Almost Famous
So I was on national cable TV this weekend... and I never even knew it. While I was sitting in a local coffee shop giving my alumni interviews, John Kerry's daughter came through with a news camera, with a slightly more smiley equivalent of "shaking hands and kissing babies." Well, she came up to us, introduced herself and asked for my vote. I sternly told her that I had committed to another candidate. At the time I sort of dismissed the camera. Well, one of my officemates told me that the footage ran on CSPAN this weekend. I'd urge you to flip it on in case they re-run any Madison campaign footage - but that would involve you watching CSPAN, and even I can't ask you to do that. So, as the saying goes - if a tree falls in the forest... so even if no one is around to see it, I was on TV.
Tomorrow is the big Wisconsin primary. I am campaigning in the afternoon and hope to get up ambitiously early to vote. Honestly, I watched the debates last night and old Howard wasn't at his sharpest. He seemed overly stiff and scripted and his persona didn't really resonate (but I will admit that Edwards and Kerry were sounding pretty eloquent, and at the same time, god bless you Rev. Al Sharpton for just existing and making politics fun again). Just the same, he's still got my vote and my support. This primary shouldn't be a landslide - and you have to back a candidate who actually takes a stand against BAD (albeit popular and *patriotic*) things, actually runs a campaign that doesn't reek of big money and corporate interests, and gives a shit about people under 30. So although he was toting a very scripted line last night... I am glad to lend a hand for old Doctor Dean in his hour of need. We'll see what tomorrow brings, but if you live anywhere near Wisconsin and need someone to vouch for you (this very loop-hole inducing Wisconsin law allows you to vote if you show up with a resident who claims you're "good people" basically). Today the town is fluttered with political posters and Dean was actually giving yet another rally near campus (this marks the third in two and a half weeks) - it's good to be excited about politics, and change, and activism. Again, this is all on a small scale for my practical purposes, but it's enough to get the old civic heart pumping, it's been too long.
posted by lmjasinski at 10:01 PM
