General Discussion

brooklynite

(96,882 posts)

29. I'm saying that I don't think you -are- trying.

Mon Aug 26, 2013, 12:49 PM

Aug 2013

If you can find a progressive candidate that's acceptable, good luck, but be realistic about who's voting and what candidates they find appealing. Iowa has some of the most progressive activist voter in the Party, and last time round (2008) they voted for...Obama, Edwards and Clinton. Mike Gravel and Dennis Kucinich? Virtually no support.

But, I would submit that the folks pining for a real progressive have been sitting on their hands while supporters of the "establishment" candidates, myself included, are already getting organized. My wife and I have met with "Ready for Hillary", and I've reached out to Brian Schweitzer in case Hillary doesn't run. Have you written a letter to, say, Elizabeth Warren to urge her to run? Formed a Meetup group to organize like-minded people to actually get an organized draft movement going? Started to research how much money you'll need to raise to be competitive? Or is it just easier to grumble that "TPTB" won't let your candidate compete?

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How can we get a progressive presidential candidate at the top of Democratic ticket in 2016? [View all] yurbud Aug 2013 OP

Prayer might help. Jackpine Radical Aug 2013 #1

Right about the prayer Tippy Aug 2013 #54

We need to stop compromising our votes in the primaries. dawg Aug 2013 #2

Primaries should be the place where we debate issues! LongTomH Aug 2013 #59

Should be, but it isn't allowed. n/t Egalitarian Thug Aug 2013 #118

We can't Kelvin Mace Aug 2013 #3

^This, and it appears that a lot dem voters agree with the third way. JRLeft Aug 2013 #49

No, they don't. And this is a lie that needs to be slapped down hard, now. woo me with science Aug 2013 #79

+1 daleanime Aug 2013 #83

+10 RC Aug 2013 #94

Hell Yes! kenfrequed Aug 2013 #127

If the DLC, Third Way, corporate Democrats ran honest campaigns... yurbud Aug 2013 #156

Disagree, kinda. truebluegreen Aug 2013 #65

Based on how much grief Kelvin Mace Aug 2013 #96

One of my favorite sites. truebluegreen Aug 2013 #130

COMRADE! Kelvin Mace Aug 2013 #136

DA! truebluegreen Aug 2013 #137

Only if some very deep pocketed $$$ progressives ante up, I'm afraid. hlthe2b Aug 2013 #4

I don't think we can Shankapotomus Aug 2013 #5

Agreed. This is the scenario most likely to produce a liberal candidate for President. n/t Laelth Aug 2013 #128

Three steps: brooklynite Aug 2013 #6

Are you saying the primaries don't choose candidates? n/t hootinholler Aug 2013 #9

I'm saying that, to be competitive in the Primaries... brooklynite Aug 2013 #10

Do you mean to imply that we shouldn't try? hootinholler Aug 2013 #23

I'm saying that I don't think you -are- trying. brooklynite Aug 2013 #29

The difficulty in electing a progressive isn't the public. Jackpine Radical Aug 2013 #63

I won't wast my time reminding you... brooklynite Aug 2013 #66

And do you remember why? zipplewrath Aug 2013 #100

Golly, he was criticized by another candidate? How unfair! brooklynite Aug 2013 #105

Not exactly zipplewrath Aug 2013 #116

Wait, you mean endless complaining isn't really "trying"?? JoePhilly Aug 2013 #86

they wont even try at lower levels like Chicago mayor's race JI7 Aug 2013 #159

Holy crap...been saying the exact same thing on here for years... msanthrope Aug 2013 #147

"Top down" isn't going to ever work Spike89 Aug 2013 #177

Check this out: truebluegreen Aug 2013 #69

I think you're overlooking a whole lot of potential votes .... Scuba Aug 2013 #14

You forgot a step zipplewrath Aug 2013 #15

Exactly Aerows Aug 2013 #18

doesn't even make it to the primaries ? aren't the primaries open ? JI7 Aug 2013 #160

