolina]

21. I'd vote for him in a HEARTBEAT

But of course your DLC New Dem promoters on this site will simply tell you flat out .... NO WAY. Hopefully America is tiring of their "message" enough to make someone like an Alan Grayson a distinct possibility though.

[Ganja Ninja]

24. Me too - In a Heartbeat

In fact I'm considering writing in Bernie Sanders and Grayson for President and VP in 2012.

[NorthCarolina]

27. Start a grass roots effort

to get folks to do just that, and I can guarantee I would support it.

[KharmaTrain]

25. He'd Never Survive The Primary System...

As seen with the efforts of Cong. Kucinich, running for President requires a lot of money and organization. It means having some big money backers to set up campaign offices in several states, purchase the teevee time and travel endlessly. While I admire Cong. Grayson, he's not in the class to attract that kind of money and would face a lot of money troubles.

I'm hoping he retains his House seat...his value is greater there as he gains senority and influence.

[Phoonzang]

26. Lol...no.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

28. I've been wishing for that myself. n/t

[Stoic]

30. He'd get my vote and my time and my donation. n/t

[Joe Fields]

31. No

[ezmerelda39]

32. Grayson for President

YES, YES, AND YES.  He has guts, understands how to work for
his constituents and he gets right up close and personal, face
to face with the fringe, takes them on full bore.  He has not
sold out to the corporations and military complex. He would
not run from or give in to a good fight and even though the
above would do everything in their financial power to sink him
but it would be up to the dedicated voters to stand with him. 
He has my vote, in fact I may just write in him anyway.  To
heck with protocol, we know where  'being nice' can get
you...nowhere.

[ezmerelda39]

34. Grayson is

the only person that I am supporting right now and I am from
Michigan. He may be a 'Dark Horse' but I will take a 'dark
horse' over a pussy cat any day.  Truth is we NEED s Dark
Horse...

[brooklynite]

33. Out of curiosity, why does anyone think he's PRESIDENTIAL material?

Agreeing with your positions and being outspoken doesn't automatically mean you know how to manage, or that you can get the Congress to go along with you. I'm not making a judgement on his abilities, but I haven't seen anyone make a convincing argument one way or the other.

[ezmerelda39]

37. Read

Grayson's voting record, bills introduced, bills co-sponsored,
etc.

[brooklynite]

38. Going back to my point...

How many has he been able to pass? Agreeing with you is only part of the equation.

[ProSense]

35. Of course, if he had a chance

the minute he took office and people learned his actual position on some issues, they'd be asking this question about someone else.

Seriously, some people see Grayson going after Republicans and make the leap to assume that he doesn't strongly support the administration.

Grayson's performances are political theater.

[TheKentuckian]

43. Yes he can! Put the beltway on sit and spin and put a champion of the people in place

[nemo137]

44. Out of curiosity, when was the last time a US Rep became president?

Without an intermediate step or two? Lincoln?

[steve2470]

49. Lincoln, and James Madison, who was Secretary of State before nt

[nemo137]

50. Thanks. I knew it was uncommon, but there are gaps in my knowlege.

[LatteLibertine]

45. I'd love to see a Grayson/Weiner ticket

[xchrom]

48. I love him -- but he's not good looking.

He's pugnacious in all the right ways.

But camera charisma lacks.

[Lorien]

54. He's far better looking than Nixon was. nt

[eridani]

51. If he gets re-eleccted in his swing district--

--I'd say go for it in 2016. I've told his fundraisers as much. The question remains as to how much he'd have to change himself in order to not suffer the Dean Scream effect.

[Lorien]

53. Yes he could. People vote for personalities (obviously-just look at how many

abandoned any shred of democratic principles here). Here in Orlando even many Repugs like Grayson because he's a "tough guy." It doesn't matter that he's against everything they stand for; they're scared and they love the idea of having a tough daddy figure in charge.