How ironic that Vilsack is out today. I just watched this wonderfully happy and fuzzy walk down memory lane about KosVegas (two members of this blog are in the video), and Vilsack was one of the politicians I enjoyed the most while there. He gave a very sensible speech on education, and I found myself thinking that while moderate, he sure sounded a heck of a lot better than literally any Republican I’d heard in a decade or more.
Vilsack would make a great Sec. of Education, and I hope Hilbama remembers that when they assume the throne.

Because really, Vilsack dropping out is yet another sign that the process of selecting our leaders isn’t really in our hands at all. On its face, a Vilsack run seems logical, and there isn’t really a reason why he shouldn’t be higher in the polls. He’s a Midwestern gov with a solid moderate’s track record, no huge scandals in his closet, and he looks good on TV. He’s white, Christian, straight, above average in income and vigorously mature. And yet- almost two years away from the election and he’s already decided that he has no chance.

Lambert has already retired from the primaries reporting field, and it’s hard not to blame him. Your media, and their masters in the top .5% income bracket, have already decided who you will get to “vote” for. It’s sickening, especially in the light of watching that video, and remembering all the positive, democratic energy in all those rooms for all those days. People truly want to be part of the process, and the gatekeepers are doing everything they can to ensure that the process will be little more than choosing between flavors of the same thing, without real discussion or debate, based on pre-approved “issues” that are designed not to offend the greatest number while at the same time accomplishing the least. Blah. I’m in a good mood today, so I’m not going to rant.

But no matter what you may think of Vilsack, it’s a bad sign that at this rate, we’ll be down to three candidates by summer, long months before the first primary voter has a chance to pull a level. Democracy will only return to us after a very hard fight, which includes throwing down with some of our “own.”