I watched the Democratic debate in Texas tonight. It wasn’t because I needed to hear the candidates’ stances on the issues again; I already have a pretty good idea what their positions are (and they’re actually quite similar). No, tonight I watched the debates to really watch the candidates themselves, specifically Barack Obama. I wanted to see if I could be inspired by him like so many of you are.
As I sat in front of the TV, I took notes on a yellow note pad. Up until a few minutes ago I was planning to write a blog post with my take on the debate question by question. I had mentally scored each candidates’ answers and performance in my mind while trying to remain as neutral as possible. After quite a bit of contemplation, I’ve decided to write something different and hopefully a little more insightful.
First a couple of quick thoughts about the debate. I thought Clinton was stronger on foreign policy issues whereas Obama floundered and seemed a bit naive about Cuba. Obama however scored big in his defense of the attacks against him on substance. experience, and plagiarism. Both spent a fair amount of time debating their proposals for universal healthcare, but the difference between their two plans really comes down to whether or not you believe participation should be mandatory like Social Security (Clinton’s view) or voluntary (Obama’s view). In theory Obama’s plan could leave millions of Americans uninsured, but that’s if they decline to participate.
It was my observation (and I’m sure many will disagree) that the questions posed to Hillary, particularly those by CNN’s John King, were somewhat harsher than those posed to Obama. For example, questions about Obama’s experience as well as ‘rhetoric versus substance’ were directed to Clinton and not to Obama. This made Clinton out to be the attacker and Obama the victim of those attacks. I would have preferred if questions regarding Obama had been posed directly to him.
When I have asked people (including you my readers) why they support Obama, I hear the answer over and over again that he inspires them. Surprisingly I found the most impassioned moment of the debate in Clinton’s answer to the final question asking her to describe the moment in her life when she was tested the most. Obama’s answer to this question started as a life history and kind of meandered. It didn’t shine like I expected it to. Hillary’s answer seemed more heartfelt and really led me to believe she wants to help people. Judge for yourself:
Unfortunately at the very end of her answer, Clinton used some of the same lines as John Edwards did in an earlier debate when she talked about her and Obama being all right but she worried about the American people. When accusing people of plagiarism, people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
The point of this post isn’t about the debate though. It’s about the decision that I’ve come to. If I was a politician, I guess you could call this my concession speech.
I’ve decided to support Obama.
What?!? I can hear throngs of Hillary supporters out there getting ready to tear me a new one in the comments. Before you do though, hear me out.
First off, I still think Hillary would make an excellent President - perhaps better than Obama. She is smart, tough, and determined. In the debate tonight she really reinforced the impression that she knows what she’s talking about. I have much more confidence in her on issues like foreign policy than I do with Obama. I agree with her approach to healthcare more than I do that of Obama. She has been a loyal friend to the GLBT community.
So why then my change of heart?
In a perfect situation, Hillary could run and win. People would listen to her with an open mind and not prejudge her because she is a woman or her husband is Bill Clinton. They would see her intelligence and desire to help people as President. This is not a perfect situation though. The Democrats are up against a tough opponent in John McCain. Hillary might make the best President, but I now feel strongly that Obama has the best chance of winning.
And I want to win.
The question I’ve wrestled with is do we elect the person who will make the best President, or do we elect a person who can win? Obama showed me both tonight and in recent weeks (and also through his book I’m listening to) that he is a very intelligent, capable man. My concern about him being "Republican-lite" has been alleviated for the most part by looking at his voting record which reveals he’s been very loyal to the Democrat party. Though Obama may lack the same experience as Hillary particularly in foreign relations and policy, he can still surround himself with people in his cabinet who have the experience in any areas he lacks. Perhaps he would even consider Hillary for Secretary of State (a role I feel she’d be better in than Vice President). I feel with the right people and advisors on his team, Obama could be a very strong President indeed.
