After reading the Reagan comment I realize there is one best choice for our Nominee - John Edwards

As I've said 3 brazillian times - I'll vote for the eventual nominee of the party.

Now, the Reagan comment, no matter how you Obama supporters spin it, does not settle well in my stomach. I was a teenager during the Reagan years and I saw first hand how his programs affected so many of us in the country, including myself. But personally, I've not been pleased with some of the stuff coming from Hillary's Campaign now. Since Joe Biden dropped out I have had no enthusiasm towards this race at all.

But I realize now that John Edwards is the complete package. I know he'll try to bring this war to an end along with protecting our courts, our environment and restore our domestic policy. Sure Edwards has probably said a few boneheaded things and oh, his '$400 haircuts' (whoopdedoo). But I think Edwards is not only our best choice to lead this country he's also the best opportunity we have to end this divisive politics we've seen for decades.

As for being ready for our first African-American or Female candidate - hell I've been ready for this since before I even first voted against that first Bush idiot. Sadly enough, I feel that neither of these 2 candidates, Clinton or Obama, are the best that we can offer in the fall. Again, that doesn't mean I won't support them 110% if they get the nomination, I just feel that I have to push for the one candidate I feel that can best change this country for the best - and that's John Edwards

If you support Edwards based on his policy positions and character, more power to you. Go for it. I'll be happy to vote for him in November. But please do not denigrate other candidates based on quotes taken out of context and spun a thousand times.

Right. :eyes:

And the hedge fund. Etc.

He was jus' heppin' the lil' guy.

And he'll continue to hep' the lil' guy, no doubt.

Edwards voted against all the other trade bills. There was a post on that earlier. I suggest you read it.

I told my daughter last night that I so very much wish I could give my primary vote for the first woman candidate or the first African-American candidate. But, based on the message, I can't.

Everyone knows I support Edwards. Having said that, I shall continue to keep my eyes, ears and mind open, just as I have with regard to the other candidates, including Obama who was always my second choice. Unfortunately, a combination of factors have made a slightly uneasy feeling grow to full-blown alarm.

And I can respect the fact that others don't agree! Sadly, others don't afford the same respect. When someone has genuine concer about their chosen candidate, it's assumed they're uneducated or drinking Kool-Aid or part of some anti-Obama smear campaign. They couldn't be more wrong, and I hope they aren't spreading that type of arrogance outside of DU.

I have always been respectful here and will continue to be, but I was very, very disappointed with what I read at DU yesterday with regard to the Reagan comment. Those who think it is a non-issue are certainly welcome to that opinion, but I suggest you realize how important of an issue is with MANY here and respect it instead of slamming it. Reasoned posts showing your "take" on it are fine, but when you resort to calling those who disagree ill-informed, uneducated, morons...well, it does your camp no good whatsoever.

Does Obama's unity message not apply here for you or something? :shrug:

I too lived and worked through the Reagan years, I remember homeless people and families coming into the hospital where I worked and sleeping on the floors in the old smoking rooms, digging through the trash for food, the interest rates through the roof, people losing their jobs, homes and their lives. The AIDS epidemic and the resulting infection of thousands of people who were hemophiliacs and receiving Factor 8 I lay directly at the feet of the Reagan Administration, the fulfillment of the Southern Strategy, Iran-Contra, the Iran hostages......this is just the tip of the iceberg and to have Obama say that somehow Reagan is to be looked on favorably, it's blatantly obvious, he just doesn't get it. I'm not ready to make nice with these people ever, I don't want compromise with these people - ever. I want them put in to the oblivion box and the key thrown away. Obama doesn't understand nor does he appreciate the depth of my feelings - John Edwards does.

The ONLY one for me!

than anything Reagan did, I'd have to completely disagree that he's the best candidate.

He refused to vote for a number of trade bills. He voted for the China Bill because it was Clinton's baby. His voting record was not exceptionally liberal. But he was a first term senator. He learned his lesson and is quite frank about his disgust with what goes on in the Senate -- the pressure to vote certain ways.

