Is Anyone out there?

"For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible, and no one can now doubt the word of America." – George W. Bush, Jan. 20, 2004.
It all seems like a bad dream. George W. Bush, a man whose penchant for saying one thing and then doing another is unprecedented, actually touted his own honesty as an example of how the State of the Union is strong. In fact, his entire speech was like a used car salesman trying to sell a car with no engine by touting its great gas mileage.
While I sat watching Bush blow smoke up the country's ass (with a frightenly Egor-like Cheney positioned right behind him), I was going over the Democratic contenders in my head, trying to figure out which one could possibly stand up to the Bush administration's propaganda and the Karl Rove bullshit machine.
For a long while I thought it was Dean. He seemed strong and I really dug that he wasn't afraid to attack Bush. When he spoke it sounded like an actual person talking, not like a person reciting shit somebody wrote for him to say to please pundits.
But then Dean came in third in the Iowa caucus and seemed to lose his mind. Watching his concession speech made me uncomfortable, to say the least. Dean seemed wild, manic, intoxicated. His voice, hoarse from relentless campaigning, hollered out names of states he intended to win, many of them more than once, and then a horrific scream of "Yeah!" that is now on heavy sound-byte rotation. His attitude was more like a frat boy than a president. And that worried me, especially considering the frat boy we currently have as a president.
On the morning of Jan. 21, the day after Bush's State of the Union speech, I woke up to Dean singing the National Anthem on National Public Radio. His rendition made Rosanne Barr seem like Celine Dion. Why was he singing? Was he moved by his intense love for America? Uh, no. He was attempting to drown out some hecklers during his speech at a New Hampshire stop. Although the audience joined in and some reporters called it "rousing," it evoked two separate, but equally disturbing, thoughts.
The first is of Pee Wee Herman with his hands over his ears in his famous "La, la, la, I can't hear you" stance. The second is of Bush Sr. handling a heckler at the G7 Summit when he was president. The heckler, clearly out of control, was swiftly diffused by Bush Sr. for being rude, immature, and unknowledgeable. He put the smack down on the heckler by engaging him and exposing him as ignorant. Dean pulled a Pee Wee Herman.
I am not writing Dean off, but I'm not quite ready to buy. I am worried by all the Democratic prospects and not sold on any of them. Kerry looks like he could be a good candidate, but so far he lacks charisma and presence. Bush has charmed the pants off otherwise decent people with his folksy, I'm-just-like-you charm. He, of course, isn't just like you, unless of course you're a CEO of a huge corporation (and if you are and you're reading this, may I suggest you advertise with us?).
It is doubtful that Bush has ever spent any quality time in his life with poor people. He talks a good game, but when it all comes down to it he was born with a silver spoon in every orifice.
The appeal to the average American is very important in this race. Edwards has some of this appeal, but many discount him for a lack of experience. His speech after the Iowa caucus about the "two Americas" was refreshing, even encouraging. However, I don't feel like I know enough about him yet to believe it.
Then there's Clark, who has been endorsed by The Washington Blade. Michael Moore has thrown his support behind him. I respect Moore's work and think that his endorsement makes Clark worth looking at, but I'm looking at everyone right now.
It is clear to me that any of the Democratic choices would be worlds better than Bush. Even though none of the frontrunners have come out in favor of same-sex marriage, many of them favor civil unions, which, although not perfect, are certainly a huge step up from Bush who gave a favorable nod to the Federal Marriage Amendment in his State of the Union Speech.
I subscribe to the Anyone But Bush philosophy. We must get Bush out of office and back under the rock of corporate malfeasance he crawled out from. I just wish that less than a year away from the election I could say with confidence who I want that Anyone to be.