i don't s'pose i'm really what anybody would call "politically involved"

there was a gubernatorial election here a while back and the only thing that could really pique my interest with all that was taco bell's pseudo election that the democrats got all pissed about. (read about it here) i didn't vote in either election, and i'm pretty sure i feel worse about missing out on the taco bell election than i do about skipping the "real" election, i mean at that point i'd barely lived in california a year, i'd known taco bell my whole life.

in any case, there's another election coming up later this year and given my pretty solid distaste for national politics, or more specifically, the players in national politics, i'm not really thinking very seriously about voting, and as such who i'd vote for. i'd think about it if i could vote "none of the above," but i guess that's neither her nor there. anyways, yesterday i stumbled upon this site, which is sort of a lil deal that asks you some questions about your opinion on different policy issues and uses an algorithm to tell you which candidate best fits your ideology.

it was illuminating, not necesarily educating, but it was helpful. my list was as follows:

1. Libertarian Candidate (61%)
2. Sharpton, Reverend Al - D (58%)
3. Green Party Candidate (58%)
4. Kucinich, Rep. Dennis, OH - D (57%)
5. Socialist Candidate (50%)
6. LaRouche, Lyndon H. Jr. - D (48%)
7. Dean, Gov. Howard, VT - D (44%)
7. Bush, President George W. - R (44%)
9. Kerry, Senator John, MA - D (42%)
10. Edwards, Senator John, NC - D (39%)
11. Clark, Retired General Wesley K., AR - D (35%)
12. Lieberman, Senator Joe, CT - D (29%)
13. Moseley-Braun, Former Senator Carol, IL - D (24%)
14. Gephardt, Rep. Dick, MO - D (21%)
15. Phillips, Howard - Constitution (20%)
16. Hagelin, Dr. John - Natural Law (11%)

odd, that libertarian and green both showed up so high on the list, but in 2000 i considered myself about equally likely to vote harry browne (libertarian nominee) and jello biafra (finished second in the greens' nomination) so i'm not really shocked by it. i'm not sure what that means beyond a pretty decided ideological ambivalence to vote either republican or democrat, which i guess is why the three strongest candidates from those parties are bunched up in the middle, dean and bush at 44% and kerry at 42%.

al sharpton was the highest name on my list, which surprised me, surprised, but didn't shock, i mean we are in the same line of work. i think it sucks that he's a democrat, the democrats aren't going to do anything for him at all, and to be honest it's pretty disgusting the way they use his constituency, whenever he fails to get the nomination, they'll expect him to deliver them the black vote simply because black people vote democrat.

in any case, sharpton and kucinich are the only candidates who are saying anything at all that resonates with me, so here's my deal, if sharpton's candidacy is still breathing by the time the califorina primary rolls around, i'll vote for him. if he wins the party nomination, i'll vote for him. if not, i'll either vote libertarian or not vote at all, i don't think i could bring myself to vote for the greens.

vote sharpton.

feeling: productive
thinking of: what i don't have
music: "six foot five" lars fredriksen and the bastards