A word to the wise: if you have something that needs to get done - for me, I'm supposed to be cleaning my apartment before my wife gets home - then leave the television off, or put it on the America's Next Top Model marathon.
Having said that, I just caught something on CNN's Situation Room that really pissed me off.
When I saw the headline "Is Edwards Too Angry?" on the Situtation Room today, I thought "I've got to watch this." When I heard that handsome, rugged Wolf Blitzer say that Edwards would be on, I was psyched. Yeah, I'm an Edwards supporter.
Wolf asked Edwards about the perception and criticism of him (from Obama and Clinton) as being too angry. Edwards dismissed this, and replied that the other candidates are simply reacting to how well he's doing. He also mentioned that the crowds at his events are constantly filled to capacity and overflowing, and the response to his message has been overwhelming. Nothing surprising there. What's he going to say, "You know Wolf, people just don't seem to give a shit about anything I say"?
Wolf then tried to push the "Nader endorsement" issue, which Edwards handled very well without pissing off Nader supporters or those still fixated (wrongly, in my view) on Nader costing Gore the 2000 election.
Blitzer also asked what he'd do on his first day in office, and I liked his response. Edwards said he'd first convene a meeting of the Joint Chiefs and military leaders, tell them we're getting out of Iraq within the year, and to get to work on making it happen. He also said he'd call in leaders of Congress and submit a plan for Universal Health Care.
Wait a minute, I didn't intend to write a play-by-play. What brought me away from my cleaning and to the computer was the headline: "Is Edwards Too Angry?"
It's a good question. After all, no one likes "angry". Angry is bad. Angry is scary. Angry is not sensible or responsible. Voters don't like "angry". Pundits especially don't like angry.
All of this is horseshit. Except for the bit about pundits.
If you are not angry, then get the hell out of the way.
If you are not angry, then you've been asleep for the past two decades.
A partial list:
Loss of workers' rights.
Unions getting the shit kicked out of them by business.
1 out of 6 workers fired/disciplined for supporting a union.
Wages are stagnate, and have been since 1970.
Billions for wars based on lies.
Bush and Congress, hand in hand, wiping out habeas corpus.
The prison industrial complex.
The fraudulent war on drugs.
Discrimination and fear-mongering of homosexuals.
The destruction of the environment.
Hurricane Katrina.
Corporate greed.
The loss of control over our democracy.
Continued racism and sexism.
A gutted and corrupted Justice Department.
How in the flying fuck can anyone not be angry?
I don't pretend for a second that any president will be able to address any of these issues to the extent required, Edwards included. But goddamn it, I don't want to hear about bipartisanship anymore, I don't care how many Republicans respect you, and I don't care about how many years of experience you've had, or haven't had.
I only care that you're even half as angry as I am. If Edwards is indeed angry, then he's definitely the one for me.