For those of you who have seen "Broadcast News," I'm channeling Albert Brooks:
I've got to stop [doing this]; It takes too much out of me. Does anybody ever win one of these things?
Although I've been an avid spectator in politics since I was 9 years old, I've never backed a particular candidate this early (March, 2003) nor contributed time and money I don't have in support of his/her campaign. It's craziness.
I had to go out of town to teach this weekend and I was going nuts looking at the polls and being unable to do anything about them. How do the party regulars do it? Do they get exhausted, lose perspective? Have I been grumbling over behavior (from the DNC) that, should I do this for several years, I'd be succeptible to?
Anyway, others have talking points -- I have "angst points:"
- As a Dean supporter, I feel that anyone else who wins the nomination and takes on GWB will do so on his coattails, having learned that the base wants their candidate to be relentless and uncompromising in opposing this administration. I'm afraid that should Kerry get the nomination, all I'll hear in his voice for a while is, "Thanks Howard -- I'll take it from here."
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Before the Iraq vote, before Dean, before I was really paying attention to details, I expected to support Kerry. I still think he's eminently qualified to be President. What I can't get over, however, is the message that he and others keep presenting: "Yes I voted for this or that but I trusted George Bush/John Ashcroft/Donald Rumsfeld/Dick Cheney to implement things honestly and prudently. Now I know they can't be trusted and I'm really angry about it."
It's either true -- which means I'm smarter and more astute than them -- or a lie to cover their politically-calculated asses -- in which case I'm back to being a political spectator because that level of cynicism is soul-draining.
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If Dean does take Iowa, this close race is going to end up being the best thing for his campaign because the troops are going to see what GOTV, "boots on the ground," grassroots involvement does. And that's just going to cause the volunteer organization to go nuts. On the other hand, if all this enthusiasm, all this letter-writing, vagabond-volunteering, bat-contributing energy results in a loss in a state where that sort of thing should be the whole ballgame...
- If Gephardt loses in Iowa (no way am I jinxing this by assuming he will), won't he endorse Kerry? I've seen some posts saying no, but I'd be really startled if he didn't. What will that mean? Anything?
- Did you see Judy in Davenport? Wasn't she adorable? I wish a permanent place under a tree full of pigeons to every reporter and columnist who has in any way questioned this woman or that marriage. Plus a recurrence of their worst adolescent acne. It is way past time for this kind of First Lady.
- I'm not greedy. I just want three things out of Iowa. I want clear evidence (and coverage) of the fact that hordes of Dean voters aren't on any pollster's list. I want the pundits to have to eat crow. Crow soup, crow almondine, crow layer cake. With a chaser of crow.
And I want Dean to win. That's not too much to ask, is it? IS IT???