Anyway, the results of Iowa caucus we’re surprising at first, but then when you started to think about it, not that surprising at all.
Kerry won, and although he has no personality, he might be the most qualified of any of the Dems to be president. Plus he’s a Vietnam vet, so they can’t go after him for a military record. A lot of libs don’t like that he voted for the war, but he’s certainly a much better option then Bush. Anyone but Bush…Edwards was second, and although he’s a little too into God for me (he’s Southern) at least he has charisma. A Kerry/Edwards ticket could be pretty powerful against the Bush Dynasty.
Dean was a distance third, and I’m pleasantly surprised. Dean is just unelectable. In addition, I don’t like him. I don’t know why I don’t like him, but I don’t. I mentioned to Brent that it was irrational for me to dislike him for being ‘phony’ because all politicians are phony, but Dean’s brand of phoniness really bugs me! He’s also kind of scary with his anger. He made this really crazy concession speech about how ‘I have only begun to fight’ and he just looked like he was rabid.
Dean’s not really running on anything besides contradicting Bush with the whole Iraq situation. Which someone needs to say, obviously, but he’s made himself into a sound byte candidate. So we went to war, and you didn’t like it. So what.
Most of the candidates have realized that in the minds of voters, that’s in the past. Foreign policy is still a key issue, and they need to have a viable platform. Dean just spouts rhetoric on the subject. That’s certainly not saying that any of the other candidates have any less rhetorical, but at least they’re saying something other than “the war is bad. Bush is bad. I wouldn’t have gone to Iraq.” Because yes Dr. Dean, we already know that, now how about telling us what you are planning on doing?
Dean’s supporters keep saying that people are ‘afraid’ of nominating someone so far left. The thing is, Dean isn’t as far left as he’s pretending to be, if you actually look at his past record. He’s not any more ‘liberal’ in American political terms than Kerry or Edwards. He’s just good at using the right catchphrases right now. And while that’s attracted a certain type of voter, its simply not realistic, and he hasn’t really done anything but complain. Someone like Kerry, Edwards, and Clark CAN get the centrist vote, which, whether lefties like it or not, is going to essential in this election. It has nothing to do with fear, or control, or any of those things Dean keeps spouting. It IS about electability, because its about getting rid of George Bush, and if the Dems could show a united front instead of bitching and nitpicking at each other, then maybe that would be possible.
I still like Clark, but I think the other military guy (Kerry) will beat him out in NH. If Edwards does decently in NH its also going to be a huge boost to the campaign because a lot of the Super Tuesday primaries are in the South. This is actually an exciting primary for once, unlike 2000. Stupid Al Gore. Stupid, stupid Al Gore and the wasted nomination.
In other news, the state of the union is tonight, which is the ultimate in rhetoric. I always get angry about it. Stupid Bush. I really, really, really hope he loses in November.