More importantly Obama is incredibly popular. The enthusiasm of his supporters is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It seems Obama will bring more voters to the polls come election day. Furthermore I believe that Hillary’s supporters will vote for Obama should he be the nominee (if for no other reason than to keep McCain out of office), but Obama’s supporters seem more likely to just stay home than vote for Hillary. Is that right? No, but I believe it to be the truth. I’ve witnessed it firsthand by talking to Obama supporters and the comments they’ve left on this blog. I don’t understand all the venom that exists against Hillary, but I can’t deny its existence.
Strategically Obama does stand the best chance against McCain. A recent poll by SurveyUSA showed that in a hypothetical matchup against McCain, Obama would win the key swing states of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Virginia by ten, ten, and six points repectively. In a hypothetical matchup of Clinton versus McCain, she would lose in those same states by seven, eleven and three points. I know, I know… you can’t trust polls completely, but I do think that this does give an indication of what would happen in a general election come November.
This is not to say that Obama is getting there home free. John McCain and the Republican machine are going to be tough -very tough- to beat. Just look how quickly this scandal about his possible affair with a lobbiest is being buried. It will take the effort of every Democrat out there, but I think we can win if we’re willing to put in the work (and this means you!).
Finally I have to share a very revealing and personal story about myself with you that I’m not proud of to explain some of my original opposition to Obama.
Back when I was growing up, I lived in an overwhelmingly white community. Of the local high schools, mine was the whitest. In my graduating class of about 600, i would say that only about 10-12 students were black.
There was one African-American student however, a guy, that was very popular. The more I tried to figure out why this guy was so popular, the more I became convinced that other students were befriending him because he was black. It was kind of a rebellion of sorts: the other students were trying to prove how open-minded they were about race. It seemed to me that it had become cool to be friends with this guy not because of who he was as a person, but because of his race.
My sense of fairness kicked into play. The more I saw this kid get popular, the more it angered me. It was my belief then, and still is today, that we should be colorblind when choosing our friends. How can we ever be free of racism if a person’s skin color is more important than what kind of person they are? My resentment towards this guy’s popularity though was yet another form of bigotry, one I didn’t realize until years later. I’m ashamed of it now, but at the time I thought I was being a better, less-racist person than those who were his friends. It was still a form of racism but flipped on its head. (I should mention though that I was friends with a couple other black students and have been good friends with many people of all races since then.)
I accept now that I may have been doing the same thing in regards to Obama. I have scrutinized him relentlessly, but I may have been doing so because I didn’t want my reason to be supporting him to be simply "because he’d make history as the first black President." That sounds really stupid and silly, I know, but in my overly ambitious efforts to be open-minded in regards to race, I sometimes become very close-minded.
What this all boils down to is that I’ve chosen to support Obama because I want to win in November. I see the writing on the wall; the momentum is toward Obama. As much as it pains me, I can’t continue to say Hillary is the better choice for victory. I think she’d put up a hell of a fight against McCain, but I’ve come to doubt she could overcome the sexist attitudes and deep-seated hatred of all things Clinton. If Obama leads the delegate count after the primaries but before the convention, Clinton should graciously step aside so that the party can reunite and move on.
I’m okay with that though. Barack Obama is a candidate worth supporting. I’m proud to do so and hope you will be too.
UPDATE: The AP is reporting today that many "superdelegates", i.e. those delegates (party officiials, etc.) who are not bound to a candidate by the voting public, are switching their support to Obama. See the influence I have? 
Entries (RSS)
Personally I like both candidates and think both would do an exceptional job. They’ve both shown me something impressive.
The reason they’re phenomenal candidates is not because of their race or gender it is because they’re phenomenal. Neither should be elected simply because they’re black or a woman but let’s be honest too. There’s been another type of discrimination that has existed in this country for far too long. Up until now any candidate that wasn’t a heterosexual protestant white male was out right rejected. There’s no telling how many great leaders we’ve missed out on.
Obama still hasn’t mentioned who he would get for VP. And if he is smart, he’ll get Hillary. They need each other whether they want to admit it or not and if they join forces, I have no doubt, they’ll take Washington come November.
Denny’s last blog post..It’s Not TV
Well, Scott I think you’ve picked a winner… but then again, you have pretty much run out of candidates!
