I am pessimistic

I believe we may lose the election. Whether it is because of Hillary refusing to concede, or Obama's relationship with Wright, or the success of Republican smears. If McCain wins, we will have another mediocrity, when we need someone with intelligence and good judgment. We had them in Biden, Dodd, Richardson, or Edwards. Hillary is capable, but she has so many negatives that she would probably also lose. With McCain, we will get a prolonged war, increasing debt, loss of value to the dollar, increasing price of gasoline, increased cost of living. I think we would better off if we scrapped the primary system and let party professionals choose the candidate. I hope I am wrong about losing the election.

and have a better chance...but I really can't see a mc cain presidency...our biggest problem is the media and they do want a repug for president..

And since the two candidates are effectively tied -- both in exactly the same boat, with exactly the same chances of winning (zero, without superdelegate votes) -- why not flip a coin and the loser drops out?

Aftyer all, no candidate with as many votes or delegates as Hillary has EVER dropped out of a primary at this point, and -- except to please Obamamanians -- there is absolutely no reason for her to.

But if Obama's supporters REALLY believe that someone should drop out for the good of the Party, they ought to consider suggesting that to Obama. If he really wants Democrats to win in November, he should drop out now, so we can all join together to beat McCain.

Good for the goose. Good for the Oganda.

not directly, but through the lap-dog media, who gave attention to whom those "professionals" wanted to be out on top.

I haven't gotten emotionally involved in this election because I can see the writing on the wall. It's been a cakewalk for the Democrats so far, but it's going to get very ugly when the nominee has been chosen & there's no turning back.

x(

And I don't mean the Obama Adulation Association -- the entire process of wanting politicians to do everything for us is fundamentally flawed and leads to morbid dependence on a limited class of wonks whose real work consists of being specialists in particular legal areas.

I'm less cynical. I don't think either Hillary or Obama are particularly bad. But they are running for president, not God, and can not do the jobs that we must do for ourselves -- like directly lobbying lawmakers, or demanding corporate and financial-institution responsibility on all levels.

On the other hand, I am cynical about all the emotionalizing. It's going to bite us in the ass, and very soon.

--p!

we want someone to come in and "fix" everything. Whoever we get, we must be willing to roll up our sleeves and work hard. Starting right now by paying attention and acting on all that is happening while we are distracted by the media.

Enough of this "yes you can" drivel. The damned glass is half empty. Expect the worse, then if something better happens you can be surprised. Oh bugger it, we're all going to die anyways.

everything and in the last 7 years i've become more cynical than i thought was possible so i've decided that i'm done with that, we will win.

On Charlie Rose tuesday night, someone mentioned exit polling data about race affecting their vote. 13% told pollsters (face to face interview) that race was a determining factor in their vote, with 75% of those voting for Clinton. I'm sure there were more unwilling to say it.

Every racist non-voter will come out of the woodworks in November.

Four more years will definitely prove that "Reaganomics" doesn't work and neither we nor our children will have to hear about it any more. McCain is just starting to throw Bush under the garbage truck. He will get even for North Carolina. And a lot of people will fall for it. We're not looking at a political party here. Republicanism has become a religion in itself. I just wonder about the thought processes of all the Dems who believed this would be a cakewalk.

No fucking way!! :puke:

The House the Senate and the White House.

I feel both current Dem presidential candidates are mortally wounded at this stage.

I expect Edwards to reenter the race soon and win the Democratic nomination with full support from Clinton and Obama.

He will win in November by a landslide. His VP will be General Wesley Clark.

Everyone mark this thread so you can tell me I was wrong if I am. I don't think I am though.

No one has laid a glove on Edwards thus far. What are his negatives at this point? An expensive haircut? Ha! Not much.

And he is well rested.

Don

That is so my dream...I just don't see the full support from the other 2 coming even if it goes that way though. We can definitely hope though, I certainly am!

I already wrote mine. They are all superdelegates. Tell them that if the Convention becomes deadlocked, they should enter Edward's name for nomination. Maybe we can make it happen.