Yes, but if you get disenfranchised early Aerows Aug 2013 #162

are you talking about candidates or voters ? JI7 Aug 2013 #164

Both can get disenfranchised early Aerows Aug 2013 #166

well that's a case of not being happy with who runs , not disenfranchised JI7 Aug 2013 #167

One is a symptom of apathy of the other Aerows Aug 2013 #168

In other words, its unfair if more people vote for a Candidate you don't like... brooklynite Aug 2013 #175

'Any Democrat will be better than the GOP' markiv Aug 2013 #7

Damned good question hootinholler Aug 2013 #8

Make all primary candidates pledge that they will Le Taz Hot Aug 2013 #11

Let see...candidate A loses Iowa, New Hampshire and South Caroline... brooklynite Aug 2013 #22

Perhaps the bad ideas are "Super Tuesday," and Iowa, New Hampshire, and S. Carolina going first... villager Aug 2013 #27

Perhaps so, but politics operates in a realistic world... brooklynite Aug 2013 #32

Hmm... kenfrequed Aug 2013 #133

I'm not shooting down anything... brooklynite Aug 2013 #134

Hmm... kenfrequed Aug 2013 #138

...and what did progressivism AS YOU CAN APPLY IT TODAY get you? brooklynite Aug 2013 #139

Well kenfrequed Aug 2013 #149

Angus King is a moderate, former Republican... brooklynite Aug 2013 #153

Yeah... kenfrequed Sep 2013 #178

This message was self-deleted by its author kenfrequed Sep 2013 #179

And I knew this would be the first response. Le Taz Hot Aug 2013 #35

In which case, you have no excuse... brooklynite Aug 2013 #37

Excuse for what? Le Taz Hot Aug 2013 #45

No excuse for not actively getting an acceptable candidate to run... brooklynite Aug 2013 #55

You have no idea what I or anyone else Le Taz Hot Aug 2013 #57

I have an idea based on what people say they're doing...which so far is nothing brooklynite Aug 2013 #89

+1 villager Aug 2013 #40

gotta FIND one first RussBLib Aug 2013 #12

Create a coalition campaign madville Aug 2013 #13

Damn, that is a good idea. nt riqster Aug 2013 #17

Because it worked so well for Gingrich and Santorum? brooklynite Aug 2013 #20

Well hopefully we could get some people madville Aug 2013 #25

Well, it would help to start with candidates who aren't inherenly unlikeable. winter is coming Aug 2013 #92

Like this .... Scuba Aug 2013 #16

Donate n2doc Aug 2013 #19

Beyond money, which of course is huge, we would have to dig out the entrenched Egalitarian Thug Aug 2013 #21

I'm sure it is the same. The moderates win because the voters in the precincts vote for them. stevenleser Aug 2013 #97

I am no longer willing to compromise on my avebury Aug 2013 #24

History's shown that the crash and burn could set the stage for a fascist dictatorship. pnwmom Aug 2013 #31

we may never undo the damages to America, pls don't roll over and give up all you have left, 1 vote. Sunlei Aug 2013 #46

Why should we be forced to accept the avebury Aug 2013 #87

This message was self-deleted by its author Recursion Aug 2013 #142

George McGovern was a great progressive. pnwmom Aug 2013 #26

And think of how many of Nixon's policies turned out to be to the left of Obama's! villager Aug 2013 #28

Nixon expanded the war in Vietnam and McGovern campaigned on ending it. pnwmom Aug 2013 #33

Which sort of underscores the irony of thinking of Obama as a "progressive" villager Aug 2013 #39

Obama is a progressive in the only meaningful sense. pnwmom Aug 2013 #44

Except, not in the sense of economic or environmental policies, to take but two.... villager Aug 2013 #61

Oh really? There isn't a stark difference between Obama's views on global warming pnwmom Aug 2013 #68

He had lots of good "views" on the campaign trail. I'm speaking about actual policies. villager Aug 2013 #76