Forgive the snark. But the only thing that has changed in my mind recently is the ever increasing inevitability that Obama will be the Democratic nominee… my feelings/convictions about both candidates have not changed, nor has anything changed my mind (which is one’s prerogative) re: elect-ability, popularity, divisiveness, (in)experience, etc. since it becoming a Clinton vs. Obama race. So given that and having publicly “endorsed” Hillary, I intend to honor that until she drops out the Race.
At that point, I will do what I have always said I would do… support (or, if need be, shift my support to) the Democratic nominee… and I can wait the 2 weeks (or 2 months) until that happens. I am “fine” with Obama, while it will be with some reservation and a healthy dose of cynicism, he will have my support plus the added burden of *my* hopes, dreams, expectations upon his shoulders.
Ed’s last blog post..AI7: Top 12 Gals
Electability wasn’t so important when Kucinich was your man.
While I still believe Hillary is the best candidate, in terms of all the important issues and factors (health care, foreign policy, economy, ultimately electability against McCain), it’s pretty clear that the writing is on the wall. She’s probably not going to be the nominee. If and when that decision is made and she either drops out or is the official “loser,” I’ll support Obama. Until then, I’m stickin’ to my guns (which I’m really sure strikes fear in the hearts of Obama supporters everywhere).
Well said and well done. And thanks for baring your soul a bit in the process.
Once again we find ourselves in the same boat. I’ll take the left oar if you take the right.
David’s last blog post..Just Another Tent Pitch
Scott,
I think you approached this tough decision in a great way. I can just see you taking notes like Heidi Klum or Michael Kors on Project Runway. ha ha I have to say though I am a little disappointed in your decision.
I agree he backed himself up last night in the debates, but I felt at times like he was given the easy end of the stick. When faced with Cuba, which was a fresh new question and something they will need to think about when the time comes, and I thought he answered it very poorly. I said in my head “is this what we want? Can he be ready?” He seemed eager to say what people wanted to hear that I don’t think he is realistic in his answer. Hillary on the other hand was extremely on point and when posed the question “would you meet with Cuba”[paraphrasing] her answer was we need to determine the situation before agreeing to meet with them. You can’t just tell people “Yes I will” when you need to study and speak with your appointed aids and joint chefs who are qualified advisor’s. A president is only as good as the advisor’s they appoint.
Bottom line is I think the reason I continue to support Hillary is because I think she is a person who believes in America and its citizens, and she has the ability to perform as the President of the United States. I also think she has a good chance to win. If she doesn’t win the Democratic nomination, I will then determine who I will vote for, based on the remaining candidates, but not until then. I am supporting her for the long haul!
I think the McCain campaign will eat Obama alive IF they get their hands on him. He has too many things they can pick apart, but McCain and Hillary are closer in their beliefs than Omama. She has a better chance of winning the states that McCain does not. The Republicans will pull out the dirty gloves for sure and you will not see a democrat in office. That’s just how I see it.
Also Scott I appreciate and respect you for sharing your story from high school. Its never easy to open up about this kind of thing.
Jimmi’s last blog post..THIS is why I voted for Hillary Clinton
Thanks Scott for a really great post. I don’t care if you vote for Hillary or Obama or Britney Spears. What I do care about is honesty, integrity and courage…and you have shown us, yet again, that you are a person of great character.
