The case for Obama. February 1, 2008 ~ 11:50 am
Posted by Julie in : Politically Incorrect , trackbackDid anyone catch the Democratic debate last night on CNN? Rick and I saw something interesting, which was later voiced by Keith Olbermann in his analysis of the debate: for the first time, Clinton and Obama were not picking at each other so much as they were picking at the Republicans. It was as if they looked around and realized “Hmmm, we’re the last two standing, we don’t have to do the backbiting anymore, let’s focus on the Republicans.” It looked like a Democratic ticket, people. And while I would still rather have an Obama/Edwards ticket, as Rick said “I wouldn’t mind an Obama/Clinton ticket with John Edwards as Attorney General.”
Bear in mind that I said an Obama/Clinton ticket, not the other way around. I still like Barack more than Hillary for several reasons. One, he is one of the most inspirational speakers I have ever seen. He makes people excited about getting involved in politics, especially young people. With him as president, I really feel like America would be a forward-looking nation again, the kind we haven’t seen since JFK was in the White House. I could be proud of that country and be proud to be an American again instead of somewhat embarrassed or at worst, defensive about it. Two, while I remember the Clinton era with fondness, I am a little wary of having the same two families in charge of this country for the past thirty years. We kicked the English out of this country two centuries ago because we weren’t fans of dynasties. Three, Hillary’s latest health care plan is what they’ve done in Massachusetts. Rick lives in Massachusetts, I know about that system and how it doesn’t work for the middle class and the poor. I don’t think that taking it national will get rid of those problems. And four, perhaps most importantly, Hillary supported this war and voted against the Levin amendment, which would have required Bush to go back to Congress for approval before actually going to war. And she has never once said that it was a mistake. She has sidestepped about that relentlessly, saying “With the information I had…” I hate when people don’t admit they made a mistake. Just own up to it and get over it. I would find it much easier to get behind her if she could just do that one little thing, like John Edwards did. “Yes, I made a mistake. I should not have voted that way, I admit it” sounds like a grown-up, and a responsible leader. “With the information I had” sounds like someone who can’t admit their mistakes. We’ve had that in the White House for the past seven years, and look where that’s gotten us. I worry about four more years of that.
That last paragraph was a lot longer than I originally intended, but what the hell. Yes, if it comes down to it and Hillary is the Democratic nominee, I will vote for her in November. I am a yellow dog Democrat at heart, and I cannot abide McCain or Romney (why I can’t deal with McCain would be another very long paragraph, and we just won’t go there right now). I cannot abide any more years of Republicans in charge of this country in general, watching my rights and civil liberties be eroded before my eyes every day. But on Tuesday, when I get to vote for the candidate closest to my heart, I’ll be voting for Barack Obama. And I will be proud to do so.
Comments
I didn’t realize the debate was last night. I really wanted to see it now that Edwards is out. I’d planned on voting for him, but now I have to decide between two candidates I don’t like. I haven’t made up my mind yet. Hillary is making me crazy with her ability to say lots of words without actually giving any examples of what she’s talking about. I’m pretty sure she’s running more on Bill’s accomplishments than her own. To hear her talk about how she’s been affecting change for 30 years when she’s never been an elected official seems to mean she’s done it all through pillow talk. That’s not being a leader, that’s being a wife.
However, I really think Barak is all flash and no substance. Additionally, I don’t think he has any real influence. Say what you will, but that counts in Washington. If you look closely at JFK’s record, he got very little actually accomplished. Many Washington politicians treated him like some snot nosed kid and didn’t appreciate him bringing in all his college buddies to run things. If it wasn’t for Johnson on the ticket, there’s no way he’d have been effective. Say what you will about Hillary, she’s got clout.
So do you vote for the candidate that’s probably most electable (probably Obama), or the candidate that’s most influential (Hillary)? Tough choice.
I watched clips of it at the gym this morning. Very interesting!!!
My top three have all dropped out at this point. Actually, though, I was already wavering between voting for Yet Another Baby Boomer or voting for Obama, who is technically a Baby Boomer but is in that group right on the cusp of the Baby Boom and Gen X, where I am: five years to either side of 1964. We are old enough to remember a time when it felt like our country was going in the right direction, and young enough to hope it can turn around and go that way again. I like it that Obama has tapped into that, and I think that young people are feeling it, like they did with Kennedy.
Yes, I know it’s weird to vote along generational lines (instead of, say, gender or race lines), but that’s where I see the real difference. Bill Clinton was the first Baby Boomer in the White House, and I think he personified some of the best traits of that generation. George W. Bush personifies some of the worst. I think it’s time for a new generation in the White House, which is why I’m voting for Obama.
Also, I just don’t like Hillary very much, which is weird, since I totally loved her in 1992. I quit liking her when she moved to New York at the same time I did, but she ran for Congress while I was still trying to figure out what a “county executive” was and why there were so many people with the same last name on the ballot (in Buffalo, anyway). It seemed to me that she made a very calculated move based on where she was likely to win an election, and now it seems to me that she plays the “…BUT I’M MARRIED TO BILL CLINTON!” card a little too often. My husband and I are speculating, not about an Obama/Clinton ticket or a Clinton/Obama ticket, but a Clinton/Clinton ticket. Is that against the law or anything?
Vintage Reader, I’ve wondered the same thing myself. If she were to have her husband as a running mate and then she died (no speculation on how or why), would it even be legal for him to ascend to the presidency? (And would that be called an ascention, or something less religious-sounding?)
But the real reason I’m commenting is to say yet again how much I heart Rick. The idea of Edwards as Atty General makes my soul sing. Your man is brilliant, and NOT just because I already thought of it before reading it here.
I’ve also heard rumblings of Edwards as atty gen.– but it’s all in blogs, so who knows how reliable it is. The idea is appealing, however.
I would really like an Obama-Clinton ticket, but I would be surprised if it happened. Perhaps I should have more faith in America not to get so hung up on race/gender issues.
I know that this is not the point of this post but with respect to the Massachusetts health care program, I’m actually a fan of it, and not just because it conveniences me. In fact, we’re going to have to start collecting tin cans to afford health care. What I like about the program is that it holds businesses accountable to providing health care for employees, be they part-time, full-time, otherwise. Additionally, by requiring everyone to have health coverage, hopefully ERs will not be as full of the common cold and the true emergency patients can receive the immediate care that they need. This is not coming out right. I’m hungry. Maybe for democracy. And spaghetti.