I'm talking about his actual achievements. pnwmom Aug 2013 #78

"Keystone Decision Seen as Climate Change Test for Obama Abroad" villager Aug 2013 #84

So you're just going to ignore everything he has already done? pnwmom Aug 2013 #85

On environmental issues? Like de-listing the wolf, helping cover up the BP oil spill damage? villager Aug 2013 #93

We keep pushing on progressive issues. The harder, the better. pnwmom Aug 2013 #95

What is true is that everything is skewed to the right. Everything. Even/especially "Democrats." villager Aug 2013 #98

Unfortunately, when the "grand experiment" of the Soviet Union pnwmom Aug 2013 #101

the fall of the Soviet Union let the wealthy draw out the long knives on the rest of us yurbud Aug 2013 #126

No... that argument isn't useful. kenfrequed Aug 2013 #150

Obama is center right TheTruthBeKnown Aug 2013 #73

In today's political world he's progressive. pnwmom Aug 2013 #81

I we continue to let the 1% corporatist elites move us towards fascism, you may be right... cascadiance Aug 2013 #88

George McGovern Le Taz Hot Aug 2013 #36

No one that progressive has been able to win since then. pnwmom Aug 2013 #38

So your solution is to keep Le Taz Hot Aug 2013 #48

No, my solution at this point is Hilary Clinton. No Rethug has a chance against her. n/t pnwmom Aug 2013 #51

Hillary Clinton has one support group: Le Taz Hot Aug 2013 #56

Lou Dobbs will have another field day with her support of H-1B "indentured servant" program... cascadiance Aug 2013 #71

Chris Christie, the bully, would self-destruct against Hillary. Women would loathe him, pnwmom Aug 2013 #72

Yeah, that is a really bad look for Christie. His M.O. is to be super aggressive and nasty stevenleser Aug 2013 #103

I've seen him treat women like that at town meetings. I don't think he can stop himself. pnwmom Aug 2013 #109

We need to vet more heavily those "electable" candidates that become "progressive" (J. Edwards) cascadiance Aug 2013 #30

Do you seriously believe that if Edwards wasn't on the ballot, Kucinich would have been competitive? brooklynite Aug 2013 #34

He instead of Edwards would have had my primary vote! cascadiance Aug 2013 #47

Again - explain to me how Edwards "took away" support from Kucinich... brooklynite Aug 2013 #64

I know many that were voting for Edwards specifically because he was talking about issues... cascadiance Aug 2013 #77

And when Edwards dropped out, they went to.....? brooklynite Aug 2013 #80

He dropped out right before Super Tuesday and then we DID NOT KNOW WHY! cascadiance Aug 2013 #82

He dropped out before Super Tuesday because he was polling a distant last in all Super Tuesday stevenleser Aug 2013 #102

A "distant last" behind Kucinich?... cascadiance Aug 2013 #106

Iowa was several weeks before super Tuesday. Kucinich withdrew a week before Edwards stevenleser Aug 2013 #123

Progressive what? Le Taz Hot Aug 2013 #52

Edwards WAS campaigning to the left of both Clinton and Obama in the primaries... cascadiance Aug 2013 #58

many liberals knew Edwards was a Phony so didn't support him , i am a liberal and i would not JI7 Aug 2013 #161

Problem is Dennis for all his bluster never produced... Historic NY Aug 2013 #112

Not worried about 2016 no info to the Rs. 2014 needs 100% focus. Sunlei Aug 2013 #41

We need to find those issues we have common ground with most Americans on... cascadiance Aug 2013 #42

Smartest reply I've read all day! LongTomH Aug 2013 #70

We can start by not behaving like Hillary is inevitable. NuclearDem Aug 2013 #43

Especially in those districts that Republicans have redistricted to be MORE progressive! cascadiance Aug 2013 #53

What's wrong with Hillary, she is a rock solid moderate Republican pediatricmedic Aug 2013 #99

