Got my political-junkie hat on!

[vulgarweed]

Just got done watching the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner (Democratic fundraiser for the Iowa caucuses).

Most of the major Democratic candidates spoke. I'm not in a hurry to forgive them for excluding Kucinich.

I did like the way Nancy Pelosi introduced every one of them as "the next President of the United States."



It may surprise some of you to know that I have not decided yet who I'm voting for in the primary. It may even surprise some of you to know that even though I was a strong Kerry supporter, I actually voted for Kucinich in the '04 primary. I knew my vote was irrelevant - I was fine with Kerry but I wanted to use my vote to endorse the taking seriously of many of Kucinich's ideas.

I think my ideal candidate would be a several-headed monster with Obama's views on diplomacy and international relations and his I-told-you-so correctness all along on Iraq, Edwards's passion for economic justice, Kucinich's stance on health care and GLBT rights (all the way, no compromise on either!), and none of the maddening wrong turns they've taken along the way. Oh yeah, and she'd probably be a woman. :)

My ideal candidate doesn't exist, but Obama and Edwards are close enough that I wouldn't have to hold my nose hard enough to hurt. (My dad just did a 180 and went from denouncing Obama the corporate appeaser to sending his campaign lots of money.) Edwards nudges out Senator Clinton because I think he sincerely learned his lesson on war-mongering and giving chickenhawks the benefit of the doubt. I don't trust her on this. I don't even trust her to not fall for it AGAIN on Iran. "Fool me once, shame on you...." I remember how that goes even if Little Boots can't manage it.

Meanwhile, the Republican field is a lovely bunch of chucklenuts. I wouldn't trust any of them with a Wii, much less the nuclear football. Have we gotten to the point yet where a (R) after one's name is only slightly more desirable than making the sex offender registry? (Never mind the considerable overlap between the two populations.)



Note to other-than-Americans, you lucky bastards: this is a form of madness that afflicts us every four years, but it started in this case about a year and a half ago, because (a) there's no incumbent, and that hasn't happened in decades (vice-presidents have traditionally run when it's "their turn"), (b) by now, the current president has an approval rating roughly equal to that of virulent necrotic athlete's foot, and (c) punditry is one of the few American professions that's acquired new jobs and prosperity in the last 7 years. They've gotta justify it somehow, and they do it by acting like racetrack handicappers. Early and often.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_silverfox/]

Note to other-than-Americans, you lucky bastards

Lucky? Well, maybe, but your presidents tend to have an effect on the entire world and we don't get a vote.
Also I think I a lot of people in my country would like to get a say in who our candidates will be. We don't get to vote for people, though, only parties. You can usually expect the head of the party with the most votes to become chancellor (our president has a mostly only representative function) but there's no guarantee (not even that the party with the most votes will end up in the government - not that any of that makes a difference in a business of professional liars).

[vulgarweed.livejournal.com]

The obvious problem with the American system is that almost from the very beginning (and gotten so much more intense in the TV age) it's degenerated into an absurd cult of personality. People get elected or don't sometimes for the most bizarre and superficial reasons. (George W. Bush! He's the kind of guy you want to have a beer with! Well, maybe, if you too are a sub-literate wedgie-giving sociopath.)

Well, maybe, but your presidents tend to have an effect on the entire world and we don't get a vote.

I know. *apologizes yet again.*

[http://users.livejournal.com/_silverfox/]

I know. *apologizes yet again.*

It's not your fault. *is waiting for apology from Bush ... and waiting ... and still waiting*

What confuses me about American politics is are there only two parties? Where is everybody else? You've got such a large population so how can there be only two opinons?

[vulgarweed.livejournal.com]

There are lots and lots of parties in the US. There are only two that have a snowball's chance in hell of getting elected to national office, though. Most people eventually fall in line with one of the big two, and a huge number of our adult population doesn't bother to vote at all.

[very-improbable.livejournal.com]

I've generally stayed an Edwards girl; I kept track of him after '04 and continued to be impressed with the work he was doing and how he chose to use his public-figure status well before he announced that he would run again. I'd be happy with Obama as well, certainly. (Many of my friends are surprised that Obama isn't my top pick, and it's sometimes hard to explain the origins of my particular affection for Edwards--dating back to the '04 ticket--in a way that does not involve the term "OTP"...)

When I actually saw Kucinich speak at a peace event and met him momentarily sometime in '05, I was surprised by how statesmanlike he actually was, and I felt kind of bad for not having taken his candidacy more seriously. I'm not comfortable with his 180 on abortion and I have other issues with him as well, but he should have a fairer hearing than he gets in the media narrative. Maybe he'd get it if he were less--how shall I put it?--short.

