So You're Electable: That Don't Impress Me Much

It is rare that I am inspired by Shania Twain, but the song "That Don't Impress Me Much" reminded me:

"I've known a few [candidates] who thought they were pretty smart
But you've got being right down to an art
You think you're a genius-you drive me up the wall
You're a regular original, a know-it-all
Oh-oo-oh, you think you're special
Oh-oo-oh, you think you're something else

Okay, so what do you think you're Elvis or something...
Whatever
That don't impress me much."

So a request to all candidates: Please stop saying you are the most electable. Don't send me a another piece of mail with that phrase on it and don't have someone call me and tell me the same.

Okay, I get it. You have the experience, the ideas, the support, the ... (fill in the blank).

But here's the deal. I (and all the other caucus goers)get to decide who is most electable by --gasp--caucusing for the candidate I think is the most electable. Therefore, it is a waste of your time and mine for you to tell me you are the most electable.

As my neighbors to the south of Iowa say "show me." Tell me about the positions that I care about. Tell me about your plans to replace fossil fuel with renewable energy, how you will combat global warming, how you will make it possible for people to afford daycare, keep our jobs, or to improve education. Tell me how you are going to make it possible for everyone to have a safe place and a affordable home. Tell me about your plans not only about stopping this war, but how you intend to prevent future ones. Tell me how you are going to knock down the national debt so our great-grandchildren are not working 14 hours a day to pay it off.

Break away from your stump speech and do nothing but answer questions from your audiences. Now is the time we want to know about the issues we care about.

Make it less about you and more about us.

In 2004, we bought the myth that John Kerry was the most electable candidate and 49% of us were right.

We won't be happy with anything less than 50.1% this time.

In 2008, I hope that people will take into account all of the things that they believe are important and choose the candidate that best fits the shoes (be they loafers or pumps).