The number of Dean and Clark posts is amazing. Anyone care to analyze?

[AP]

There is an intensity here with regard to these candidates that is very curious. I would say that nothing has really happened in the campaign this last week which hasn't be happening all throughout the campaign. There's always been something interesting to criticize or comment upon among the political enthusiasts here.

The thing that has changed is that we're closing in on the elections. So the campaigning is getting intensive. Although I thought things would get more lively, I didn't think it would be on this scale.

Do people really think that DU is the appropriate place for swaying voters? Or do people think this is a good place from which rumors and spin and facts eminate?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Edwards still posts the most $2000 contributions....

www.opensecrets.org

[AP]

19. Edwards's donors are third poorest & give greates % of income

His donors' avg inc is 58K which isn't much more than the lowest (Kucinich or CMB, can't remember -- the highest, Kerry & Dean, if I remember correctly, avg about 70k).

Edwards has absolutely nothing to be ashamed about in his biography, the way he has campaigned and in the kinds of people who support him.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

25. Source?

I suspect that, if true, it's a function of economic geography. :shrug:

Edwards gets 65% of his contributions at the $2000 level.
Only Chimp gets more of a percentage(73).

Edwards gets only 3% from donors of $200 or less. The least of any.
Even Chimp crawls in at 11%.


This does not speak of a low-income demographic to me.



With the notable exception of his "We don't need one of you Northerners comin' down here" bullshit, I agree, he's run a clean campaign and has nothing to be ashamed of. The origins of his funding is a valid concern, though.

[KittyWampus]

2. AP, I've Been Posting Postive Threads About Clarks Gains

over the last week or so.

It's really just in case fellow supporters haven't seen them.

Not really trying to persuade.... :)

[Democrats unite]

3. IMO most of the people have made up their minds here...

There may still be a few trying to decide, But I think it is a small number. Also IMO there is only one person who can sway my vote & thats the candidate himself.

[jumptheshadow]

17. The DU population

It obviously doesn't consist solely of the people who post. I'd be willing to bet there a substantial number of lurkers, and quite a few newcomers who are coming to the site to get more information before they decide on a candidate.

I don't believe at all that we're engaged in a fruitless exercise to try to convince the supporters of other candidates to rally around our guy. The conversations we have here probably are read by undecided voters, the media and the political community. So let the debate continue.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

18. I was curious so I did a poll

undecided or committed? No candidates named. so far it is running 44% undecided - much higher than I expected.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=90633&mesg_id=90633

[Rowdyboy]

4. DU is a Master thesis

waiting to be written

[maddezmom]

5. I posted a bunch of Postive articles about other candidates this am

and kicked them....they still got buried.

[patricia92243]

6. It sure feels good to vent - that's one way DU is helpful to us all

[H2O Man]

7. They are the two serious candidates.

They represent two possible paths to winning thw White House. The others are potential VPs, or Edwards as possible AG, or people who are hoping to broaden the platform. I think people feel very strongly about Dean and Clark. And that's a good thing.

[SEAburb]

8. It started when Clark outflanked Dean on the left

with his Tax Plan. Dean was forced to slightly change his stance in response, but nobody is buy his disingenuous change of heart.

[w4rma]

16. I trust Dean more. (n/t)

[TexasSissy]

27. I don't see how anyone could trust Dean. Commitment to campaign finance

reform? Gone. Commitment to environment? Gone, with the backing of labor unions. Commitment to the democratic process? Gone, with the statement about how the IA caucus is a special interest process (of course, Dean is now backed by one of those special interests).

I sincerely don't believe he has a deep commitment to anything, other than winning the nomination.

[DuctapeFatwa]

9. It is all the secret Richard Perle sockpuppets

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=624909

[onehandle]

10. They both have strong grassroots...

...and this is grassroots central. Only natural.

