I know the timing on this may be less than ideal. As painful and nasty as the primary wars have been, they've brought to the surface several important issues.  Yesterday, I spent a lot of time commenting on visions of the 50 state strategy, and how moving forward with such a strategy requires acknowledging that 1) we didn't have a 50 state strategy in 2000 or 2004, and that 2)maybe we should have.  Much of this discussion was obscured in the mud slinging that ensued, but perhaps that's inevitable.  I think general Democratic strategy is an important issue, and deserves to be discussed.

Another issue that's been obscured by the (perhaps understandable) anger of various candidates' supporters is what to do with special interest money.  What qualifies as a special interest?  Are, in fact, some 527s and 501 (c)s more equal than others?

I've been mulling over what I want to see in a Democratic presidential candidate, and ultimately in a President of the United States.  I think that it's clear that the country needs real leadership on almost every issue, foreign and domestic.  I imagine that everyone here agrees that we need a leader who will stand up for something other than the interests of the top .5% income earners in the country, a leader who will help restore America's image in the world, starting by getting us out of Iraq, a leader who will take responsibility for the country.

And then, there's the ever elusive "character".  To me, this is measured through actions, not campaign speeches.  So, looking at a candidate's past decisions, and stated positions on issues, I'll make a decision about who I thought would be able to face these known and unknown challenges in the best way. I think reasonable people can disagree on which candidate would do this best, but I think we can all agree that it is a characteristic one wants in a President.

Fine.  We're agreed.  But I think what we as a country really crave is somebody to lead a movement.

Ted Koppel wrote a very interesting Op-Ed piece in today's New York Times, entitled "Look What Democratic Reform Dragged In":
http://select.nytimes.com/...

It's behind the subscription barrier, alas.  His primary source is an unnamed Jordanian diplomat, and while roundly castigating the Bush administration for its many short-sighted actions (and consequent failures) in the Middle East, he comes to an interesting conclusion:

In his analysis, the implication that this decade may witness a precipitous American withdrawal from Iraq has begun to produce an inclination in the region toward appeasing Iran.

It is in Iraq, he told me, "where the United States and the coalition forces must confront the Iranians.'' He added, "You must build up your forces in Iraq and you must announce your intention to stay."

More on the flip...

I received an email today from Barack Obama's office with the text of his closing speech at the Take Back America conference last week.  I searched for it on here, and couldn't find it diaried among the tags.  I think the posts we've had riffing on the "Had Enough" theme have been marvelous, but why haven't we been talking about this speech?  Here's a politician who has done it for us.

A teaser:

The idea that some problems are just too big to handle, and if you just ignore them, sooner or later, they'll go away.
That if you give a speech where you rattle off statistics about the stock market being up and orders for durable goods being on the rise, no one will notice the single mom whose two jobs won't pay the bills or the student who can't afford his college dreams.
That if you say the words "plan for victory" and point to the number of schools painted and roads paved and cell phones used in Iraq, no one will notice the nearly 2,500 flag-draped coffins that have arrived at Dover Air Force base.
Well it's time we finally said we notice, and we care, and we're not gonna settle anymore.

Full text after the fold...

I received this in an email today from a loony conservative friend.  Now, none of this is "sourced" but I would LOVE to be able to answer her with pictures, and facts from real sources.   Here's a few, all below the fold:
Did you know that the Iraqi Police Service has over 55,000 fully trained
>and equipped police officers?

>Did you know that 96% of Iraqi children under the age of 5 have received
>the first 2 series of polio vaccinations?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I may be the only person who feels this way, but I was THRILLED to watch the challenge on CSPAN and CSPAN2 yesterday.  I should also say that I am not among those who feel like those Senators and Representatives who voted against the objections were sellouts or failures.  

So, why did I enjoy it so much?  Because it was an example of our democracy in action, and it gave me the opportunity to scrutinize Representatives and Senators speaking on issues I feel very strongly about.

So, my question is, where to from here?  What did I/we learn from this process?  And what can we take into the future, specifically the midterms in 2006?

I did a search for this, and didn't find it posted here.  My apologies if I missed it.  

 From yesterday's New York Times:

When Weakness is a Strength
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/26/opinion/26roach.html?oref=login

In summary, the article details reasons why a weakening dollar is good for the US.  This raises several interesting questions for me, in light of the recent discussions about the economic health of the US.  First of all, Stephen Roach is the Morgan Stanley analyst who said last week that there was an economic Armageddon on its way, and the US had a 10% chance of surviving unscathed.

David Shuster on Hardblogger today did the math for Ohio:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5445086/
He comes up with Kerry 3000 votes short.  But he forgot a little something...

Here's my email to him (which is quite civil compared to yesterday's entitled "Shuster's Empty Promise"):

Dear Mr. Shuster,

In your blog this evening, you neglected to mention that the 138,000 vote lead that President Bush currently holds over Senator Kerry in Ohio includes the nearly 4,000 extra votes he received in Gahanna (where only some 600 people voted).  Those won't be subtracted from the total until the official count.

So, with your math, John Kerry's 3000 vote deficit, would become an approximately 1000 vote lead.  Hail to the Chief.

Sincerely,
Chicago Lulu

I'm writing this diary to send out congratulations and thanks to all you bloggers who are helping look into election irregularities.

With all the naysaying and nitpicking, I'd like to step up and congratulate everybody for our success.

Success? Yes.  David Cobb and Michael Badnarik are raising money for an Ohio recount (and will likely get there), Ralph Nader has called for, and will get, a recount in New Hampshire, and Bev Harris and her crew are headed to Florida.

  http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/111304Y.shtml
Worst Voter Error Is Apathy toward Irregularities
    By Donna Britt
    The Washington Post

    Friday 12 November 2004

    Is anyone surprised that accusations of voter disenfranchisement and irregularities abound after the most passionately contested presidential campaign in memory? Is anybody stunned that the mainstream media appear largely unconcerned?

    To many people's thinking, too few citizens were discouraged from voting to matter. Those people would suggest that not nearly enough votes for John Kerry were missed or siphoned away to overturn President Bush's win. To which I'd respond:

    Excuse me -- I thought this was America.

   
  

This is my first diary- and it's possible that at the end of the 350 odd posts on Dean in the recommended diary there's a post about his speech, and if there is, I'm sorry!

He affirmed what most of us have been saying here- that one does not win elections by being Republican lite, and that we have to stand up for what we believe in.  

I was not a Deaniac during the primary season; Barack Obama was the focus of my attention then, and was responsible for my re-involvement in politics.  I still feel that Dean has certain impulse control issues that hurt him as a candidate- but I think he would make a MARVELOUS DNC chair.