IOWA 2003 BABY

can clinton run again? can we just make him emperor of the us?

you sure don't talk like a Dem, Millar. and yeah, Jess, if only Bill could be Pres again ...

but i digress. fwiw, dean and edwards are the two candidates i like best thusfar. though based on what i've read, i could also come to really like wesley clark. i'm wait-and-see re: Kerry (not too enthused yet, though some have already crowned him the "front-runner" and the sound yer hearing right now is the usual right-wing shitlingers sharpening their knifes because of that).

i just hope that it ain't Lieberman, Sharpton, or Gephardt.

Hahaha it won't be Sharpton. I'll be surprised if he makes it much farther than Iowa. (Of course, being a maverick with little party support, he has less to lose by dragging his race out longer than expected and embarrassing the frontrunner.)

If it is Lieberman then you will hear my screams in Brooklyn.

as far as fiscal policy is concerned: just about any Democrat who gets in will work to repeal the Bush tax cuts (except maybe Lieberman). you can count on that much.

as far which one is the best fiscal-policy wonk -- i guess that would be either Kerrey or Gephardt. and fiscal-policy is why i'm wait-and-see re Clark -- he talks a great game re fiscal policy, and he seems to be smart as hell; but he hasn't said anything yet about economics or taxes AFAIK.

i like Edwards because he's a trial lawyer and that alone is good enough (partly outta guild-loyalty [no, i don't do personal injury], but mainly because us Dems nominating a trial lawyer would be the perfect "up yours!" to all those lawyer-bashing, tort-deforming Repugnants!)

Kerry's my guy for now, and I don't think that will change though I like him less personally the more I read about him.

I like Dean (especially) and Edwards (somewhat), but don't think either has enough experience. Gary Hart intrigues me, but I think he's running for a position of influence, not President, and I'm not sure he'd be a good one. Lieberman and Gephardt are definitely qualified, but I have substantive problems with both, and Gephardt is unelectable. Maybe Lieberman too.

Clinton, writ large, can run of course. Biden would be very interesting.

I will vote for whomever is the nominee, though.

Just read the Dean article on Salon. We've had a boomer, we've had a born-again Republican. Now we need a smart-ass.

...and the 'whichever is nominated' approach is the fear when moderate Dems. go for Lieberman

re Clark: i meant foreign policy, not fiscal policy.

Gary Hart was my first political hero -- i was such a 13-year old dork, i annoyed my 8th grade teacher 'cause i was so into his candidacy in '84 -- but i dunno whether he can win.

(nb.: if either Sharpton or Lieberman is nominated, i won't vote Democratic. matter of fact, i probably won't vote for any Presidential candidate -- Bush is obviously out of the question, Nader's an egomaniacal asshole, and third-party candidates are all jokes.

slim pickings. edwards' "i'm for regular people" schtick is already tired. i still remember gephardt's protectionism from 1988 when he talked about a k-car's price in south korea being 40,000 dollars, charisma free zone. kerry can't go four seconds without mentioning vietnam which makes everyone yawn and how can he work for the regular people when his wife is worth 600 million? i think he should donate his millions to help cut the deficit. it's only fair, he got lucky and married rich.

Is Kerry the guy who won't admit to slaughtering dozens of people in Vietnam? Or is that Kerrey?

Kerrey (current New School Pres./used-to-schtupp-Debra Winger) from NE is the won't admit to killing innocents in 'Nam guy. he isn't running.

All the democratic presidents from the last 30 years have been relatively unknown state governors.
Howard Dean all the way!

Hmmmm...not Sharpton, not Lieberman, not Gephart - Sheesh. I actually like Hart, but I don't think he's electable, and if he gets the nomination then the Republicans will go hog-wild on the whole "ethics/morality" crap - comparisons to Clinton, Kennedy, etc. And I'd take Clinton again - either of them - I think Gore's wise to sit this one out, but he'll pretty much always have my vote should he run.