He gave a speech last may to the CFR where he praises Ronald Reagan several times as an example of change:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4104295


Just one more example of what a hypocrite JRE actually is...

Your quotes do not make your point. They are not about change. They are about diplomacy.

:hi:

I will state again:

"He couples Reagan with Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy to illustrate HOW the USA gained respect worldwide by being advocates for change. He uses Reagan and the Wall as an example of how the world can be transformed by strong USAmerican leadership and laments the current state of worldwide opinion to illustrate what he hopes to accomplish if he gains the WH."

You can take this any way you want, however.

Does take away the fact that he murdered millions of Jews and other non-desirables.

I don't give a fuck what Reagan supposively did overseas. Wait, no I do - I remember him giving arms to people like Hussien and Bin Ladan clamining that these men would help bring peace to the region and help fight the cold war.

Look what all those billions given to Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden have cost us.

insult to my generation and those somewhat younger than I. We stood for change far more than Reagan did. And the change we stood for was a change for peace.

Reagan did not bring down the Berlin wall. I was living not far from the Hungarian and Czech borders much of the time in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The ideological changes. the attitudinal transformations that eventually brought down the wall started when East European youth saw how American youth protested the Viet Nam War. I observed the changes from very close at hand. They were subtle and took place gradually over many years. Reagan is given credit that he does not deserve.

about Obama. What the Hell is going on? One of the purposes of the selection process is to temper and polish one's statements about convictions and guiding principles. In other words, shave the rhetoric away so that the core principles are revealed. If that revelation process is obscured, then I have to worry about the candidate's convictions and motives. Is Obama self-destructing, or does he think that the average citizen will divine an abstruse message in his pronouncements?

I don't know, anymore, but now my money is on Edwards...for his message, and for what I believe is the best opportunity for preservation of a democratic republic. Is he perfect? No. But I deem him to be the best of the lot.

NoFederales

"One of the purposes of the selection process is to temper and polish one's statements about convictions and guiding principles. In other words, shave the rhetoric away so that the core principles are revealed."

That is indeed what this primary process is about. It's not a coronation...we're still vetting these people, and now they're hands are being held to the fire and what they're saying is crucial. Not off-the-cuff remarks, but reasoned statements.

:hi:

And I hope that nominee is Edwards.

when Reagan busted PATCO..i fought with my union then that we should shut down the nation..one and all unions should have shut this country down..but they were too naive...instead my union was busted ..and we had to start all over and create a new union..with no teeth..the new people came in at a much lower scale of pay..and the company did all they could to try to rid themselves of us..the old pay scale people..they did their damn-est to get rid of us..

well they did get rid of many..and that was to AIDS as many of our flight crew were gay males who died at a horrible rate ..no thanks to Reagan..i lost many friends then..( WILLIE i will never forget you my dear friend)...

I saw my husbands savings for retirement in investments go out the door and become worthless..because of Reagan's shifting the taxes to the middle class...many people much older than us committed suicide because they became worth nothing..middle class people who worked their entire life to retire and reagan stripped their investments and made them worthless!


Many people today do not realize under Reagan the middle class had the biggest burden of taxes push off on them..

the divisive 60's and 70's says Obama..well what part of that does Obama not get..civil rights ..and the civil rights movement..what part of that does Obama not get? where would OBAMA BE TODAY IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE DIVISIVE 60'S AND 70'S?

THIS MAN IS NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME..if he is not naive (?)..then what is he?? touting Reagan for anything with me..it like putting knives in my back and in my gut!

I saw our streets fill up with mentally challanged people thrown out to the streets..i saw them in my grocery store parking lots..and in our pharmacy parking lots..hell i had one move in front of my house in L.A. for 4 weeks in a broken down old car..the poor soul used my hose to wash himself down, he pee'd and defecated in my yard for over a month.. and he lived in his car..day and night..( and did frighten my family..my children were scared of him) ..but the man had no where to go..