Cyrus’s last blog post..Roman Holiday
Wow….That was an unexpected turn Scott. I respect your decision, and I respect everyones right to choose. I just wish you had given Hillary the benefit of the doubt at least until 3/4/08/. Both candidates have much to prove on 3/4/08….if Hillary wins in Texas and Ohio and the wins in Pennsylvania…the nomination is hers despite what the pundits say. How are the members of the DNC going to vote against the candidate that would have carried New York, California, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas? Obama must prove that he can winn in thses big states, if he cam’t he’s unelectable. The last few elections have turned simply on the state of Florida, so the importance of these big states is apparent. yes Obama has run an excellent campaign, and youve gotta respect his staying power, but without the support of these big states his candidacy for president is sunk before he even gets to november. The republican machine in my opinion will eat Obama alive, not because hes done anything wrong…becasue he hasnt, but because he contiinues to make simple mistakes in the campaign. There are no caucuses in Novemeber and even his mass appeal will not win him the election. My resolve stays with Hillary, and I truly believe that she is the best person and the most qualified person for the job. She will work tirelessly for all americans…not because she has to, but because she can and chooses to. She has long been an ally of the GLBT community and we will not desert her now. She won the debate last night, and has won every debate so far. Obama had his best showing to be sure, but she is better on policies, on specifics, has a better plan for health care, and has long since stood on the side of t he minoriteis and underprivledged. We owe it to her to stand with her until the convention…she got my vote in florida and I will continue to campaign for her and donate to her for as long as she is in the race.
She is the only woman who has ever had or likely will have a legitimate shot at being president. Fact….Obama is an African American man and Clinton is a white woman…it simply is what it is. Its not racist, it just is. I am neither uneducated or poor or amongst the so called working class. I am a physician and my partner is a lawyer and here in florida everyone i know in those fields is strongly behind Hillary Clinton.
She is the strongest candidate and I appreciate your candor on your blog. If Obama wins the candidacy he has 8 months to prove to me that he deserves my vote. He hasnt done so thus far, and asa similar as people may think his plans are to his Hillary’s , the fact remains that hers are not only feaseable but implementable on day one…his are not. I hope that he proves me wrong, but I still look at Obama and see a republican. Not that that matters, but I remain uninspired by him, and like you a few days ago wonder where all these Obama supporters are coming from. I have friends and family who are Obama supporters, and we agree to disagree and respect each others votes. The question is simple, with the country in dissaray, are we willing to risk this country on an unknown? The answer according to me…is HELL NO!
My patients are predominantly African American and although I wear my Hillary CLinton pin on my lab coat daily, Ive been surprised t hat every single one of them is a Hillary CLinton Supporter. South Florida is Clinton country through and through. It is about far more than race or gender, its about politics and Hillary CLinton is a better politician.
There are many segments are our party right now…those of us who wholeheartedly support Obama and those who do likewise support Hillary Clinton, and there are t hose in between who like both. It is those in the middle who will determine the nomination.
thanks for provinding us with the opportunity to talk politics!
Bossy couldn’t agree more with every point of your careful analysis - and thank you for taking the time to so thoughtfully approach this complex decision (wish every American would.) Bossy thinks Barack is better poised to win, because for some reason that Bossy has never quite understood, the Clintons are vilified by a large percentage of the population, including democrats. It’s probably due to Clinton’s sexuality, and Bossy isn’t referring to Lewinsky, but just the mere fact that he is a sexual dynamic guy which scares many. (JFK was the only one given that kind of license.)
Anyway - mathematically speaking, the democrats are going to need to lasso many fence-sitters as well as a few republicans in order to get the White House, and Bossy doesn’t see that happening with Hillary (especially with some democrats defecting to the McCain camp.)
And in terms of individual policy differences, Bossy thinks that Barack’s health care plan may actually be the less abrasive one to those very fence-sitters and republicans who want government OUT of their decisions…
Bossy has always been sad that Barack didn’t put his policies on the line for the Gay and Lesbian community, especially given his first-hand experience with discrimination — but Bossy truly believes given his personal history and actions that he is a fair-minded level-headed man who will do the right thing once he secures the office.
After all, this is a guy who clearly cares about humanity. He took the time to read the Intelligence Report those many years ago and vote down the ridiculous war, while Hillary politicized her vote. That’s the one thing Bossy can’t stomach: those moments when Hillary says she wishes she knew then what she knows now. The fact is most if not all of the information was available then. Bossy remembers hearing each of the well-respected members of the U.N. stand up one by one and deliver information-packed speeches to the voting members of congress WARNING THEM against a conflict with Iraq - why is Hillary allowed her revisionist history?
