Day: February 14, 2008

We released the first issue of THRILLING TALES Quarterly today.

Finally. It’s been over a year putting that first issue together. First dealing with writers who didn’t understand the submission requirements (apparently, saying that we’re looking for heroic tales set in the classic pulp era of the 1930s is confusing, and leads to sending in things like swords & sorcery fiction and modern Vampire romances. *sigh*), and then dealing with the fact that Diamond won’t touch us for distribution until we’ve actually got a completed issue to show them.

So now, I’ve got it out there, so I can send a copy to Diamond. Here’s hoping.

(If you’re interested, you can visit the link above, and order a copy from the THRILLING TALES website.)

I was musing over what-ifs the other day. (I’m a writer. I do that.)

I was envisioning a worst-case scenario for the Democratic presidential nomination. Namely, that Clinton manages to get the nomination — through back-room politicking of Clinton-owing superdelegates, or by legal challenge to seat the delegates in Michigan and Florida. The massive number of new voters and non-Dem voters that Obama has brought into the process are disillusioned and disenfranchised.

In that event … I think Obama should run third-party.

Seriously.

I’m not talking about a Perot or Nader run, which would just draw a minority of voters from one party, leading to a win for the other party. I honestly think that with the enthusiasm he’s generated, and the huge numbers of independents and moderate Republicans he manages to attract, Obama has the best shot for a third-party presidency that we’ve ever seen.

Think about it — his core branding, “Change,” could just as easily be a refutation of the Democrat/Republican two-party system….especially if his run is sabotaged by what people would view as insiders gaming the system.

You’d then have an incredibly charismatic, popular third-party candidate versus a divisive Democrat with tons of baggage who just “stole” the nomination, and a 70-something Republican whose core rank-and-file can’t stand him, and who has sold his ‘maverick’ ideals for his party’s nomination.

Given that, I could see an Obama win….even as a third-party candidate.

….anyway. Something to think about.

My thoughts, behind the cut.