Privately, those of us in government will acknoledge this gap between the politics we have and the politics we need. Certainly Democrats aren’t happy with the current situation, since for the moment at least they are on the losing side, dominated by Republicans who, thanks to winner-take-all elections, control every branch of government and feel no need to compromise. Thoughtful Republicans shouldn’t be too sanguine, though, for if Democrats have had trouble winning, it appears that Republicans- having won elections on the basis of pledges that often defy reality (tax cuts without service cuts, privatization of Social Security with no change in benefits, war without sacrifice)- cannot govern.
- Barack Obame, The Audacity of Hope, p. 23
Over the past few months, I’ve watched as the field of Democratic candidates gradually morphed into two very distinct groups: those whose campaign has become something of a chimera (Mike Gravel, Bill Richardon, Dennis Kucinich, et al) and those with a seeminlgy legitimate, realistic shot at victory in 2008 (Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Barack Obama). Feeling that it’s far too early to get into playing favorites, I’ve held off making an endorsement. None of the top three overwhelmed me initiallly, and while they all have their appealing sides, they also had some significant downsides for me. With Clinton, it was what I perceived as her desire to be all things to all people and her evidently weak commitment to a Progressive agenda. With Edwards, it was a self-created lack of gravitas left over from 2004- could he be more than just a pretty face? With Obama, it was pure and simple- a perceived lack of experience. The intervening months have, in my mind at least, effectively separated the top three candidates, and I’ve decided that now is as good a time as any to endorse Barack Obama for President in 2008. If there is anyone currently running for the Democratic nomination that can possibly have a hope of separating this country from the divisive, kill-or-be-killed politics of recent years, I believe Obama is the one who can do it. Obama “gets it”…and while that may sound rather amorphous and indistinct, I think that’s what sums it up for me. Read The Audacity of Hope and see if you don’t understand what I’m talking about. No, a book is not always an effective way to choose a candidate, but reading The Audacity of Hope has shown me what an articulate, erudite, and truly unique leader Obama is and can be.
Obama is a lawyer, a law professor, and a constitutional scholar who actually knows and understands the Constitution. He understands that the hopes and dreams of the Founders are still relevant today and that they transcend partisan divisiveness. Right now, at this point in our long and storied history, I honestly believe that Barack Obama is, while not our last hope, certainly our best hope.
Obama is by no means a perfect candidate. His lack of “experience” could be considered a flaw, but just how exactly does one become “qualified” and “experienced” enough to become viable Presidential timbre? There’s no training course, no Georgetown graduate program, no apprenticeship (Try being President of say, Haiti, and then we’ll see what the possibilities for something bigger are, ‘kay??) that can reasonably be claimed to prepare a leader for the realities of being the most powerful person in the world. Foreign policy may prove to be a particular challenge for him, but it’s not as if the current occupant of the White House has aced that part of the test, eh? In his defense, though, Obama does have the benefit of being a nimble intellect, a man with a functional and open mind who seems willing to admit his shortcomings and work on filling in the blanks. I don’t expect perfection in a President, but what I cannot tolerate is the sort of intellectual ineptitude, ignorance, and incuriosity that have been the hallmark of Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader’s © Reign of Error. I’ve had enough of stupid, inflexible, reactionary “leadership” camouflaged as “decisiveness”.
I admire John Edwards’ commitment to working to better the lot of the working men and women of this country, and to make this country less hostile to the poor among us. I just have a difficult time seeing Edwards as the answer to this country’s myriad problems. Then again, he’d certainly be an improvement of The Worst President EVER © .
As for Hillary Clinton, it seems as if she’s simply too busy trying to be all things to all people. Her high negatives are, in my estimation, primarily the result of years of rabid Right-wing propaganda designed to paint Clinton as some sort of militant Lesbian femiNazi who would castrate American men and turn the White House over to militant homosexual activists bent on fundamentally altering Our Way of Life. It’s a load of crap, it’s insulting, and those of you who have swallowed this propaganda wholesale can go bugger yourselves. If you’re that stupid and that gullible…well, you probably shouldn’t be allowed to vote in the first place.
Both Clinton and Edwards are talented, capable Democrats, and both would be excellent choices as the party’s standard-bearer heading into November, 2008. Nonetheless, for my money Barack Obama is the candidate best-equipped to set a tone of governance fundamentally different from the incompetent Reign of Error led by the cabal of dominionist theocrats that have infested every nook and cranny of the federal government.
it’s time to clean house ans start over. At this point in our history, I believe that Barack Obama is the candidate with the best chance of accomplishing this. I hope you’ll join me in supporting Obama. Hillary Clinton is NOT inevitable, and while we may face an uphill battle in combatting her perceived “inevitability”, there is still plenty of time to do so. The Obama logo in this post will take you to the Obama campaign’s donation page. Anything would help; if not now than soon. We can do this. We can take our nation back from the powerful industry lobbies and those more interested in their own enrichment than the welfare of our great nation. We can bring our troops home, and we can make America great again.
The fight starts here- right here, right now.
