Well, primary-wise, there's not much I can say on the subject. I had switched to No Party Affiliation after the Schiavo fiasco that completely soured me on the Republicans forever. I had always been more Moderate when it came to social issues, but at that point I knew the pro-lifers had completely taken control of the GOP and had turned the party leadership into slavering morons. This was a little before Iraq turned into more of a quagmire, way before Katrina disaster demonstrated that a political party that advertised they didn't believe in good government would offer inept and far worse government than those who did believe, and a good while after I had known (since 2000) that Bush would have been a Bad Preznit. Back then, when he basically stole the election (I was in South Florida, and I was witness to a lot of criminal antics by the Republican mobs that disrupted the recount attempts), I operated on the hope that it would have been a brief one-term where very little happened and where his screwups could be easily fixed once a more competent guy got elected in 2004. But yeah, Sept. 11. And for a while there, he *sounded* like he was going to rise up to the challenge of leadership... but then he screwed up Afghanistan, pushed for a questionable invasion of Iraq when *I* knew at least that Iraq had nothing to do with the 9/11 attack and where I agreed with much of the international community that tougher sanctions and diplomacy could succeed where an invasion would turn into a disastrous occupation, and on top of that pushed for MORE tax cuts at a time when military expenditures were so obviously going to go up. And then Kerry came up for the Dems in 2004. Oy vey. (head thump)
So I soured on the Republicans in a big way. But I couldn't switch over to the Democrats either. They have proven themselves from 2000 on to be craven, spineless, clueless, hopeless. They're basically sitting there letting Bush get worse on his own, simply because they don't want to make any misstep that could actually make Bush look good. The Dems are just sitting there, content with the knowledge that Bush is the least popular President ever, with a track record that could end up making Franklin Pierce or James Buchanan look like geniuses and U.S. Grant look like a squeaky-clean wise man. But in the meanwhile they're intentionally caving in on subjects that the majority of voters WANT THEM to stand up and fight for, and it's sick. It's just flat out sick.
So here we are, looking at 2008 Presidential election. Both major parties have candidates up the wazoo, perhaps the first time in a long time there have been so many. There hasn't been this many GOP candidates since 1980 (96 was close but that race was never as wide open). Well, I've gone through the lists of both sides, and I've determined what the odds look like for each candidate... and... So... if I had to choose for 2008? Well, right now, I'd go with the parachute and jump.
Okay, sorry, needed to get that off mah chest. Seriously?
Seriously, I can't vote Republican. Not ever again. Not as long as the party is dominated by religious nutcases who can't understand word one of the whole "Separation of Church and State" concept found in the First Amendment and this bit in the Constitution that insists no Religious Test be imposed for political office. Not as long as war-mongering neocons are in charge of international policy, thinking that all they have to do is keep bombing nations that look as us funny and we'll win the War on Terrah. Not as long as anti-immigrant pols act like racist mofos more afraid of brown people than more concerned about effective immigration/assimilation of people who WANT to be here, and who show no concern about genuine job security while allowing our jobs get shipped overseas (a more destructive cause of our shrinking job market than illegals).
With regards to the Republican field, I go by what my parents are considering. I think I mentioned that before. If there is any good news about this election year, it's that my parents are a *tad* disappointed by the choices they have. They don't even know who Duncan Hunter is for one. They kinda knew Tom Tancredo, but that was because I reminded them he was the idiot who insulted Miami Cubans. As my dad is a Nixon man, they knew who Thomspon is, and they still can't stop laughing. They know McCain, and amazingly they're not too thrilled with him... for the oddest reason. My dad's an ex-Navy pilot, same as McCain, and all because of the disaster on the Forrestal that McCain was literally in the middle of, my dad thinks the worst of him. I think mom's trying to talk him down. But anyway. As for Ron Paul, my parents stared at me and changed the subject at the dinner table. The best news is that my parents aren't even considering the Big Two (who are the two worst IMHO) of Mitt and Rudy. They view Mitt as a plastic flip-flopping Clinton wannabe. They view Rudy as a Democrat (that's at best: you don't wanna know the worst they think of Giuliani). That's left Huckabee as their choice, but even there my parents are wavering. The whole scandal involving DuMond wasn't a major issue with them: I think it's more to do with Huckabee's lack of foreign policy experience, which is why McCain is still on their list. Actually, my dad's still upset Newt Gingrich isn't running, even though I've tried to point out Newt's character flaws could rival Rudy's...
So on the Republican side, if I had to...? I have to admit, I was a McCain man back in 2000. I *could* go with him, but I have my concerns now (mostly about his health; some about McCain's asskissing from 2004 to 2006 trying to get on the Religious Right's good side). I was okay with Huckabee until I heard about the DuMond case. If Rudy or Mitt wins the GOP, forget it. No way am I supporting them.
As for the Democrats... No Hillary. Never. She already had control of the White House from 1992 to 2000! Sheesh. Lady, give someone else a shot. And that's my immediate response regarding her. If I had to think about it more, I'm concerned about her vindictiveness, her arrogance, her lack of scruples, her willingness to play fast and loose with the facts if not outright ignoring them. I'm terrified of a Hillary in charge of a lawless executive branch she would be inheriting from the Bushies. She's Dubya's arrogance mixed with Cheney's deceit and lust for power multiplied by Rove's viciousness. If she gets the Democratic nomination we are doomed to either four more years of a Republican sleazebucket or four more years of Clinton corruption. As for the others... the more I see of Gravel the more I wonder about what made him such a big player for the Dems back in the 1970s. I'm seeing Richardson as more of a Clinton loyalist than anything: that he's in this race simply to be Hillary's veep should she get the nod. I'd like Dodd except that his ties to lobby groups make me sick. I know Biden has skills but he lacks any charisma to sell what he's offering. I keep missing Edwards if only because the whole media seems to be ignoring him. About Edwards, my parents joked that for someone who cares about poverty he sure lives in a big house. I had to point out that NO ONE who lives in poverty can afford to run for office, so neener neener. I want to miss Kucinich because any liberal who wants to team up with Ron Paul has *got* to be insane. And Obama? He may be the Boy King of Ultimate Destiny, but he's got only 3 years of national experience. If only he could have waited another 4 years, and if we could get a better picture of how he performs and what his policy beliefs are.
If I had to, among the Democrats...? Possibly Edwards. He's the most competent of the bunch and as not as openly corrupt as some of the other choices.
If the full election comes down to either Romney/Clinton or Giuliani/Clinton, forget it: I'm voting myself in for office. ;) If it's McCain/Clinton or Huckabee/Clinton, I'd go GOP, but I would seriously regret it the next morning. If it's Obama or Edwards against Romney or Giuliani, I'd seriously go Dem. If it's McCain/Edwards though, that would be tough. If it's McCain/Obama, I'd have to see who McCain went with for his Veep. If it ever gets to Paul/Kucinich... RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!
That's how it's going to be for me. Pray it's a McCain/Edwards choice come November.
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