Caucused for DK last night- then Edwards

[Ficus]

So this die hard Kucitizen is now a alternate delegate for John Edwards. What happened?

I get the sense that Dean supporters expected Kucinich supporters to switch over just because Dean has been anti-war for some time now, and are crying foul over that.

let me tell you how it broke down for me:

At my caucus, there were originally 19 DK supporters, out of 309. To get our 15% we needed something like 46 people, way more than we had. Even adding in the undecided (6) and the Clark (4) we wouldn't have had enough. If any enough Edwards folks switched over (which some did breifly for us, thank you), he would have lost a delegate.

Most of us Kucinich people switched to Edwards, some to Kerry and some to Dean.

The Edwards people offered the DK group a spot as a delegate. So for the 2 delegates Edwards had, one is an Edwards supporter, and one is a DK supporter for Edwards. That means one more progressive moves on to the convention as a delegate, and effects our platform and our party's direction.

I was heartbroken not to be able to caucus for Dennis, but I chose John Edwards for a few reasons. Let me just give you the reasons.

1. He hasn't run a attack campaign. I got so much nasty mail from Dean, Gephardt, and Kerry, I couldn't take it any more. John actually DOES have a positive campaign and message, and doesn't just talk about the need for having a positive message.

2. John Edwards has started to frame a much better message over the past few months. If you watch JE talk at the Harkin Forum in April, you'll see a different candidate. I REALLY DO think he's ready for this fight. I didn't back then. He's grown more as a candidate than anyone and he can.

3. Faced with a pragmatic decision suddenly, I chose to go JE over JK because of the southern thing.

I am LUCKY to be a Democrat, I thought, because of my choices I have, I get to choose between three fine patriots, John Edwards, John Kerry, or Howard Dean and they would all make great Presidents.

After the caucuses, I've been reassured of my choice. This shows what a class act John Edwards is, the kind of guy I want as my President:

Senator John Edwards (D-NC) released the following statement today:

"For every American who works the late shift or the early shift, for every American who builds our cars or fixes our roads, for every American who takes care of the sick and educates our young people, Dick Gephardt has been your champion. He's been your champion in the House, throughout this campaign, and he always will be.

"Dick Gephardt is a gift. He's a gift to every Democrat, every American, and everyone running to take back the White House in 2004. I am proud to call him my friend, and hope that he continues to lend his voice and ideas in this campaign."

[Jerseycoa]

1. Thank you

I've been wanting to know more about how this all went. Clearly, Dennis used his head, and his agreement with Edwards worked to better position progressivism among delegates. I hope those disappointed grow to see the wisdom of this deal.

[Ficus]

9. your right

Dennis' message gets farther up the convention system with those delegates than if there had been no deal.

[JohnLocke]

2. Thanks.

[Ficus]

15. no prob

on to boston!
:toast:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. So, Kucinich's sell-out didn't affect the anti-war vote huh?

Here's an example of just that.

[Ficus]

8. Single issue voter huh?

It seems that some people can only see one issue out there.

But why did I caucus for Edwards?

John Edwards hasn't run a trashy campaign like the other candidates.
and...
I heard somewhere that John Edwards is the son of a mill worker.


ON EDIT: Dean supported Biden-Lugar and supported the basic idea of going to war over WMDs, given more time for inspections. So add a few months, and Dean would have had the same position of Edwards, Kerry, Lieberman, Gephardt, and the others, if he didn't already. (he never had to vote) He supported every war in the last decade. Please don't give me some Dean is a peace candidate thing.

[goodhue]

4. good for you

way to go!

[bigwillq]

5. I think Edwards would've been my second choice

What's up with the Edwards/Kucinich pairing? CNN says Dk could be a VP candidate. Any thoughts?

[Ficus]

10. I have often thought about this

a good way to stop the bleeding from the left would be to grab a VP candidate like Dennis.

Think about it - not a lot of people choose who to support based on vice presidential choices. However, a Democratic leaning Green would be very much more likely to vote Dem and not Green with Dennis on the ticket.

I think the winning ticket is a Southerner (Edwards) and a progressive (Kucinich).

[ozone_man]

6. To me it says that DK

is not true to the ideals that I thought he stood for. In particular, being against the Iraq war, where he sells out the anti-war movement by supporting a candidate who voted for the war.

He is sharing delegates with Edwards, who has accepted more money from lawyers and lobbyists than Bush himself. I can no longer support Kucinich as my alternate to Dean. Keep in mind that these numbers are as of November 03, 2003, and are higher now.

Rank
Candidate
Office
Amount

1
Edwards, John (D)
Pres
$7,449,190

2
Bush, George W (R)
Pres
$6,299,340

3
Kerry, John (D)
Pres
$3,302,899

4
Gephardt, Richard A (D)
Pres
$2,074,963

5
Lieberman, Joe (D)
Pres
$1,588,296

6
Dean, Howard (D)
Pres
$979,481

http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/recips.asp?Ind=K

My second choice after Dean now reverts back to Nader, assuming he runs, which he may, the way things are going.

[tryanhas]

11. Get your facts straight, dude

Edwards has never accepted a dime from Washington lobbyists or PACs.

[Ficus]

14. thanks you are right

he gets money from lawyers - cause he knows lots of them. He is one.

[Ficus]

12. spending limits?

One thing that has attracted me to Edwards, as that he accepted campaign spending limits along with everyone else, except Kerry and Dean. Sorry, I got enough pointless campaign lit in my mailbox and terrible ads on TV - and not having any limits to spending subverts our process more than trial lawyers.

People who are complaining about too much money in politics should look at their candidate as well.

Vote Nader. Okay. I see after Dean stumbles a little bit, many supporters aren't so keen on "taking back America" unless it is for their guy.

[diamondsoul]

16. Ideals don't get you delegates when you're

polling at 3%. Deals with friends and candidates who have a different demographic of voters DO. He sold out NOTHING and I'm really getting sick of hearing that rot.

He didn't change his position, he didn't claim to agree with Edwards on the issues, he made a deal for an extra boost in a caucus which probably helped keep him in the race. What's more, Dennis Kucinich is a positive influence on John Edwards and on his positions, BECAUSE they are friends. The fact that Dennis doesn't run around calling Edwards a "warmonger", as some on DU have, makes Edwards far more likely to seriously listen to Dennis and take his points into consideration.

Like it or not, this IS politics and at some point you're going to have to play a little to stay in the game.

[DjTj]

7. Thank you.

I think Edwards and Kucinich share the same ideals in the bottom of their hearts.

They are true Democratic ideals.

[Ficus]

13. I've done my part

now you do yours, and it's off to Boston!

:toast:

[diamondsoul]

17. Ficus, I can't thank you enough for this thread.

By this time yesterday I was so frustrated over the extremist reactions to the deal I could hardly speak a coherent sentence. My poor 12 yr old who despises politics had to listen to me rant repeatedly about how Dennis can't win with anyone lately! LOL Glad to know he does with some others.

[CWebster]

18. This isn't about Dean

This is about Kucinich. Don't try to make it about Dean.

[Ficus]

19. where do I make it about Dean

???

The only reference was that I was trying to explain what happened because I think many Dean folks feel entitled to all of DK's votes. That is NOT the way it works.