With the presidential campaign gearing up, I feel awkward that I haven't gotten behind a candidate yet.  I'm not really even leaning one way or another.

I think part of the reason is that they all sound sound pretty much the same when they speak, and frankly, it's boring.

Part of the reason I liked Howard Dean so much in 2004 (other than his crazy online fundraising abilities, and that he wasn't a lawyer) was because he was the first guy who sounded like he meant what he said.  Unfortunately, the media turned that passion into crazy, but it was nice while it lasted.

Each and every progressive candidate talks about how frustrated they are with the status quo, with the current Iraq and general global policy, our health care system, our education system, and just about everything else Bush has botched, but to hear them talk, it sounds like they're reading an eye chart.  If they're that passionate about what they're doing, shouldn't they sound like it?

Maybe they're all trying too hard to not make the same "mistake" that Dean made in 2004, but in doing so, they're going too far toward Al Gore's uncanny robot impression from 2000.  Neither is good, but I'm sick of choosing from the person I dislike the least.  All I want to do is get fired up about a candidate.

Is that really so much to ask?!