Can a divorced, unmarried man get the Democratic nomination for President?

Feingold.

but I think its an interesting question in general terms. Russ would make a fantastic president, and I hate to see him pushed aside for a personal reason.

Besides, I see no reason why someone has to be married to hold elected office.

no one seems to hold that against her. And no matter how much she postures as a hawk, they are still going to bash her as a liberal--look what the chickenhawks did to Kerry re Viet Nam.

In that case, might as well get a real progressive instead of a political opportunist who is only bashed as one.

BYW--I voted wrong on that poll, I voted no it doesn't matter matter rather than yes he can.

I can't imagine him keeping himself out of the Oval Office.

...plant flowers, read to children, and do the 'girly' shit. Someone they can look up to and look down on, and make fun of or lionize. The ole Madonna-Whore dichotomy!

The only unmarried guy who could possibly make it is a widower, and even at that, he could meet with the living equivalent of Mother Theresa and his opposition would accuse him of banging her...or they'd wave the 'oooooh, gaaaaaaaay!!!' flag--and not in a nice way, either.

The unthinking masses like that First Lady crap for some reason. The tide will start to turn when a woman is elected, a MARRIED woman, of course, else there will be speculation (again, not in a nice way) about her orientation from the wingnuts.

One day, no one will give a shit, but that day has not come. It took forever to get over the DIVORCE stigma--ironically, the accidental President, Ford, was the one who got us over that hump, because Betty was a divorcee, and people liked her, because she was nice (and plastered, half the time, but NICE, nonetheless). He made it easy for Reagan, as did Jane Wyman, who answered all Reagan questions "No comment," so the press finally gave up.

and having watched Russ as he ran for office and conducted himself as both a representative and a candidate over the past 13 years, I have to say that if anyone can do it, Russ can.

In his first race for senate, he started out a serious underdog in a three way primary and went on to beat an entrenched Republican incumbent. That rarely happens in Wisconsin, the land of incumbents. Someone really has to f*** up to get voted off this island.

Seven years ago, in his first effort at re-election, he battled puke scum and a campaign of lies like I haven't seen and won, though barely.

I have come to believe that if a twice-divorced, single jew senator can get elected in this country in spite of the desire of the public to have a xtian first lady, Feingold will be the man to do it.

I'm from WI too, and I am impressed with how well he is liked by Republicans. Feingold is relatively young, and even if he can't get the nomination in 2008, there may be other chances.

...and I can tell you, it just won't play well on the national stage. I think Russ is a nice guy, but he sealed his fate with that second divorce. The oft-repeated theme, fair or not, will be as follows: Well, he couldn't handle his PERSONAL life, he is a TWO TIME loser--how will he handle the Presidency!!! The tabloids will hound his exes, stories will be floated, and true or false, they will pick up steam, get added to, and take all focus away from his platform and put it on his personal life. At some point, they will pull out the 'McGreevy question' (the gay former governor of NJ was twice married, both times to stunning beauties).

It may not be fair or true, but those canards, plus his religion, will work against him--and that ain't right either, but as a nation we still have a long row to hoe in the garden of inclusion.

was divorced wasnt he???

to Nancy when he ran for President.

That's just not gonna fly.

But at least non-Christians can lie about it (I am sure many U.S. Presidents were atheist/agnostic (Reagan???) but just pretended to be Xians for political expedience--and we know that while a few of our founding Presidents were deists that held Christianity in low esteem, they did not publicize this fact).

Divorce is trumped by religion. Reagan was our only divorced President, but it was never a hot issue with the then-newly emerged political fundie movement because he was sold as one of their own.

However, a divorced Dem has little chance. Just look at the Republican's track record since the neocons co-opted their party: Willie Horton, White Water, Clinton sex scandals, Vince Foster, Clinton death lists, Swift Boat vets, McCain's bastard non-white child and his traitorous actions while a POW and, of course, Paula Abul (I'm sure they can blame the American Idol scandal on Dems HAHAHAHA)...and on-and-on-and-on....

The point is that they just throw shit at the wall and it doesn't even need to stick. The divorces are not the point--the ex spouses are. One ex-wife is bad enough, but two? Were they friendly divorces? Are they still amicable or would one or both of the exs be willing to say anything for a nice Mellon-Scaife payday?

"Russ likes to wear silk panty hose and a bin-Laden imprinted halter-top with a “Feingold/Hillary 2008” button pinned through his left nipple while fantasizing about butt-raping orphaned paraplegic male children with a Cuban cigar."

You get the point...a Repug could be divorced because Dems would neverr stoop so low and right-wingers don’t care (hell, a Repug could be a trice convicted pedophile, for that matter) as long as the candidate professes love of the baby Jesus, war and firearms, and a hatred of the poor, gays, liberals and liberal democracy, individual rights, the Constitution and freedom of thought; but with the neocons controlling the media (either through corporate ownership or outright intimidation) and the bottomless pockets of incredibly rich wackos--and thus the debate--it would be one unsubstantiated and lurid story after another from one or both exs. And as we learned in 2000 and 2004, the shit does not have to stick to be effective.

I shiver at the thought...

On the other hand, if both of the ex-wives are above it all, then maybe there is a chance….(my fingers are crossed).

During the last campaign about the worst thing I heard was his opponent making fun of the election reform Feingold has worked on as being useless.

I gotta check this rumor out though:

"Russ likes to wear silk panty hose and a bin-Laden imprinted halter-top with a “Feingold/Hillary 2008” button pinned through his left nipple while fantasizing about butt-raping orphaned paraplegic male children with a Cuban cigar."

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

this party is smarter than that

if only

but he probably couldn't get the Republican nomination.

no matter if he can win or lose, he better

this country needs him.

I.e. the junior Senator from Wisconsin.

Feingold, in today's climate, would have to be equal parts Bill Clinton and Theodore Roosevelt, with a sprinklin' of JFK to overcome the religious obstacle.

And *then*, on top of that, two divorces? And the possibility of different womenfolk flouncing around in the oh so sacred Oval Office?

Nope.

Holy Smokes and he's also a Senator! That ain't EVER happening again.

Nope nope nope, Russ. Sorry, young fella.