Perspective on Dean
In 1992, Bill Clinton:
- Lost the first 10 primaries/caucuses until Georgia in March
- Wasn’t sealed up as the real front-runner until June
- Beat King George I in the November Election
‘Nuff said.
West Needs Earlier Primaries
Predictably, Kerry has won Washington, but more interesting is the rest of the results:
| WA Caucus w/71% reporting | |
|---|---|
| Kerry | 48% |
| Dean | 31% |
| Kucinich | 9% |
| Edwards | 6% |
| Clark | 3% |
| Sharpton | * |
Obviously, the “left” coast isn’t like the rest of America. Were California (the largest state in terms of population and delegates) or even Washington allowed to vote earlier, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Let’s face it, and I think few will argue here, Kerry isn’t winning because he’s so fantastic, he’s winning because of the “safe vote” factor present in middle-of-the-road states like Iowa, and the friggin’ endless — and entirely premature — media attention on “Dean’s Downfall” following those early primaries.
All things considered, Dean’s showing in WA is respectable. Let’s see how Michigan shapes up. I suspect Dean won’t do so well there.
Last Stand in Cheeseville
The Dean camp sent around an email this morning proclaiming Wisconsin as a do-or-die primary and begging for a whopping $200. (What happened to the $100 revolution?) The goal is $700k by Sunday, and amazingly they’ve nearly got $300k already.
I like Dean, but I’m afraid it may be over. It doesn’t have a damn thing to do with him, and it’s got everything to do with the Dems singularly focused on getting Bush out of office. Kerry’s about as exciting as watching moss grow on a rock, but voters are playing out the hypothetical matchup between Dem-X vs. Bush and then casting their votes. Dean seems volatile, and I’m not talking about his energy or “the Dean scream,” but that for which he deserves the most credit: a grassroots surge in attention to this election. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but this scares people. Too many images of dirty hippies and tree huggers, perhaps. In a society resistant to change, Kerry is predictable and staid.
I’m hoping Dean does win a few states. He’s second in delegates, and the longer this plays out the less chance there is of whomever the nominee is peaking too early. Furthermore, he’s less of a liability as Bush seems to be doing a damn good job of imploding all by himself. The 9/11 Commission, now expected to release it’s report in late summer, could be the final nail in the coffin for Bush.
UPDATE 1pm: Here’s clearly still got some mojo, having raised $450k already. Also, the amount requested in the email apparently isn’t the same for everyone. While they asked me for $200, only $50 was requested of others. Odd — somehow they’ve profiled me. You can contribute here. It’s good for everyone (including Kerry) if Dean stays involved. He’s clearly raised the bar and awareness. Dean deserves all the credit for shaking up this election.
I Swear I Didn’t Do It
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Preliminary tests on a white, powdery substance found in the mailroom of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist indicate the presence of the deadly substance ricin, a Homeland Security official said Monday.
Fundamentalist Regimes
Catching the last bit of the State of the Union, and I’m loving the irony: fundamentalist regimes: bad, but turning the U.S. into one: good! Faith-based initiatives, the attack on same-sex marriage, vilifying “activist judges,” eroding civil rights via The PATRIOT Act, increasing abstinence programs in schools (doing so in Bush’s Texas caused the teen pregnancy rate to rise for the first time in decades). Lots of black and white rhetoric. Good vs. Evil. Whether a Muslim Cleric or George W. Bush, it’s all pushing fundamentalism.
God Bless America. Ahem.
Update: Okay, now I’m watching the Democratic response. What you’d expect, but how much work has Nancy Pelosi had done? She said she was in college 43 years ago. That makes her at least 61. Let’s see: brow lift, eyes, face lift, chin suck? Think there might be some collagen (or Perlaine) in that upper lip too.
Arnold Gets Compassionate
Budget highlights:
- $454M cut from disabled in-home services (yeah, those people are BEST suited to get off their asses and get a job!)
- $6.6M cut from AIDS treatment programs
- $6.1M cut from breast cancer detection programs
- $4.2M cut from indigent health care
- $623M cut from fees to medical doctors (10% reduction, most doctors don’t even accept medical as it is!)
Also targeted: California’s Healthy Families program and higher education. Schools are closing, and the bay area city of Richmond is nearly bankrupt meaning a complete closing of all public services including fire and police.
Arnold luvs you. But shuddup, because you voted for him!
