Early Campus Presence

Tucson, Arizona. I spend a fair amount of time on the University of Arizona campus, and I look around, noticing more than just the Lolitas. Based on the limited sampling of my treks to various buildings and the student union, the very early campus presence of candidates for the 2008 election falls to three candidates and only three.


1. Ron Paul - a very strong first. Stickers all over.
2. Barack Obama - Flyers have been posted to organize meetings with volunteers and local supporters.

The third came as a surprise.

3. Derek Tidball - Independent candidate for AZ Congressional District 8. Derek has posted papers soliciting volunteers and perhaps paid staff, the sheet of paper with the tear off contact information slips at the bottom.

Regarding any other candidate for anything, I have not seen a thing, and no criticism is intended. Bee can't post until he announces. Giffords has higher priorities at this stage, and Grijalva doesn't have to know where the campus is. For state races, it's just too early.

I've not seen any articles, but I wonder what the Hillary machine is doing regarding the college crowd across the country. By no means scientific, my radar smells a strong desire for change.

Change means Ron Paul for the GOP and Barack Obama for the Democrats. In this blogger's opinion, Ron Paul has zero chance of landing the nomination, and Barack has about twice those odds.

My confidence in Giuliani is slipping, but if not him, who? A President Huckabee defies linguistic metaphysics, and it can't be Romney. It just can't. The guy listed Battlefield Earth as a favorite, stated that marriages in France come with seven year exit clauses (France is Catholic), claimed to be a lifelong hunter after shooting some rats, and thinks Jesus is coming to Missouri. Thompson? Please.

Wait a minute. What am I thinking? Look who we have in the White House now!!

Never mind.

The United States could elect an aardvark. GW Bush is the precise embodiment of the Greek criticism of democracy thousands of years ago. Way back then, their intellectuals surmised that the teaming masses could be manipulated into electing whomever the manipulators designated, officials controlled by those who truly control. Renegade President "Let them enforce it!" Jackson was a preview full of interesting historical ironies, a man who won the most votes in 1824 but saw the election handed to his opponent (Adams). Jackson made himself in an early life of considerable hardship and poverty. They are opposites and the same. A good historian could write a book.

Now we have Eggplant, someone who has never bought or prepared his own food, a bravado Texas man who (truth be revealed) is terrified of horses. Doesn't that just capture it?

Perhaps our elections are not really elections. Perhaps we merely witness herds of sheep in competing stampedes steered with money and the media it controls.