"When did moderate become a political dirty word?" CNN

[moriah]

49. I consider myself a moderate Dem, did that mean I voted for Bush when I thought he'd win? No!

I voted for Kerry, even though I had very little hope for his chance of success.

Accusing moderates of essentially only being "poll-watchers" instead of rejecting some extremist ideas (like, for example, IMHO, wanting to overthrow the ACA entirely because it isn't perfect, which is a view both extremists on both sides of the aisle seem to share, though for different reasons) is shortsighted, the same as suggesting that a more Progressive Den only votes for candidates they don't think can win (or is somehow "throwing their vote away" for voting their conscience if their candidate is, by consensus, "unelectable&quot .

Now, I've gotten pissed off at people who trashed Blanche Lincoln, and who said they'd refuse to vote if she won the Arkansas primary. We did lose a Dem vote on many issues, and got a guaranteed one against all of our causes instead (Boozman). I would have much rather had Lincoln than Boozman, others wanted Holder enough that they were fine with risking having Boozman instead. I wish those people who'd been disenchanted had voted Democratic instead of staying home or voting third-party. But if I, a moderate Dem, wanted the candidate that could most easily win regardless of their stances, given that I'm Arkansan, I'd likely be voting Republican. And if they, as Progressives, had only wanted Holder because they didn't think he could win but they wanted to trash a DINO, I don't think they'd have been as dedicated to working to get him elected.