The other contender for my primary vote is John Edwards.
There, I said it...and god, am I shocked that I did...I mean, I was STAUNCHLY Clark in 2004.
Lest you think it's actually brought on by the recent uptick in Edwards's political fortune, it actually came after looking at The Washington Post's Candidate Selector.
Quite frankly, the man never really was on my radar, because he really never seemed to get the media's attention. So it was interesting actually reading what he does actually have to say.
First, quite honestly the man screams JFK revival, but since I was born 16 years after JFK was shot, that means social policies to me as opposed to pretty spouses and children all in a row.
I do like that he's basing his campaign on economic disparity, which is quite frankly running rampant and no one is really doing much more than paying lip service.
Secondly, he's improving his stance in respect to GLBT rights, and with him it seems to boil down to equal treatment under the law, which is a stance I can get behind. Now here's where I have to hold my nose a bit and hope that he gets some sense: he's against same-sex marriage personally, but is for civil unions and against a constitutional ban. On the plus side: it allows for wiggle room. On a down side: Does it mean that he would impede legislation against same-sex marriage? I honestly don't know.
Ultimately, the Edwards & Richardson decision came down to a process of elimination.
(NB: all these statements have an implied "at the moment" following them.)
Kucinich: Just no. Idealism without practicality
Biden: Milquetoast and in it "just because"
Obama: Pre-McClurkin: Too Green. Post-McClurkin: No. Way. In. Hell.
Gravel: Great policies, but he's not the right messenger because it comes through a bunch of babble that makes you wonder as to what he would actually do if elected. He came VERY close for my support.
Dodd: See Biden.
Clinton: I really wanted to like her, but she's too moderate and if Edwards (who seems just a little bit more left of HRC) is also in favour of health care, I don't see any reason to go with Hillary.
And I have yet to hear who the DSA is in favour of, they are probably as flummoxed as I am.
For what it's worth, SP-USA is putting up Brian Moore for president, like Gravel, I like the policies, but not the babble.
5 comments:
does this mean you are registered to vote as a democrat (and not a socialist)? or are you just opining on the democratic candidates as a philosophical exercise?
i've never registered to vote under any political party (and i haven't lived in a state where you can vote in a primary regardless of party affiliation). as a result, i've never voted in a primary. trust me: the general elections are very easy. all you have to choose from in a general election is "dumb and dumber" (or possibly "dumbest" if you choose to waste your vote on a third party candidate like ralph nader or ross perot).
I generally opt for the Socialist candidate in local and state elections, but vote Democrat in the WI primary.
The DSA opts to work within the Democratic party.
well, i went to the washington post's candidate selector thing-y and it turns out that i chose the positions of bill richardson more than any other candidate by far. here's the breakdown:
richardson - 37 points
clinton - 15 points
obama - 14 points
edwards - 10 points
but as i indicated earlier, i'm not entitled to vote in my state's primary because i register to vote as "decline to state" (instead of "independent" or some other party affiliation). so the entire exercise was just for fun.
one thing really struck me though... all the democratic candidates have basically the same policies. they're all just variations on the same theme. it's like choosing between vanilla and french vanilla for your ice cream. of course, the republican candidates are like sardine-banana ice cream... different, but not at all in a good way.
Its all about the baggage really.. does your taste run to Louis Vuitton or Samsonite?
With Edwards you get Louis Vuitton - has it escaped anyone's notice that this trial lawyer owns the private home with the largest square footage of living space east of the mississippi river?
With the Hill you get Samonsite - luggage for the masses. But still inside that luggage is little billy dirtypants. how long till he gets caught playing pop goes the weasel again in the white house ?
I'm an independent of course. No primary voting for me.
actually, there are rumors (which haven't been picked up by the mainstream media yet) that edwards may have had an affair sometime in the last year or so. there is even the possibility that a woman he knows is now 7 months pregnant with his child.
personally, i don't care if he does cheat on his wife or if he does have a love child. that's between him and his wife. but the "pop goes the weasel" game is played by more folks than just bill clinton.
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