Primaries, Reflections From 2004
For what its worth, I thought I’d make it a point to make more regular posts at least for my crazy finals prep week(s) It sort of allows a mental break from reading case law. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a few days advanced leave from work due to my trip going over the weekend. I usually plan to take some leave around this time of year months in advance, but it seems like more often than any extra time to prepare is welcomed.
Occasionally I browse past the archives of this journal to see what I was thinking, 6 months ago, one year ago, 4 years ago, etc. It’s pretty amazing how much I was following the primaries back in 2004, and how little I’ve written about them this year. It’s not that I haven’t been following them any less, more or less its because I think I’m a bit wiser or at least more cynical maybe about the entire process in general. I’ve already been following a candidate, for those who know me well enough, and have been watching the debates should know exactly who that person is. Back in 2004 I was following Howard Dean’s run at the Democratic nomination and was pretty disappointed when and especially how he fell behind the eventual nominee John Kerry. The fall of Dean really spoke to me about the power of the media to phrase and showcase a candidate’s strengths and flaws. I remember hearing the “Dean Scream” and not thinking much of it until it was blasted all over the TV as indicative of his un-electability.
This time around the candidate that I’m supporting speaks to a lot of beliefs and opinions that I’ve held ever since I was very young, but couldn’t quite identify them fully, mostly due to the black/white blue-state/red-state, good/evil mentality that live in today. I’d say that since 2004 I’ve had kind of a gradual revelation of sorts driven by working in the real world, some self reflection/observation and just keeping an eye on the events around the world. I also think my decision to study the law has a big thing to do with it as well. Some of the things that I’ve realized especially in this past year are illustrative to the conversations and occasional differences in philosophy I may have had with a certain student organization I was invested in college, late night debates with my fellow La Follette classmates, and more recently, employee groups at work. Even as far back as high school and grade school I think some of these beliefs were at work and I didn’t even know it.
Short disclaimer, for what its worth, I’m not endorsing a vote for any candidate for president, as far as I’m concerned you all can and should vote for however you feel is best person for the job. I do urge that you take the time to research the candidates out and make an educated choice, as hard as it is to see through the spin and sound bites and propaganda that is what we now call the main stream media, just exercise some of that free thinking ability that we all have as human beings. With the uncertainty that the country is facing in these upcoming 4-8 years, I think this last primary push and convention season leading up to November will be a very important one.
Looking back to my political compass and mindset from the last presidential election a couple things haven’t changed at all. I’m still looking for a truly anti-war candidate, pro-civil liberties, and pro-fiscal responsibility and pro-social responsibility. What has changed since 2004 is my opinion on the way to achieve populist goals, and to what extent the “noise” in the political discussion has confused us to which party or which ideology promotes the values that I believe in. Sometimes its better to keep a healthy level of skepticism whenever ideas are reduced to sound bites and one-liners. The party who speaks about limited government in actuality becomes the big government spenders, the party of civil liberties becomes the party of pro-war party, and the party of warrant-less domestic spying.