[vulgarweed.livejournal.com]

Oh, I can totally see that. He's a pretty strong competitor for my voter-heart still as well. Why is that fandom so dead? Where is the hot Edwards/Obama rivalslash?

Almost every time Kucinich gets a platform to really express what he thinks, he makes me sigh longingly. I wish he wasn't seen as such a fringe nut too - lots of his views seem pretty mainstream to me, at least here in Big City Blueville.

It's frustrating that superficial crap like being short makes as much difference as it does. Ridiculous. But I gotta indulge: OMG HAVE YOU SEEN HIS WIFE?

[hopita.livejournal.com]

I've been a fan of Obama's ever since I first heard him speak. I'm still a fan. My mother, for reasons that I don't understand, was expecting me to be all about Hillary. Hillary 15 years ago? Probably. Hillary now? Um, no.

And that being said, if she's the one who gets the nomination, then yes -- I will hold my nose and vote for her.

Now then, on to your post:

I wouldn't trust any of them with a Wii, much less the nuclear football.

Funniest. Thing. Ever.

Have we gotten to the point yet where a (R) after one's name is only slightly more desirable than making the sex offender registry?

I actually voted for a Republican last week, which was a very odd experience for me indeed. The bullet points: we had a mayoral election here in Pittsburgh. The incumbent, Luke Ravenstahl (D), got the job when the elected mayor, Bob O'Connor (D), died very suddenly in office last year. This was actually a special election not for a full term but for what was left of O'Connor's term.

At any rate, Luke Ravenstahl (D) is ... well, for starters, he's really not very bright. Google some video of him and you'll see what I mean in very short order. But I was still going to hold my nose until *both* of the local papers endorsed his challenger (Mark DeSantis (R)), my mother said *she* was wavering, and, the thing that finally swayed me -- Planned Parenthood all but endorsed him too (they said he supported everything they wanted him to support, while Ravenstahl (D) didn't even fill out the survey *and* he was against the clinic buffer zone thing).

So I voted for DeSantis (R). And he lost. Two more years of the idiot boy mayor. Joy.

[vulgarweed.livejournal.com]

He is an amazing speaker, isn't he? The best the Democrats have had since JFK, very possibly. If nothing else, at least IL has a lovely pair of senators now.

I actually voted for a pro-choice R over an anti-choice D once too--Ryan over Poshard for IL Gov, in '98. *twitch*, knowing full well that Ryan was a crook, but at least he wasn't a womb-imperialist crook. Yeah, cognitive dissonance liekwhoa.

[hopita.livejournal.com]

I ♥ George Ryan.

All of that death penalty commuting stuff that he did meant so much more because he was a Republican. He was the epitome of what being open-minded is supposed to be about. He asked questions, he carefully evaluated the answers, and, when he found that those answers were contrary to the party line, he stood up for what he believed to be right and true. Man I dug that.

[vulgarweed.livejournal.com]

I dug it too. For me, that cancels out his dishonesty on financial matters--when it came down to a true hotbutton issue, he showed real independent-minded integrity and was willing to fight for it. I'm sorry he's in prison.

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

*waves tiny Richardson flag*

It irritates me greatly that the media pretty much ignores Richardson (outside the southwest). And of course part of the reason Clinton and Obama are getting so much money is, surprise, their high profile.

IMHO Richardson has the most actual experience - he's been a governor, Secretary of Energy, Ambassador to the United Nations. He wants to get troops out of Iraq now, does not weasel words on GLBT or women's rights, advocates alternative energy, is pro-environment, and has more credibility than anyone on immigration considering he's the Hispanic governor of a border state.

Also - and I think this is not irrelevant - as a westerner, he will appeal to western independents and centrist Republicans far more than the "East Coast Liberal Elite" candidates.

[vulgarweed.livejournal.com]

Oh, I agree that Richardson has the best resume; his only real competition on that front is maybe Joe Biden. I like him a lot. But part of the reason the media ignores him is that he has a charisma deficit, and unfortunately that matters a great deal. I think he'll make a fantastic VP, though. :)

And no, the westerner thing is definitely not irrelevant. But of our three front-runners...well, North Carolina is technically East Coast, but not associated with the dread "Liberal Elite." And Obama's actually from much farther West than Richardson. :D Based in Chicago for 20 years, though - the North Coast.

