Reply #50: You mean as far as Presidential Candidate goes? Here's a list:

[radio4progressives]

I supported Kucinich two years before the elections. When the primaries started up I listened to the debates and still liked Kucinich above others but knew he wouldn't be supported by the right wing of the party - so i started looking at John Edwards, really agreed with his "two americas" analysis - started rooting for him - but then Kerry took the primaries and so i put all of my resources and emotional investment to his candidacy.

Right now I'm interested in Russ Feingold - I think he's intelligent, skillful and obviously i agree with MOST of his positions - disagree with a couple votes, but I think he has the courage that others do not seem to have, and he certainly understands that our consitution has been completely defiled if not dismantled with the Patriot Act, Secret Courts, (in this country) Pre-Emptive Wars and so forth.

The issue with the Consititution is MAJOR issue above all else. (Yes above healthcare and education which are extremely important)

Feingold understands these issues on a level that ought to be talked about by everyone else, and he's not mealy mouthed about these matters. I could go on - I like one of my Senators, Barbara Boxer, and my Representative Lyn Woolsey, but I'm very disappointed with my other Senator, Dianne Feinstein.

There is a list of other Senators that I really like a lot and could enumerate here, but I'm not sure that a Senator is the way to go for the 2008 election. There are a number of house reps that I wish had a higher profile in Congress - lots of them in the Congressional Black Congress (i don't think highly of ALL of them) I really like Cynthia McKinney, Barbara Lee, John Conyers, and Sheila Jackson Leigh among others.

I like most of the so called Progressive Caucus - Kucinich and others, and I really like Independent Bernie Sanders.

But I don't think any of these folks are people the party ought to be looking for as president in the 2008 elections - except for maybe Feingold - but it's still too early to really determine that.

Personally, I'd like see a Person of Color, that has the charisma and sharp intellect, like Barak Obama (for instance)someone with the courage of conviction but with the kind of talent and skills necessary to negotiate the political landscape domestically and abroad. I think our party needs to be the FIRST to bring a person of color - preferably an African American - that is NOT a Jim Crow type, (Clarence Thomas is)but someone who very much fits the mold of Barak Obama.

But I'm still personally torn between Obama and Feingold.

I'm also a feminist, but I don't believe we need to put in the WH a woman simply for the sake of gender equality. I don't think our country needs a Margaret Thatcher, a Jean Kirkpatrick, or a Condi Rice. I don't think Hillary is the one either. I don't want to see more "dynasty" style politics either. I think we should do everything in our power to prevent that from every happening again.

I mean, whose going to follow HC? Jeb Bush?

good gawd.