"Moseley Braun's presidential bid must be taken seriously"

Finally some good press for Carol. This comes from Steve Neal of Suntimes.

It's largely a rundown of support she's getting from prominent feminists, raises questions about the women's voting and participation in U.S. politics.

I'm a fan of hers. I wish she had the staff to get her policies articulated on her website--I'm sure it would help. My main problem with her current situation is that, when I've heard her, she's sounded quite conservative, compared to DK, AS, or Cynthia McK, which surprised me. I find it hard to think that she really is so conservative, so I'd love to see a solid exposition to clear it up.

I agree Carol is more conservative than Dennis, Al and Cynthia, but she's by no means a *conservative* or DINO. IMO her positions are classically liberal, and generally to the left of of the other six contenders. She's for universal health care, funding for education and rebuilding the cities, abortion rights, civil rights etc. She's opposed to the Iraq war and PATRIOT. She's for taxing wealth, and she's against deficit spending. She is probusiness and favors policies that create jobs, but not at the expense of workers rights or health and safety.

Carol speaks in a quiet voice--mostly. She prefers concilliatory tones and reaching consensus to raising a ruckus. E.g. moveon asked:

I would like to know when a Democratic candidate will summon the courage to publicly question the honesty and truthfulness of President Bush. The barrage of spin alluding to intelligence failures and misleading advice of Bush's confidants belies the fact that he alone is ultimately responsible for his words and decisions. Will any candidate demand the truth and an end to this conspiracy of deceit?

Carol responded "I have and I will." That's it. "I have and I will." That really impressed me. It struck me as a direct and honest answer to the question. And it was the right answer. Some of her answers were weak, and she did blow her own horn once or twice, but basically she succinctly answered the questions that were put to her. Undoubtedly some see her lack of agressive self-promotion as a weakness or sign that she isn't really campaigning. I find it refreshing.

So far her campaign has been the underdeveloped and lacking in details. Online for sure. Tip: if you're on Carol's website, look at the links on the left side of the issues page.

lol--solid exposition--could I be any less succinct?

If there's any particular area of concern you can name, I'll try to dig up some sources.

I did look at the left-hand links on her issues page. They are what made me wish she had the resources available to sharpen them up. I find them quite blurry--as you say, lacking in details.

And thanks for your offer to hunt up sources. I've made a rule, though, that I only look at the campaign pages, since (as Si Kahn puts it) politicians hate making definite statements because of how hard they are to disclaim later. So I want to be able to hold their feet to the fire :)

I'd happily vote for her in November if she won the primaries! She impresses me more each time I see her speak. She's intelligent, articulate, and seems genuine.

I'll start taking Mosely-Braun's candidacy seriously as soon as she (1) develops a resume that doesn't scream "failed one-term senator", (2) registers above 2% in the polls and (3) is able to raise substantially more than the $150,000 she raised during the last quarter.

I like, for the most part, what Carol has to say, but she doesn't have the resume to win. Heck... I'll take her bid seriously when she'll take her bid seriously..

4) doesn't target states with late primaries

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- Democratic presidential candidate Carol Moseley Braun made her first-ever visit to Mississippi on Saturday, saying the state figured prominently in a strategy to raise money for her fledgling campaign.

"This is an important state for us," Braun told The Associated Press.

"We're targeting Mississippi as one of the states in which we want to do well. I want to do well in Iowa and New Hampshire, also, but we're doing the best we can."

http://www.carolforpresident.com/news2.html

MS Primary-9 March (after Super Tuesday)

As stated in the story you cite, and as you are well aware, Moseley Braun needs to raise funds to keep going, and that's what her strategy will be for the next few months. Absent any big Hollywood sugardaddy like Rob Reiner throwing parties for her, and given that neither her supporters nor her campaign are as wired as some others we can think of, targetting states where she can easily get donations is a smart move.

You pick out Mississippi. She did well there. She got a few friendly write ups, some radio exposure, and she got people involved in voter registration. She's also been campaigning in Michigan, DC, South Carolina, and Wisconsin, which have primaries before Super Tuesday. She has also campaigned in important Super Tuesday states like California. It's unreasonable to single out Mississippi as evidence that her campaign isn't serious or credible. She's doing what she has to do.

And, since you brought it up, the primary schedule is extremely contentious. Would you care to defend the privileged position of Iowa or New Hampshire?

Because if it is you ought to know the answer's no, it's an urgent appeal.

I don't see any sign that you read the article, wherein the urgency of the appeal is explained and defended.

As to your snipes:

(1) Moseley Braun has an excellent resume:

Ms. Moseley Braun has served her country as a United States Senator (1992-98), U.S. Ambassador (1999-2001), as well as County Executive Officer, State Representative, and Assistant United States Attorney. Since her return in 2001 from her ambassadorial posting to New Zealand, she has taught law and political science at Morris Brown College and DePaul University, along with a business law practice and business consultancy in Chicago....

Her record as Senator is exemplary and compares favorably to some of her rivals.

(2) Moseley Braun has registered well above 2% in some polls. The June quinnipiac's show her with 5% in New Jersey and 6% in New York, which is more than Kucinich, Graham, Edwards, and close to Dean. Gallup has reported similar numbers. You can read summaries here. The only time you see Moseley Braun polling below 2% is when Hillary is added to the roster of names, or in a few small polls in New Hampshire and Iowa, where she has not been very active compared to the other candidates.

