Professor Kim asks the proverbial question, what would it take to get your vote. I'm taking it to the extreme and specific - what would it take for a Democrat Presidential candidate to get my vote?
First of all, he'd probably have to be somebody I've never heard of but was suddenly impressed with. That would be someone like Tom Harkin when he ran in 92. (I supported Brown in 92 because I never trusted Clinton).
Second, he'd likely have to be a Governor or perhaps a Federal Judge but more likely a head of one of the large civilian agencies. They'd have to understand how to get things done in government.
Thirdly, he'd have to triangulate and say so up front. He would have to have a series.. a long and intense series of Sistah Souljah moments in which he made it clear that he had no place for creeping socialism or international unionism in his party. In fact, he'd have to infuriate the radical Left so much that groups like International ANSWER would feel like they have been kicked to the curb, that they'd seriously have to look at people like Leonora Fulani and the Greens in order to participate.
I'd consider voting for a Red White and Blue party of the non-college educated Second World, bootstraps, Budweiser drinking family man.
Fourthly, he'd have to wear a moustache. Just like a fireman or a cop.
Fifthly, he'd have to be a huge sports fan who could go toe to toe with any newscaster on the air. Preferably football, but baseball or hockey would do. Basketball.
He'd have to be an unabashed macho kind of dude who is smart because he had to make things work, not because he had his pick of tutors and Ivy League schools. He would have to have a kick ass attitude and a fairly hot looking wife. He should have a son who is taller than him who is in the Armed Forces or plays football.
In fact, I know who I would vote for: Frank DeFord. Or somebody who reminds me of Ed Harris. Any other Democrat.. all they could do for me is follow the Republican party line and fix me a sandwich.
On policy, he'd have to be ready to tangle with the insurance industry and force open pricing and commodity health care. He'd have to forget any plan that tries to deliver anything but Second World health care to working families who get none today. No social revolution, just common sense.
He'd have to be an America first geopolitical hawk with no stupid conspiracy theories against corporations nor airy fairy notions about the UN's role in world affairs. He'd have to build the Southern Wall, and be able to convince Republicans to sign on to any regularization package.
He'd have to tell everybody who flunks out of school, tough tomatoes; and he'd have to know how to spell.
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