Hillary’s political vote cost lives — which really is the largest Human Rights gaff around.
Ed/ Todd/ Jimmi/ & Mark-
Thanks for the comments. I knew I would appear to be a “flip-flopper” in writing this, but I’m taking that chance. I really, really want Hillary as President, but I’ve got the face the cold, tough facts I mentioned in this blog post.
So why change now? I’ve already voted, so why not stick with Hillary until after the primaries? It’s simply because I feel we need to start uniting around a candidate. I hope my blog post gives my readers in Texas and Ohio (all two of them) something to consider when going to the polls. If the next set of primaries comes and goes without deciding anything, then we’ll continue to bicker and argue within our party while the Republicans slowly build their base for McCain and chip away at ours. A fight over candidates at the convention will tear us apart rather than pull us together (the purpose of the convention).
Obama was not my first choice, but I’m finally willing to come out in support of him in an effort to heal the rift and move forward. Even if Hillary manages to get the most delegates between now and the convention, neither candidate will have the number required to win the nomination. It is then up to the Democratic leaders to decide which candidate represents our best chance for winning. As badly as I want to think that is Hillary, everything I see, read, and hear tells me otherwise.
The question for me in the past week hasn’t been “which candidate do I support after Hillary?” as we all know Obama is all that’s left. It was “can I bring myself to support Obama for the good of the party?”. Last night I decided that yes, I can. I have some small reservations about him, but I’ve had small reservations about each of the candidates including Hillary.
Todd brings up a good point that way back when I first started looking at candidates and endorsed Kucinich, electability was not a factor. Perhaps I was a bit naive in my thinking. Since then I have grown a lot less confident about our chances in November. If you recall, part of my support of Edwards centered around the fact that in polling he stood up the best against the Republican candidates. Given how the playing field has changed, I now *must* take a candidate’s electability into account.
I just wish that no matter who gets the nomination, Obama supporters and Clinton supporters can come together. If we remain stubborn and sore losers, we assure McCain the White House.
Thanks again for the fantastic forum that youve started here. Just wondering Scott, what happens if Hillary does what everyone thinks she cant do…win Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Even the media acknowledge that if she takes those states, and you look at what she has done in the electoral rich states…that she would get the nomination. IF that happens ( and thats a big if…and maybe im hoping here) then I dont see how the DNC can possibly vote Obama in as its candidate, especially with Florida and Michigan on the side ( Which Hillary won).
was just curious as to how you would react. Oh, I wont lie, I was dissapointed to see your Hillary Supporter banner come down…LOL. Im still hoping for a Hillary Miracle…noone thought she would win anything else in February and she hasnt, so lets see what shes got in 2 weeks. Im hoping she hits it out of the park!
I wonder if Obama does win though, would he go against everything hes been campaigning on and give the Hillary the nod as veep ( probably not, and she probably wouldnt accept anyway) but that might be the only way to reunite our party. an Obama/Clinton ticket or a Clinton/Obama ticket. who would have thought that a few moths ago. The unellectable ticket somehow becoming the only electable one. When this ctarted i agree, there was no doubt we were going to sweep into the white house, that presumption is far less secure now. whoever wins is going to have over half the population of teh democratic party to win over.
I’m with Hillary until the end, she doeesnt need this, but America needs her.
Mark-
If Hillary does win Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, then of course I and all the Democrats should take that into account. Things we need to consider are:
-How much of a margin did she win by? If it’s close, then I don’t think it changes anything. Remember, winning a primary isn’t all or nothing. Delegates are split based on the percentage of vote they receive.
-Could Obama carry these states against McCain? For that matter, could Clinton? Texas is notoriously Republican, and that’s unlikely to change regardless which candidate we choose.
-Lastly, who still holds the better overall odds of winning? The Democrats need to be smart this year. Sometimes that means making tough choices.
I would love to see a Hillary/Obama ticket, but I’m not sure it will happen. I’m not as fond of a Obama/Hillary ticket only because I think it would be a waste of her political talent to have her serve as VP.
