Can You Really Call Yourself A Democrat If You PLAN on Skipping Obama's Nomination?

[Segami]

" A trio of West Virginia Democrats will not attend the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte to formally renominate President Obama this summer.



Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, Sen. Joe Manchin and Rep. Nick Rahall do not plan to attend the convention, according to state party chairman Larry Puccio, who released the state's convention delegation list today in accordance with party rules.



West Virginia's senior senator, Jay Rockefeller, will attend, the state party.


Obama is highly unpopular in West Virginia, a fact most recently reflected in the state's May 8 presidential primary where a federal inmate won over 40% of the vote against him. Manchin in particular has sought distance from the president. In April, Manchin said he was not committed to supporting Obama's re-election.



"I intend to spend this fall focused on the people of West Virginia, whether that's representing them in my official U.S. Senate duties or here at home, where I can hear about their concerns and ideas to solve the problems of this great nation," Manchin said in a statement regarding his decision to skip the convention. "I will remain focused on bringing people together for the next generation, not the next election. "



Rahall's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.




http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2012/06/obama-manchin-rahall-west-virginia-convention-charlotte/1?csp=ip#.T-BQqpFWnQ8

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[MADem]

1. Are the citizens of WVA that stupid? Democrats brought those FBI and other government jobs to WVA,

and they can take 'em away, too.

Maybe it's time to move the FBI fingerprint facility to, say, Ohio...?

[orpupilofnature57]

2. No ,a pragmatic sycophant , Sam Nunn

before he was a registered Republican.

[Chorophyll]

3. I guess you can call yourself a Democrat,

but you'd also have to call yourself a few other things too, which might not be very complimentary.

[still_one]

4. Why don't they just join the republican party? As far as I am concerned this is not only disrespect

for the office of the presidency, but their implicit support for racist throughout their state

[Tarheel_Dem]

8. I fully expect Manchin to make the switch, followed by Heath Shuler of NC. nt

[Blue_Tires]

10. good riddance...

[Tarheel_Dem]

19. Can't say that I disagree, but then I think anyone who isn't satifisfied with their leadership....

they should all go, and that includes the most conservative, and the most liberal. It seems to be the extremes where all the problems of disunity arise.

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. Yes. The Democratic Party does not require its members to adhere to a loyalty oath

[Proud Liberal Dem]

7. Still

is it appropriate to refuse to attend the nominating convention for the highest office in the land? West Virginia Democrats did technically nominate him, right?

[Freddie Stubbs]

14. They nominated him for elected office, not a party position

[Proud Liberal Dem]

15. It's still just rather silly to me

that they are refusing to get behind the head of their party. I mean, what exactly has President Obama done to deserve such disrespect?

[Freddie Stubbs]

16. Whatever President Obama did, 40% of Democratic primary voters chose a federal inmate over

him two months ago. Think about that. 2/5 of the people who bothered to vote in the democratic primary voted for someone they have never heard of (assuming that they did not know that Keith Judd was in prison). It's a pretty fair assumption that most WV Democrats don't like the President. Anyone associated with the President is going to fair poorly in WV.

[still_one]

23. "whatever" he did??? He is an African American, and the the people of we who are represented by

These clowns should vote republican rather than for these idiots who believe in repuke policy but call themselves dem

[deaniac21]

22. It does in Arkansas.

[marsis]

6. I don't think I'd go

either but probably for different reasons.
I supported a liberal Democrat and got a right leaning centrist

[Tarheel_Dem]

9. Obama can't be blamed because you weren't paying attention. Just sayin'.....

[marsis]

12. Oh but I was

and he hasn't come through with his "talking points" candidacy for us, the 99%. The 1% are doing just marvy. Today's Democrat, just to the right of Barry Goldwater but at least we have our illusions.

[Tarheel_Dem]

20. You've adopted some "talking points" too, huh? The "99%" pilaver has been tp'd to death.

I'm not sure what your particular complaint is, but it seems to the one of the garden variety "Obama Sucks" complaints. If Obama hasn't been progressive enough for you, I ask you to think back to the primaries, and tell us which one was? And then explain why folks like me didn't support them?

In case you didn't notice, we have a Congress. I'm sure if Obama were king, he'd wave his magic wand and make all your dreams come true. But, if we're completely honest, that still wouldn't please some. Some people are just built that way.

[marsis]

28. Ok,

there was healthcare on which he caved at the onset, fail. There was supposed to be a changing of the guard in the treasury, fail, SEC, fail, new regulation, fail, consumer protection, fail. Hope, fail, change, fail. There's more that I just don't want to research for you.
Understood that the Repugs are stopping anything and everything that could help the country ergo Obama, but he has a bully pulpit and he just doesn't use it. He could go for the populist sentiment by going to the media (do I dare) daily but his team constantly put their collective fingers in the air to feel the winds of voter preferences instead of plowing ahead, you know like the republicans. Take gay marriage, one issue he took a brave stand on, he endorsed and the country followed.
If he really gave a damn, he'd be decrying how lobbyists write our laws, how multinational corporations run our government, why a kid gets ten years for stealing $200 from a quick mart but Wallstreet and the bankers steal billions and walk free to do it all over again, but I digress.

