political stuff (not a rant!)

[anotheranon]

Got one of these mail-in poll forms from the DNC yesterday. All it was asking was what Democratic candidate you'd like to see on the ballot next fall. I'm an independent, but I'm worried enough about another 4 years of the Chimp that I decided to send it in.

I chose Dean. I have not been following the candidates very closely, but I've been hearing a lot about "Mean Dean", and IMHO the only way the Democrats can win in 2004 is with a junkyard dog - most of them are just too... nice.

I read through his stances, and agree with much of what he has to say (pro-choice, pro-gay rights, recognizes the problems with the economy/healthcare). I was surprised by his stance on gun laws - it may not address ALL concerns, but it's certainly one of the least emotionally charged ideas I've seen about the issue.

The letter that accompanied the poll gives me the impression that the DNC is really going to push the poor economy as a campaign issue - I'm glad to see that this big tent is emphasizing one issue that all stripes of Democrats can get behind. I may have to re-think my notion that the Democratic party is too disorganized to present a coherent platform next year!

Also started reading The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things. I've suspected for some time that we're turning into a nation of paranoid freaks, so I'm interested in a sociological perspective of why this is so.

Off to work (where I'm more likely to have an accident in traffic on the way there than get shot at work, get lead poisoning, or catch SARS).

Comments

[curiousangel.livejournal.com]

You should check out rivka's LJ for all her information on Dean -- she's working with the Meetup folks for Dean, and doing some work with the Maryland campaign. She can tell you much more about him and about the campaign.

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

Her journal was actually where I first heard about Dean - it sounds like she has a lot of confidence in him as a candidate! I'd like to see someone as socially liberal as him get the nomination, but given the centrist policies of much of the Democratic party, I'm wondering how well he'll fare.

I also check Daily Kos (http://www.dailykos.com); a couple of times a week he runs a "cattle call" ranking of the Democratic candidates. He favors Dean and Kerry, but does a bit of coverage on all of them.