Surprise Elimination

Gee, the process of picking a Presidential candidate makes me feel like I'm on Joe Millionaire. Anyway, in a decision which really surprises me considering how I felt here and here, I have decided that I will not be voting for Dick Gephardt in the 2004 Democratic primaries. I like Gephardt a lot. I think he's much more authentic than people give him credit for, and that the way congressional seats are currently set up it's hard for to generate major swings as far as which party has control. We have the same major areas of concern as far as issues go, his interest groups are my interest groups, and in this campaign's flagship issue of foreign policy he combines the key element of experience with overall positions I generally support. The problem? He's wrong too much, and seems out of touch with the latest ideas. I saw him on TV yesterday, and he was talking about how he's learned from the mistakes he's made, which caused me to realize just how many there were. This may be why even though I said a year ago I wanted Gephardt in the Presidential race, he still hasn't locked down my vote. So, in a decision I really feel strange about, I thank him for a good career in Congress fighting for the working people of America, but feel that for the nation's highest office, I must look elsewhere. It's now down to Wesley Clark and Howard Dean.

(And yes, I'm frustrated that both Anique and Petra got eliminated tonight.)