JOE . . . JUST GO AWAY PLEASE
An alert TFM reader whose initials grace this site every day has brought to my attention that I have yet to opine on the impending presidential candidacy of Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman (D-sorta). When I did my "huzzah!" story on the decision made by Tom Daschle not to run, my run-down of remaining potential candidates failed to include Holy Joe.
A glaring omission? I suppose. But perhaps it was a look into my subconscious.
My opinion of a Lieberman candidacy, in one word? Take it away, Commander:
First of all, on a superficial level, he's not telegenic, and his voice makes me want to stretch out on the couch and take a nap. He's "droopy", if that makes sense.
More importantly, the guy should be licking Fred Flinstone. Meaning, he's a DINO (democrat in name only). He's been sucking up to Bush on almost every occasion, on Iraq, taxes, prescription drugs, and many other issues as well. His constituency, of course, is Connecticut, home of Hartford, the "insurance capital of the world", and this must inform his politics just a wee bit. He's also a darling of Fox News, what should that tell us? In the 2000 vice presidential debate, he sometimes positioned himself to the right of Dick friggin Cheney on some social issues, particularly on gay rights, which annoyed me significantly.
On the religion thing: I'm not sure. Conservatives complained that he got a "free pass" from the media for his very public piousness (the sort of piousness conservative Christians think the media shits on). As a humanist agnostic, I must admit, I would nearly lose my lunch when Holy Joe would put his faith front and center. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with anyone of any faith becoming president (with exceptions of maybe snake-handlers and scientologists). However, I do have serious issues about fortifying the separation of church and state (Dubya's welfare speech today certainly doesn't help), and Liebermans Tipper/Lynne-esque moralizing on the likes of Eminem, etc, doesn't inspire much confidence in my inner Tom Paine. And of course, is there a chance that a Lieberman administration would be more or less totally beholden to the interests of AIPAC? I'm not sure.
Some Democrats, whose work I have read, are threatening that if Lieberman wins the nomination, they will hold their noses and vote Republican across the board. I am in solidarity with those people, though I don't think I'd go that far in action, hehe.
Anyway, No Joe No!
One thing is for sure, though: By 2016, there will be at least one good liberal candidate out there.
An alert TFM reader whose initials grace this site every day has brought to my attention that I have yet to opine on the impending presidential candidacy of Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman (D-sorta). When I did my "huzzah!" story on the decision made by Tom Daschle not to run, my run-down of remaining potential candidates failed to include Holy Joe.
A glaring omission? I suppose. But perhaps it was a look into my subconscious.
My opinion of a Lieberman candidacy, in one word? Take it away, Commander:
"NO!"
First of all, on a superficial level, he's not telegenic, and his voice makes me want to stretch out on the couch and take a nap. He's "droopy", if that makes sense.
More importantly, the guy should be licking Fred Flinstone. Meaning, he's a DINO (democrat in name only). He's been sucking up to Bush on almost every occasion, on Iraq, taxes, prescription drugs, and many other issues as well. His constituency, of course, is Connecticut, home of Hartford, the "insurance capital of the world", and this must inform his politics just a wee bit. He's also a darling of Fox News, what should that tell us? In the 2000 vice presidential debate, he sometimes positioned himself to the right of Dick friggin Cheney on some social issues, particularly on gay rights, which annoyed me significantly.
On the religion thing: I'm not sure. Conservatives complained that he got a "free pass" from the media for his very public piousness (the sort of piousness conservative Christians think the media shits on). As a humanist agnostic, I must admit, I would nearly lose my lunch when Holy Joe would put his faith front and center. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with anyone of any faith becoming president (with exceptions of maybe snake-handlers and scientologists). However, I do have serious issues about fortifying the separation of church and state (Dubya's welfare speech today certainly doesn't help), and Liebermans Tipper/Lynne-esque moralizing on the likes of Eminem, etc, doesn't inspire much confidence in my inner Tom Paine. And of course, is there a chance that a Lieberman administration would be more or less totally beholden to the interests of AIPAC? I'm not sure.
Some Democrats, whose work I have read, are threatening that if Lieberman wins the nomination, they will hold their noses and vote Republican across the board. I am in solidarity with those people, though I don't think I'd go that far in action, hehe.
Anyway, No Joe No!
One thing is for sure, though: By 2016, there will be at least one good liberal candidate out there.
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