Pacific Views

Back Again

There are many things I could say about the last week, foremost that I haven't been much of a correspondent. One of these days, I have to get around to setting up for reliable mobile computing. But frankly, I'm pretty cheap, so I'm not holding my breath.

I'll make the obligatory comment about the Iowa speech. I was in the crowd near the stage, and could only just hear what was going on. My tape recorder was with me, but it wouldn't have been able to pick anything up. No matter how it came off when you cut out the sound of 3,500 other screaming people, playing any three second clip over 600 times in a week is a bit excessive.

Also, at 28, I was usually the youngest person in my cabin in Iowa. One of the gentlemen staying there had worked on the Kennedy campaign, and was delighted to see so many people getting involved in politics again. He, like Dean, seemed astonished by the fact that there was so much youthful interest. But considering the apparent typical age of political participation, that seems to mean 'under 35', instead of the media implication that it always means 'barely old enough to vote'. Interns may be about the same age in any enterprise, but I'd hazard that the average age at the bloggers' breakfast was about 45. Though that may be a lowball.

It's great when anyone wants to encourage younger voters to get involved, or really to encourage anyone to get involved. Voter turnout rates hovering at fifty percent are pathetic, and youthful apathy just downright discouraging. But I wish that all parties would quit acting as though seeing 'young' (whatever that means to you personally) political participants was the equivalent of a Yeti sighting. Maybe if it was taken for granted that everyone should do their gottd*m job as a citizen and pay attention to how the country is run, more people of every age would step up.

I met a lot of wonderful people on the trip, and had a great time, but it'll take a bit to figure out which other pictures and interviews should be shared from Iowa. Further, I find myself not wanting to talk about anything that happened after Iowa. There was much navel-gazing in the course of risking frostbite in NH, and I just don't feel like sharing any of it. Though in case you were wondering, I believe the Dean campaign could still win this thing.

Here at home, there's the WA state caucus on February 7th, school to catch up on, and a living to be made. I'll make an effort to break web silence periodically, but there's lots to do that requires separation from the Venerable Box.