As an American citizen, I am fortunate enough to have the right participate in a process which ultimately determines the ruler of the world for the next four years.
I have never been particularly political in my life, in so far as I have had a very realistic view of politics and because I am rarely pleased with any candidates in an election enough to need to share my favorite with others.
I am admittedly as “liberal” as it gets when it comes to most social and environmental issues, so radically so that few candidates for elections would stand a chance if they stood with me on those issues. On many economic issues, and particularly those concerning international trade, I am far less in tune with the policies and ideas of the political spectrum represented by the Democratic party in the United States, let alone those who inhabit its left flank.
I don’t want to go into the details of my positions on all the issues in fad right now, but instead simply post here, “officially” as it were, that in this election I will not only be voting, but doing what I can to persuade my friends and acquaintances lucky enough to have the right to vote in the “mother of all elections” that they should vote, and cast their vote the way of Howard Dean…
I have watched the candidates fairly closely and joined Dean’s online legions early on by subscribing to the newsletter and other mailings that come with it. I kept my mind open and I think that several of the other candidates are excellent matches for the “blind man in a room full of deaf people.” Overall, I admire the strong pragmatic flavor, intelligence, and quick thinking which Dean has shown, in addition to agreeing with him on many issues.
His strength in organizing support, his effective use of the net to build a strong community of supporters, and his successful appeals for support from new voters all make him a refreshing voice in America’s democracy. His campaign has led the way in reducing the influence of special interests by broadening the funding base among regular voters, he has overcome the resistance of the party establishment and the mainstream press. I now have no more doubts that Dean will be the chosen candidate for the Democratic nomination and he will put up the important fight needed to end a four year period of national embarrassment for the people of the United States.
I will be making a contribution to Dean’s campaign when he emerges from the primaries, and I urge all my American friends to do so. More importantly, I think it is important for all of us to put a little extra effort into explaining to our friends why it is crucial that we be extra vocal and extra active in this election because there is little doubt that the odds, money, and at this point a statistical majority of Americans favor the continued rule of our incombent (I think I just invented that word, and I hope its use spreads widely with the meaning an “incompetent person currently holding a position of power”) president.
The election will also particular difficult given that the economy seems to be getting back on its feet, and the crisis in Iraq may subside with the return of sovereignty. Bush will declare victory on several fronts. He will claim to have saved the economy, made the world safer, scared Libya into submission, made progress with North Korea, and that he has successfully protect America from further attacks following 9/11.
He has, of course, not saved the economy, made the world a more dangerous place, reaped the benefit of good timing on Libya, failed to make progress with North Korea, and fueled an ideological war against the United States which will extend to the next generation. Add to this his devastating record on the environment, the decaying secular foundations of the US at the hands of a fundamentalist religion at home, and the active pursuit of informal empire abroad and we have abundant reasons to put an end this regime.
The gap between the average American today and the views of both the average person in the developed and developing world (to use that infamous binary) is huge and cannot be bridged even by electing a pragmatic and more moderate politician like Dean. However, it is an important first step.
Update: With Dean’s disappointing results in Iowa and New Hampshire, I may have to eat my words. It will be a tough fight for him through the rest of the primaries. I’m afraid that any victory by Kerry, who I find to less than an ideal opponent for Bush, will mean the loss of much youthful energy and passion that this campaign has had up until now. I am still hoping Dean will pull through, and if he doesn’t, I hope that Clark’s campaign will stir into action.