Heads up to all moderate Democrats!!

[proud2BlibKansan]

Check out this presidential poll DFA has been running.
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/

Draw a few conclusions.

Why is this important, you may ask? Well, DFA is a national group with members all over the country. They do campaign training which is awesome and literally thousands of DFA members are now trained campaign workers. With these kinds of results on this poll, do you suppose many of those trained campaign workers are going to volunteer to work for a candidate who is not progressive?

I am mentioning no candidates' names. But 'progressive' means ending the war ASAP, as well as support for many items on the domestic agenda. So far, I see the front runners for president in the Democratic party are saying what we want to hear about domestic issues, but they are not with us on the war.

I am one of hundreds of thousands who spent money this weekend to travel to Chicago and other cities to march against the war. If I thought that the leading Dem candidates were serious about ending the war, I would have sent my money to a candidate instead of spending it on plane fare.

Just sayin' . . .

It's bad enough that our elected Dems refuse to hold the Bush administration accountable. (Please don't lecture me about 60 votes! If they really cared, they would be out getting those votes instead of complaining that they don't have them.) But refusing to list ending the war ASAP as their #1 goal is just not acceptable.

So what will all these highly trained progressive campaign workers be doing this time next year? Look at the poll results and take a guess. A progressive local candidate for state rep is getting my time and talents. Unless the Democratic party starts listening and takes DFA members seriously, they will lose us on the presidential campaign. They just might lose our votes too.

Al Gore (write in) 26462 26.79%
Dennis Kucinich 23779 24.07%
Barack Obama 18221 18.45%
John Edwards 15036 15.22%
Bill Richardson 5718 5.79%
Hillary Clinton 4399 4.45%
Other 2026 2.05%
Christopher Dodd 1326 1.34%
Joe Biden 995 1.01%
Mike Gravel 811 0.82%

VOTING IS STILL OPEN!! Polls close at midnight on November 5th, 2007. Cast your vote now at http://www.DemocracyforAmerica.com/PulsePoll

[JTFrog]

1. K&R!

Run Al, Run!!!!

[BayouBengal07]

2. He's not going to run

It's too late, and he was already "beat" once before.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. Did you even read my post?

[Buzz Clik]

4. I'm not seeing the correlation between the poll numbers and how "progressive" a candidate might be.

We have elevated Gore into the progressive ranks, which is easy to do with a candidate who not only is not a candidate but has taken a stand on very few of today's issues. What of the others? Is there a litmus test for being progressive or not?

Is Gravel not a progressive?

So far, I see the front runners for president in the Democratic party are saying what we want to hear about domestic issues, but they are not with us on the war.

So, who are the front runners? Gore only? Clinton and Obama? Clinton, Obama, and Gore? Edwards, too?

It seems that this poll and this thread are being used to again muscle-up so-called moderate Democrats. In reality, it is just a thinly veiled move to thump selected candidates.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. DFA is made up of progressive Democrats

and none of the front runners can claim to be progressive if they aren't talking about ending the war. In other words, it isn't very progressive to say we will be in Iraq for X number of years.

How can we call Gore a front runner if he hasn't declared? I was thinking of the candidates who are in the race.

[Buzz Clik]

14. "How can we call Gore a front runner if he hasn't declared?" My point exactly.

What's a front runner but someone who leads the polls, and Gore leads the poll you gave us. But I'm fine with dismissing him because he hasn't declared. (I still wonder what tho point is of including your poll, but at this juncture I don't care.)

All the candidates are talking of ending the war, and they all have different timetables.

So, if I believe that ending America's involvement in hostilities should end tomorrow, but I recognize that at least 9 months are required to eliminate our presence, am I not a progressive? What if my estimate says it will take 18 months plus 18 months of limited troop presence in an advisory role?

This is all pretty fuzzy...

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. Ending the war means ending the war

It doesn't mean leaving ANY troops in Iraq and it doesn't mean saying we will probably be there until 2013. I can go along with 9 months, but not 6 years.