Okay, but for now - isn't Carol Mosely Brown running, now? I'd be interested in hearing more from her. In the meantime, I'm looking at Dean and Edwards and Kerry.

Carol Mosely Braun is a laughingstock in her home state. What could she possibly hope to achieve running for president?

keith: in 1991, people thought the Democratic race was also "slim pickings." (considering some people's opinions of Clinton, they might still think so). anyway, it's still early in the race.

fwiw, no-one really believes the "common man" schtick anyway. though Edwards is a bit more credible -- he did come from a working-class background, paid his way through undergrad and law-school, etc. -- than the current occupant of the white house.

*chuckling* That's my point, Amateurist - I know basically zip about her, which is why I'd be interested in more - pros and cons and all.

Well, she was a fairly lazy legislator, and she used campaign funds for personal expenses (which is not too unusual in Illinois politics). She's also famous for cavorting with African dictators over the wishes of her party. She lost her reelection bid something awful and served as ambassador to New Zealand for a few years.

if only 'being more credible' than the current occupant of the white house counted for anything, though - ARRRRGH

Tad, you mistake my fopo leanings for dopo ones - I'm very much a Dem (and find myself liking Dean bcz I think he has the strongest chance THANKS to his anti-war ideological plank) and I FUCKING HATE BUSHY BOY even if he did give me a big fat raise this year.

Hart, Gephardt, Kerry wd be fine if they didn't have to run against a Republican! They'll all get their asses handed to them if they're nominated. I almost agree with Tad on Lieberman but frankly I'd still vote Democrat. I learned my lesson last time. Sharpton? Too funny. I'd vote for him all the way just bcz absurdism needs more real life in it.

A Sharpton-Bush debate would be the greatest thing ever, though not necessarily good for democracy. (I'd vote for Lieberman over Bush too, of course, but I think they'd have to bring in extra garbage cans to the Chicago polling stations to collect all the vomit.)

Carol Mosely-Braun! I don't really remember much from her term, except her stance against the Confederate flag.... But then at the end, it all fell apart as she got caught up in payroll scandals and her trip to Africa where she had her photo taken with an African dictator or two. Whoops. Then she lost to some redneck lawyer from downstate Illinois, I think. She blew it big time - the first African-American woman in the Senate with Chicago behind her? Uggh, idiot.

They all suck! They're all like The Smiler from transmet. Who's gonna pull the black and poor votes (this is of course assuming that Sharpton's campaign is a fucking joke, which it is)? FUCK! We're screwed. Bush is going to get re-elected.

Don't say that, Dan! It WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN AGAIN!!!!!! (Or it damn well better not, else I'm going to be upset and disgusted and really mad at the American populace.)

well, as i said before, it's still early on. let's wait and see what any of these people have to say before writing off 2004.

I'm amazed at how much momentum Dean has gotten and wouldn't be surprised to see him take or finish second in New Hampshire. I thought Edwards would be a much stronger candidate but his tv appearances have been underwhelming (he does have Clinton in his corner though so I'm far from ruling him out). My guess right now is Kerrey takes it - if Dean doesn't pull off the upset in New Hampshire you gotta figure Kerrey takes it and his South Carolina organization is very, very strong. Sharpton's there to hurt Edwards, Moseley-Braun's there to cut off Sharpton. and then there's Gary Hart (has he officially announced or is he just hanging out in Iowa for the corn?)....

ha, Kerry rather! the 'turns out I'm Jewish' one!

Dennis Kuchinich!!!

(It'll be Lieberman, and I'll vote for another third party guy if I'm still a citizen.)

Clinton was a disaster in every single way but his ability to convince Europeans that he's a Social Democrat.

I think Gore and Clinton(H) are cowards for not running this year, Gore is obviously sitting out because he doesn't think he can win THIS year. I'd like to see Dean win but I don't see that happening, hope seems to lay with Edwards. As for Clinton(B) he ruined the Democratic party. Those of you who wax sentimental for a return to his presidency are not friends of the Democratic Party.