So I watched the debates tonight and the only thing that's clear to me is that we have two dynamite candidates, both of whom I would be proud to have as my president. And my mind has changed. Again. Going into the debate I was leaning towards Obama. Clinton's campaign kept saying ridiculous things about him like that he was the establishment candidate and so I was leaning towards Obama simply to vote against her. But then tonight she just said all the right things. And inspired me. And got me fired up. And put me squarely in her camp. Obama didn't ever really answer a question directly. And even though Clinton had some low-blows against Obama (even one that was booed), I still liked her and felt she was presidential. But I still have one problem: I think Obama has a better chance of winning against McCain.
Hillary has so much baggage, they so know how to punch her buttons, that I know the Republicans know how to beat her. Obama? Not so sure. But it was interesting that both my father-in-law (Democrat) and my mother (Republican) who watched the debates with us were worried about Obama turning out to be another Jimmy Carter. And honestly, I can see their point. I think he'd be a much better VP than Prez at this point. And he could still have the shot at being Commander-in-Chief in 8 years. My mother also thinks that Hillary might have a better shot simply because she thinks the country is more racist than sexist. Sad but true and I totally worry that she's right. I was an Edwards' fan because I liked him and also because I DO NOT want the Democrats to lose. And I worry that our country is still too ass-backwards for a woman or a black man to win. Either way, I think McCain has a real advantage because he's an old white guy like every other President for the last cajillion years.
It would be freakin' awesome, though, if Morrissey's lyric in "America is Not the World" was obsolete: "Where the President is never black, female or gay."
I honestly tear up just thinking about it. I cannot even believe it is possible. Because Bush has destroyed what little faith I had left in America.
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I have no idea who I'm going to vote for on Tuesday. I like them both. I have reservations about both, specifically in terms of "electability." Honestly, I think they'd both serve us well as president.
Scary hawkishness aside, I also think that McCain is intelligent and would choose intelligent people to be around him. We could do worse for the Republican candidate.
I used to think the same as you regarding this country being more racist than sexist, but I'm starting to switch. I think that many people's issue with Clinton is not that she's A woman, but that she's THAT woman. And I don't see people crossing party lines to vote for her. Lots of people hear her talking and just shut down, whereas Obama speaks and they listen.
P.S. And I'm just so tired of the negativity. Is it wrong to want to feel hopeful again?
That's what I said to Julie. I want to have hope that things can be better again. No matter how naive that hope.
I just don't think Hillary can carry it. But I am horribly afraid McCain will win. As Kate points out, we could do much worse. We already have. So, there, that is my tiny thread of hope. I think we have hit bottom.
When Hillary goes off script and actually acts like a human being, instead of wearing this weird grinning rictus pollbot 2000 personna someone has been paid to tell her will win her votes, I get reminded of why I like her (when I like her.) But it also reminds me of the pack of jackals, morons and moneyed interests that have shaped her every public move for the last 16 years, and will continue to do so for the forseeable future.
As inspiring as I find Obama, it's not even the primary reason I'm about to vote for him this weekend. In my mind this primary election has become largely about breaking the back of the DLC and the stranglehold it's had on the party, with disastrous results in congress from 1994-2006.
It's more of the same crap out of these guys, playing to big coastal states and writing off vast swaths of the country instead of convincing that part of America that on most issues they see eye to eye with a populist Democratic party. We've seen this in Hillary's campaign telling us which states "matter." Here's a clue, folks: there's 50 of them.
Obama puts portions of the electorate into play that will never, ever vote for Clinton. Yes they irrationally hate her. Yes it's unfair. And yes, there's nothing that can be done to change it between now and November, it's irrational hate that's been brewing since about 1992.
Obama has the potential to win states that her managers aren't even considering running in. And that has big implications for the makeup of congress, and the political climate of the country that the next president will get to work with.
He may be a bit of a risk vs. McCain. Clinton isn't a risk, she's almost a surefire loser. I've joked about Obama being Black Reagan but in a sense it's quite true, he's a progressive version that can inspire people to vote against their normal leanings, and that kind of mandate would be immensely valuable as we approach cleaning up after the last disastrous 8 years.
Anyways, sorry to dump a few weeks of distilled political thoughts into your comments section. Guess I need to GAFB. ;]
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