South Carolina Democratic Debate

We gawked over our cold fried chicken and potato salad at a voice we didn't remember ever having heard before tonight. Our ears were finely tuned to see if we could begin to make a decision between Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards (for whom we voted in the last Democratic primary). But our jaw dropped over the name and voice of a man who captured our attention with his vigor, candor and refreshingly righteous views.

Why isn't anyone talking about former Sen. Mike Gravel (D-Alaska)?!?! (pronounced gruh-VELL, at right) We realize Alaska is one of the Why Bother States for the media Powers That Be in New York, L.A. and Atlanta unless the topic is drilling in ANWR (the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve). But this man threw his hat into the ring with a grenade attached to it and we have to say, "Well done!"

Not only did he say "Get Out!" when it comes to Iraq, but he also suggested, with nary a hint of cordiality, that we throw the war's architects in jail, commandeer the Congress to enforce the will of the American people, and generally run roughshod over anybody with a W bumper sticker left from 3 years ago. AND he managed to do it all while making it seem eminently do-able. In fact, we're left wondering why our Ladies & Gentlemen On The Left didn't make this part of their First Hundred Days agenda.

Our favorite, Sen. Edwards, was nauseatingly cautious. Sen. Clinton was triangulating with the best of them. Sen. Obama did what he was supposed to do - not look foolish in the company of more experienced people. Sen. Dodd overcame the disparity between his eyebrows and his disturbingly full head of hair to sound like someone who could well be Vice-President. Sen. Biden avoided two-hour answers and managed to display self-deprecation. Rep. Kucinich looked only slightly less crazy than usual, but took up time and space better spent on more likely candidates. Gov. Bill Richardson deep-sixed himself with a single answer about being last to call for Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez's resignation on the basis of their shared race. He can look forward to a replay of that quote in his re-election campaign for New Mexico Governor while he hopes for another cabinet appointment.

Clearly, there is a concerted and coordinated effort between the camps not to lob bombs at each other and give the Other Party material for the general election in 16 months. Nobody passed that memo to Mike Gravel, because nobody realized he would be there until he showed up on the stage. Good plan. Don't look for the Other Party to be as measured and reasonable in their approach to each other or the eight candidates who appeared in Dixie tonight. Gravel showed so little concern for the politesse that was common among the others that his very lack of diplomacy qualifies him under the John Bolton Rule to be the next administration's U.N. Ambassador. (Think Don Rumsfeld with a soul.)

He may have been incommunicado for the last 25 years, but Sen. Gravel found his voice tonight to at least hand over the spoon that should stir this pot for as long as his finances will allow. What's more, he communicates Dennis Kucinich's plan and trumps him with a furrowed brow and a booming delivery. As a President, Gravel would be an unmitigated failure. But we love the idea of hearing Sen. Gravel's voice in the debate.

Our question to Sen. Gravel is simple: Where the hell have you been since Vietnam? And welcome back.