July 26, 2007 Issue

Being a big fan of Netflix and handicapped as I am (not) by failing to subscribe to cable, I watch a lot of movies I otherwise might not. Over the weekend, I watched Man of the Year with Robin Williams about how a comedian is elected president of the United States. In this case it was through computer error, but as a candidate, the comedian had lots of sensible stuff to say.

As we sit about 15 months from another presidential election in this country, it is somewhat comforting to realize that between the two parties, some 21 people have come forth to say they think they are qualified to lead this nation. As I looked over the list, I couldn’t get all that enthusiastic about any of them and that’s a shame. It seems my entire life as a voter as been to select the candidate I thought would do the least damage.

My first presidential election was in 1968, when my choices were Richard Nixon or Hubert Humphrey. It’s a wonder I bother to vote at all, but I soldier on in the hope that one of these years there will be a shining star. I am not ashamed to admit I voted for Bill Clinton, twice. His election is the only one in which I backed the winning candidate. Sadly, Clinton somewhat tarnished the office, but his sexual misconduct aside, I think he was an effective president and one who connected with the people.

I vote the candidate rather than the party and since I’m not affiliated with a party, I cannot even participate in primary elections in Florida, which I find wrong. It is not a true indication of any state’s preference if non-affiliated voters are not counted in the mix. There are a lot of us and we can make the difference between a winning and losing candidate. Looking over the frontrunners currently vying for attention, this is my assessment of some of them.

Barack Obama: He’s raised a lot of money from regular people. He’s too new to politics to be totally corrupted and to those who say he has no experience, I say look at who’s in the White House now. He’s eloquently casual, appears comfortable in front of people and isn’t afraid to admit he has a lot to learn. A lot of talk has addressed how Obama is afraid of being viewed as “too” black. Say what? He is black. Is convicted ex-con Snoop Dogg going to be sleeping in the Lincoln Bedroom? I don’t think so.

John McCain: If he had gotten the nomination in 2000, I would have voted for him. Instead the Bush dirty tricksters derailed his campaign and since then he has sucked up to the prevailing power, which is not my idea of a freethinking maverick who can make some changes. His insistence on remaining in Iraq is mystifying. As a former soldier, he, more than any other candidate, should know we need to cut our losses and quit bleeding money and young people’s lives. When those in power in Iraq say they can do without us, why on earth should we stay even one more day?

Hilary Clinton: Eminently qualified, but stiff as a board. Also, I think her husband is her greatest liability. When he’s around, she’s invisible.

Rudy Giuliani: I don’t know about you, but if I have to hear about 9/11 for another four years I will blow myself up. His handling of a crisis in his city is his only trump card and it’s not enough to lead an entire country.

Fred Thompson: A really good actor, a lawyer, and a one-term senator. He gets his pension and perks for life. He might be OK. He has more on the ball than the last actor we elected to the highest office in the land and he has a trophy wife to boot.

John Edwards: Terrific orator, great looking (never a liability in this TV age) and he was poor once! Clearly he was poor so long ago that paying $400 for a haircut doesn’t make him sick. It makes me sick. It is just hair and no haircut is worth $400. It is the only thing people will remember about him since he can’t seem to spell out a plan for universal health care or a way to ease or eradicate abject poverty and hungry children, about whom he can wax eloquently.

We’ve still got a lot of time until the election. Maybe a shining star will lead us to the correct conclusion.

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