I've seen a lot of DUers saying they won't vote for Obama

[panader0]

I re-read the DU rules and number two says we should support Democratic candidates.
I, like many on this site, have big disappointments in our President. He did not end the wars, my biggest priority, but he has scaled down in Iraq and is planning to do so in Afghanistan. Regardless, it's plain that they are a waste of life and money.
There have been accomplishments, not enough for most DUers including myself.
But, if he is the candidate of the Democratic Party, we should vote (support) him.
Romney...Bachmann...How about the Supreme Court nominees sure to come soon?
Are you nay-sayers sure you want a Republican president?

[safeinOhio]

1. Look what happened when they

didn't vote for Gore.

[earthside]

2. 'They' did vote for Gore.

He received about two million more votes than Bush/Cheney nationally ... even in Florida Gore got the most votes.

But we do have a nomination process and it is perfectly reasonable and legitimate to express support or the hope for another candidate for the party's presidential nomination. I see a lot of that on DU and, of course, if you believe in a democratic process then that has got to be fine, right?

[panader0]

3. I will vote for the Democratic candidate

but I'm sure it will be Obama. He may get primaried but I can't see by who right now except maybe Nader or DK.

[still_one]

7. Nader is not a Democrat, and DK is to liberal. Perhaps Feingold's, though I doubt he will run. /nt

[elocs]

25. Don't doubt that Feingold will run--know that he absolutely will NOT run.

He's way too smart to make himself a sacrificial lamb to fulfill the fantasies of some Liberals and Progressives.

[still_one]

28. If medicare and social security is put on the chopping block, and I am not saying it will be,

there will be challenges

[still_one]

6. Where did you pull that from? If you are referring to Florida, that was a sham. Gore not only won

The popular vote, but he won Florida also

Not only were their ballot problems, but outright fraud

[safeinOhio]

37. Ralf Nader

[Tesha]

45. Look what happened when the other side of the "they" didn't vote for Lamont!

Hell, even the soon-to-be PotUS was out there
campaigning for the not-Democrat. Look how well
*THAT* turned out!

Tesha

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rug]

5. The rules are important.

"Members are expected to be generally supportive of progressive ideals"

[gkhouston]

18. And going after our social safety net is neither ideal nor progressive. n/t

[rug]

20. Correct.

[woo me with science]

+1 nt

[rhett o rick]

32. Then we dont have to support Obama. He doesnt support progressive ideals. nm

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[vaberella]

13. Are you serious? Republican anything is a problem. But support your Bachmann.

More power to you.

[daa]

9. Obama's a democrat, well cut my social security and Medicare

I would never have known.

As for the court he did not replace the liberals that were there.

[The Hitman]

26. Get your facts straight.

He replaced a GHWB nominee and a Gerald Ford nominee, both of whom were registered Republicans at the time of their respective nominations.

Not exactly a SCOTUS historian, are we?

[Jakes Progress]

30. Get your own facts straight.

As a great SCOTUS historian yourself, are you saying that Souter and Stevens were conservative justices? Surely a great SCOTUS historian such as yourself would know that even Earl Warren was a republican when appointed. Are you saying that he was a conservative influence on the courts?

Argue that Obama's appointments were more left minded than those that a republican president might nominate, but don't get cute here. It's not looking so good right now, but only time will tell if the two Obama justices will turn out to be as great a force for progressive influence as the two they replaced.

Stay intellectually honest and you still have a good argument with the SCOTUS nominations, but don't try to tarnish Souter and Stevens to make a cheap point.

[The Hitman]

38. ???

"It's not looking so good right now"

Explain.

[Jakes Progress]

42. Explain to a noted SCOTUS historian?

Apply that phrase to the sentence in which it is attached.

We have no way of knowing how Obama's two appointees will do over a 20 year period, but so far there is little evidence that they have begun to make giant strides in progressive influence on the court. I believe Souter and Stevens did that. But as I said, we won't know for years.

My complaint about your post was the sly dig that Obama replaced two conservative judges by suggesting that they were not good because republicans appointed them. By your test, Obama being a Democrat, his two appointments would turn out conservative. That is just as silly a comment as yours, but it lacks the insult to two distinguished justices that you tossed.

[daa]

40. Thank you nt

[polichick]

10. Don't worry; Obama's made it clear that it makes no difference to him...

He'll land on his feet either way.

