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This issue is the MOST important issue to me. I want a candidate who will PROTECT the right of the people to have our votes counted. Someone who will stand on the side of Democracy at its most basic level.
I've been really grateful that we've had such a remarkable team of candidates....each with strengths of their own. Lately, I've been trying to look at each candidate with an eye to what would happen AFTER the election, with a country so dangerously divided.
As much as I like so much of what Dean has done, I haven't felt he could reunite the country...only the Dems and a few in middle-America. The press would kill him once in office.
I felt like Clark could be a voice that might unite the largest majority of citizens, and I don't think he'd have as much trouble with the press, and I also feel like he would lead us well on the global front. But the trade-off was his ties with some dangerous elements controlling the military industrial complex, and his low-key willingness to skirt some hard issues (I felt he would give bush's failed policies a free pass once in office) because he knows so well the political repercussions. He has learned politics well in the military. But I like Clark, a lot. I formerly liked him ZERO.
I felt Edwards was more polish than substance (he's my senator, and has little or no ear for his constituents -- if he's this bad as a senator, what would he do as president? He's too much in bed with the DLC.) But even Edwards might be a soothing salve for a wounded people, in many ways.
Kucinich mirrors my own political philosophy, and he's my favorite person in elected office (along with Robert Byrd),but he would not stand a chance against the corporatists in charge of government at this point. He doesn't have enough power -- yet.
Gephart is almost as unacceptable to me as holy Joe. CMBraun and Sharpton are incredibly articulate and kewl. I just don't see them successfully running the wheels of a nation the size of ours.
But underneath all of it, we need someone who understands the dangers of the mafia running our country, and how that same group of thugs is taking our vote away. Kerry just nailed it for me. So what if he looks like the Lurch half the time. The one who fights against the corporate take-over of the voting machines (and the take-over of my vote!) gets my vote.
Count me in.
:kick:
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