Is anyone else still undecided on a candidate? I had a much easier time deciding last time.

During the 04 primaries i knew almost right away who i was going to vote for, this time out i am still still undecided, am i alone here?

But they are probably not electable... ie: Dennis Kucinich, and maybe even Gravel, Richardson and possible others... (They are not the front runners, and probably cannot be)

ww

just vote principle over politics!

I won't decide until it's much closer to the primaries. I haven't seen how some of these candidate will truly stand on issues that will come up. I'm especially interested in seeing how the health care issues will shake out in the next year, especially now that Moore's movie is coming out.

My ideal ticket would be Gore/Kucinich.

We have several candidates speaking out against the war, while few were in 04.

so the best way to speak ABOUT it in 2004 was in terms that were realistic about what was going wrong, why it was going wrong, and how best to end the occupation and bring in NATO and the UN and real allies to work with the Iraqi people.

Obviously that didn't come about.

Now, EVERY lawmaker should be speaking against what is going on because Iraq has had three elections and is now in a state of Civil War since early 2006. There is no salvageable plan to discuss because no way are NATO and UN going in to Iraq under those conditions.

Presidential candidates have to talk about what IS happening, be realistic about why it happened, and be realistic about what should be done and what they WILL do ONCE THEY TAKE OFFICE.

To talk about a "better" war without addressing the basic immorality of the war and the fact that it was a mistake to begin with is why people saw Kerry as a weak flip-flopper without strong principles. It was a weak message that didn't inspire confidence in anyone.

end it more successfully for America and the world. He also pointed out the immorality of Bush's strategy especially at Abu Ghraib and 3 times called for Rumsfeld to lose his job.

You think for one minute that the winning strategy in 2004 was only to talk about the war being wrong and that somehow the media and the public wouldn't have asked every day HOW you would bring an end to it in the safest way?

The corpmedia and American people will STILL be asking that question for 2008 even with the apparent to most wrongness of this war.

There certainly are a lot of choices, but some of them are seriously unelectable. I think by springtime it will all but be over.

and ALL the candidates have announced. I'm still waiting for the 'savior' of the Democratic party to 'appear'.

I like Gore
lean towards Edwards
also like Richardson
sure I like Kucinich but would prefer Dean

For the 2004 campaign, I wasn't asked about my choice until Dec 03, and was still undecided then.
Now, I was first asked in Jan 07, and told to 'hurry up and decide already'.
Heck, it's 9 months until my state's primary, 16 months before the general...

I look at these three broad considerations and try to figure out who on balance is the best candidate.

1) How closely do his or her positions on the issues match my own?

2) Is he or she a strong general election candidate?

3) Is he or she politically skillful enough to advance a progressive agenda in office. Successful modern presidents tend to be those who are flexible, politically skillful, and innovative. They don't govern by fiat or by virtue of their moral authority.

Right now there is no clear cut winner in all three categories. And it's too early. I have to figure out what is the best use of my vote/contributions/volunteer efforts and I don't know what the answer to that question is right now.

About the only thing I can say for the Democratic candidates is that they are not the Republican candidates. Surely we have better in the United States.

healthcare plan I can back.

If Gore sits this one out, I'm completely undecided, and not all the
negative posts or hundreds of polls are going to sway me one way or the
other. The candidates' position statements and personal comments are going
to have to do that all on their own.

By the time I get to vote there will be a (D) and a (R) on the ballot. I will vote for the Democrat.

Hoping Gore steps in. If not, I don't have a clue who I'm supporting this time.

to choose whom I'm going home with. Some will self destruct, some will shine & some (one) hasn't even declared yet.

just waiting on Al

It seems as if the Hillerites bow down their heads, holding a lock of hair in their hands that some swindler has sworn is actually a lock of Hillery's hair.

Obamaists probably have a picture of him in a closet or corner of the room, with candles set all over the place, and every morning they get up and bow down to him.

Edwardists probably collect memorabilia from him and horde it in their basements, going downstairs every day to touch a snot rag he threw on the sidewalk one day.

OK, maybe I'm exaggerating, but then again, maybe not. To be frank, I don't get this candidate worship at all, none of them deserve it, not even Kucinich. People should remember that these are human beings we are supposed to vote for, not Gods. They are not infallible, and yes, others can disagree with either them or you without committing blasphemy.

in part because I really am undecided - and in part a personal protest to how early this 'primary' season kicked off.

for the first time in my voting life.

Still undecided. :shrug:

If Gore tosses his hat in the ring it will be a harder choice for me.