Each Presidential primary debate is a chance for the candidates to rise above the petty politics that has become standard fare. After watching both the Republican debate, where I was completely wowed by Ron Paul, and the Democratic debate, where I was completely wowed by no one in particular, I have to say many politicians continue to fall short of the mark. Slinging mud at each other instead of debating issues and letting us know who would best represent us on the issues is just so yesterday, especially in this day and age of the Internet.
Television reshaped politics once before, creating an arena where appearances became important, and facial gestures and mannerisms became tells, alerting the public to insincerity and deceit. It also made politics an arena where looks mattered, as Nixon and Kennedy found out in that first televised debate so long ago. America: we are a deeply shallow people. Now the Internet is reshaping politics again, allowing us to receive minute by minute fact checking and public opinion on each candidate. If the Internet keeps chugging along like this, we may be able to end up with the most informed voting public we’ve ever had this election.
Last night’s debate in New Hampshire did more to cement my Libertarian support for Ron Paul than anything else could have done. I truly hope he wins the nomination. Even though I am a registered Libertarian, I may go re-register as a Republican just so I can cast my vote for him. I dislike the Republicans intensely, but he has a Libertarian voting record, and is running under the Republican ticket where he can get support. If he keeps up his Libertarian roots in the face of what will be the Republican special interest onslaught if he wins, he has my vote.
The most likely to get my vote on the Democratic side, assuming Ron Paul’s immense grass roots support isn’t enough to carry him? Mike Gravel. He did not shine like I’d hoped he would in last night’s debate, but he remains the candidate most like me on the issues, at least on the democratic side. Not as like me as Ron Paul, but close. If he could just stop falling for the mud slinging, cat fighting, crap that goes on in the debates!
I wonder if we could get Ron Paul and Mike Gravel to run together on a Paul / Gravel ticket? I think Gravel would make an excellent Vice President, and I’d love to see a first-ever two party ticket. They probably wouldn’t do it, but wouldn’t it be history making if they did? I’d certainly vote for that!
All I know for sure is that Hilary Clinton, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney and Rudy Guiliani? Do not have my vote.
Tags: democratic debate, republican debate, new hampshire primary, ron paul, mike gravel, hilary clinton, barack obama, rudy giuliani, mitt romney
Technorati Tags: democratic debate, republican debate, new hampshire primary, ron paul, mike gravel, hilary clinton, barack obama, rudy giuliani, mitt romney
