Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried. — Winston Churchill
With the 2008 Presidential primaries (finally) beginning, I get the feeling that only the most rabid political animals are not sick to death of this election. Can’t we just cut to the chase and skip the primaries? Does anyone need until November to decide? Aren’t we just inviting the emergence of wack-job Third Party candidates to further confuse the political process with their vanity candidancies? Isn’t this whole prolonged election process just a scheme to sell newspapers, magazines, and advertisements?
Ah, I’m sorry. Perhaps you came to my website to take refuge from politics, hoping that I’m still high on my recent trip to France to prattle about anything else. Well, too bad, because my babbling can traverse multiple subjects at once. When I was in France, the subject of the US Presidential race came up more than once. French people are keen on keeping up on international affairs. In fact, it’s a Gallic badge of honor to be able to convincingly bitch, moan, and pillor any elected politician on Earth.
America wasn’t founded so that we could all be better. America was founded so we could all be anything we damn well please. — P.J. O’Rourke
The French are a tactful, private people who do not share the American proclivity to be open about every detail of their life, so I was not asked directly about which candidate I supported, nor did I readily come out and declare it. Instead, I rolled my eyes when any Republican was mentioned and amused everyone by explaining what a Huckabee is. After ten minutes of polite evasion, I finally came clean: “Hillary’s great, but when Barack Obama speaks, he reminds me of John F. Kennedy. There’s never been an American president like him in my lifetime. I don’t know how I could not support Obama.”
The floodgates were open, and that fiery French passion for contention poured forth. “You do not like Hillary’s ideas about universal health care? You not want to see a woman as President? You do not like Bill Clinton? You do not think she is capable and experienced?” The problem is, I would say “yes, yes, yes, and yes” to all of Hillary’s advantages. Like most Democrats, I do like Hillary, and I wouldn’t be upset if she was elected. Hillary’s a peach, but I guess it all comes back to that political cliche: Change. And not that batshit insane Guliani kind of change.
Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country. — Franklin D. Roosevelt