How dare a Dem throw Reagan in our faces for anything..i don't ever want to hear that MTF'ers name the rest of my life..

how many human deaths were caused by that sick old bastard?

Oh i know Reagan was protected by SAG and benefitted from a union when he was a piss poor actor.. ( i am also a member) ..but he had no problem trying to destroy unions in this country for his fellow americans....no one single person did more damage to the working man in my lifetime ..like Reagan and his boys of greed did and destructed American values.

Go to Hell Reagan..and Obama..you used to be my second choice..i do not know how i could vote for you, even
in the general.. if i was forced to...you could not be this naive..and if you are..you are not ready to be president.

and Obama people ..save your excuses ..they are wasted on me.

fly

More sickening than ironic. I refuse to call it anything other then National Airport.

Reagan airport..nor would anyone i knew who flew the length of time i did and through the Reagan years..only the newbies would call it Reagan..it was sacreligious to me to call it anything but National Airport..

and among my airline..no one would say a word to us oldies about it..they didn't dare!!

FLY

You can't ignore or forget a blunder of this magnitude from any candidate which goes to the core of exposing their true beliefs.

Many of us have had our doubts about Obama from McClurkin to Corporatism.

This Reagan gaffe was the last straw for me. I will campaign for Edwards as hard as I can. This Nation can ill afford an appeasor centrist, as a speaker for Democratic principles.

.......the divisive 60's and 70's says Obama..well what part of that does Obama not get..civil rights ..and the civil rights movement..what part of that does Obama not get? where would OBAMA BE TODAY IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE DIVISIVE 60'S AND 70'S?

Maybe that doesnt disqualify a white man, but they sure assassinated Jesse with his.
Happy to acknowledge the double standard myself, but he's just running to be Clinton's beard.
Mark my words.

That silly tabloid smear where one Edwards staffer got another pregnant, and they tried to insinuate that it was John Edwards', even though both staffers said that it wasn't, and the guy even moved to be with the mother of his child-to-be?

Now please donate some money today!

:hi:

K&R

For anyone who may have missed them:

Audacity of Hope page 31:

"That Reagan's message found such a receptive audience spoke not only to his skills as a communicator; it also spoke to the failures of liberal government, during a period of economic stagnation, to give middle-class voters any sense that it was fighting for them. For the fact was government at every level had become to cavalier about spending taxpayer money. Too often bureaucracies were oblivious to the cost of their mandates. A lot of liberal rhetoric did seem to value rights and entitlements over duties and responsibilities. Reagan may have exaggerated the sins of the welfare state, and certainly liberals were right to complain that his domestic policies tilted heavily toward elites, with corporate raiders making tidy profits throughout the eighties while unions were busted and the income for the average working stiff flatlined.

Nevertheless, by promising to side with those who worked hard, obeyed the law, cared for their families, loved their country, Reagan offered Americans a sense of common purpose that liberals seemed no longer able to muster."

Pages 156-157

"The conservative revolution Reagan helped usher in gained traction because Reagan's central insight--that the liberal welfare state had grown complacent and overly bureaucratic, with Democratic policy makers more obsessed with slicing the economic pie than with growing he pie--contained a good deal of truth."

Talk of expanding the pie rather than slicing it, is a DLC-style smokescreen for talking about cutting back on social programs.

just ask Russ! (Feingold, that is.)

But I don't take my marching orders from him.

that should have belonged to him, but its a little late to still be annoyed about that. Russ could have stayed in and sucked up all Edwards oxygen, but he didn't. Life goes on.

You Just Keep Telling Yourself That, Dear.

:shrug:

What a deep, well-reasoned response. :eyes:

(let me admit in my last post of the evening.) It's kind of the ne plus ultra of condescension. And don't you just wanna put me on ignore so bad???? Responses are sweet; ignorification is sweeter! ;)

Looks like the haters made it right in time. :puke:

Thank you LynneSin.

If you did, tehn why do you support IWR co-sponsor Edwards?