Partisan politics gives me agita, so if not for a media buddy dragging me there, I never would have gone.
And yet I was riveted watching seven out of nine Democratic presidential aspirants take their show on the road last Monday night, shamelessly playing to a packed house of staunch unionists from all over America.
Show-and-Tell meets Pick-Me-Me-Me!
Lieberman was there, and Kerry, and Dean, and Kucinich, and Sharpton, and Moseley-Braun, and Gephardt. Edwards and Graham were no-shows. And yet, truly the most presidential person onstage at the 2004 Democratic Presidential Candidates Town Meeting on Aug. 11 was the terrific moderator, political pundit (and WND’s own) Bill Press – which is sad commentary on the current decline of the Demon-O-Craps.
No, I’m not a Republican, either!
The forum, co-sponsored by the Sheet Metal Workers International, a trade union, was themed, “Working Americans want solutions, not promises,” and televised live from Philly’s impressive new National Constitution Center near the Liberty Bell. This time, unlike July 4, nothing fell from the stage set to nearly decapitate any of the notables.
Onstage, the Dems seem clueless the country’s been stolen right out from under them. They’re still not playing hardball. They didn’t mention impeachment. They seem curiously unaware how difficult it might be to wrest control away from the slick cabal of government hijackers running – or is it ruining – our country. Many of them seemed to say the right thing about domestic issues, like taxes and health care, but at the wrong time. None of them really grasp global realities. And, mostly, their responses blatantly pander to the rank-and-file studio audience. Kinda whorish, no?
Questions during the telecast were not permitted from journalists, though over a hundred were seated in the hall – yes, to the far left of the studio audience. Amazing, the voluntary muzzling of the press, captives to an evening of entertainment, er, sorry, politics.
Intermittently, although typed questions were read from the audience by sheet-metal workers’ union members, it turns out the questions were written by the TV show’s producers. Like most “spontaneous” events in America, it was all staged, really – little was left to happenstance.
So far, Howard Dean, M.D., the former Vermont governor, is this year’s self-anointed cult darling, an aristocrat-masquerading-as-a-commoner, with canny credentials. This political realist boasts he’s the only one who ran a balanced budget, got folks health care and stood up for gay marriage. Amazingly, he’s not the smartest or the best on his feet at this forum. Nor did his voice ring with memorable resonance. But he had the most certitude and was convinced his pragmatic experience equipped him totally for running this country.
I admire Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich for his deeply held views on peace and non-violence – I suspect he’d probably be our first vegetarian president. He’s sharp and sincere and impassioned. While personally and privately I applaud his views – and think he is a great human being for being so decent and focused on peace – I don’t think he has the force or stature to govern a nation or sufficient expertise at statecraft. But I adore him and wish he could win.
Smartest and funniest and most alert and responsive of the lot – though you’ll probably never read this anywhere else, especially in a mainstream newspaper – was the Rev. Al Sharpton, whose rabblerousing reputation might preclude higher political ambitions. What a brilliant guy with a thorough grasp of the proceedings, an incredible sense of humor, and an overarching mind.
Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut was the sleaziest – practically a Republican. He comes across as the kind of person who’d sell his kid’s pet hamster for a vote.
At times Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts was eloquent and persuasive, but then he’d stick a useless reference in about his military service, which he usually does, as if it means something patriotic.
Ambassador Carol Moseley-Braun would be a sensible choice for vice president, if she can stop playing the Woman Card and concentrate on issues.
Something keeps Congressman Richard Gephardt of Missouri from ever cracking a smile – is it a facelift? For a moment or two, he’s on target, but then something creepy and reanimated takes over. Other times, he’s whiny and annoying and excessively self-referential. He even plays the Bad Disease Sympathy Card, mentioning how his child got cured of cancer at age 2. You’re glad, but you want to shake him for needlessly exposing his son for the sake of winning an election.
After observing this spotty, uneven crew, I’m tempted to suggest unless Gen. Wesley Clark gets drafted, maybe it’s time for folks to give over the reins of this government to Al as prez and Carol as veep. Let’s elect them for a term or two. That should shake things up.
Well, it sure was an edifying evening, and they even let us have these really neat commemorative key-chains when we left. I’m considering unloading mine on e-Bay.
Servile Biden-puffing ‘journalists’ loyal to the end
Tim Graham