[Divine Discontent]

15. it's true. he'll be just fine even if he's out in 1 term. the question is, on the biggest issues

where has he stood? what will he have done at the end of his first term? will he have continued this caving he did on back door dealing with Big Pharma that many, like Robert Reich, questioned as being a bad idea, or the constant clamoring for the Public Option to huge cheers in the rallies, only to not include it in his plan despite it being a centerpiece of why people voted for him? And now there's much talk that he's offered up some revisions (cuts) to SS to try and get GOP to accept some tax revenue changes to the wealthy. None of these things is a good thing... I really wish he'd be a Teddy Kennedy/FDR type Dem and fight them and twist arms like LBJ, but I'm not seeing it. Anyone who says he's done nothing is lying, he's done a lot, it's just on the biggest issues he's not doing so hot. :(

[polichick]

19. I totally agree with you. He does good things when he doesn't have to fight for them...

But he's unwilling to change the big things that must be changed in order to rebuild this country - he doesn't seem to want to tamper with the corporate structure in any area, from healthcare to Wall Street to big oil. (I can't believe that BP is still operating in this country!) But he is willing to offer up something as precious as SS when it has nothing to do with the deficit.

Took me a long time to say it, but I don't trust this president to put the people ahead of corporations or his own political agenda.

[izquierdista]

11. DU rules and a Zen koan

What is the sound of one Democrat caving?

[vaberella]

12. Obama NEVER promised to end the wars. Just regroup focus and agenda.n/t

[Tx4obama]

14. Here's DU link to a big list of Obama's accomplishments that was just posted :)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x706127

[kath]

23. Then there's THIS list - important to see, on the biggest issues, if you don't want to bury your

head in the sand: http://upload.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1440061

[johnaries]

33. Most of those were blocked by Congress, or conditions changed.

Obama has accomplished a lot, and he tried to accomplish a lot more - but he's not super-human and he doesn't have a magic wand. You should lift your head out of the sand and look at the realities and what actually happened in each of those cases.

[kath]

35. Oh bullshit - he didn't even try for a public option, but bargained it away in secret meetings

w/ Pig Pharma and the insurance companies. His negotiating skills SUCK - either that or he's a Trojan Horse - take your pick.

[Cereal Kyller]

16. K&R

Obama trumps EVERY wingnut.

[Old Codger]

17. Disappointed ?

I do not blame this entirely on Obama, he has done his share (or not, depending on which way you look at it) so saying I am disappointed is putting it mildly when it comes to what the Dems, (all of them) have done the last 2 years. They had a chance before losing the house. It comes down to a choice between Obama and some rethug I will definitely vote for Obama, never a doubt on that. I can once again hold my nose and vote the lesser of two bad choices, been doing it for years now so one more won't matter a lot. If he decided not to run it would be a lot easier but I doubt that will happen.

Fiengold, Grayson. Dean maybe if possible but I have little HOPE any more.

[femmocrat]

21. I never said I wouldn't vote for him.

But I won't work for him or contribute like I did in 2008. He has betrayed public school teachers, big time.

[Curmudgeoness]

22. Most of them are blowing smoke. When push comes to shove,

they will vote, and they will vote for the Democratic candidate. At least that is what I think.

[cherokeeprogressive]

24. I will ONLY vote for the Democratic candidate for President of the United States.

I hope said candidate is NOT Barack Obama.

Having said that, I will ONLY vote for the Democratic candidate for President of the United States.

I don't know how much more plain I can be.

[stuckinarut]

27. If by "scaled down" you mean "privatized" or "increased by 30,000" and..

then Obama is doing GREAT!!

I can just see it now.

[Fearless]

29. I intend to vote for Democratic candidates... if Obama decides to be Democratic then him too.

Otherwise this scare tactic is pointless.

[Jakes Progress]

31. If Newt Gingrich switched parties but not his politics,

would you feel compelled to vote for him?

[johnaries]

34. Newt would never win the Dem Primary. There is no comparison.

[Jakes Progress]

43. Answer the question.

The OP said we were obligated, because of some rules on DU, to always vote for Democrats over non Democrats. I didn't say that newt would win a primary. I said would you feel compelled to vote for him if he did.

If that is too subtle for you, try this. Many of us believe that many of the "Democrats" in congress are not really Democrats. They won their primary, won their election, and now vote for rw policies. Many of us believe that the president veers dangerously into rw ideological areas.

So again. Vote for all people who call themselves Democrats?

[TheKentuckian]

36. Jimmy crack corn

[Enthusiast]

39. I will judge if

someone is just posing as a Democrat.

[Township75]

41. It's always like this UNTIL September or October of the election year.

Then everyone jumps on board.

I personally don't care who posts stating they won't vote for Obama, Kerry, etc, because they always end up doing it.

I think it is better just to let them vent.

[WiffenPoof]

44. I Can't Argue With Your Post....

He will get my vote because I cannot fathom another Republican President.

Having said that...I have never been more disappointed in ANY elected official that I have fought to get into office.

-P