The next presidential election may be more than a year away, but the campaigning started months ago. We’ve already been treated to several smug announcements about the millions G. W. Bush has raised in his quickie campaign jaunts, as well as extensive hand-wringing and joking about the number of contenders for the Democratic nomination — more than one for every day of the week.

Fortunately, no matter what you may be hearing or reading, it is possible to vote Bush out of office before he turns the country into a puritanical corporate playground. But you have to pay attention and you have to vote. There are a number of qualified, pro-gay Democratic candidates in the race this year — more so than in any U.S. presidential race before. For this reason, we must pay close attention to what each of these candidates has to say, examine their records and make a clear and informed decision.

This week, we have a first-rate opportunity to check out one strong, pro-gay contender.

This Friday, June 27, Democratic presidential candidate and former Governor of Vermont Howard Dean will be in San Diego, making an appearance at a rally in his honor at 9:00 a.m. in Trolley Barn Park, followed by a breakfast at Bourbon Street at 9:30 a.m. As governor of Vermont, in 2000 Dean signed the first and only civil union legislation in the country — the closest thing we have to Canada’s recent legal recognition of same-sex marriages.

In an interview with the Gay and Lesbian Times last week, Dean touted federal recognition of Vermont’s law: “I support federally recognized civil unions or other arrangements that states have so that same-sex couples can have equal rights under the law. As President, I can’t force Alabama or Minnesota to have a civil-unions statute.... But we can, I believe, have a court case that says you have to recognize them from other states under the contractual-reciprocity clause of the U.S. Constitution....”

If elected, Dean said he also would “get rid of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’” the military’s ban against openly gay and lesbian service members.

These are impressive and bold statements from a candidate who no doubt possesses the personality and charisma Al Gore lacked in the last election. If for some unknown reason, enough U.S. citizens again fall under the spell of George W. Bush’s bumbling, frat boy zeal, we will need a candidate who is engaging enough to reach the voters. While the message is crucial, in a society of dwindling adtentions spans, delivery seems to be just as important.

Though Dean has been riding high on his civil union record, touting himself as the candidate who is “walking the walk” on our issues, we mustn’t forget that there are still other viable, Democratic, pro-gay candidates in this race — each with a track record of support on our issues.

U.S. Representative Richard Gephardt has announced his support for gay marriage, and his openly-lesbian daughter, Chrissy, has joined his campaign. Senator John Kerry supports gays serving in the military and sponsorship of hate-crimes legislation, while Senator John Edwards supports adoption by gay parents, though Edwards has reservations about gay marriage and civil unions.

There is no denying that these Democratic candidates are seeking the elusive political plum, “the gay vote.” Even if gay marriage isn’t important to you personally, any candidate who supports it is bound to be gay-friendly on any number of other issues.

According to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s report, The 2004 Presidential Candidates on GLBT Issues, “Only three candidates — former U.S. Senator and Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun, Congressman Dennis Kucinich and the Rev. Al Sharpton — support full equality, namely, extending the freedom to marry to same-sex couples. Six of the nine [candidates] have expressed support for civil unions, which offer same-sex couples recognition equivalent to the rights and responsibilities married couples enjoy, but only under state law. Two of these candidates — former Vermont Governor Howard Dean and Kucinich — support recognizing civil unions under federal law…. Senator Joe Lieberman and Senator John Edwards say states should be able to determine whether or not to provide civil unions, and Graham is studying civil unions.”

Though the crop of Democratic contenders from which to choose is promising, we must also consider which candidates actually have a chance of succeeding.

Want to get married? Want to keep your family intact and safe? Want to have sex in the privacy of your own home? Pay attention and vote. Your first opportunity to educate yourself will come tomorrow morning. For information on both Howard Dean events, see page 21.