[Buzz Clik]

19. From your comments, we cannot expect support from "true progressives" for Edwards, Obama, or Clinton

That narrows it down a bit.

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. Not at this stage, no

None of them are really talking about ending the war.

[Buzz Clik]

25. Fascinating. So, for those of us who do not see this as a yes/no issue, how do we react?

My initial impression is that this is some form of political extortion -- if we don't throw our full support behind somebody like Kucinich, then you will either break off as a third party or simply stay home.

Am I reading this incorrectly?

[proud2BlibKansan]

26. No it's not extortion LOL

Just pointing out that DFA has a huge membership and needs to be represented by the eventual candidate.

[Buzz Clik]

36. Yeah, DFA has a huge membership. Check out that poll again.

Lots of those answering are choosing your targets.

In my opinion, you are not accurately representing the prevailing DFA thought.

[xultar]

6. YOO HOO! I passed the test. So I am a Progressive. I feel as pure as Ivory soap.

[Adelante]

9. 99 44 100th%

Are you that old :D

[EV_Ares]

7. Good job Lib. K&R. So how was the turnout in Chicago and how

was Chicago. It is usually geat but I am sure you didn't have a lot of time.

Thanks again for supporting and posting this. Like those poll results. A little surprised Edwards is not higher but happy to see Dennis doing so well.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. Chicago was awesome

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2154641&mesg_id=2154641

[Gonzo Gardener]

8. It would be very interesting to see a DFA poll that does not include a write in choice. n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. I agree

[TheDoorbellRang]

30. You can see how it would look without Gore

if you go to http://www.democracyforamerica.com/pulsepoll/results and delete Gore. Right now it would look like this without him:

Candidate %
Representative Dennis Kucinich 29.62%
Senator Barack Obama 24.15%
Former Senator John Edwards 24.11%
Senator Hillary Clinton 8.43%
Governor Bill Richardson 7.37%
Senator Christopher Dodd 3.01%
Senator Joe Biden 2.18%
Former Senator Mike Gravel 1.12%

What I find heartening as an avid Gore supporter is that the poll does not include Gore's name at all in the selection process. In order to choose Gore, one has to select "Other" and then write in his name. I'd say this poll is very telling as to how much support non-candidate Gore has.

[Gonzo Gardener]

39. Great!

I voted days ago and did not notice the option to add and subtract candidates from the results, thank you!

[cali]

10. DFA is Dean's organization and I'd bet that

the organization will strongly support the eventual nominee, and that many if not most DFA members will be out there working for that nominee, no matter their differences with him/her.

I'm afraid you're going to be sorely disappointed.

[...of J.Temperance]

13. I'm likely to agree with you

Eventually, when our Presidential nominee is chosen, the majority of DFA members will work their asses off to help get our candidate elected to the WH.

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. I disagree unless an acceptable plan for ending the war is part of the campaign.

[...of J.Temperance]

20. I would say that

Senator Clinton is committed to bringing the troops out of Iraq within the first year of her Presidency, should she get the nomination.

I cannot see ANY of the top Democratic candidates thinking of keeping troops in a pointless and hopeless cause in Iraq....I'm afraid that it's now up to the Iraqi's THEMSELVES to sort out their own problems in their OWN country, without outside interference.

The other thing I would say, is that there are also MORE important things than Iraq at stake in the 2008 Presidential election....Iraq ISN'T the ONLY issue, Iraq is one issue surrounded by many bigger issues, most of them domestic....one mustn't hold our nominee hostage to the issue of what they'll do about Iraq, when there's so many other issues that are more important than Iraq....the SCOTUS and the possibilty of Justice Stevens and Justice Bader Ginsberg getting replaced within the next four years being ONE of the more important issues than Iraq.

BTW what's going on in that photograph you have there, Condi Rice and some woman I can't identify?


On Edit: Added comment

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. That picture was taken last week

It was all over the media. It is a woman holding her hands, painted red, in front of Condi while calling her a war criminal.

