The Wombat File Is Yours to Keep

Since the only candidate who shares my views on issues including Kyoto, Iraq/Iran, the Patriot Act, death penalty, health care, gay marriage, etc. was Kucinich, I supported him. Even though I knew he'd be shut out, just to have a brief feeling that this election is relevant to me. The other 3 Dems are too much alike in the "I don't trust them" way, so once again, my vote will be "a vote against" some Republican with scary religious views, etc. We really need a parliamentary system.

Hmm.

Well, it's helped me to realize
the president really has no control over many issues, except as a 'bully pulpit' (any issue that requires constitutional change, like gun control or gay marriage).

It also helped me to realize that what I most dislike about the current president is not his insane positions, but HOW he came to those positions. His decision-making process (decide the truth first, based on either nothing or what someone with influence told him, then tell people to gather 'things' (I hesitate to even call it evidence) to support that position) is the single thing that makes him the worst administration of my lifetime.

So I look less for issue positions than I used to - I trust that any Dem candidate will be more fiscally responsible, take our commitment to our soldiers more seriously, nominate supremes who believe habeas corpus is a good thing, etc. What I'm looking for in debates now is how they explain why they hold the positions they hold, and when they tell their little stories of how they saved orphaned puppies from legislation that would have turned them into clay pigeons for Republican donors, to hear HOW they made that come about.

Hope that helps.

Remember that the Democratic primaries aren't winner-take-all, so even if H. Clinton has a big lead, you can vote meaningfully for B. Obama, since delegate count looks like it will actually matter this year. (Or even J. Edwards if you want him to be kingmaker.)

Happy belated LBJ day.

shit -- i missed the NH primary! why was it so early this year?

Art, many states kept pushing forward their primaries, in an effort to become more influential by being early. Iowa and New Hampshire kept moving theirs to remain first. This has had odd side effects, including disqualification of delegates from Michigan and Florida, after they violated the Dem Party's cutoff date, and the outsize influence of states that =didn't= move to Super Tuesday, because for once, the race may extend all the way to the convention.