"Cave, cave, cave to the right", could be the new Democratic motto.

[Tarheel_Dem]

29. Well it sounds as if the Democratic party is no longer a fit for you, right?

What the whiners tend to forget is that the party nominated a center left candidate, warts and all. The fact that there were a couple of other options, who might be considered more progressive than Obama, the rank and file, myself included, threw their support behind two center left candidates, and eventually behind the nominee.

We didn't nominate Kucinich, or Edwards (Thank God/Goddess) who ran much farther left than either of the two serious candidates, and they were both rejected. And your definition of "cave", to a grownup might simply be compromise, which I know is a dirty word.

You've got all the 99% talking points down pat. They don't say anything new, but they were catchy for awhile. I think the country's moved past you. At some point, the adults in the room will take back the debate, and the extremes on both sides will resume their positions on the periphery. I haven't seen any poll suggesting that a majority of Dems or Liberal Dems agree with your assessment of the president.

[marsis]

30. Screw the 99%

talking points, ok? It was an easy way to express the message, sorry if I confused you.
Hope, change, mean anything to you? What's changed? You didn't address my previous message about the SEC, treasury etc. No change there and none forecasted.

What today's compromise means is scooting to the right on virtually everything. Do the republicans compromise, NO, so we move to the right.

I supported another Democratic canditate also, I worked for Chicago Democrats for over ten years and knew enough to support another Dem. candidate. But he was about change, no?

And yes I agree, the Democratic party is no longer a good fit for me, hasn't been for a while now. The 1% (there I go again) own two parties and the rest of us none. Combined with a compliant media, who won't even give us the pertinent news we need to form objective opinions, the multinationals hold sway.

I hold my nose and vote for the least evil politician, not a good way to run a democracy. In fact, I don't think we as a nation are educated enough in civics to even vote these days. I offer no alternative, I know of none. I don't consider myself a fringe Democrat and I think you're fooling yourself if you believe that todays Democrats have our best interests at heart.
I understand there are no alternatives so you go with least objectionable, not good.

[Tarheel_Dem]

31. What's changed? Let's see....

1) DADT? Check.

2) A sitting POTUS comes out in favor of gay marriage? Check.

3) A sitting POTUS signs the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act? Check.

4) Osama Bin Laden? Dead? Check.

5) Detroit? Back from the brink? Check.

6) Great Recession? Averted? Check.

7) Dodd Frank? Financial Reform? Check.

8) Health Care? Sans P.O.? Check

I could go on, and I could link the actual accomplishments of the administration, but that doesn't seem to be what you're interested in. Not sure what it is exactly, but you're certainly not interested in "accomplishments".

As far as "least objectionable"? Like I said, no poll I've seen shows that Democrats, or even liberals agree with you. Have a good one.

[still_one]

24. Not true. Goldwater never wanted Medicare or social security. /nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. "All politics is local." Tip O'Neill

They're playing to their base in WV.

Political expediency negates everything else for most politicians.

[frylock]

13. why not?

people that call themselves democrats support extrajudicial execution carried out by flying robots.

[hrmjustin]

17. Yes you can, but should democrats remember him in NOV? n/t

[Egalitarian Thug]

18. As far as I know, the only requirement for being a Democrat is to register as one.

So sure, why not?

I'm a second generation Democrat even though I disagree with 3/4 (7/8?) of what the party either does or refuses to do.

[cynatnite]

21. I have no problem with this if it helps them retain their office...

A Dem here in TN has to walk a fine line because this is such a conservative state. I'd rather see these guys pass on the Dem convention than go and lose their seats as a result.

We need all the Dems in office that we can get.

[still_one]

25. I disagree. This has led to the ruin of the Democratic party. The party has to stand for some

Basic principles that distinguishes itself from the republicans

The line between the two for some has gotten so it is indistinguishable.

[cynatnite]

26. So what do you do?

If a Dem stands a chance of winning in a conservative area, they have to bend on some issues. It's a very fine line.

A Dem running for office in Seattle can be pretty liberal and will likely win.

A Dem running for office in Chattanooga or other southern area cannot be liberal by any stretch of the imagination. They will get their ass handed to them.

If they are to have half a chance, they've got to have some conservative credentials in order to appeal to the majority. It's a political reality in a lot of areas in this country.

If I had to choose between a conservative Dem and a rabid teabagger repuke, I will take the conserv Dem any day of the week.

[roman7]

27. my momma told me in 1972 the only big difference between the dems & rep. parties

was that the dems stood with the poor & little guy and the reps stood with the rich & power hungry. i think she was on to them!