Had you read the article I posted, you might have noticed that the author stated that Moseley Braun's polling numbers were surprisingly high, all things considered.

(3) I read that Dubya has about $200,000,000. You going to vote for him? So how much money does it take to qualify as serious in your mind? Be careful how you answer, because Moseley Braun has gone into fund raising mode and she may yet meet your threshhold.

She's my second choice in the Dem group of candidates. Kucinich is my first. Sharpton is my third. After that, they all look the same to me.

But I'll vote for any Dem at this rate to get Bu$h out of office. Even if they are too conservative for my tastes.

to split the black primary vote. I don't have a position. What do you think?

It's been an insidious rumour. Black Commentator has repeated it several times, but it's no secret they heavily favor Sharpton. It's been reported as a rumour in some mainstream press. Lately that story has recieved less notice, and if it's mentioned, the candidates' statements are given more credence.

CMB denounces it as untrue and insulting. Sharpton dismisses it.

If there is some kernel of truth in it, it's unlikely that the conspiracy theorists have it right. Within the party leadership the key figure would be Donna Brazile, who has also rejected the story. Her stated view is that there is room for more than one black candidate in the Democratic primary, and, iirc, that Moseley Braun appeals to a different set of voters than Sharpton. She may believe that Sharpton is "divisive" or that his appeal is limited, but she hasn't to my knowledge said so explicitly. Her basic concern is to get the vote out so a Democrat can win, which basically means energizing women and minorities, groups that traditionally lean Democratic. Brazile is also a supporter of Lieberman, so if you're going to wear a tinfoil hat, you might start by questioning her motives. However, I don't think there's much room for doubting that she wants to see a Democrat in the White House, or that she wants to see African Americans represented within the party. The question would be on how you achieve your goals, and to some degree the value you place on winning the general election vs. expressing discontent.

If your assessment of Sharpton is that he's as capable of garnering broad support as Jesse Jackson has in past elections, then you might be inclined to see Brazile's welcoming of Moseley Braun as deliberately damaging to your candidate, or the causes he represents. That's definitely not the way Sharpton describes it, so I don't see much point in persisting with the rumour.

She is a good person of high moral caliber. And really good for raising important issues. However, she is not electable and not a viable candidate. She does not have the experince to be president. While she did serve one term as a US Senator, she was defeated for re-election. I could see this in a state like Tennessee. But Illionis is a pretty liberal state. Not to mention that 95% of US Senators get re-elected at least once.
I want her to stay in race as long as she can to keep civil rights and minority issues on the table. I think she keeps the others in check. But she will not be able to stay in this race past New Hampshire. Nor will she choosen for a VP slot.
I am not trying to be mean, I am just stating the facts. I like her, but not for President. Not yet anyway.

J4Clark

She is my 2nd choice this time around. I would support her as VP on anyone's ticket.

I absolutely disagree with "not electable" and "not a viable candidate." These phrases have been repeated so often that I have an automatic, visceral reaction to them. Anyone who is running deserves to be heard and considered. Anyone who is willing to do the work is electable, if they have a message voters support. I'm interested in the issues, not someone's idea of what constitutes "electable."

Right now I'm a Dean Supporter, but if he's winning (or losing) by a landslide I may go cast my vote for CMB.

Moseley Braun can't win this primary. She would've had a shot, if she'd been elected in 1998. She is smart, classy, and articulate, and would kill Bush in a debate, but she couldn't possibly win without redeeming herself for that Senate loss. I don't know if she'll ever have the chance, as Pappas, Hull, or Hynes will be taking 2004's Senate seat, and then all three top spots in Illinois are held by Democrats.

Never say "never," especially in politics. ;-)

I would have to concede that things are looking grim for her right now. Her campaign has fallen apart, and come back together again, and she has been very slow in gaining momentum. But as long as she does have *some* forward momentum, I'm not counting her out.

In all honesty, losing the Senate race doesn't mean much to me. Moseley Braun was targeted by a vicious and wellfunded smear campaign, and if the racist and sexist overtones of the attacks aren't obvious to all, they're clear enough to me. I have some hope that the majority of American voters would be able to see through that kind of garbage and make a decision based on ideas and issues. That's not a blind hope. Every day I'm dismayed by signs of prejudice and narrowmindedness in the press and in online forums. But I'm not going to give up hope, not for that.

As long as Moseley Braun has the fortitude to stand up and say she wants to lead this country, I'll listen to what she has to say. A modicum of respect is not much to demand of myself. In fact, since deciding to take her candidacy seriously, I've become much more aware of how politics works, how it should work, and what the real issues are that need to be decided.

She would be great in the White House. Her candidacy helps to bring the conservative Democrats (Lieberman, Dean, Edwards) back to center.

She would be great in the White House. Her candidacy helps to bring the conservative Democrats (Lieberman, Dean, Edwards) back to center.

She would be great in the White House. Her candidacy helps to bring the conservative Democrats (Lieberman, Dean, Edwards) back to center.

She adds nice balance and helps to move conservatives, such as Lieberman, Dean and Edwards to the center.

Sorry for all the dupes. I didn't think any of my replies were posted.