Blue Jersey's Presidential Strawpoll - 2004 Edition

In Dec. 2003, I was asked (4.00 / 1)

by a well-known political person here in NJ about the Howard Dean sticker on my car - this was, I think, right about the same time the then-gov. endorsed Howard.

"That," I said, "is there to scare people. Dean won't make it past New Hampshire. He will have his Dukakis moment, and that'll be it for Dean. He's Not Ready for Prime Time."

Like a stopped watch, I'm right twice a day ...

It was pretty hard for me as a progressive boomer to not support John Kerry, one of the few politicians of his generation who both supported the troops and opposed the war. I'm 50. JFK, RFK, MLK, Vietnam and Watergate left deep, deep scars. As far as I was concerned, Kerry was right on all the issues and had the necessary street cred to beat GWB on the war. And Kerry didn't lose .... well, not by much, anyway. Turning out an incumbent President is a damn hard thing to do.

---

by: denniscmcgrath @ Mon Jul 09, 2007 at 18:24:06 PM UTC

I plead the 5th Amendment (0.00 / 0)

In regards to my 2004 preference. I could, of course chalk it up to "youth and inexperience"...

"We are the leaders we've been waiting for." - Paul Wellstone

---

by: Stephen Yellin @ Mon Jul 09, 2007 at 18:26:35 PM UTC

Howard Dean (4.00 / 1)

was the only one who both spoke the truth, directly and clearly, and was capable of leading anyone.

No surprise to me that Dean took what for anyone else might have been a humiliating blow (main stream media assassination by repeated coverage of that meaningless "scream") and ignored it, choosing instead solid support/work for the primary winner, followed by turning the entire party on its head and shaking out many of the useless, overfed and idea-starved in the party structure and throwing more power and money toward building local infrastructure.

Oh, and while he was at it, launching DFA.

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.  

---

by: Rosi Efthim @ Mon Jul 09, 2007 at 22:05:25 PM UTC

AMEN! (0.00 / 0)

If Dean wins this poll in a landslide as he is currently, it would be interesting to see how many people would be supporting him today if he were running for President again (instead of running the DNC) instead of who they are currently supporting.

I know he would make the choice very easy for me.

---

by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Tue Jul 10, 2007 at 12:35:35 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yeah, this is a Real Good use of Our Time (0.00 / 0)

Maybe next we can do a poll on "favorite color while in Kindergarten"

(Blue)

---

by: Fielding Mellish @ Mon Jul 09, 2007 at 22:11:01 PM UTC

agree (4.00 / 1)

I wasted all day deciding how to respond to this poll. What a productivity killer.

---

by: Juan Melli @ Mon Jul 09, 2007 at 22:19:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Then don't play, Fielding. (0.00 / 0)

I actually think this is an interesting question JRB is asking. Another way for us to know who lives on this site, and what drives them.

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.  

---

by: Rosi Efthim @ Mon Jul 09, 2007 at 22:16:24 PM UTC

I agree (0.00 / 0)

I supported Kerry because I thought he was best qualified.  Couldn't believe it when he and his campaign didn't respond adequately to the Swift Boat ads.  That's why I didn't support him again for 2008.

---

by: tracey @ Tue Jul 10, 2007 at 04:28:47 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Joshua Henne 1924 Straw Poll (4.00 / 2)

I would have picked William G. McAdoo over Alfred E. Smith on the first ballot at the convention.

---

by: Joshua Henne @ Mon Jul 09, 2007 at 22:44:18 PM UTC

Smith, but... (0.00 / 0)

As an Irish Catholic, I likely would have felt compelled to support Smith. But I have a feeling by the time the general election rolled around, I would have been firmly in the Bob LaFollette camp.

---

by: Scott Shields @ Mon Jul 09, 2007 at 23:34:23 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

God bless Wisconsin (0.00 / 0)

---

by: Juan Melli @ Mon Jul 09, 2007 at 23:52:18 PM UTC

[ Parent ]