[sarahsan]

OMG, so I have no thoughts on politics of any sort and have no plans to start cultivating them now, but oh, how I love reading your politics-posts. Your thoughts on Republicans put me on the floor in fits every time. Why must you be such an eloquent liberal? ;) *huggles* ILU.

[vulgarweed.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you?

Why must you be such an eloquent liberal? ;)

Many of us are. It's all the lattes we drink. And the Volvo exhaust fumes. ;)

[maggiebloome.livejournal.com]

Our elections are coming up too. Observe. That video is so much better than any of the actual debates :P

Basically we have a conservative party called the Liberal party (yup) and they've been in power for an illion years and John Howard, the Prime Minister (we vote for parties and the leader of the winning one is PM), has threatened retirement for the past three elections so we've even odds of ending up with Peter Costello taking over, while the Labor party has gone through leaders like flies (I kind of miss Mark Latham. He was younger than pollies generally get and he had a bit of a filthy mouth but he was fun. I think he had a nervous breakdown).

I'm probably going to end up voting for Labor since the Liberals foreign policy basically consists of cosying up to you lot (no offense).

The worst thing about elections is the smear campaigns. God, I swear if I see another ad "warning" us that the Labor party is affiliated (shockhorror) with the labour movement and the unions I will punch something.

You'd really think they'd be over the omgcommies thing by now.


(...sorry, just needed to rant :P)

[vulgarweed.livejournal.com]

Oh, don't apologize for the rant - it's very educational.

I would definitely endorse voting against anyone who thinks cozying up to us as we currently are is a good idea.

And OMG, your icon. I laugh to keep from crying. "Home of the Brave"....sigh. What a nation of bed-wetters the right wing wants us to be. :(

[maggiebloome.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I came up with it years ago - so long ago that I got someone else to make it for me cos I didn't know how to do animated icons! I felt now was a good time to bring it out of retirement.

[aubrem.livejournal.com]

I also don't trust Hillary not to be fooled again. : /

I enjoyed this - I hope you'll be making more politics posts.

[vulgarweed.livejournal.com]

Thanks! As things heat up, I"m sure I will. Steam must be blown. :)

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Note to other-than-Americans, you lucky bastards

Hah. You do realise we have to suffer some parts of your presidental racewreck here in the Other World too, don't you? Granted, in mild doses, but still enough to make my nose twitch. It's all so... Painfully inane in some sort of crazy commercialised boxing match, only people are trying to knock each other out with a combination of personal righteousness and slamming of everyone else rather than using fists.

Norwegian elections - like we had in September - make me roll my eyes a bit too, but we don't have to suffer political TV commercials and I usually don't want to stab anyone with anything sharper than a blunt toothpick. Some of the (R) candiates over there make me long for a cannon I should shoot forks out of.

the current president has an approval rating roughly equal to that of virulent necrotic athlete's foot

LOL.

[vulgarweed.livejournal.com]

Hah. You do realise we have to suffer some parts of your presidental racewreck here in the Other World too, don't you? Granted, in mild doses, but still enough to make my nose twitch. It's all so... Painfully inane in some sort of crazy commercialised boxing match, only people are trying to knock each other out with a combination of personal righteousness and slamming of everyone else rather than using fists.


I am so, so sorry. Can you possibly find a way to enjoy it as a sort of reality TV show of the Apocalypse?

[misscam.livejournal.com]

It would be easier if I didn't know whoever gets elected will have an influence over my life as well. I can laugh at it to a certain degree, but the amusement is severely hampered by that knowledge. I mean, your current President has appointed that sterling American ambassdor to Norway who's threatened, insulted and all around pained us. And also suggested we should move one of the buesiest roads in Oslo into the Royal park and closer to our Royal family so the American embassy could get bigger "security zone". It's entertainment, sure, but of a rather annoying kind.

Why don't elections come with a None of the above option? Discrimination, I say!

[erunyauve-e.livejournal.com]

I actually voted for Kucinich in the '04 primary. I knew my vote was irrelevant - I was fine with Kerry but I wanted to use my vote to endorse the taking seriously of many of Kucinich's ideas.

I really like Kucinich - he's got some truly innovative ideas, and he seems to know something about economics. His trouble is that he's far too intelligent to be a serious candidate. Bill Clinton was able to overcome the same handicap with a talent for connecting with people, and Kucinich really doesn't have that. Of all the Democratic candidates, Obama is probably the most likely to inspire people (Hillary will inspire people, but the wrong people - should she win the nomination, I'm afraid we'll be looking at eight years of Fred Thompson).