Hey Nerd, if I didn't say it right out, let me say it now: I'm as strident as they come! But you see, I'm not threatened by being perceived as strident, because I know there are many more dimensions to me than that politically. I'm strident and passionate about what I believe in, true. But I'm also pretty thoughtful and reflective, and I'm an information junkie. When I get new information that tests the old beliefs, I re-examine the beliefs, rather than dismiss the new information. I think the Mudcat Kerrycrats do that the other way around.

BTW Nerd, I wouldn't say that Anderson's move was a brilliant one for him personally--it was political suicide, but I don't think he cared, because like Nader he wanted to be seen as a man of principle. But I do think his run to the left of his party, at a time when the party was moving hard right, struck a chord with a lot of voters who were energized by him in both parties. The Republicans quickly saw that, and adjusted--in the very same election--in a way they weren't able to do when Ross Perot appeared in his indie end run in 1992.

The end result in 1980, was the Republicans were able to make a self-correction vis a vis their base, and Anderson went off to rot in middle of the road Republicrat oblivion. Anderson, ironically, ended up greasing the skids for Reagan, who was the most right wing of all the Republican contenders in 1980, ie Bush, Dole, and Baker.

The "moderate Republicans" were split between Bush & Baker, and by veering left and indie, Anderson took the true moderates with him, the rest of the party swung right and got behind the only true conservative running that year, Reagan, who just happened to know enough about acting to tell people the stories they wanted to hear, which made him the most popular choice that year. Hence his label "The Great Communicator". He wasn't a great communicator, just a marginally good political storyteller. Actor training does that for a guy.

Bobby Kennedy was able to pull off a similar sort of manuever to Reagan's, once LBJ announced he wasn't running. In fact, I think Reagan, who was a secret Kennedy worshipper IMO, took that page right out of Bobby Kennedy's playbook.