Well, it's not news to anyone who has read my previous diaries that I had become disenchanted with Dean. All indications (until recently) were that I would move my support to Clark. But over the last few days that began to change...
I was on the Dean wagon all year. I got all the way on. Wrote letters, wore the pin, stickers on the car, talkied him up, gave money in the second and third quarters... but I really started getting worried after seeing his
debate performances. I knew what he was trying to say, but his message just wasn't resonating. And he kept looking like a guy who wasn't going to win over any voters in the general election.
Each debate seemed to be more convincing of this.
I had been intrigued by Clark, and went to a (pre-announcement) Clark meetup with my former-military, Clark-boosting neighbor. But I was getting impatient with his indecision to run. He would make a nice VP for Dean...
I continued to look longingly at Kerry, who in my opinion, really was the perfect candidate on paper, but he had run such a poor campaign, how could he beat Bush if these other Dems were stomping him?
As the debates rolled along through the fall and early winter, I was becoming convinced Dean was becoming his own greatest liability and would drag the party down to defeat if the nominee. He needed to change his message and improve his delivery big-time or someone needs to emerge as the clear alternative or we were in trouble. I held out hope that Dean could change, but the shift to Clark was underway.
Clark really impressed me on the talk shows. His Dan Rather interview and Hardball appearance in particular. The guy had the right demeanor, and the security creds to take on Bush. Not a perfect candidate, but better than Dean. Would Dean be a good VP for Clark?...
We went home (Connecticut) for Christmas and had to explain to everyone why I was bailing on Dean (I had mentioned my involvement in our Christmas card greeting), and moving towards Clark. My father and sister urged me not to rule out Kerry. I explained I would like to support him, but I thought his chances were slim.
I returned to Ann Arbor to find A DEAN sign planted in my front yard. To this day, I still do not know where it came from. Did some Dean folks go door-to-door, and my Clark neighbor tell 'em to stick one on my lawn? Nope. I obviously was on the rolls as a donor, and assume they just dropped a sign by. I gotta confess I was a bit annoyed about that. I left it up, but I told my neighbor, when his Clark signs came in, save one for me. I emailed my father and sister every time Clark was appearing on tv, "Check this guy out..."
My sister's response: "Even though I am a bit out of touch and don't know a tremendous amount about him--I am far more comfortable with Clark than Dean. It's almost just a gut reaction--he's wise and experienced. Smart, articulate. Dean still comes across a little too "fire-y" for me--not really in a good way. I appreciate a person having guts and taking chances, which I guess he does. But something about him just rubs me the wrong way. He seems arrogant and a little childish. In a way that (I hate to say it) reminds me of Bush." Ouch. But this sums up my big fear about Dean. He cannot win over the uninitiated. He is too abrasive. He might be right most the time, but he cannot get people past his delivery to hear his message.
My neighbor Tony informed me the Clark signs were in, and he was bringing one over. I put it aside while I mulled over my decision... I began to feel like I was TOO involved on this stuff. Too much time online. Paying too much attention to polls and predictions, and falling prey to the very horse-race mentality I hate about the media.
Damn it, if Kerry really is the best guy, why should I rule him out just because these clowns are telling me he can't win. Nobody's voted yet, these polls don't mean anything.
The last week or so, I started really paying attention to Kerry. He looked good on his Sunday morning appearances, and it was a good move by him (and Edwards apparently) to do the shows again on the day before the caucus. I was convinced. The fact that Clark was off the stage in Iowa helped, but I was gonna root for Kerry to do well enough in Iowa, that I could support him as the anti-Dean here in Michigan in February.
Yesterday took the DEAN sign down and I called across the street, "The DEAN sign is out, but I'm not putting CLARK up just yet. I'm looking at Kerry, and if he makes a run in Iowa, I don't want to have to change my sign again just yet."
Time to head over the to Kerry site to find out where I can get a sign around here...