Thanks to DU'ers being so kind to us Biden supporters! It says a lot about the quality of people

posting in this forum.

Oh, and thanks to the Biden detractors who are nice enough to keep it quiet, that's appreciated too.

So far, only found two DU'ers who were blatant assholes about it. One of them expected, one not.

Some Biden supporters are okay with their second choice candidate whoever that is or will be.

Sadly, I'm not too happy with the top tier. Serious issues with Obama, Edwards and Clinton.

Sigh.

But congratulations to the top three for garnering significant support!

He has so much to offer our country. I hope he gets a cabinet position in '09. :toast:

And thanks to those who have been kind about Biden dropping out :grouphug:

For those who have been assholes:

particular.

Funny, I haven't seen him all day.

even thought he had a crack at it. I don't get it.

and to the debate. I'm glad we keep them both as critical leadership in the Senate, but either had what it takes to be an excellent President. Even though they have left the campaign trail, both have had impact and I, for one am very grateful.

As to the polite discourse you've noted, I can only hope it is the start of a trend. Sadly, I'm not optomistic...

Gravel, too. I don't care what anybody says, I love the guy.

results, and now have to review the candidates again to make another choice - a sad and difficult task.

he was my second choice. I have so much confidence in that man. :cry:

Everyone was really cool about Biden's loss (I didn't see the asshole posts...thankfully). I appreciate that even if you didn't like Biden you understood our hurt at the loss of our candidate and that speaks highly of the folks here at DU. Thank you all. I'm okay with Obama's win. He's a good man, in fact my husband and I realigned to give him a win last night after Biden had no shot.
I've decided I am not throwing my support behind anyone just yet..I do like all the remaining candidates, probably Obama the best so far...but I'm not hopping on that train yet, so I'll just keep my dog out of the fight and root for them all.

Edit to add: To the two "assholes"....suck me.

That's how I feel. That's why I can't pick one.

You know what that means? You can still vote for Biden in NY. He's on the ballot. I voted for Clark 4 years ago long after he dropped out.

http://www.elections.state.ny.us/reports/rwservlet?cmdkey=Candidate_List_PP_2007

I have never seen such an outstanding group offering to take on the job of President. Biden and Dodd are both such outstanding men.

It is my sincere hope that their views will continue to help mold the future of this country.

I wish his the best. He was my #2 choice. My parents as well.

I like both Biden and Dodd, they are good Senators, but just didnt have the support or
recognition like they should have. :hi:

and the country buys into it. :puke:

per the little-known "Weakest link" rule.

:cry:

:hug:

about iowa being able to knock off a serious candidate. it might expose some crucial things, begin or end some perceptions, but this grossly unfair. Bill Clinton got to skip Iowa and get beaten down and up a few times. Kucinich skips the inevitable crunch and is punished anyway for nothing. Is it all about money and media judgment? The reason for the honing out and weeding out before any real numbers get a chance to vote or even see the campaigns?

So the Dems can save their dough for the fall and not have their powerful candidates beat each other up. Sounds like fear and it sounds suspiciously like a backroom attempt to cut the TV hypnotized sheep out of the picture until the package is delivered. In the bad old days the vetting was indeed done in back rooms. Then they threw them out there, there favs given special advantages but with a need for the people to decide if the horse can really run. That seems all forgotten. The only reason it is not slicker and quicker and more remote from actual physical encounters is because of reformers from the sixties setting up a little test room called Iowa where all the fat campaigns get squeezed in and only a few can make it out lean and tough fed on grass roots. it does not jive with anyone's intent now. We have pieces of bossism, establishment favs, grass roots fervor and hard work, but few understand all the dynamisms of how it came to all this.

Good that the big three are tested. Bad that good candidates with late growth get disappeared faster than a snowflake in Florida. Good that the media has to run fast to adapt to the people shift they don't want. Bad that they still have overall obfuscating and spin influence. Good that Iowa makes a start and a difference. Bad that it matters far more than any other race in the country for too many candidates.

We have to take democracy as can still find it as it only exists in our flawed party. Part of the change that must happen is sweeping away the garbage that encumbers choice and prevents people, all the people, from having a voice, a vote. I hope this is the last year for the status quo that changes every year under the subtle warping of bosses who want voters excluded from the process even more than in the bad old past- when at least the checks and balances in the representative delegate convention could hash out the final stages of choice. There were no gods allowed back then and few had enough superhuman support to prevent vetting, formation of campaign and agendas, once more at the Convention itself which is now become more like an Academy Award spectacular.

In 2004 Kerry gave some face saving for the sudden inevitable blitz of a quick lock up. If it happens again the only people rubbing there hands that the show works will be the ones most intent on holding democracy at bay until they get to power. And then?

Real deserving choices we miss: Gore, Dean, Clark, Biden, Dodd and the sad list suddenly expands as if we voted somehow during the sound bite debates.

pretty much consistently been class acts, which in and of itself speaks well of your candidate. I have grown to respect him and applaud his run as it elevated the dialog for all of the D candidates.

Hats off to him and to all of you. :toast: MKJ

...but on whole as a group you were the most constructive posters, interested more in substance than gamesmanship. I know how hard it is to watch a good candidate not get the support you are convinced that he deserves.

Biden could speak passionately and he particularly was good at the question and answer sessions.

Above all, though, I look at resume and character. I went over his resume and votes with a fine-toothed comb, and overall I liked what I saw. He has a long record of solid support on environmental issues, which is very important to me.

And yeah, as you said a while back, he would be very very electable. He once told General Clark that if he could get past the primaries in '04 he could win the general election. I think Biden's own words could have applied to himself as well.

After I get over my shell-shock, I imagine I will be joining the Hillary camp. Like I said, I want to see a record of someone actually KNOWING how to get things done and a knowledge of the system. But Hillary is a lightening rod, much of it un-deserved, IMHO, so it will be a tougher road for her.

I feared Biden wasn't viable and I knew Dodd wasn't. Obama has a lot going for him but for now I see things as you do.

I had hoped he'd be the anti-Hillary if Obama faltered down the road. But I guess it's going to be a month of nothing but mud and I hope Democrats reject it.

I have been stunned and sincerely appreciative of caring comments I've read.

I did not come to Biden easily or without careful consideration. I may not feel like this again for a long time, but hopefully I will.

No camp has been perfect, but you guys were almost always cool, and a damn sight better than the others. :thumbsup:

Boss Tweed when you need him???? (Just kidding....ahem).

Joe added a lot to the debate, and his supporters, at least here on DU, have been largely class acts. Although I understand the field has to be winnowed down, I'm sad to see Joe drop out. (And no, he wasn't my candidate, but I would have been proud to vote for him in the GE)