Presidential Politics

5 actually (0.00 / 0)

Sen. Mike Gravel (D-Alaska) form the 70s and 80s

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by: trowaman @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 03:10:04 AM UTC

yeah seriously! (0.00 / 0)

Gravel was first to announce!

http://www.gravel200...

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 04:42:39 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I Knew I forgot Someone (0.00 / 0)

I even wrote about his announcement before the JAB/BOR merger.

I can't imagine why I forgot about Gravel. He has had such an illustrious career and done so much good since getting out of the public spotlight in the 80's.

I know he would have been a major force in the poll.

I kid, but I will make it a point to include him in other polls.

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by: Matt Glazer @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 15:06:02 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Gravel/Rhodes '08! (0.00 / 0)

Cleaning up America, one street at a time.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 16:46:15 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

So far it (0.00 / 0)

doesn't look like much of a race. LOL  Of the ones announced and the ones considered the front runners I would say Edwards has my support so far.  I am still hoping someone comes out of the woodwork who wows the entire nation, but as time goes on this seems less likely.

Doing My Part For The Left,Left Of The Rainbow

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by: refinish69 @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 03:45:21 AM UTC

I'm an Edwards suppoter too (0.00 / 0)

I still think and Edwards/Obama ticket would rock!

Obama might want an Obama/Edwards ticket.  That would work for me too. I think Edwards has a better chance since he's run a national campaign before.

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by: sonia @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 06:29:20 AM UTC

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I would worry (0.00 / 0)

about the lack of experience that an Edwards/Obama ticket would have.

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by: David Mauro @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 10:29:21 AM UTC

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Oh, please. (0.00 / 0)

As opposed to the amount of experience George W. Bush had in 2000?

I'm tired of hearing the right-wing's "experience" canard thrown at Democratic candidates.

It's not just 150% true with George W. Bush, but it was true of all presidents before him:  the president doesn't govern by himself.  He appoints people to the cabinet and surrounds himself with advisers.  They do the work.  The president is, to give the devil his due, "the Decider."

A great president surrounds himself with the best and the brightest, and they aren't yes-wo/men.  The leader then takes a variety of views and options into consideration and makes policy based on the best information available and the best judgment s/he possesses.

When we choose a president, then, what we're really choosing are the ideas that person puts forth, their leadership style, and what they say is their agenda. It also pays to watch who's advising them on the campaign trail, as these people usually end up in the advisers' circle after a win. 

Those are the only clues you get before they take office and begin making decisions. No one can predict with certainty what events will shape the course of their presidency or how they'll react. You just have to have faith that the individual you voted for has good judgment and is intellectually engaged enough, and fair-minded enough to want to seek the best answers and do what's best for the country.

This is why people say they vote for people who share "their values."

The inexperienced GeeDuhbya surrounded himself with yes men and sycophants (and Karen Hughes and Condi Rice) who among them have a combined total of hundreds of years' wortth of foreign policy and government "experience" and where has that gotten us? 

Cheney, who is really running the show.  And who himself is surrounded by yes men because he won't tolerate opposing points of view.

Look at the country now and remember the country as it was in 2000.  Where has the Cheney/Bush team's "experience" gotten us?

Don't anyone ever tolerate anyone questioning any Democrat's (or any candidate's) "experience".  Ever. 

We are and have been living in a mofo petri dish of $#@!%-ing  "experience"!

My dream ticket:  Edwards/Obama. 

They articulate issues like they know what's important to people, certainly to me. 

I think Edwards understands what's important to working people.

I think they're smart enough to hire decent, law-abiding, Constitution-respecting people to advise them on foreign policy.

I think they'll uphold the US Constitution.

I think they'll obey the law.

My, isn't it remarkable how low we can set the bar after 6 years of the Bush "experience?"

The $64 question is:  will the DNC primary season schedule actually permit the Democratic primary VOTERS to select the candidate(s) they prefer?  I think Chairman Dean is trying to do that, but we'll see how the primary schedule finally shakes out.  I will never forget or forgive again the circumstances that created what we wound up with in '04.

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by: carmelita @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 13:32:01 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

of course (0.00 / 0)

they would be better than Bush.

