Payback Time
The great thing about listening to NPR every morning is hearing of Republican scandal after Republican scandal - and the tight, Dem-leaning races coming up in November.
What I'm really wondering, though, is this - who's gonna be the Democratic candidate for President in 2008?
I swear to God if they think that JOHN FREAKING KERRY can win they're nuts. Come on people. Why do I keep reading this? He already tried. He lost. Did you ever talk to anyone in a red state about John Kerry? No no no no no. Same with Edwards, Bayh, etc etc. Mediocre old-school white male Democrats. Yawn. Every piece of opinionating I've read on this question puts it down to fundraising - who can outraise Hillary?
I dunno about Hillary Clinton. I'll take her over anyone mentioned above, but she doesn't inspire a lot of enthusiasm. She's not a visionary, she's a typical Dem who happens to be a woman and who happens to have some serious fundraising power. The most liberal activists find her disappointing - not liberal enough - and the more moderate or slightly conservative types find her shrilly liberal. Not like we've heard that problem before. I wonder if she has enough - well, any - crossover appeal. I wonder if a woman can be elected in wartime. I mean, ideologically I absolutely side with the idealistic radicals, but I know full well that that's not the majority, and I'm ok with taking the next best thing in the name of progress. Come visit Arcadia sometime (or Ontario, for that matter) and I'll show you why. But I'm getting off topic.
In a perfect world, Al Gore would be the next President. There are SO MANY REASONS why. But he'd have to do a lot to win over the millions of people who internalized the Gore caricature from 2000. I don't know if that could happen. Who else, then?
Barack Obama is my other dream candidate. He has so much going for him. I mean, sheesh, even my old pal David Brooks likes him (I used to loooove David Brooks in high school, mostly because I read him in the Atlantic and had not yet caught on to his tricks).
Mostly I'm just curious as to what others are thinking. I don't know if any of y'all are wasting as much time as I am thinking about this stuff (well, except you, Seal) but I'd love to know your thoughts.
Also, anybody else find the liberal politics blogosphere kind of ridiculous lately? I'm in the market for a source of good, thoughtful political commentary that's not coming from Camp Obnoxious (hi dkos).
ALSO. If you are from Florida I hope you are registered to vote. Jim Davis needs your help like whoa. More on that later.