I feel bad for Howard Dean. Really, I do. The man just has a politician's version of Tourette's syndrome. I'm sure when he said that he wanted to bring "the candidates together and make some kind of an arrangement" in order to create unity at the DNC, he didn't mean for it to sound like some kind of crazy conspiratorial Bilderberg Group meeting between hooded members of the Skulls and Bones society, consisting of Kennedys, Bushes, and the remaining decedents of Vlad the Impaler.
Oh, but Howie, it did sound a little strange.
I get his anxiety, though. With all these statewide 50/50 splits between Hillary and Barack, the Democrats are already acting like it's a presidential election! Never before in the history of the country have we acted so indecisive, so early. All Howie meant by his cryptic remarks is that we need a front-runner because what happens if -yikes- Hillary Clinton gets the nomination?
Will Progressives sacrifice the pureness of their consciences for the sake of backing the only Democratic candidate left standing? Or let's say Barack takes the nomination: will Hillary's people rush to support him? Michael Moore says he is morally prohibited from voting for Hillary Clinton, and I agree with him.
I can't in good conscience vote for a woman who labeled the Iranian Guard a terrorist organization.
I can't vote for a woman who voted to give President Bush authorization to invade Iraq, regardless of what she claims about not thinking he would use the power she helped give him.
I can't vote for a woman who sat on the board of Wa-Mart, yet now pretends like she's not in the pocket of big business.
I can't vote for a woman who thinks working "35 years for change" means working 15 of those 35 years for a law firm that represented big businesses.
I won't vote for her even if Ralph Nader decides not to run.
I wouldn't vote for her if she was the last Democrat on Earth.
I'm sick of compromising my principles just so the Republicans won't win, as if Hillary Clinton is anything but a triangulating conservative in liberal's clothing.
There is a deep divide in the Democratic party between Progressives and the traditionalists, like Hillary Clinton, that helped sell the rest of us down the river. I've heard from many people that they would loathe seeing another Clinton in the White House, and so I wonder what will happen come election time if Hillary is indeed our presidential candidate. Perhaps this is all talk, and once the cold feet set in, liberals will sprint to the voting booth, and vote Hillary in, nonetheless.
The anxiety is palpable in the Democratic party, which is why Howard Dean, as usual, gave the game away with his complete ineptitude of maintaining a serious poker face. What was once considered an easy Democratic victory now seems up for grabs, so he's eager to work something out quickly. Maybe he plans to cajole one of the front-runners into taking a V.P. nomination, though I can't see Barack or Hillary taking second place at this point.
Mitt Romney's resignation from the campaign trail is indicative of the Republican strategy for victory: unite at any cost, even if you hate the bastard representing your party. Though everyone from Coulter to Limbaugh are busily chastising professional old bastard, McCain, they'll surely vote for him at election time. However, Democrats have a hard time voting against the consciences like that. If voters hate Hillary, they may simply stay home come November.