Mike Gravel Finally Slips Up in Debates
I have been a fan of fringe candidates since I witnessed Ross Perot’s Quixotic campaign for president in 1992. I was only 12 at the time but I watched Perot’s TV ads and his role in the debates as something interesting. It would take something interesting to get a 12 year old involved in politics especially with a stiff like George H.W. Bush campaigning. Mike Gravel brings the same type of energy to the Democratic primary process for the 2008 election. Unfortunately, the honesty that separates him exposes his weaknesses as a presidential candidate.
The MSNBC debate on Wednesday, September 26 was one of the dozens of debates that will take place between members of the Democratic field. Mike Gravel answered a question regarding problems with his personal finances with a diatribe against credit card companies. I love his anger and enthusiasm in the same way that I enjoy Larry David’s character on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Gravel and David are funny and some small part of me wants to share in their brutally awkward manner but I don’t want to have a conversation with either one of them.
There was little chance of Mike Gravel winning the nomination before Wednesday night but his answer to credit card companies may have sealed his fate. Americans are tired of high debt but many realize that they are stuck due to their own actions. Gravel has been relatively irrelevant in politics since he left the Senate in 1980 and Democrats are looking to strike while the iron is hot in 2008. If Mr. Gravel ever reads this, I would invite him for a beer if he ever comes through Wisconsin but he will not get my vote during the presidential primary (whenever it ends up being).
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