I agree that we SHOULD all be in this together, but I'm not sure that everyone agrees.  When I see a significant percentage of people at Daily Kos saying they won't support the Democratic nominee for president if it's Hillary Clinton, I find that troubling.  We can't afford another one year of of Republican rule, let alone another 4 or 8 years.  Just the Supreme Court alone is reason enough.  So how can ANYONE in the center or left of this country even CONSIDER voting Republican in the next election?  It boggles my mind, especially when it's on a pro-Democratic website.  That's nuts.

that you can't control everyone within a democratic community like Dkos or RK.

Nonetheless, the vast majority of members are pragmatic enough to know what's what.

We all know that if Republicans win, nobody wins.  That's what primaries are for; to hash out these issues and make sure our principles are represented when we take the gloves off and start battling Republican opponents.

question.  The latest poll results at Daily Kos indicate that 72% would support Hillary in the general, while the other 28% apparently would not support her.  We'll see what happens, but that's a ridiculously high percentage.  The correct answer should, of course, be 0% of the progressive netroots who would not vote for the Democratic nominee over Rudy McRomney in November 2008.

Seriously.  That's what that "ridiculously high" percentage means.  Let's be honest here, man.  That is NOT 28% of the Daily Kos membership, simply 28% of those who took that one poll out of the thousands that get posted there.

The question is whether it's representative, or even close to representative, of the broader community.  I'm not sure, although anecdotally I've seen a lot of Hillary bashing in the progressive blogosphere (that she's too conservative, mainly).

The primaries are the place for airing dissent within the party, not the general election.

Great article, TH.  I was extremely disturbed by that post this morning.  That kind of thinking, that even now, months before there's even a primary, we have to line up behind the supposed front-runner and not question it, is absurd and dangerous. 

And I'm absolutely sick to death of hearing supposed Democrats attacking the largest, most active and politically aware group of activists that this party has, because they're not conservative enough.  I expect that from Bill O'Reilly, not Democrats.  And all because 206 people (seriously, look at the actual poll) out of the hundreds of thousands who go by the site every single day, said almost a year and a half before the election that they wouldn't vote for her. 

That's absolutely crazy.  THAT is self-defeating.

And it will look something like this:

n/t

n/t

I do love that man... but I'm not doing any endorsements.

I just found that image on the web and loved it.

and why?  Please answer in 100 words or less.  Ha. :)

Any of the top 3 dems:  Obama, Hillary, or Edwards will beat any of the Republicans.

I want to believe John Edwards, because he's saying everything I want a candidate to say.  He is the one to reunite southern and northern democrats.  Eastern libs with western libertarians.  He's the Democrat who will best bring a renaissance to rural areas, unions, and manufacturing.  An Edwards presidency would refocus power in this nation away from today's corporatocracy and back to the people where it belongs.  I don't understand why his campaign isn't doing better.

I want to believe in Obama, because he's got a bright spirit and I believe he would unite and direct the nation better than any of them.  But he still isn't being allowed to bring his full passion to the stump yet.  I'm worried that caution will cost him, and that time is running out. 

Hillary will be fine.  I think she'll be slightly more progressive than Bill, but just barely.  I don't think she'll be the agent for change that either Obama or Edwards would be.  She's got the big mo and more importantly she's running a picture perfect campaign.  It's her competence that is winning the day, but my main concern is that she won't be able to lead the nation, because so many people oppose her.

If I had to pull the lever today, I don't think I'd vote for Hillary, but she'd win.

That's probably more than 100 words, but that's where my head is right now.

I'm overjoyed with this field, but the race itself is very frustrating.  Nonetheless, if Hillary wins the nomination, she will have powerful progressive support, which is the way it should be. 

I don't know if there has been a diary that advocates John Edwards as the choice, has there?  I think John Edwards may not be doing as well because people are on the fence and maybe Obama is sapping some of his strength (or vice versa).  I hear a lot of people liking him, and I do too.  But there doesn't seem to be a definitive zeal.

And one more question that I am too lazy to research myself before I go to bed.  What if Hillary wins only a plurality of delegates, but not the majority?  Could we have a deal made on the floor of the convention, unifying the Obama and Edwards delegates to nominate either Obama or Edwards?  That would be awesome!

I'm only singling out a small percentage of the netroots. But some of the stuff said about Sen. Webb in recent days are way over the line.

the stuff said about Connolly or Lynda Smith or any other Democrat that steps away from their progressive base?

You can not only be offended when they attack a Democrat that we happen to support. Either it's acceptable to criticize or it's not.

Everyone has a right to criticize anyone in public life.  It's called DEMOCRACY.  It's called accountability.

Blue Dogs and the DLC need to know that they'll be held accountable at every level.  When Dems make mistakes (Can Tim Kaine say "Eliminating Estate Tax"?), they need to hear the displeasure of their supporters.

If they don't hear from us, they think every thing's hunky dory. 

I support Gerry Connolly.  I think he's done an outstanding job in Fairfax, overall.  There are a couple of issues, upon which he's completely wrong.  The Tysons Tunnel is one especially painful example. 

If people have a problem with GC, or JW, they should be as vocal as they'd like, within the realm of reasonable civility, and they should find good primary opponents if they're so inclined.  Once the primary is over, they need to get onboard and support the candidate. 

btw, has Baise been indicted yet?

isn't participating in the primary: he's promising to run as a spoiler if Clinton wins the Democratic nomination in the primary.  Hillary is not my candidate (I favor Obama) but I will support her if she wins the primary.

The Naderite minority on DK (the load tail that wags the progressive dog at that site) are committed to spoiling Hillary's run by supporting Nader.  I didn't make that up and neither did Chris: it is a real threat.

The Naderites are--at least in part--responsible for Bush's War in Iraq.  If they place another Republican president in the White House in 2008, that will mean two more Republican Supreme Court Justices--and that my friends will mean the end of a woman's right to choose.

That's just the nature of them, and in many ways that's a good thing IMHO.  Where else can we fight for our Progressive values if not in a primary?  After that, we all need to unite into the "big tent" again, which means we have to subsume our differences again.

BTW, my main problem with the Smyth campaign was that it: a) blew off the public over and over again; and b) kept accusing Charlie Hall of being a Republican, which was utterly ridiculous (especially considering that Smyth had chaired "Republicans for Connolly!").

Charlie Hall's campaign was not against Linda Smyth.  Charlie's campaign was against Gerry Connolly, and "oh by the way, Linda Smyth."

RK provide Charlie Hall a great deal of support, but Connolly's machine was tough and it takes no prisoners. 

I guess as Connolly is a Democrat, will RK be Connolly's best friend?  Silence speaks more than words sometimes.

Hall's campaign was against Linda Smyth.  Of course, Connolly was strongly supporting her.  What do you mean by "silence speaks more than words sometimes?"

ever candidate on the Demo ticket is in trouble, except Hillary. Thompson will beat any one of them, except Hillary.

The Media is stupid in believing the Republicans that Hillary is the candidate. They are falling for the oldest trick in the books. "Promote Hillary to defeat her in the Primary".

Since Rove left the White House, everyone is asking will he get back into politics. HECK yeh, he will be working for  Thompson when he announces. Business wants a man in the White House that will work for them and one they can control. And that person is Thompson.

Of course Edwards or Obama may beat him on looks alone.