I‘m voting for Barack Obama in the Democratic primary. I’ll probably do early voting today if I don’t fall asleep at the wheel on the way home.
I did keep an open mind about Hillary Clinton. I don’t begrudge anybody that choice, as a frequent complaint about Democrats is they lack backbone. If backbone is standing up to illegal but popular wars before they have the chance to become unpopular illegal wars, then Hillary Clinton is lacking in that era. If you define it as resilience in the face of brutal personal and professional attacks, then she has it in spades. I don’t doubt her personal toughness, but she seems to be in the LBJ mold of ruthless adherence to short-term political expediency over any coherent ideology.
That said, she still would be an exponentially better president than what we’ve had for the past 7+ years, and I will vote for her in the general if she’s the nominee.
I have more reasons that I decided to go with Obama, but two in particular stand out:
- He demonstrated a more nuanced understanding of the issues surrounding technology than any candidate (see Techcrunch’s endorsement). This is both my profession and my passion, and therefore of vital importance to me.
- I’m tired of seeing Bushes and Clintons in office. Is it really change to vote for someone who is from one of the same two families that’s been on presidential ballots since two years after I was born? Maybe, maybe not, but I’m not eager to relive the vitriol from the 90s if it can be avoided. At least, that part would be the same.
I would be pleased if we end up with a McCain-Obama race. McCain has done a few dumb things — maybe even a few reprehensible things — but I at least don’t doubt his intelligence or competence. Either of them would restore sanity and honor to an office that deserves it, and hasn’t seen it for a long, long time.
You made a wise choice.Obama will be a great leader.It`s time unite our great country and start getting things done in Washington.Obama can bring Democreats,Republicans and Independents to work together.He has proved that in the Illinois state senate and as a U.S senator.I have great respect for Hillary but I just feel tired of the family dynasties in U.S politics.
Our Moment Is Now!
Obama 08!
I agree. I voted for Obama yesterday (90 minute wait - ugh) and think he may do better on Super Tuesday than even the latest round of polls suggests. I think the Clintons hurt themselves more than they know during South Carolina. Plus, there’s a hunger for a new style of leadership in this country, I believe. More than $1M per day in January is huge and, apparently, he got the biggest chunk the day after Hillary won NH. Plus, he seems to be drawing more strongly than Hillary in nearly every event. Let’s hope those turn into votes, tough. The Clinton machine is definitely not to be disrespected.
Well stated, I voted for Obama last week here in the hills
The more time I spend with it, the more I am leaning to Obama. He just isn’t as negatively polarizing as Hillary is to me.
Nicely said, Rusty. As of right now I will probably vote for Senator Clinton, but I will be thrilled with whomever prevails in the Democratic Primary. I’ve been *lucky* (um, not so much) to have been able to vote for a number of Democratic Presidential nominees in my life, but of the 8 times I’ve voted for President - a winner only 3 times… I sure hope 2008 is the 4th!
I will, respectfully, challenge your claim about President Johnson. Unfortunately, history has been very unkind to LBJ because of his poor judgment regarding Viet Nam. To suggest that he had no long term ideology dismisses many great things he did for the poor and voiceless in our society. Check out this quote from his speech to Congress in 1965:
“Of course people cannot contribute to the nation if they are never taught to read or write; if their bodies are stunted from hunger; if their sickness goes untended; if their life is spent in hopeless poverty, just drawing a welfare check.
So we want to open the gates to opportunity. But we’re also going to give all our people, black and white, the help that they need to walk through those gates. My first job after college was as a teacher in Cotulla, Texas, in a small Mexican-American school. Few of them could speak English and I couldn’t speak much Spanish. My students were poor and they often came to class without breakfast and hungry. And they knew even in their youth the pain of prejudice. They never seemed to know why people disliked them, but they knew it was so because I saw it in their eyes.
I often walked home late in the afternoon after the classes were finished wishing there was more that I could do. But all I knew was to teach them the little that I knew, hoping that I might help them against the hardships that lay ahead. And somehow you never forget what poverty and hatred can do when you see its scars on the hopeful face of a young child.
I never thought then, in 1928, that I would be standing here in 1965. It never even occurred to me in my fondest dreams that I might have the chance to help the sons and daughters of those students, and to help people like them all over this country. But now I do have that chance.
And I’ll let you in on a secret–I mean to use it. And I hope that you will use it with me.”
Or read the whole thing here:
http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/johnson.htm
He screwed up in Viet Nam but his domestic legacy is something of which all Americans can be proud.
Catherine,
Thanks for the comment and the quotation. I have Master of the Senate, which I’ve heard is very good, sitting on my shelf and plan to read it soon. So I’ll have a lot of time to ponder, and possibly reconsider, my thoughts about LBJ. Will get back to you on that point…
I met President Johnson, and my dad worked closely with him (and Kennedy before him) which is why I tend to look for the good in him. But, honestly, there is a lot of good to be found.
Caro is a fabulous writer. But I have to say that after reading “The Power Broker,” both reading and writing have become much more difficult endeavors for me. Hopefully, “Master of the Senate” won’t do the same for you