I love Dan’s questions, and I agree that the Democratic candidates should answer them also.

I have different name for what you described as “what it would be like to live in a well-functioning democracy full of concerned citizens who educate themselves instead of being led around like a bunch of idiotic sheep….” I’ve called it the “idea race,” as in who’s ahead in addressing the major issues that confront us as a nation and that will confront the next president?

Here’s what I wrote about it back in June. As far as I can tell it had zero effect; however the DLC did create an “ideas primary” blog, and that phrase made it into Time’s Swampland once.

This was my stab at a workable compromise with “who’s ahead?” The Idea Race— but with live rankings. Today ingenuity, leg work and good judgment are required to say who’s doing the best in meeting the test of presidential seriousness around the health care mess. (And who’s in second place.) Persistence is required to maintain and revise the grid as new information comes in….

In idea race coverage [you would] focus on what the candidates are doing, saying and suggesting about, say, poverty (rural and urban, domestic and global) regardless of whether they and their consultants plan to focus on it. Then you rank them 1-12 and explain how you did it in an FAQ. If the campaigns squawk there will be another ranking in a month. Keep improving the way you come up with the rankings and you got yourselves a little election-year franchise.

I still think the idea race could work as a pattern shifter for the mainstream press precisely because it is not a big departure but a marginal improvement in the old master narrative— an incremental fix, which may be all the legacy media can handle at the moment.

But the horse race goes on.

Missed your amazing ability to keep us front and center on pending legislation and your cogent insight on the rule of law.

Yeah! Christy is back!

Three months ago, in Georgetown, S.C., John Edwards said that on his first day in office, he would begin the process of closing down the prison at Guantanamo.

Works for me.

and “put up”,

“outside” and “inside”,

“settling”,

“must”,

“control”,

. . .

whu? no wine?

plowshares or swords at 20 paces? [starts running]

*sigh*

So glad to see you back. I’ve missed your posts.

I’d love to see candidates answer some really tough questions this year but I think they would just weave and bob around a non-answer. MSM having wandered off into nothingness certainly won’t help clarify the issues.

I’m stuck anyway… My primary is in May so no matter who I support, it’s over by them. I’m certainly not voting for a Republican. So that leaves an Independant or Democrat. Hmmmm…Depends on the Independent and if they aren’t catching fire enough to win then I don’t think I can squander my vote and let the Republicans win (or take) another Presidency. I’m looking at the Supreme Court and Judiciary as part of the prize.

If we put up with what they give us, that is what we will get. We must demand loud and clear no more!! That includes voting for candidates that do not use negative ads, or feigns sorrow when their employees use unacceptable methods. If you can not control a campaign how will you control a whole Branch of Governemnt.

We need to stop settling for weak excuses. Bush claiming surprise at the levee breaking in New Orleans and Hillary saying if I knew then about Iraq. Not good enough for someone who is or wants to be President or any other office.

The true “Holy Grail” held water. So must our candidates. So must we.

I can’t watch the box any longer because I am confused about the medication for but itch that is also unusable due to it’s having something to do with a living breathing talking head…..
let’s hope it gets so nasty and annoying that americans will vote for the independent candidate, clue;
you can be my bodyguard, I can be your long lost pal

pretty good at treading water here, but DANGed impatient.

the misery index is well nigh intolerable in this poor old world…

Sonny here used to help with set-up, providing TLC & snacks, & play in Akron OH’s glorious TubaChristmas celebriations.

Good for what ails ya. Everyone should find a nearby TubaChristmas to enjoy.

No charge. The players pay a small fee to join in.

The audience sings along, and marvels at how the floor vibrates when hundreds of the mighty beasts toot their stuff. ;->

I would ask them all:

Will you abolish Blackwater’s operations worldwide, as a matter of principal; or will you continue this Administrations enabling of a private army arising out of political bias and supported by taxpayers’ money???

Would you ever use a company such as Blackwater to aid in security matters involving situations of citizen unrest or during emergencies, i.e., turning the private military on the very citizens whose taxpayer money supports them, and if not supported by taxpayer money, turning them on the citizens nonetheless?