I've been ignoring the Democratic primary race here for several reasons. First of all, I'm not a registered Democrat, I'm an independent. That being said, I was raised in a Democratic household, and watching the debates makes me cringe. Why are they sniping at each other? Don't they realize that infighting doesn't help the party? Anyway, all that being said, I decided about a year ago that Howard Dean is the best candidate in the field. Why do I think so?
<ul type=a><li>His position on the War in Iraq was as uncompromising and steadfast as it was correct. Compare this to, say, John Kerry's position on Iraq. Honestly, I think any Congressperson who voted to authorize force ought to gracefully back out of the race, because they are clearly not smart or courageous enough to lead the country in a positive direction.</li>
<li>He's just conservative enough on most issues to make him palatable to the American public. </li>
<li>Most importantly, he's not an idiot. And he has backbone, which is something the Democratic party is sorely lacking.</li>
</ul>
So, I decided on Dean, and quite frankly I couldn't care less what anybody says about him. As far as I'm concerned, all the candidates are flawed. I chose Dean because I thought he has the best chance against Bush–he's not that liberal, he's a fiscal conservative, etc.

So, of course, conservatives are already starting the "liberal" spin machine. You have <b>got to see</b> the <a href=http://www.clubforgrowth.com/advertising/iowa-dean-script.php>Club For Growth PAC anti-Dean ad</a>. If I had seen it on SNL, I wouldn't have blinked an eye… but these guys are SERIOUS! Link goes to a transcript and a choice of RealPlayer or Windows Media clip.