You have to start xxqqqzme Aug 2013 #50

Absolutely. That is how the Rightwing nuts took over. RC Aug 2013 #125

We had one in 2000 TheTruthBeKnown Aug 2013 #60

Well said. Many will continue to act like sheep... polichick Aug 2013 #117

If Nader had run in the Democratic primaries, I would have voted for him. Jim Lane Aug 2013 #148

Have primary elections all take place on the same day. n/t PowerToThePeople Aug 2013 #62

^^^This^^^ truebluegreen Aug 2013 #74

...in which case you have to do all your campaigning at once... brooklynite Aug 2013 #120

PBS. NPR. Possibly public financing. PowerToThePeople Aug 2013 #121

Wouldn't you rather have someone who can win the general election? cbdo2007 Aug 2013 #67

That's the kind of silliness that keeps getting us Republican lite. polichick Aug 2013 #111

Do you have a good example of when a "true progressive" has won the general election? cbdo2007 Aug 2013 #119

There haven't been any elected president in the last 50 years... polichick Aug 2013 #122

So you didn't vote for a Dem President for the past 50 years?? cbdo2007 Aug 2013 #172

Sure, voted for them, worked for them... polichick Aug 2013 #174

False dichotomy. n/t winter is coming Aug 2013 #115

and then ignore the people who put him there? yurbud Aug 2013 #154

Just because they don't do everything on YOUR list doesn't mean they've ignored you. lol cbdo2007 Aug 2013 #173

Organize? Get him/her the most votes during the primaries? Proud Liberal Dem Aug 2013 #75

Find a trillion dollars. Rex Aug 2013 #90

Hopeless cause fadedrose Aug 2013 #91

According to the latest Gallup Poll, 83% of liberal Democrats approve of President Obama. totodeinhere Aug 2013 #104

Half of us move to Iowa, the other half to New Hamphire. Auggie Aug 2013 #107

Isn't it absurd how it works? 'Course somebody gains from this sick system. polichick Aug 2013 #110

It's a bullshit system. I hate it. Auggie Aug 2013 #129

Me too - it's past time that Americans demand a truly democratic system... polichick Aug 2013 #132

Actually that's exactly what we need to do. An upset of Clinton in either of totodeinhere Aug 2013 #113

That's the question, and if it's impossible the party isn't worth working for. polichick Aug 2013 #108

Progressives need to promote progressive candidates for one thing betterdemsonly Aug 2013 #114

Follow the money zipplewrath Aug 2013 #124

and even if we could match the donations, we could never match the back end deal when they leave yurbud Aug 2013 #140

How can we get a candidate that believes what they say to get elected? and will keep their word? Coyotl Aug 2013 #131

We can't Spirochete Aug 2013 #135

Get primary voters in a sufficient number of precincts to vote for one (nt) Recursion Aug 2013 #141

Howard Dean MrMickeysMom Aug 2013 #143

Perhaps we can't mick063 Aug 2013 #144

The only way I can think of PD Turk Aug 2013 #145

We can't. The Party apparatchiks will not allow it. TransitJohn Aug 2013 #146

I wonder how an election would go if the rich just did away with their proxies and ran themselves yurbud Aug 2013 #152

I'd say go for it but marsis Aug 2013 #151

Not sure if we can in 2016, but we sure as hell can make a very interesting Primary cycle in which Bluenorthwest Aug 2013 #155

So, you're going to Primary the "Establishment" candidates with.....who? brooklynite Aug 2013 #171

Completely change elections and the system of representation... Blue_Tires Aug 2013 #157

on 4, I'd say covert one chamber of Congress to proportional yurbud Aug 2013 #158

so if we had done this, who would have won in 2008 ? JI7 Aug 2013 #165

Clearly, Dennis Kucinich....(if you're going to engage in fantasy, take it all the way) brooklynite Aug 2013 #170

And you'll have those changes made by 2016, will you? brooklynite Aug 2013 #169

so far i have mostly seen them getting behind Hillary Clinton JI7 Aug 2013 #163

I do not believe it is possible.... mike_c Aug 2013 #176