Re: And a followup...

Date: 2003-07-14 09:01 am (UTC)
Once again, I see a disconnect between word and deed here—a candidate who says all the right things but doesn’t seem to care that some of us remember otherwise. Those of us in Vermont who have been paying attention do not remember a liberal in charge of the state. We remember a decent administrator who was as much a bureaucrat as a politician, not so much a leader as someone who was competent at his job, even if he occasionally screwed the environmentalists in favor of business development and refused to even consider the issue of medical marijuana.

Will I vote for Dean if he should get the nomination? Probably not, but I have a luxury in Vermont, with the relatively secure knowledge that he would win my home state, with or without my help. I had the same luxury in casting a protest vote against Gore in 2000. But at this point, I don’t know that I want him to get the nomination at all. If I believed he were saying things he fully supported, he’d probably have my vote. I just don’t know how much I trust this last-minute conversion to “The Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party.”

He’s got good people working for him, for certain, and I hope whether or not he receives the nomination they go on to help unseat the Current Occupant. But, as a serious, dyed-in-the-wool left-winger, I can’t feel myself getting too enthusiastic about him. I don’t want to suggest that Dean would make a bad president. I think he’d make an acceptable president, in the same fashion in which Bill Clinton was an acceptable president. He’s strong-willed on some good issues and, from all indications, doesn’t have the personal pitfalls that Clinton had. But I’m concerned that he’s being portrayed as this left-wing crusader who’s come to clean up the right-wing influence in Washington. He’s anti-gun control and pro-death penalty, so the gun-slinging sheriff metaphor should fit, even if the rest of it doesn’t.

Julie Waters is a musician, Web designer, activist and teacher who lives in Southeastern Vermont. She is an active member of the Brattleboro Area Peace and Justice Group and has been involved in political activism since the mid-1980’s. She may be reached for comment at: articles@juliewaters.com
This account has disabled anonymous posting.
If you don't have an account you can create one now.
HTML doesn't work in the subject.
More info about formatting

Profile

moominmuppet

October 2024

S M T W T F S
  12345
6789101112
13141516171819
202122232425 26
2728293031  

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 31st, 2025 12:21 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios