I want to issue a few caveats right up front so that, as (and if) you read the diary that follows, you have some from-the-horse's mouth context that may quell some otherwise knee-jerk reactions.
First, it is my intention, absolutely, to vote for whomever garners the Democratic nomination. I'm not planning on some split that would push me towards a third party, nor will I stay home and simply not vote. Moreover, because Mark Warner is running for John Warner's open VA Senate seat, I will be doing much more than voting and donating - I'll be volunteering and working. Just as many did with Jim Webb, I'll be part of the ground army that knocks doors to GOTV for Mark Warner. It stands to reason that there will be substantial pullthrough for the Democratic Presidential nominee as well - it's a package deal as far as I'm concerned.
I don't hate [Edwards/Obama/Clinton] (circle your current candidate of choice). I just lack any sense of excitement or enthusiasm for [Edwards/Obama/Clinton]. Make the jump.
I've read your diaries - yes yours - the ones where you advocate passionately for John Edwards or Barack Obama or even Hillary Clinton (yes, I realize some of the tag links include negatives on any given candidate). I admire and am more than a little envious of your commitment and excitement.
To be sure, each of the three front-running current Democratic candidates has positives and negatives. I've spent a great deal of time here, on individual candidate websites, and on newspaper websites trying to sift through and evaluate the various plans and ideas being forwarded by the current crop. I do what I'm sure most people do - I focus on those items that I find most important (my top 3-5 issues) and go from there. I've read some good content, and some well thought-out plans.
Yet I still feel... flat.
When I think about great Presidents of the 20th Century to the present, a few come to mind:
Franklin Delano Roosavelt (1933-1945). Without question, FDR presided over tumultuous times. Among other things, when he first took office, he was faced with this:
When Roosevelt was inaugurated in March 1933, the U.S. was at the nadir of the worst depression in its history. A quarter of the workforce was unemployed. Farmers were in deep trouble as prices fell by 60%. Industrial production had fallen by more than half since 1929. Two million were homeless. By the evening of March 4, 32 of the 48 states, as well as the District of Columbia had closed their banks. The New York Federal Reserve Bank was unable to open on the 5th, as huge sums had been withdrawn by panicky customers in previous days. Beginning with his inauguration address, Roosevelt began blaming the economic crisis on bankers and financiers, the quest for profit, and the self-interest basis of capitalism.
I'm not a historian, but the Wikipedia entry linked is worth reviewing - I'll leave it to you to review it rather than drag you through it here. FDR faced an America rife with problems. He LED - he spoke out, he was bold, he formulated creative and controversial plans to set the country on the right path. He is routinely ranked as one of the top three American Presidents in history, along with Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. I would definitely rank him as the number 1 President in modern (post-industrial) times.
Other modern Presidents continually referenced in he Top 10 include John F. Kennedy (Peace Corps, Space Program, Civil Rights), Harry S. Truman (United Nations, Marshal Plan, Civili Rights, NATO), and Woodrow Wilson (Federal Reserve, Clayton Antitrust, FTC, Fourteen Points, Women's Suffrage). Before you flay me, yes - I'm aware that each of these particular Presidents had big blots on their records in addition to the recognized high points and I further realize that I may not have hit on the thing you believe caused any one of these Presidents to be "great".
My point is this - Each of these 4 individuals shared something in common as I see it. They were all true leaders, they all faced times of enormous challenges, and they all responded with groundbreaking ideas, policies and plans that, in my opinion, picked America up from the course it was on and set it in a substantially new direction. From great strife, great leaders arose.
Another caveat: I'm sorry in advance if what I am about to say offends you given that you wholeheartedly support one of the current top three Democratic candidates.
When I look across my list above, I don't see either Edwards, Obama or Clinton rising to these standards. Yet I find the American climate very similar to the climate under which those four historical Presidents governed. We are currently at war. We are facing great economic uncertainty (frankly, I pesonally believe that "uncertainty" is too mild a word - I have no faith in our fundamental economic underpinnings). We seem to be going backwards in terms of basic human rights and freedoms. These are not "normal" times. The challenges that face us are great, and I am utterly unconvinced that any of the current three I've mentioned possess the greatness necessary to break through, be creative, leave politics at the side of the road, and lead us out. I'm sorry if this in any way bitchslaps your chosen current candidate, but that's how I feel and there's no right or wrong to it as I see it. In fact, I harbor an overwhelming sense of dread as the electrion draws nearer because, increasingly, the three frontrunners sound more and more guided by politics and less and less by principle and a sense of right. Yes, I realize that [Edwards/Obama/Clinton] (circle your chosen candidate) has many fine points and has formulated interesting and well-considered policy proposals. Yet all three made a shocking satement in the last debate when they each failed to pledge to have the troops out of Iraq by 2013. That doesn't look like groundbreaking, risk-taking, direction-altering statements from where I sit.
Since Al Gore wasn't on the stage during the latest major Democratic debate, I can't say that he would have risen to the challenge and agreed to the pledge to have troops out by 2013. What I do know is that he has provided anti Iraq War leadership from very early on - FAR before it was considered popular to shit on our current President and the ill-fated, incompetently-planned, buffoonishly executed war in Iraq. From Common Dreams:
Published on Wednesday, September 25, 2002 in the Boston Globe:
::snip::
AL GORE, remarkably, has stepped into a leadership vacuum and said several things that most congressional Democrats may well believe but have been too fearful to utter.
Gore, speaking Monday at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, warned that unilateral action against Saddam Hussein would ''severely damage'' the more urgent war on terrorism and ''weaken our ability to lead the world.'' Gore declared that the president has turned the broad reservoir of good will for America ''into a deep sense of misgiving and even hostility.'' In a pointed dig at President George W. Bush's go-it-alone cowboy rhetoric, he added, ''If you're going after Jesse James, you ought to organize the posse first.''
His out-of-Iraq stance started early and has been consistent throughout all phases. He has been an absolute world leader on the subject of climate change. He as groundbreaking ideas about how to combat climate change while simultaneously creating new jobs and revitalizing the US economy. He has been consistently liberal on social issues.
Listen - I don't know that Al Gore would be so inspirational had he stayed active in politics. I fully recognize that Edwards/Obama/Clinton have stayed active in the political game and that that could easily contribute to what I consider their rather bland and uninspiring presence. But it's at least likely that, by this time next week, Al Gore will be the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. What has brought him to this potential was a dogged unwillingness to simply focus on sound-bite politics and "popular" issues. He's been a visionary.
I need a visionary. I'm sorry that [Edwards/Obama/Clinton] don't fit that role for me.
So consider this a testimonial in a week where a lot of speculation is focused on Mr. Gore. I will literally hurl myself at the opportunity to return Al Gore to his rightful place in the White House.
If you're looking for a diversion, check out this link. You can take a simple 20-question quiz and it will align you with a current declared candidate based on how you answer.