Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Yeah, so I've been a little absent this week. Eh, what can I say? Real life waylaid me. Actually, ambushed would be more like it, but anyway....

Thomas Oliphant has a terrific article over at The American Prospect about Kerry that provides some really interesting and enlightening insight into our future President. (Yes, I know I linked to an article on Edwards a few posts back calling him the future president -- and I meant it -- but first things first: get Kerry in office and then Edwards will be right behind him after 8 years. My prediction, ladies and gentleman.)

My dad asked me a couple of months ago what I thought about Kerry. I told him that he wasn't my first choice (for the record, that would be Edwards*) but that the more I learned about him, the more I liked him. I didn't -- and don't -- think he would be the kind of figure that we memorialize like, say, Washington, Lincoln, FDR, or even, JFK. But I do think he'll be a very good president and that he'll be the kind of president we should have more often.

Anyway, read the article: "The Kerry I Know"

*Yes, I was rooting for Edwards. I hadn't heard much about him except, perhaps, his name and the fact that he was in the race. Didn't even know what state he was from. But I happened to catch an interview he did with Stephanopoulos on ABC's This Week sometime in September 2003 (just before I started this blog). He was interviewing Edwards on the campaign trail (on the campaign bus, to be precise) as part of a "get to know the candidates" kind of thing. Anyway, Edwards had a chance to include ideas from his now-famous "Two Americas" speech during their conversation and it really got my attention. By the time he was finished, I was sold. Between that, the sincerity with which he said it, and his obvious charisma, I knew this guy was one to watch. (Yes, obviously, others came to that conclusion far earlier than I did, I'm just sayin'.)

I also have a soft place in my heart for Dean. I think he could be a good president, too, but I think in the end, the primary shook out probably the best candidate (Kerry) for that job in the current context. Dean revolutionized the party, though, which I think is a lot more apparent through the lense of the blogosphere. The record fund-raising of the Dems that's just now being reported, the record number of donors giving smaller amounts to achieve that end (vs. Bush's Rangers donating more money than most of us make in a year), the fact that bloggers have been given official access to the National Convention, the empowered grassroots movement, and the complete turnaround of Congressional prospects...all of these owe something to Dean's candidacy. He's the one who stood up and said -- FINALLY! -- "I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!" Basically, he said Ron Silver's speech on that episode of The West Wing:

We all need some therapy, because somebody came along and said 'liberal' means soft on crime, soft on drugs, soft on Communism, soft on defense, and we're gonna tax you back to the Stone Age because people shouldn't have to go to work if they don't want to. And instead of saying "Well, excuse me, you right-wing, reactionary, xenophobic, homophobic, anti-eductaion, anti-choice, pro-gun, 'Leave it to Beaver' trip back to the fifties," we cowered in the corner and said, "Please, don't hurt me." No more.

(thanks to Athenae, guesting over at Atrios' place, who dug up the quote a few days ago)