A couple of things to consider:

First...the Camp Clinton show should wind down soon and with it a lot of the distractions and noise (predominately from the corporate media). Those who have sour grapes will have several months to stew or come to the reality of what's at stake at this election. I haven't been concerned about the "acrimony" and have long felt having millions get involved in the primary process this year has only been a positive to the Democratic party overall. Millions of new voters have been added to the roles while GOOP registration continues to plunge. Shut out the corporate media and political campaign spinning and a far different picture begins to reveal itself.

I don't see any end to the economic mess this regime has pushed this country into and little it will do to improve things. Gramps will have to defend each downturn, each rise in the price of oil, each new foreclosure or bankruptcy. People aren't being fooled out there...they know whose ruined this economy and who will make things worse. It's the greatest liability the GOOP has and they have no policy, no answers other than the worn out "more tax breaks" bullshit...that isn't fooling anyone anymore. People are mad about paying $4 or even $5 for a gallon of gas and that anger won't be directed at the Democrats. As I've been long told, the biggest deteriminator of how a person votes is how much money is in their pocket that day.

Also, there should be a lot of activity on the "undercard" this year. I've been working with local campaigns and many of these are energized in their own right...part of Dr. Dean's 50 state strategy. Many who will be going to the polls this fall will be supporting Democrats for Senate and the House...the place where the new voters made a difference in '06 and will do so again this year...and also have "coat-tails" to help whomever the Democratic presidential nominee is.

Gramps McVain is enjoying a big honeymoon right now and he's really not doing much with it. With all the positive media spin his numbers haven't really moved and his support is a mile wide and an inch thick. He risks perils with alienating many within' his base...many who weren't sold on him in the first place...if he attempts to "pander" too much to the right. The man's age, temper, lack of any economic concepts or plans and his support of "endless war" (and yes, this soundbite has gotten a lot of traction) will not go away but only hurt him. Plus, I honestly don't think Gramps is cut out for a long campaign...the contrast between his demoralized party and that of an energized Democratic party will be very apparent in the Fall.

My suggestion...turn off the corporate media and take a nice walk or go out an meet people who don't live on message boards. It's a lot different America out there right now...and will be in November.

It wasn't even close to being that good!

And it ain't Liberal either.

THAT may just be THE MOST Jost-y post I've ever encountered on DU

Jost et al (see abstract below) a group of nationally recognized researchers in psychology and social science did a metanalysis on 88 examples of papers on the causes and correlates of conservative behavior.

They found that fear (particularly of death) and anxiety about system instability (which could be things like 'the party is being destroyed!) were the foundations of conservative behavior.

Among correlates to these they found that conservatively motivated individuals had high intolerance of uncertainty (as in no one knows what is going to happen in November or even can be sure of the outcome of this primary season), and looked for security in institutional structure AND problem solving by authority (which could be things like the Bible, or recognized authority figures--as in professional party leaders!)


Reactions, like the one you present, drive people into conservative thinking which obviously leads to choices that are politicially conservative.

A whole bunch of us here on DU are trying to move party politics in the opposite direction from conservatism. Which is why we have so little respect for the DLC which considers itself an elite group of party professionals who also think they are the ones to make the decisions...


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Psychological Bulletin Copyright 2003 by the American Psychological Association, Inc.
2003, Vol. 129, No. 3, 339–375


Political Conservatism as Motivated Social Cognition
John T. Jost
Stanford University
Jack Glaser
University of California, Berkeley
Arie W. Kruglanski
University of Maryland at College Park
Frank J. Sulloway
University of California, Berkeley

Analyzing political conservatism as motivated social cognition integrates theories of personality (authoritarianism,
dogmatism–intolerance of ambiguity), epistemic and existential needs (for closure,
regulatory focus, terror management), and ideological rationalization (social dominance, system justification).
A meta-analysis (88 samples, 12 countries, 22,818 cases) confirms that several psychological
variables predict political conservatism: death anxiety (weighted mean r
.50); system instability (.47);
dogmatism–intolerance of ambiguity (.34); openness to experience (–.32); uncertainty tolerance (–.27);
needs for order, structure, and closure (.26); integrative complexity (–.20); fear of threat and loss (.18);
and self-esteem (–.09). The core ideology of conservatism stresses resistance to change and justification
of inequality and is motivated by needs that vary situationally and dispositionally to manage uncertainty

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

(Thanks Frank Herbert)