An Outsider's Appeal To the Democrats: Get It Together, and Gag Lieberman.

I have never been particularly pro or anti Democrat, but as it is increasingly becoming important to me that the present administration not continue leading us down this disastrous path, I have become more interested in the Democratic candidates than would be usual.

The difficulty I am having with the party right now is that is has allowed itself to be defined by the Republicans for so long that it lacks a central identity of it's own. None of the top candidates really light my fire...althoug they're prefereable to Bush right now...but I was sort of hoping that Clark would get involved. Kerry is probably my favorite among the biggies right now, but even he seems to have been ultra-political about the war; at first creepingly supporting it as polls favored it, now makign his objection to the post -war plan his central opposition thrust...it all seems a little too contrived, and doesn't ring true. On paper he's an excellent candidate, and he's got presence, if it weren't for the war waffling I'd be a lot more positve.


Lieberman has, in my mind, been doing a lot of damage to the Democrats lately...in an effort to paint himself as the only realitic option for his party, to an outsider with interest he is merely making the entire party seem weaker, bickering, and if he doesn't end up as the candidate, which i hope, as I don't like him, he's succeeded in giving the Republicans a head start on undermining the possition of every single other serious candidate out there without having to lift a finger.


Dean also seems to be making his entire thrust about being anti-Bush. Now while I agree with opposition to Bushg because of the war/Patriot Laws, etc., I'm not going to be left running the country if people support my objections, and Dean seems to me to be less developed on what he stands for thgan what he stands against.

Graham seems too weird, and personaly seems to come across as someone blinking his way into the sunlight for the first time after a long stay in a dark cave...he also doesn't come across as all that bright. I agree with some of his positions on things, really do in some cases, but the idea of him as the leader of the country doesn't sit all that well with me.

I know I said this before, but I wish that Biden was being pushed more. Every time I see him I come away impressed with the man, he seems like a leader, he seems like a straight shooter, and he seems very bright and savvy.



Basically, though, I wish that the party seemed to have some direction, because it is becoming increasingly apparant that many Americans don't have a problem with being mislead time after time so long as Goliath managed to beat the kid with the slingshot. Maybe Powell will actually run against Bush for the Republicanm candidacy, or maybe it's not too late for Clark pr Biden to get into the race. Either way, I hope that the Democrats can get it together, because it's either them or...I'd rather not think of the alternative.

So please stop the in-fighting, Dems. Forget about whether it's more important to be about traditional Democrat values, or whether you win with the middle position as Lieberman contends, stop being selfish, and argue the issues in terms of what's important for the country, not what's important for the party. And, if possible, someone whisper in Liberman's ear that he doesn't need to sabotage the future campaigns of every other candidate to ensure that he's the one...it comes across petty, and I am sure that Republicans are laughing in their beer every time he makes an appearance on the national press.