Agreeing with the RNC
Not that CNN is unbiased or even “fair and balanced,” but yesterday I noticed them scrolling something across the marque during the Democratic presidential debate. “RNC: ‘Bickering between democratic candidates is vile'” (Interesting that the “liberal media” scrolled a message from the RNC in a space they only otherwise used for summarizing comments from candidates.)
The sad part is, I couldn’t agree more. It’s disgusting, and completely counter-productive. I realize it’s primary season, but the circus surrounding the Democratic candidates this year is creating more attention than ever… caution and appropriate behavior is paramount. The attention on attacking fellow possible Democratic nominees is, well, vile indeed. In this respect, I have to hand it to John Edwards for behaving like a gentleman and not attacking front-running Dean. I also have to hand it to Dean for asking the other candidates to join him in supporting the Democratic nominee no matter whom it may be during the debate. That was good politicking.
Meanwhile, Lieberman grossly attacked Dean getting down into nuts n’ bolts that really probably don’t matter at the end of the day. Jesus, no one is Jesus. (Not that Lieberman believes in Jesus, but anyway.) This needs to stop, less the whole bunch be summarily dismissed by the voting public at large… Dems included.
Naturally, the candidates I liked most from the debate last night were Kucinich and Mosley Braun. They’re the leftist of the bunch, and I did notice left-wing advocate Ralph Nader on “Crossfire” today basically endorsing Kucinich as a “Democrat,” although he may still run as an independent. Whatever Ralph, let your ego lie and stay out. Please. Meanwhile, Kucinich and Mosley Braun don’t stand a chance, so hopefully whomever the front-runner is will adopt some of their platform. (Not likely, though Kucinich made a shot at Dean for that last night trying to get him to adopt some of his platform. Good move, Dennis.)
I just don’t know what 2004 holds for us in the election. It’s going to be intense and crazy, that’s for sure. Yes, the goal indeed is getting Bush out of office. In fact, I think that’s paramount to saving the country at this point. Bush has been 10x more effective than even his father or two-timer Reagan into turning this country into a fiefdom for the rich, and leaving the rest of us as a disenfranchised servant class. In this respect, he’s been one of the most successful presidents ever… and 99% of the country suffers as a result.
If you Southerners and Midwesterners could just see past the God and flag-waving thing, you’d see what you’re getting yourselves into… but that won’t happen.
*shrug*
Um, God, save me? Please?
Merry Xmas from Republicans and the Meat Lobby
- WASHINGTON – Legislation to keep meat from downed animals off American kitchen tables was scuttled — for the second time in as many years — as Congress labored unsuccessfully earlier this month to pass a catchall agency spending bill.
Now, in the wake of the apparent discovery of the first mad-cow case in the United States, the author of the House version of the cattle provision wants to press the issue anew when Congress returns Jan. 20 from its winter recess. The massive, $373 billion spending bill covering several government agencies is still pending in the Senate.
“I said on the floor of the House that you will rue the day that because of the greed of the industry to make a few extra pennies from 130,000 head, the industry would sacrifice the safety of the American people,” said Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y., chief House sponsor. “It’s so pound foolish.”
The provision dealing with downed cattle didn’t even make it into the compromise version of the legislation that House and Senate conferees brought before Congress late in the year.
[Eschaton]
Righters Taking Homo Marriage Poll to Congress
The “American Family Association” is conducting an online poll about gay marriage. You know what to do.
[ via the bitter shack of resentment ]
Bushy Ironies: $33M to Protect Cows from Terrorism
As Wired notes, the Dept of Homeland Security is ponying up $33M to combat terrorist attacks against our crops and livestock.
Strangely absent are any mention of the Republican attacks on food safety rules at the behest of Big Meat and Agri businesses. Food-borne illness kills 5,000 each year and sickens 17 million. Osama would wet himself making those kind of numbers!
In 2001, the Bush administration reversed USDA regulations requiring testing for salmonella and E.coli in meat fed to 27M school children. This March 2002 open letter to the Prez from consumer watchdog groups is especially relevant, noting “even as bioterrorism concerns highlight weaknesses in our existing food-safety programs, key initiatives designed to ensure the safety of meat are languishing and existing safeguards are being eroded.”
Protections of drinking water from pesticide run-off are under attack.
Tip of the iceburg. Look no further than Eric Scholosser’s Fast Food Nation. That book impressed upon me this wonderful phrase, handy while at any MickeyD’s: Acceptable levels of fecal contamination.
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