Although I’ve chosen to switch my support to Obama, I respect and admire the fact that you, like many other Hillary supporters, are sticking with her until the end.
P.S. to everyone-
I’ve mentioned several times on my blog that one of my reservations about Obama was the fact that he was making some rookie mistakes in his campaign.
This week however I’ve felt that the Clinton campaign has made some serious mistakes. In my opinion, making an issue of Obama using words from someone else’s speech was an ill-conceived strategy that backfired. Obama’s explanation of his supposed plagiarism during last night’s debates was strong (the politician he was accused of stealing his speech from actually works on the Obama campaign) and it made the attack look petty and cheap on Clinton’s part. All over the Internet today I see Clinton’s quote of “change that you can Xerox” being used against her, not him. Every time her campaign attacks Obama, it only seems to further cement his base of supporters.
Secondly, Clinton further goofed by then lifting words from John Edwards at the end of the night. If she had to choose those words, she should have credited him since her campaign staff made such a big deal about Obama doing something similar. It made her out to be a hypocrite which I don’t think she is, but that’s the way it played. Furthermore, I noticed on YouTube videos of Hillary using some of the exact same phrases her husband Bill used when he was running for office. Is she plagiarizing him? Not really, but if you’re going to make accusations then you’d better make sure your own house is clean.
My point is that I realize that both Obama and Clinton have made some mistakes.
LOL…I love your blog, and i think its great that our community is really getting into this political arena with such passion. I agree, margins of victory will certainly matter in the coming weeks and months, but Im sure that you can understand that as a Clintom suporter…I’ll take anything I can get
A win will be a win for her and thats why 3/4 is so important for everyone. Obama has a chance to legitamize his candidacy by taking a large electoral rich state….he has yet to do so, and he must prove to Hillary’s core group of supporters that he is able to do so in a general election. Electability is a funny thing…the polls Ive seen have Obama losing to Mccain in Florida and Texas and Hillary beating him in those two swing states. But they are just polls…they have been wrong before and they can be wrong again…no pollster has been calling my phone…LOL.
Its a good race and I wish that these cadidates had arrived at different times. Lost in all of this fervor is the successes that an African American and a woman have had in this democratic race…any other year either would have been the feel good story of the year…I hope we get that back before the nominating convention.
Ive listened to what you have said and I’ll keep an open mind about Obama, but he has much to prove to myself as well as the democratic voters of the state of florida.
I agree Hillary would be wasted as a VEEP, but it would give her the inside tract to the nomination in a few years and lets face it, Obama could use her knowledge, skills, and contacts. She almost certainly would probably choose him as a running mate, and who would have thought that a few weeks ago.
Oh I respect your vote and your choice as well, and appreciate the fact that this forum allows us to talk frankly and openly about an election year that has been one for the ages.
Go Hillary
P.S.S. to everyone-
I’ve started a new thread in The Forums entitled “Who Should The Democrat Running Mate Be?”
Come add your two-cents on who should be the VP pick.
To throw two more and my final cents (thanks for reminding me why I rarely blog about politics) into this… if I read this post two weeks from now and if we weren’t already uniting and healing and holding hands and singing “kumbaya” … or if this was a post of “making peace” with Obama as the nominee… well, it would have received little to no resistance from me… and don’t get me started on “endorsements”… if people are making up their minds that way, I’d rather them not vote at all.
That’s all (for reals).
Ed’s last blog post..It’s Been A Rocky Year
I agree that both camps have made mistakes. The Clinton campaign made a huge tactical error ignoring most of the caucus states, they have proved much of senator obama’s momentum. Secondly while I agreed that Clinton making that remark in the debate was a risk, I believe that its a legitimate issue. It was not plagiarism, but as the candiate of change he should have either used his own words or credited the man who wrote them. Yes Hillary borrowed themes from Bill Clinton last night, and John Edwards as well…but they weren’t verbatim
The xerox comment was misplayed and she knows it, but clearly brought things back at the end. It was a good debate and I enjoyed watching it from start to finish.