[billbuckhead]

14. I think Clark is an especially good candidate, literally world class &

I think Dean is an especially bad candidate, reinforces negative Democratic party stereotypes and at the end of the day is not really a progressive. The worst of all possible worlds from my vantage point. Think about Dean's position on guns. He pretends they don't exist. His campaign won't acknowledge his 8 "A' ratings from the notorious NRA. The NRA is an organization that has a "blacklist" of people who they think are a threat to them. Dean has no position on this. Dean publically pretends the NRA doesn't exist, meanwhile Vermont has no gun laws. Dean pretends guns aren't being bought under Vermont's non-existant gun laws and used to commit crimes in other states.

If Dean won't get a handle on weapons in a county sized state. How can this guy Dean be trusted to stand up to WMD's from terrorists foreign or domestic? If Dean caves to the NRA in private and in public pretends they don't exist, how do you think he will deal with Saudi Arabia, Red China, Pakistan, Putin, the Carlyle group, etc?

[Vote2004]

11. Dean, Clark, etc, ARGH!

This is sooooooo confusing!!!!!!!!!

WHO? Who has the best chance of beating Bush????? I don't know!
I don't like Dean because he made so many statements that he had to later retract, the latest being the Book of Job, thus discrediting the party. (Book of Job, New Testament? This doesn't sit well with people like me, a Christian.)

Clark? Well...........

I will now shut up about it. All I am trying to do is figure out who is the best candidate? So far, all I've been able to do is follow the process of ELIMINATION! That's not good. There ought to be someone who can "jump out and grab" votes.

I guess I made some of you mad at me now, but I can't help it. Am speaking my mind, is all.

[Crunchy Frog]

15. If your trying to

decide on a candidate, this is probably the last place you want to go to find helpful information.

The homepage at this site has links to the official websites of all the candidates. That would be a good place to begin researching.

Another good resource is C-SPAN, which archives large numbers of appearances by all the candidates.

I would not hang around here, you will only get a headache or worse. Right now this place is mostly for masochists.:P (I'm talking about GD2004 not the entire messageboard.)

[Vote2004]

26. So, are you saying that I should just go away?

"I would not hang around here, you will only get a
headache or worse. Right now this place is mostly for
masochists."

I am new here but trying to analize each candidate fairly and thought I'd gather general consensus, but... :(

[FrenchieCat]

22. I like this post of mine....

I'm about swaying voters in the name of my candidate. I am a supporter and that's what I do. I think that's it's about winning this election away from Bush......so that means you have to offer up your best candidate....to beat the Zillions, the GOPTV, and the fools...We can't afford to underestimate anything during this election.....there should only be one goal....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=94083

It's calling you to attention!

[mot78]

12. I agree that DU is getting noisier

As the primaries heat up, expect to see more flame fests and less cordial posts.

[Jerseycoa]

20. Maybe DU has been good training

for the next few months. I'm sharper than when I got here.

[Crunchy Frog]

13. Sometimes DU

Is just a good place to vent your feelings. I have to admit that as the primary season heats up, my feelings are getting more intense, and this place is as good as any to express them, surrounded by fellow political junkies.

[Skinner]

21. I think DU could be a good place to sway primary voters.

There was a poll here indicating that 44% of our members were still undecided. Whether the supporters of the various candidates are actually helping their cause is another issue entirely.

But there is actually a wealth of great information here, both positive and negative, about the candidates. The various partisans are very knowledgeable, and some of them are extremely effective. As I make my decision, I want access to the postive and the negative information about the candidates, and that is all available here. Particularly important to me is the fact that if you make a claim about a candidate -- either positive or negative -- there are many other people who will quickly provide the alternate point of view. In other words: Unlike candidate websites, nobody gets a free pass here.

I think DU willl not be a particularly good place to sway General Election voters. I think most of our visitors are partsians who will be definitely voting for the Dem candidate, and then there is a small number of lurking conservatives who would never vote for us. But I don't think DU would have much to offer for General Election swing voters.

[mmonk]

23. Dean and Clark

are the main challengers to the status quo. They are not the insiders. Note the words "main" (enough support) and "insiders" (haven't been elected to a federal office).

[Hep]

24. DU is NOT the place to sway anyone

But you know that.

When you look at the intensity here and the tension, ask yourself what role you have played.

[JNelson6563]

28. I've got two words for you

sock
puppets