Smallholder is not a single-issue voter. That said, because the social issues that I care about tend to stem from a common root, the issues I care about tend to get clustered in one party ‚ÄövÑv¨ at least socially. I‚ÄövÑv¥m feeling a bit schizophrenic lately because on National Security issues, my issues cluster in the other party. Of course, since in a Democracy, both parties strive to capture the middle ground, I do not think either party is strong (extreme?) enough on the particular issues that make me want to support them. In this election, I think my desire to enjoy managed capitalism (no, that‚ÄövÑv¥s not an oxymoron) and seek social justice is key. However, I also don‚ÄövÑv¥t want France to have a veto over American foreign policy and I think that there are some people with whom we should not negotiate or appease. Osama and his medievalists need to be dead, dead, dead.
Kerry and Edwards have both thrown a monkey-wrench into my Democratic lean by attacking (to various degrees) NAFTA. Free trade is better, in the long term, for everybody. It may be painful in the near term for some, but that is not a reason to throw up inefficient blockades. In a progressive world, we would have free-trade AND train workers to adapt to the new economy AND educate kids well-enough that they are not vulnerable to outsourcing. Of course, Bush doesn‚ÄövÑv¥t exactly make the case for free trade well ‚ÄövÑv¨ particularly when it comes to steel.
UPDATE: I take it back. I COULD be a one-issue voter. If a candidate promised to repeal the silly monogamy law and force Hollywood starlets (like, say, I dunno, maybe Jaime Pressly) to repent for their harlotry by forcible marriage to small farmers so they can be reeducated about the dignity of working the soil, I would vote for the candidate so fast I might hurt myself. After all, that‚ÄövÑv¥s how the Maximum Leader bought my support for the Mike World Order.
UPDATED UPDATE: Speaking of Jaime Pressly, I would like a full, suitably repentant apology posting from the Minister of Propaganda. After all the women I hooked him up with in high school and college, he can‚ÄövÑv¥t manage to set me up with ONE Hollywood B-grade actress? And he‚ÄövÑv¥s a director! ‚ÄövÑv Well, Ms. Pressly, you do seem to be what we are looking for, but a ‚ÄövÑv=producer‚ÄövÑv¥ friend of mine wants input on casting decisions. Here‚ÄövÑv¥s a ticket to Virginia ‚ÄövÑv¨ call me when you get back.‚ÄövÑvp
UPDATE #3: Mrs. Smallholder observes that, since we are going to reeducated selected parts of Hollywood, Viggo Mortenson is in dire need of chastisement.