Can you post some proof that Hillary wants to bring the troops home within a year? Last I heard she said 2013. If she has changed her position, I would be very interested. Thanks!

[ProudDad]

31. This DFA member

won't raise a finger to help hillary...

I don't vote for republican-lite...

[cali]

34. gee, one person. Wow. that's conclusive. Not. n/t

[...of J.Temperance]

11. As an acknowledged Moderate Democrat, my thoughts are that the poll

Doesn't represent the mainstream of the Democratic Party, that's the first thing....there's no way that people would find Dennis Kucinich a politician with which, politically, they could feel in tune with.

Al Gore isn't running and he's not going to run either, in my opinion, Al Gore will endorse Senator Hillary Clinton, and he'll hope that she'll appoint him to a position, something like head of the EPA or something.

[ProudDad]

32. You're obviously not acquainted with his positions on issues

Totally mainstream...

http://www.dennis4president.com/go/issues/

Time to educate yourself...

[wyldwolf]

18. heads up to DFA members who share your view

There are city, county, and state Democratic party branches all over the country. Does DFA really think campaign training and canvassing started with them???

If they don't want to work because the candidate isn't pure enough, fuck 'em. Every Presidential election the party has ever won was won WITHOUT DFA.

[cali]

21. Do you know who the head of DFA is? It's Jim Dean

Howard's brother. The OP is longing for something that isn't going to happen. The vast majority of DFA members will work for the nominee.

[...of J.Temperance]

22. I don't understand the Purity Test thing, it seems so self-defeatist

I'm sure some of the more hardcore members of the DFA will either sit on their hands or vote for Ralph Nader if he runs again.

However I think the majority of DFA members will eventually support whoever the Democratic Presidential nominee is.

Keep in mind, the poll with the OP, it's an online poll, it's not a real life poll....which is probably why Dennis Kucinich is polling so high in it....Lol!

So we shouldn't be too bothered about the results of said poll, it's not an important poll in real life.


On Edit: Dammit spelling error

[KoKo]

29. There are some in my Progressive State Community who think DFA is DLC in disguise...just so you know

If DFA's polls are coming up with the numbers posted for the top candidates then there's going to be some strategizing going on with the Dem Ops.

They have to recognize that if DFA which many of us think isn't 'progressive enough' has Al Gore leading and Kucinich Second...there are going to be some problems down the road. Given that the DLC/moderate Dems have thrown 'Activist/Grassroots' who walk the street for them...UNDER THE BUS...then either this poll is a huge surprise...or they are checking to see how much further under the bus they can shove us to leave "tire track marks as they back up and go back and forth."

I'd like to think that DFA is better than the DLC and that they will recognize there's a HUGE DISCONNECT in the Dem Party that needs to be addressed 'post haste' before Iowa kicks off just after the Holidays.

:shrug: of course that means i'm thinking that DFA and DLC are NOT TWINS...

[jmp]

38. Voting for Hillary is self-defeating

She is Giuliani's idealogical twin.

[proud2BlibKansan]

27. Yes go on ignoring us

That is sure to be a very smart plan!! :sarcasm:

[wyldwolf]

28. I will, thank you.

[ProudDad]

33. Ah, wolfie

DU's favorite republican-lite...

[cali]

35. ugh. love that smearing. Congrats.

makes you like like a true progressive. Not.

[wyldwolf]

40. ah, proud poop...

DU's favorite jr. socialist wannabe. :rofl:

[HughBeaumont]

42. I can think of a lot of ways "Republican Lite" is bad . . .

Why is socialism a bad thing, per se?

[jmp]

37. "Every Presidential election the party has ever won ..."

Not to mention the more numerous losses in the past 150 years.

I have a better idea ... fuck the DLC.

[wyldwolf]

41. yeah, every one of them.. no thanks to these DFA-like folks mentioned in the OP

...who tried to sabotage elections.