The Longest Now

Assuming someone popular (Clark? Clinton?!) wants to team up with Dean for the presidential race, their best bet is to run against him in the Democratic primary, rather than endorsing him.

Consider the general case of two people running ‘against’ one another in the primary but planning to be on a single ticket once the primary is over. Both get to develop their public image; if one is brought down (say, by an unexpected PR blow), the other still has a chance to win the primary — the one brought down could drop out of the primary and endorse the other, passing on what remained of his public support.

What’s more, large donors could donate to both candidates during the primaries, effectively doubling their contribution limits. This would be particularly effective if the leading candidate didn’t accept matching government funds, making it less difficult for the two to combine their resources after the primary.

Just sayin’.

Clark puts off announcement …

More on THE PASSION …

For all you recall-watchers:  Quotably Arnold.
For all you gamblers:  Tradesports has the political scene covered.
For everybody:  more candidate updates (send me yours!).

The UN-Baghdad bombing was a sad mess.  Robert De Mello, RIP.
The Prez grants total immunity to oil companies:  Executive Order 13303.
The lasting effects of pipeline sabotage in Iraq.

Blood, oil, and more oil …

The nomination pre-season is almost over.  Dean finishes his Sleepless Summer Tour Tuesday.  Kerry, recovering from illness and starting to focus on campaigning in earnest, will make his formal declaration Tuesday week, just as Bush returns from his month’s vacation.  And Clark will decide whether or not to run “within the next two weeks“, before the Sept. 4 debates in Albuquerque.  No word yet on when Gore or Clinton will decide. 

Clark to decide by September 4 …

“I have a leather mask, and I’m putting it on right now…”

Whatchoo talkin about, Willis?  You say you want me to call 976-GARY?  I don’t know if my libido is up to it…

I like J. Scott Wilson.  Fine sense of the absurd.  And he’s from Houston.  Now if only we could combine this with Weird Al, the K Chronicles, and El-Al, to produce Kal-El…

Weird Chronicles …

Too bizarre for words: fistulated cows. 

Bizarre cult OTD:  the Earth Liberation Front, promoting eco-terrorism online.

I’m still strongly ambivalent about Dean, because he isn’t passionately open, because he and crew are running such a tightly-controlled campaign, because his campaign lacks content beyond simple messages and canonical support- and fund-raising, because there are other wonderful people elbowing for space in this pre-race warm-up.  But these posts by David Weinberger about how receptive he was to discussing his mistakes as Lessig’s first guest-blogger last month, and the subtle rephrasing of news headlines across the reporting spectrum, cinches it in my mind — whether or not a white horse enters the race, Dean has sustainable momentum; it’s his primary to lose.  And given his recent chats with Clark, perhaps it’s a Dean-Clark race to lose.

Doug Anderson, call your office.

Australia plans th’ world’s tallest structure — a solar tower 1km tall.

Don’t fuck with the Church.  Father Geoghan was murdered in prison, despite his isolation, around lunchtime Saturday; blame falls on Joseph Druce. Was Geoghan playing hardball?

All you who are about to go up in flames, I salute you.   Sometimes Art demands nothing less than ultimate sacrifice.

Check out Bush/Orwell ’04.  They got this site up fast…

Just brilliant …

Wesley Willis, Chicago icon, dead at 40.