Blogtrek

Presidential Primaries

These are getting interesting now. Especially interesting is an article I found in Common Dreams which says that not only did Kerry win the New Hampshire Democratic primary, but he also received 3,009, or 5%, of the vote in the Republican primary, finishing ahead of all Republicans in that primary except George W. Bush. This article says this could mean trouble for Bush later on. Already, in a poll, Kerry outpolls Bush by 49-46%.

Here is how I rank them now:

1. John Edwards. He seems like the candidate that I would vote for now. He is from the South, so would have a chance at taking Southern states, especially the Carolinas. He is a defense lawyer, and so would know the plight of people not as fortunate as most of us; in particular, those in trouble with the law for innocuous reasons such as smoking the wrong stuff. He knows how to cheer crowds on, and he also has some sensible ideas. So I rank him first.

2. John Kerry. That poll saying that he would beat Bush 49-46% says it all. We need to send Bush back to Texas, and the Democrat who can do it best is who I will vote for. The question is whether this popularity of Kerry, who was once in single digits, will hold out. A reasonable ticket would be Kerry-Edwards.

3. Howard Dean. Another look needs to be taken at this candidate. The media overplayed his "scream" talk rather big. A recording from elsewhere in the auditorium showed Dean getting fainter as time progressed, and that last "Yeeaaahhh!!" was completely inaudible. I say that if you are going to turn away from Dean simply because of "Yeeaaahhh!!", then you better not say that at sports events, especially the Super Bowl. Still, the Republicans hope he gets the nomination; we need someone the GOP does not want.

4. Wesley Clark. Too much of a deal was made of the Michael Moore article that called Bush a deserter. It is exactly as Clark says, that everyone has a right to his own opinion. However, he is doing badly in the polls; he should have campaigned in Iowa. We need someone who can win.

5. Dennis Kucinich. He has some dramatically good views on things, in my opinion, on gay marriage, on the Iraq war (end it now), and his proposal for a Department of Peace. Still, we need someone who can get votes to get a Democrat in the White House, and Kucinich may not be able to do it.

6. Al Sharpton. A witty person who has shown up on Jay Leno. He may be a bit too aggressive for the nomination, and he is way behind. Sooner or later, though, we may get a chance to vote for a black for President.

7. Joe Lieberman. His cool manner appeals to me a lot; however, his views tend too much to the right. He approved the Iraq war and still does, and is even against civil unions. He appears to be midway between the other Democrats and George Bush.

This ranking differs substantially from other ratings that I have made, suggesting that I still have not made up my mind. I am one of the undecideds, and the Democratic candidates need to show to me that they are the one I should select to challenge Bush in November.