Throw the DINO's out....through the primaries!

As much as hate to admit it, and I could even make it into a topic by itself, there maybe a chance I will have to end up whoreing my vote away to Senator Maria Cantwell in November if she wins the Democratic primaries. The prospect of this just sends chills through my spine. I loathe Maria Cantwell! She is NOT A REAL DEMOCRAT! I am still VERY inclined to go third party if my guy Mark Wilson does not get the Democratic nod. That being said, I am going to do my darnedest to see he wins the primary here in the great state of Washington. Cantwell as well as Senators Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman, and Dianne Feinstein, Congresspersons Tom Lantos (California's answer to Joe Lieberman in the House!) and Adam Smith have all been total embarrassments to the Democratic Party and must be purged from their seats through the primary process. I am sick and tired of these people's indifference and enabling the Bushites to gain more power on the country and us all. If the Democratic Party does not win any one of the chambers of Congress and does not take back the White House in 2008, then the Democratic Party will die.

Like I said, I am very reluctant to give Cantwell my support and vote if she wins Washington's Democratic primary. It angers me that this is choice that we have been given and it is a joke! I have promised myself that after the 2004 election where I voted for Kerry that I will never sell myself out on a "play it safe" or "Republican Lite" candidate again, but I may have to end up as Charlie Brown (Progressive Voter) being suckered into trying to kick the football that Lucy (Republican Lite Democrat Candidate) pulls away. The Democratic Party desparately needs to clean house and get rid of these Neocon enablers once and for all in order to survive.

So please let's think primaries as a start!


John

There is no good in fighting Democrats when Republicans are the real target

eom



John

And fortunately, I am not the only one who feels this way. The time to choose your battles for the Democrats is over and it is time to go in the fight with both fists raised. I am just disgusted with those supposed "Democrats" who back Bush's adventurism in Iraq as well as allowing Alioto a free pass to the courts. Our rights and freedoms are being systematically being destroyed and some of these DINOs have only done nothing but only slight rhetoric and little action. To support these people makes our democratic system into a joke. The time to be bold and take these people on toe to toe is now!


John

And do you believe the Earth is flat?

I suggest you get informed, and start following the money.

Not every Democrat can be exactly like we want. All this nonsense DINO talk just makes trouble for us when we need to fight the Republicans. People who complain about this stuff are helpful to Republicans.

Republican or Dem- it doesn't matter who's screwing us.

And on the strategy side- it's my contention (along more than a few others) that Dems who sell us out repeatedly- and legitimize right wing policies- are the EXACT reason why the Dems until last week when we blocked HIMMA, that the Dems became irrelevant in national politics.

And if the Dems (and especially their leadership) run a Republican lite campaign again0- they may just lose a 7th congressional election in a row- despite the Republican implosion.

And I am afraid that some Democrats have been wrong in every sense of the word. Many of them have been allowed to be lead along by the Bushites and have not been effective in stopping their power grab. They are just as guilty as those Republicans. They are not the gunmen so to speak but were accomplises in the crimes they commit.

If the Democrats were more progressive and did not enable the Bushites to go to war, allow Roberts and Alito to the Supreme Court, the bankruptcy bill just to name a few then I would not be bashing them as much as I am. I would support them more and there would not be this talk of "Republican Lite" or "Vichy Democrats". Unfortunately, this is not the reality. The Democrats that have done this have allowed themselves to be blurred. The average joe voter does not see the differences between the two parties anymore. That is a sad fact that we must deal with and hopefully rectify before it is too late.

John

in CA either. There is a No. Calif. peace activist opposing her in the primary, but Dianne's got the money and the name recognition. No well known progressive was willing to take her on. So it looks like we'll be stuck with her another 6 years.

I will be voting a straight contrarian ticket. I'll be voting Green against my senator. He's simply stabbed me in the back too many times to have earned my vote. If he's replaced by a GOP, we'll deal with that bastard in 2012 and oust HIM. At least the new guy won't have all the connections set up and won't have the Beltway Blinders in place for a year or so. The present DINO place holder knows how to steal and doesn't give a fuck about any of us.

The rest of it is easy since they're pubbies.

A poll two weeks ago said folks are OK with their own congress people, but that YOUR son of a bitch had to go. Well I think they ALL need to go. They're completely out of touch not only with the country but with reality, itself.

If you like what Cantwell is doing, vote for her. If you don't, then VOTE THE BITCH OUT, and I mean in the general election, too.

:sarcasm:

and tossed out the incumbent Democrats to give us this horror show of a GOP majority.

When people get angry enough, this is what happens. This time the GOP majority will go.

However, they still haven't figured out that THEIR GUY is part of the problem, too.

... Another is the perennial brouha here about what constitutes a "real Democrat", most of which is conducted along lines that bear very little relation with the actual states and history of the Democratic Party. The idea that figures like ______________ are not "real Democrats" is nothing but the punch-line to a very poor joke... What is repudiated at the polls by the overwhelming preponderance of Democratic voters cannot be the real face of the Democratic Party. It really is that simple.

A few years back, we were told that primary elections, not general elections, were exactly the time to vote our preference.

The reality is that some actually like the status quo, given a tweak here or there.

Where has it gotten us so far? Nowhere! Even if I or somebody else moans and bitches that they had to vote for the Republican Lite candidate, they would get a lot of guff for speaking their mind so I should not nor anybody else be bothered what those who support and uphold the status quo think.


John

No wonder we're getting killed by the GOP - the minute we have a chance to take control people start the infighting and accusations. These so-called "DINOS" may not agree with everything you agree with, but they are NOT Republicans - they're nothing like those bastards that have hi-jacked your government.

Don't get me wrong - we could do a lot better than some of these guys (and women) in the congress - but we can't start eating our young the minute we have an opportunity to take it back.