At the end of the day, as everyone has saiad, teh candidates are very similar and we will choose the one that means the most to us and we will choose the one whom we believe is qualified and ready to lead this country.
Maybe I’m biased ( obviously) but I was watching the debate with my republican husband and we both agree that we see nothing presidential whatsoever in Senator Obama. He had a chance several times last night to knock it out of the park, and he waffled and waivered when pressed. Hes a wonderful man and is agifted orator, and I sincerely hope that if hes elected president that I eat crow.
Now that you’ve got the forums going AND thoroughly taken us all thru your every thought on all things presidential, can we pretty please with sugar on top have some different topics? I respect the fact that this is your blog, but when I started reading it was much less political. It would be nice to return to those days, but maybe I’m just being nostalgic, and instead need to move on.
I’m really really excited that you’ve edged your way ever so carefully to the Obama side. My reasons for liking him aren’t nearly as well thought out as yours, but you have over the course of the last few weeks really made me scrutinize him more than I would have otherwise. I appreciate that. And I think it’s made me like him more once I did take the time and figure him out from a deeper political standpoint.
Just don’t drink the koolaid.
Dave S.
dave491’s last blog post..The Drowsy Lads CD Release Show Tomorrow
I voted today in the Texas primaries and I voted with my conscious for Hillary. And I’m sorry to say that if she does not win the primaries, then my vote will go for McCain. The presidency is no place for amateurs. I don’t believe in Obama. He has no political maturity, experience or credentials for the biggest job in the land.
Plus sincerely it would turn my stomach to vote for obama walks on water. If Hillary goes, her supporters are not voting for Obama. We will either abstain of voting or vote McCain. We are completely turned off by the arrogance in Obama and his frenzied fans. I will probably vote for McCain if Hillary doesn’t make it. I think the Obama camp is up for a rude awakening. I don’t think the media and all the publicity will get him the whitehouse, not even Oprah can give him that.
Scott, you have listed every reason why I have chosen to support Obama in great detail– just, as I’ve said before, in much better detail and with much deeper thought and reasoning than I can put down on paper.
I, too, think that in a perfect situation Hillary would be a great candidate, and would make a great president. But this isn’t that perfect situation. She would get absolutely trounced by the Republicans if she got the nomination. And I’m not so sure she would handle it so well and come out of it okay.
Obama doesn’t have the history that Hillary has, and the Republicans will be scrounging to find “dirt” on him to air. It’d be too easy for them to find things to throw at Hillary and that worries me a lot.
It is time for the Democrats to get behind a front runner, and it’s definitely looking more and more like it’s going to be Obama. Better to start now and get things going strong for when the McCain army starts to throw their bombs his way.
Let’s see how things go from here…. Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!
RcktMan’s last blog post..Hustle Halted
As one of your Texas readers - I appreciate the thoughtful and inciteful commentary on the debate. Obama was being tossed the cream puff questions, and the crowd at UT were just a little slanted towards him but I thought that Mrs. Clinton did a great job of fielding what was thrown at her. But I’m with you Scott - it looks like Obama is going to be the titular front-runner of the Democratic Party this year, and it’s time to get behind him and push him over the finish line. I feel that Hillary Clinton would make an excellent president and that she would bring something different to the Oval Office, but the populace are tired of the Bush/Clinton dynasties and are wanting something new after 20 years of same old/same old.
As for Ralph Nader throwing his hat into the ring, I have but one response. “Sit down and shut UP, Mr. Nader”
Who’s the other reader in Texas anyway?
J
I am so very disappointed in your decision to support Obama. I am sticking with Hillary until the very end. I am scared to death of McCain. He is a very mean and nasty person. The Democrats are not thinking this through. Hillary is, at this stage, the only one who has the chance of beating McCain. In November, when McCain is announced as the winner, remember, we did it to ourselves, just as we did when we elected Bush for a second term.
Scott, if I could have been as eloquent as you are, I’d have written that post when you were asking why I chose Obama over Hillary… I like them both, but honestly I believe that Obama can win against McCain and I don’t think Hillary can. Perhaps I’m wrong, and if she is the nominee, I truly hope I am. May the best democrat win.
