We're computerizing and we just don't need you anymore

Democratic presidential debate last night

1. Moderated by the offensive and awful Ted Koppel, who managed to insult everyone of the candidates at one time or another -- asking Mosley Braun, Sharpton, and Kuicinich when they would drop out of the race was rather inappropriate, if you ask me. (Though Mosley Braun and Kuicinich probably will.) Kuicinich said it best:
"To begin this kind of a forum with a question about an endorsement, no matter by who, I think actually trivializes the issues that are before us."
And if Koppel mentions another poll, as if all our elected leaders should be spineless poll-watchers, I'm going to move to a remote African country where a dictator can rule me with an iron fist.

2. Lieberman: though I didn't like Bill Clinton at all when he was in office, in retrospect, he wasn't really that bad at all (with the exception of his abdication of responsibility on matters of foreign policy, with an exception to that exception being made for random large-scale peacekeeping operations), particularly in that he introduced the largest welfare reform in the history of the country. I think another Clinton-style Democrat wouldn't be too bad an option; I just hope (and think) that Lieberman is a bit more solid on the personal-moral side than Clinton was. I won't say that I won't vote for Bush in the general election, but I have every intention of registering as a Democrat (right now I'm registered as an independent), so that I can vote in this primary. (I hope I haven't missed a deadline).

3. Sharpton: the man is a parody of a presidential candidate, but he's a funny one:
"The Republicans shut us up four years ago. Al Gore -- no Democrat should shut us up today. Let the people decide on the nominee. Bossism shouldn't happen.
I know that Governor Dean and Al Gore love the Internet; www.bossism doesn't work on my computer."
Or this one (I can't tell what he's saying):
"I also want to address your first question as a minister. I think that you can have a personal motivation of religion, but you should not try to act like your religion is something that dictates where people ought to go.
I pray every day. I can assure you, in my talks in with God, he is not a registered member of the right wing of the Republican party. "

4. Politics is overrun by drivel and cliches (if Mosley Braun talks about needing to "look after the children" one more time, I'll poke my own eyes out with a spoon) -- but that's been known for so long, saying so is a cliche in and of itself.