March 23, 2004

The Amazon primary, as of March 23

Since February 3, John Kerry has collected $76,742 in the Amazon primary, while George W. Bush has collected $20,221.

Since March 13, the Kerry advantage has been $21,441 to $2,013.

Posted by Steve at 09:18 PM

March 15, 2004

Wallace by Marshall Frady

I recently read Wallace, a biography of George Wallace written by Marshall Frady (who died earlier this month). My two main reactions:

1. What a hatchet job...
2. ...but it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.
Posted by Steve at 06:59 PM

March 13, 2004

The Amazon primary, as of March 13

Since February 3, John Kerry has collected $55,301 in the Amazon primary, while George W. Bush has collected $18,208.

Since February 24, the Kerry advantage has been $38,847 to $6,120.

Posted by Steve at 06:50 PM

One explanation for the Bush campaign's recent slump

According to 18th-century American politician Fisher Ames:

A monarchy is a merchantman which sails well, but will sometimes strike on a rock, and go to the bottom; a republic is a raft which will never sink, but then your feet are always wet.

 
When a political party is dominated by people who obediently follow orders, it can fade fast when the order-givers blunder.

Posted by Steve at 06:27 PM | Comments (3)

March 07, 2004

Ralph Nader: Not the first vanity candidate

In the last 50 years, several Presidential candidates who had been liberal or Left darlings during their serious runs for the office have been unable to resist going on to make a final vanity run that upsets and divides their erstwhile supporters.

Adlai Stevenson sought the Democratic nomination in 1960, and was predictably squashed at the Democratic National Convention by John F. Kennedy.

Eugene McCarthy ran as an independent in 1976, and finished about 38 million votes behind second-place Jerry Ford.

George McGovern sought the Democratic nomination in 1984, dropping out after finally losing Massachusetts.

And now Nader.

(Props to Jesse Jackson, who resisted the temptation to seek the party nomination in 1992.)

Posted by Steve at 11:24 AM