My Primary Endorsement
For some reason, I thought that the slate of declared candidates in the 2004 Oregon Voters pamphlet would be full of candidates who had already dropped out. Say, for example: Dean won his homestate of Vermont after he dropped out.
But the only candidates on the ballot are John Kerry, Dennis Kucinich, and Lyndon LaRouche.
So, the question is: which candidate’s delegates would have more fun in Boston… or which candidate’s delegate is more deserving, somehow?
Lyndon LaRouche’s supporters, in the unlikely (though possible — it’s been done before in primaries of no significance) if he were to win any delegate by clearing the 15% bar, would not get into the convention. A mildly interesting lawsuit that LaRouche would expound on if asked… why, you can even email him about it. (While you’re at it, ask him what he has against the British Royal Family…)
So, as entertaining as it would be to have a small cadre of LaRouche supporters in that convention hall, being ignored as the procession of the Kerry-Adoration Parade runs its course… it ain’t happening. They’ll just have to be content with their place outside the convention hall, being ignored. Maybe we can throw LaRouche’s vote total to the 15% mark and try to feed their followers’ Messiah Complex, but… that just ain’t happening.
So, we’re stuck with Kerry versus Kucinich.
A no-brainer. Kucinich has a chance … here in this state of Oregon– the state that provided Ralph Nader with 4% of its general election vote in the year 1996 … of clearing the 15% mark, so I say ship some Kucinich delegates over to Boston. I have a reasonable expectation that Kucinich supporters are more idealistic than Kerry supporters… (Though, who knows? Maybe Kerry has an eccentric Vietnam Vet in the delegation wings.) … Perhaps there are some stereotypes that the Democratic Party has been trying to suppress for the last few decades, but: I’d take it over the Republican’s Religious Right any day of the week, and the Democratic Party needs a swift kick in the behind anyways.
So vote for Kucinich. There’s my endorsement. That’s who I’m voting for. I’m voting for their Delegates.
Since George Bush is getting one delegate at that convention (look for Georgia to be pushed back in whatever television coverage the processed waste of time conventions behind Gaum and the Virgin Islands… and look for Fox News to creatively highlight that little moment when Zell Miller’s superdelegate vote comes up), unanimity is not to be achieved. And I frown on unanimity anyways.
As for who I endorse in the Republican race? I say write in Daffy Duck. Hopefully Daffy will clear the 15% line… but it’ll be a tough race. Granted, Mickey Mouse is falling out of favour rapidly, but he still has enough panache to splinter this segment of the voting public.