Since I'm paying my Civic Duty...

Although I was always going to vote, it seems particularly appropriate to discuss voting while serving Jury Duty.

Actually, on a side note, for any of you that avoid voting to avoid Jury Duty...its a myth. The Jury pool is drawn from two sources--the voting lists and the DMV divers license lists. If you drive, your hat is still in the ring for service. Might as well vote, if that was what was keeping you...

Now to that topic with no end of discussion on the web, the primaries.

I will not try to offer my in depth opinions on all things political...as you really can get better opinions from a lot of other places. But I have been wanting to weigh in on different things...its been frustrating having thoughts about what's going on (and even being right on occasion, contrary to polling and political aficionados) and being unable to blog...so I will seize the opportunity.

First, the Republicans;

Thompson: Several months ago I realized that Thompson had failed to do what a late comer needed to do in order to be a serious contender. He joined under the suggestion that he was the best hope for Conservatives and his rally cry was that the true base of the party could finally find their man in him. I was hopeful, and talked with friends about his chances. I held out through the early stages of his late campaign, hoping that the fire-in-the-belly he promised would finally ignite...and it never did. This is old news, but that was where I was in, goodness, about October. I think I officially started looking for a better alternate late October, early November...and discovered my new guy...

Romney: The thing that sealed it for me was his speech on religion and politics. Any man that can be that eloquent about something so important, who can craft a vision of what the nation should be with his words (I am starved for a real communicator in the office), and whose position on something so important as the inseparably linked but still distinct realms of personal beliefs and public politics could hardly be ignored. The more I watched, read, and heard, the more I liked him. I am now convinced he is the eventual candidate for the Republicans...and I hope we can come together as a party once the necessary and healthy process of primaries runs its course. We won't be settling for the best worst candidate...he'll be a good President, if he lives up to his promise.

As to the others...

McCain: I don't trust him, and I don't think that will ever change. Being a war hero does not a good president make.

Huckabee: a good man, I don't like his politics. That oh so important line I mentioned above, which Romney clearly understands, seems blurred if not invisible to Huck. I think he'd be bad for Republicans and bad for America.

Rudy: good public servant...I'd prefer him to McCain, but I echo others in wishing he'd be our nation's top lawyer, not President.

I am hoping we have to go to the Convention...I love the fact that this race is making professional political prognosticators look as uninformed as the rest of us...its a real race and things really change from day to day. If it were another nation, I'd be worried about revolution or martial law...but its America, and so its just really exciting to see the system work.

As for the Dem's...

Edwards deserves the least, so let me say I think he's a ridiculous candidate. He's a sleazeball lawyer and holds policy stances which should embarrass him. He obviously doesn't agree, and thinks he offers change. But honestly, as a Democrat running against a Clinton woman, and a Black man, did anyone ever really think he had a chance?

Clinton: she's a real politician. My favorite week for the Dem's has been the whole New Hampshire mess. In the fallout from Iowa, Clinton was being blasted for not being likable, for being to much like a serious politician. In response to this, the media was soon filled with images of her crying...and it was brilliant. Normally the discussion that we'd be having if a woman was running would center on fears that she would be too emotional, too weak to lead. Hillary is not the normal woman though. She has like-ability liabilities...which we'll talk about instead of real issues. How does she navigate this gender stereo-type minefield? She cries publicly. Whether it was real or not doesn't matter...it was masterful. She gets to appear emotional, but doesn't have to worry about being labeled with the image of feminine frailty, because at this point most people have thought of her as too cold to care. Meanwhile...how many people can watch a woman cry and feel no pity? She also gets to ride the wave of expectation...building on the media frenzy over Obama, she was able to appeal to the voters from a position of needing help. Again, a softer appeal from the strongest Dem candidate. I think she's very much in control of the situation, and if Obama is going to compete he'll need to start offering substance to his followers. Which brings us to...

Obama: the most electric candidate of the race. He's got the press drooling over the very idea of him winning the nomination. He uses positive language. He has no record haunting him...but he also has no record. He has very little to offer people that actually digest the messages the talking heads spew. He could force the Dem's to a convention too...which I think would make this the best political year of the last...30? 40? He is a sexy candidate. He is also a scary potential President. I'd prefer Hillary to Obama, as she's essentially Rudy, only a little more to the Left, and wouldn't cause the damage that electing Rudy as a Republican would to the Conservative cause.

I don't know exactly what Obama would do...since he hasn't offered any insight, but I have serious doubts that he would be committed to our interests in the Middle East...and like it or not, we have interests in the Middle East. Its the most volatile part of the globe...Pakistan's most recent upheaval obviously not helping matters. Our next President cannot cave into the demands of extremists and abandon our position in the Middle East. Our efforts in Iraq must succeed, we must have a foothold in the area, just as in the late 1930's it was vital to maintain a hold in Southeast Asia in the Philippines. Something the last few years should have made clear to us...conventional ground troop warfare hasn't gone out of style. Boots on the ground matter, and the best way to put boots on the ground is to have a base from which to support them. I firmly believe that this is an issue that must be addressed is this next election--but to do it, whoever the next President is must offer a vision of why it is we fight--otherwise s/he will be selling a false hope of an easy fix.