And if you want to be president, I'm sorry, but your experience (as well as your experienceS) are going to be quesdtioned.

Edwards was a rather unremarkable one-term senator. He has become a great advocate on poverty issues and is a great speaker.

Obama has a so-so voting record in his two years in the senate. He is also a great speaker.

We shouldn't compare our candidates to Bush. Bush's six years of experience are not anything that we would like to aspire to ... look how that has turned out, after all.

To pretend that lack of experience would not be an issue with an Edwards/Obama ticket is naive.

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by: David Mauro @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 18:38:51 PM UTC

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Best Quote (0.00 / 0)

"He was a pro-choice, he's anti-choice, he's multiple choice."

-- Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), on Hardball, discussing his 1994 Senate challenger, Mitt Romney (R).

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 17:02:50 PM UTC

OneCorps (0.00 / 0)

I refrained from being a flaming Edwards supporter so far on BOR, but since we have a Presidential thread now, I am gonna throw down!

I started a OneCorps chapter for North Dallas/Carrollton if anyone is interested in joining. There are a total of 33 in Texas now.

I think OneCorps is finally going to get some of us off our butts in regards to being a service organization. We have a national day of action set for Jan 27th, which is supposed to highlight energy conservation.

OneCorps of course is an Edwards campaign idea, however my personal opinion is that you do not have to be an Edwards supporter to join our group. If you have a service oriented mind and want to help fight poverty and deal with the other issues of OneAmerica, then by all means join us!

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by: John McClelland @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 17:57:00 PM UTC

it's funny (0.00 / 0)

People thought I was an Edwards guy because of that one post I made when he launched his campaign. I'm not anyone's guy (personally and professionally) right now- I just wrote that post because as a blogger Edwards did everything right. He did the right launch for what he needed to accomplish. I can respect that without supporting a candidate.

Oh well, live and learn.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 23:14:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

What about Biden? (0.00 / 0)

Hasn't he repeatedly announced on Sunday morning talk shows?  I could have sworn just last week he said he's running.  Today in a story on msnbc.com, talking about his tangle with Condi, it called him a Presidential contender.  Aren't there, then, 6?

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by: mengelhart @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 18:27:47 PM UTC

I can't find that... (0.00 / 0)

if you do, please let us know.

Biden has been mentioned, with others, as a likely candidate.

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by: Matt Glazer @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 18:35:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

He is (0.00 / 0)

http://www.msnbc.msn...

He just hasn't filed yet, but will soon

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by: John McClelland @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 18:40:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Biden (0.00 / 0)

did say on one of the Sunday talk shows that he was in but he has still not filed the necessary paperwork with the FEC to set up an exploratory committee or an actual presidential campaign.

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by: David Mauro @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 18:40:26 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Biden's been announcing his intentions (0.00 / 0)

Weekly for as long as I can remember.

I expect he will continue announcing until he finds someone who cares.

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by: boadicea @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 19:47:31 PM UTC

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Vilsack (0.00 / 0)

Now that it's OK to discuss national politics around here, let me say that I like Vilsack the best of the announced candidates so far.

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by: Joe Roth @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 22:07:20 PM UTC

I like him fine (0.00 / 0)

He has some good ideas but, after chairing the DLC and making English the official language of Iowa, it seems like he may reinventing himself in order to appeal to Democratic Primary voters.

It is hard to imagine a scenario in which he could win the nomination.

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by: David Mauro @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 22:48:11 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yeah, but . . . (0.00 / 0)

I have no problem with him chairing the DLC.  I do have a problem with making English the offical language of Iowa.  But there is no candidate that I have no problem with whatsoever.

I suspect that Vilsack is at about the same place that Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton were at this stage in their respective campaigns.

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by: Joe Roth @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 23:17:05 PM UTC

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That may be true (0.00 / 0)

But was Bill Clinton or Jimmy Carter running against Hillary, Edwards or Obama?

Clinton and Carter were able to win because the Democratic field both those years was pretty weak.

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by: David Mauro @ Mon Jan 15, 2007 at 21:03:42 PM UTC

[ Parent ]