I am worried…can i support Kerry?

[angus]

...Kerry. He's not as liberal as certain people would like to paint him,

If the ... House Dems toppled Pelosi and replaced her with someone like Murtha or Taylor?

he is not, but bush is far more so than many of those same people paint him.

John (support our troups!) murtha?  I'd welcome the coup.  but they could do worse than nancy pelosi, imho.

[angus]

Kerry was voted more liberal then Ted "Blonde Killer" Kennedy. Thats really scary, lol.

the kennedy's have a knack for staying in the center of the democrat party, no matter which party is doing better in their home state.  The Bush's may yet prove to be the republican version of the kennedy's.  yeah, Teddy gets away with murder.  What a lousy drunk.  But he got reelected to that office with over 3/4 of the vote last time.  democracy is grand, ain't it?

[angus]

...but I am essentially a moderate right-winger.

aha!    

two can play that game!  

[angus]

For the last few years I have stuck with my Party… I have not been a liberal however; I am moderate to conservative on moral issues, fiscal issues and foreign policy… My views are probably somewhere between Breaux, Lieberman and Edwards… as a person I like Bush I think he is a decent human being I have disagreed with him on many things and I would never embrace the GOP as a whole HOWEVER…

Over the last few days I have come to realise that maybe the section of my party which is at present most powerful (i.e the Pelosi Liberal wing) does not reflect my views on foreign policy or moral issues… however I do not agree with Bus’s handling  of the economy…what the hell do I do?... I am not sure that my party will emerge from its convention with a platform that I can support whole heartedly, Kerry seems to have a good economic policy however with his health care plan it cannot work! Bush seems to want to alter the taxcuts somewhat and give more money to the middleclass in a second term (which makes sense), Bush is strong on defence, maybe a little cavalier but not Goldwater style…

In MO I will vote for Holden and I’ll vote for Farmer however the moderate wing of my party is being ignored… Granholm, Vilsack, Doyle and Rendell all are good moderate Dems… yet the leadership of the party does not at present reflect that Edwards has been the only Dem of late to say “I do not agree with Gay marriage” now this issue is not massively important to me, I support the rights of people to do what they like behind closed doors so long as it is consenting, but I do not believe in diluting the institution of marriage, no other leading Dem has taken a stand against the far left save Bayh on abortion or the likes of Lieberman and Breaux on other issues it is the “Blue Dogs” who have won lately (Chandler, Blanco and Landrieu), the liberals have not…

What do I do?... I don’t know if I can vote for Kerry based on the fact that the platform he will run on may well not be one I agree with, I believe in democratic principles as instituted by the moderate wing of my party in particular the DLC and the “blue dogs” but many liberal dems (not here) have utter contempt for my views… Am I going to end up voting for Bush who largely on social issues and national defence I agree with and believe him to be a good guy personally yet who’s management of the economy has been poor or do I vote for Kerry who on social issues and the economy I disagree with at least in part yet on the environment and the role of government I agree with … Kerry’s record seems to me to be liberal largely because he had the unenviable task of representing MA… I want to vote for my Party and I believe Kerry would be a good president… it is just that the Liberal wing of my party with whom I have profound disagreements looks likely to hijack the convention much as they did in 1864 and then in 1972 and push through a liberal platform that would alienate many moderate democrats such as myself…and a Kerry victory would only strengthen there grip over the throat of the Party…

There is a third option I could just not cast a vote for President and vote for the other offices … what do I do?


PS: Sorry if anyone sees this as taking up needless space with pointless soul searching…

Damn.  That is exactly how I feel.  Like, word for word.  Except that I'm not a Democrat, so I don't have all that pesky traitor's guilt .

I think there are forces within the Democrat party that would like to do very damaging things to our society, transforming it into a secular-humanist's ideal, where there are no sexual mores, where people belong to their communtiy first, and their nuclear family last, where religion is shoved from the public view and discouraged wherever possible.  

I know this isn't all of the Democrats, but it's a large enough element that I can't associate with them.

there will be a republican, a democrat, a libertarian, a socialist, probably a reform party candidate and maybe a green and a commie.  And an independent with whom I know you are familiar from previous rants.  

don't limit your mind friend

[angus]

there will be a republican, a democrat, a libertarian, a socialist, probably a reform party candidate and maybe a green and a commie.  And an independent with whom I know you are familiar from previous rants.  

don't limit your mind friend

I don't quite understand what you mean by this.

Don't think for a minute that I'm alienated from the process.  I will vote for *some* Democrats (the Honorable Russell Feingold, to name one), and *some* Republicans.  I may very well vote Kerry this November.  I'm just not about to become a party loyalist for either side.

Hmm... Just took a look at Feingold's record.  I really like the guy, but his record on abortion sucks.  But I really like the guy.  I can understand what Ben is going through.

sorry.  that bit was for Ben.  I see that wasn't clear.  It was just a reminder to anyone who doesn't want to vote for kerry or bush not to fret, as typically you'll have seven or eight choices.  Surely you can find one of those who you can vote for.

Beef,
sure, I'll vote differently for different offices too, of course.  For AG, I often vote libertarian, since individual liberty is important to me.  For state treasurer, I vote GOP, undoubtedly, or whomever is the bigger tightwad.  For gov, well, for gov in this state you get many opportunities to vote, and my own record is all over the map, for Congress I'll vote to reelect the incumbent democrat, for pres I'll vote to reelect the incumbent Republican.  etc.  

[angus]

7 MAJOR parties

(oxy)moronic