Dean Comes Third

The Iowa Caucusses result could have been better. Kerry - of whom I have a pretty poor opinion (he's pro Iraq war; he does have a semi-decent platform on healthcare, the environment and education - but it reeks of 'pie in the sky' vision, lacking any real detail) came first, and Edwards (a 'help the middle class' economic policy, one free year of college tuition, pro-war/patriot act, and with such a piddly little healthcare reform policy that it might as well not exist) came second. Dean, probably because he's a leftist with vision, came third by quite a large margin. He's not out of the race, but if he doesn't do better in New Hampshire then he may well be. :-(

What's really interesting is looking at the statistics of who voted for whom. Iowa Men love Kerry, while women tended towards Edwards. Dean had a lot of the younger voters, of both genders. Unfortunately for Dean, this powerbase may cost him the race: young people in America are apathetic in the extreme. Dean mobilised a pretty impressive number of people in Iowa (as Caucusses go - taking 2+ hours to vote in public is ridiculous, and might put anyone who has a job off voting!), but it wasn't enough. Lets hope that New Hampshire goes better.
Mood: worried
Music: Construction workers

Iowa Caucusses

Today is the Iowa Caucusses, the first stage in deciding the Democratic candidate for the next Presidential election. My favourite candidate is Howard Dean, whom Zogby polling shows to be in second place (but is apparently doing well in early exit polling). My hope is that (a) a lot of people will vote (this country really needs a population who are ready to get off of their apathetic behinds!), and (b) Dean will get the candidacy. If (b) fails, I hope that his grass-roots movement finally makes it clear to young Americans what us PoliSci geeks have known all along: the only way to exact change is to get out, vote, and make your dissaffection known publically.

Time to do some work.
Mood: relaxed
Music: None

Mister Frodo, It Would Seem You Have Been Living Two Lives

Congratulations! You're Elrond!


Which Lord of the Rings character and personality problem are you?
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Mood: sick
Music: Steve!