Cholla.
Chollachick’s last blog post..Presidential Debating
Hey Scott, good analysis. I watched the debate starting with Clinton’s plagerism comment. Not a high moment in the debates. However, I agree with your take on the whole thing. They are very, very similar candidates. Regarding the debate, Clinton did an outstanding job with her closing comment. It was human, heartfelt, and compassionate. Obama’s fell short inspirationally of what he has given us in the past.
I’m glad you’re on board with Obama. It brings up a good question: should we vote for who we think would be great, or who we think would win? I think it always has to be who we think would be great. If that’s Clinton for you, I respect that.
Now, about the other stuff in your post…
I listen to Sirius Left talk radio. About a month ago I stopped listening. Every radio host was pro-Clinton. Fine. I’m okay with that. But, many/most that I listened to were also vehemently, hatefully anti-Obama. I was shocked. Everything I hate about the O’Reilly’s and Limbaugh’s in the world was happening to my very own liberal talk outlet. The funny thing is that the Sirius Left folks weren’t against Obama because of race (of course), but they were sort of doing what you talked about in high school. They said, “I hate being told that because I’m not an Obama supporter, that I’m a racist.” I believe them. They are not racist. However, when you hear this throughout the days and weeks from various hosts, you can’t help but thinking that the tension of race isn’t lurking far below our civilized veneer. Really, this is about both Obama and Clinton. I hear it about Clinton, too…that she’s a bitch, that she represents all the bad qualities of a male candidate. Whatever. I’ve heard 20-year old women say that they just don’t think a woman can run the country. (!) It’s an interesting election. Who knew all that this would bring up? Is it possible for us to be gender- and color-blind? More importantly, though, is it possible for us to see gender and color and do what we think is right despite it all?
Obama? Yo mama!
Wow, I’m not sure what’s more impressive: your blog entry or the response!
I was having a fairly interesting conversation with a Canadian friend who was recounting a political commentor’s views. He said: back Obama if you want to guarantee a Democratic win. The “problem” with Hilary is you either love her or hate her. Even some Democrats will not vote for her. Compare with Obama: he’s got the Oprah factor.
It’s a shame: I love Hilary. I think she would make a stellar president - from a foreign relations position (I’m a kiwi living in Indonesia).
But at the end of the day, most people outside the US just want to see a change from the f–k up that has been the past 8 years. The US has a LONG way to go if it wants to rebuild it’s credibility in the world and gain some respect - particularly here. I will personally bitch-slap anyone who votes Republican come November! (just kidding)
Anyway, them’s my (unenlightened) views.
I should qualify: “…most people I KNOW outside the US…”
Thanks for sharing your views on the upcoming election. So many of my friends are having a hard time voicing their thoughts on who they will be voting for due to peer pressure within the gay and lesbian communities. I will refer them to your blog so they can see what it’s like to take a stand for one particular candidate.
Keep up the good work.
DA
@Dashfield: excellent point! Here, here!
Scott,
I wish I could disagree with you. Truly, I do. Living in-between two cultures - Europe and the US - there is no question in my mind that Europeans would prefer a return to the Clinton era. But everyone I speak to in Germany, every article I read written in Europe shows a firm conviction that another four years of Republicans in the White House and the US will cease to be a democracy.
The Republicans have proven that they will cheat, lie, manipulate and perjure themselves in order to win on election day. Our biggest problem will be to bring out enough voters to overcome their illegal tactics. Obama has a better chance of drawing people than Clinton does - a far better chance.
Personally, I don’t understand why so many people hate her. But they do. And this time around, we can not afford anything but success. It will take the president and congress - hopefully one with a filibuster proof majority in both houses - years to restore basic American freedoms like habeas corpus, years to undo the Republican’s damage to government agencies and national security.
At least as important as all of that, the next president will almost certainly appoint two, probably three justices to the Supreme court. After the 2000 elections, nobody should doubt how important those appointments are.
I’ve become a yellow-dog Democrat, sounds like you have, too.