It's like the unions where I live (a major manufacturing center). They insist on striking when business is at it's worst - the worst possible time for everyone. No, they don't strike when business is good - they wait until there are no profits and the red ink is flowing. I'm pro union, but c'mon, give us a break here. We need to get stable.

Infighting has been going on for a long time here. Real issues underpin most of that infighting.

I'm pro union, but c'mon, give us a break here. We need to get stable.'

In other words, I like the idea of unions but please don't do anything until we're at a point where it doesn't matter what you do.

"In other words, I like the idea of unions but please don't do anything until we're at a point where it doesn't matter what you do."

You obviously didn't grow up and live in the world of unions as I did. How many people on welfare and foodstamps do I have to see before I understand that striking during a downturn in dumb. Hitting a company when they're struggling is just plain stupid. Hitting them when they are stable usually results in the union being successful. Since the goal is improving the position of the worker - how can bankrupting a company help? Is that what you mean? Is the unions job to punish a company, put them under, and then everyone loses their job? That's idiotic.

Don't you dare question my committment to the union. Your lack of knowledge is stunning

With what, exactly, do you threaten anybody by striking only in good times?

Because it will royally piss off Ted Stevens who is holding some MAJOR fundraisers for her opponent up here in Alaska!!

Old man Ted is trying like Hell to make sure whoever the R-THUG running against Cantwell is has enough money to buy his/her way into office. You wouldn't believe the things he's saying about her up here!

Stevens HATES Cantwell and wants her out of the way so he can drill the hell out of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Cantwell is adamantly AGAINST it and is Stevens' worst nightmare.

I HOPE SHE WINS!!

If she loses, old Uncle Ted will laugh his weasley little ass off. I'm telling you.. he DESPISES her.

I hate Ted Stevens too but going back to having to choose one's battles. Screw that! So Cantwell is tough on environmental issues. Great! But what about Iraq? What about Roberts and Alito? What about protecting our private rights and freedoms? What is Cantwell going to do about CIA Chief nominee Hayden? I wished that the House and Senate Democrats would stop choosing battles and start kicking butt on all fronts. It's like choosing what part of the house to save when it is on fire.


John

You wrote: " ...She is NOT A REAL DEMOCRAT! I am still VERY inclined to go third party if my guy Mark Wilson does not get the Democratic nod."

I know one thing, a real Democrat would not suggest going third party.

There are a couple of Democrats who qualify as DINOs. They're few and far between, though. Is it all in the eye of the beholder? Is it one or two votes? If people want to vote third party, or vote in the primary for candidates less likely to win than an incumbent, that's up to them, but it would be nice to have some conventional wisdom on the subject.

Fight for whoever you want in the primaries, but I thought this was hilarilous:

"If the Democratic Party does not win any one of the chambers of Congress and does not take back the White House in 2008, then the Democratic Party will die. Like I said, I am very reluctant to give Cantwell my support and vote if she wins Washington's Democratic primary."

So Dems are going to die if they don't win, but you don't want to help them win? Nice.

And spare me the "no difference between a dem and a republican" stuff. It was a lie in 2000, and an even bigger lie now that we have had a few years of republican rule.

But dammit! I am VERY reluctant to support somebody who is going to stab me and stab this country in the back! However, it does not mean I am not going to vote for Cantwell! It simply means if she wins the primary, I will probably have to vote for Cantwell but I will not be happy about it. In fact, I might just have to throw up after casting my vote for her. Having to have a choice between Republican and Republican Lite is not a real choice. In fact, it is a joke! It is sad but true. I don't have to keep doing this just to see the Democrats kill themselves in the elections. And I do not want to see Hillary get the nomination in 2008 otherwise, turn out the lights!


John

I wasn't aware you were the arbiter in such matters.

I am just going with my opinions and if you or anybody does not like what I have to say then too bad!



John

I am sick to death of writing to her while fuming
about yet ANOTHER vote of hers...
she panders
and I am sick of it

only in the last fews days
have I completely turned from
'throw all the Republicans out'
to 'throw ALL of them out'

either the NSA has something on every single one of them
or the Dems are also in bed with the corporations
to the detriment of the citizens of this country

how dare they roll over on the 4th Amendment?

who the hell ARE these people?
the Hayden nomination should be full of spitfire and condemnation
it is the perfect venue for venting the anger at this administration
for setting up an elaborate spying network
and thumbing their noses at the constitution
instead, it is a virtual polite-fest
and the nomination is said to be 'assured'

AAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree that the DINOs gotta go, but the Rethugs really gotta go! If a DINO is not ousted in the Primaries, then give them your vote in the General Election.
Once we have the House and/or Senate, then we as a Party should sit the DINO down and give them a "Carlo, now you have to answer for Santino" moment. Basically it's a choice for them to get with the program or lose their committees and be relegated to the back bench in terms of assignments or Party funds.Kind of like what DeLay did with the Rethugs.

And I am really not happy about it. I fear we may have to go through the same b.s. in 2008 too. I wonder if the Democrats are going to gain anything from this? I have not seen the results lately. The Republicans are imploding because of their power and not because the Democrats have become anymore formidable. Anything can happen between now and November. Just remember that.


John

A responsibility to make sure our primaries are legitimate elections within the party.

If you do not have a candidate to back in your primary, a viable one at that, then you have failed your district/state.

Primaries serve several roles, after all. First, they are a referendum upon the incumbent. Second they promote dialogue within the party. Third they establish the character of the party itself, which controls the platform. Fourth they establish name-recognition for future races. All of these points become moot if the primary's importance and influence are trivialized, for whatever reason.

If the Democratic primary is turned into a centrist tool, then you end up with the old "two republicans running" argument. And when that's the political climate, the Republican always wins.

You'd think a consumer-driven society would demand more choice in their elections.