Friday, October 31, 2003

la politique

From Drudge:

Latest poll testing Hillary against the Dem field...

H. Clinton 43%
Clark 10
Lieberman 8
Gephardt 8
Kerry 7
Dean 7
Edwards 5
Sharpton 1
Braun 1
Kucinich 1
Undec. 10

--Source: QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY, conducted 10/23-27; 403 regis. Dems nationwide; margin of error of +/- 4.9%...


Maybe Andrew Sullivan is wrong, and the Dems' dream ticket isn't so much Dean-Clark, but Dean-Clinton...

I'll go on record and venture boldly that this would indeed be a silver bullet, but perhaps not of sufficient caliber to slay the Dems' GOP werewolf. I'll also agree with Sullivan that Bush-Rice would be a positive nightmare for Dems, if for no other reason than the race-plus-sex factors: can you imagine how many undecided-but-formerly-left-leaning voters might just pull for Rice, simply for who she is and the cultural leap forward her candidacy represents?

[NB to naysayers: I'm deliberately avoiding the nitty-gritty questions of Rice's qualifications and aptitude for the office of VP, but please know I'm not unaware of the issues; I'm focusing, for the moment, on the symbolic factors that will hold sway in much of the public consciousness. I will, however, note one fact: race and sex, as major issues, will be brought to the fore in a way they never have been before (I don't think Ferraro counts, personally). Rice's possible candidature would represent a momentous opportunity for the entire nation to explore its own feelings, noble and ugly, about race and sex-- especially race. While this in itself isn't a good reason to pick Rice as a running mate, it's certainly not something we can ignore as a nation and a culture.]

Besides, Rice is more likely to live to the end of her term, as opposed to Cheney, who I think may already be dead and the object of a complex coverup to convince us he's still alive. Hats off to ILM for the amazing CGI work that renders Big Dick so lifelike.

Question: can Arnold Schwarzenegger run for VP? Heh.
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