One of my commenters finds it "amazing" that I could be a staunch Kucinich man and still stand up for Senator Obama now. No more amazing than the fact that Senator Clinton, having lost her battle for the Democratic nomination, could today endorse Senator Obama and exhort her supporters to back his historic bid for the Presidency.Said Jon Cardinal, a Clinton backer at her endorsement address today in Washington, DC, "This is a somber day.... It's going to be tough after being against Obama for so long."
I know what you mean, Jon. My wife and I still consider ourselves Kucinich Democrats, members of the Democratic wing of the Democratic party, like Paul Wellstone and my new acquaintance from this week's blog convention, New Hampshire's Arnie Arneson. When Dennis dropped out in January, we were genuinely disappointed.
But sometimes you've got to back the horse you have rather than the horse you were wishing for. The Spurs didn't make the NBA Finals, but is that enough to make you basketball lovers skip watching the Celtics and the Lakers rekindle their historic championship rivalry?
Same for presidential politics... although the historic battle to come between Obama and McCain is much more than a game, and we are much more than spectators. It is a fight for the fate of our country, a fight we can't afford to sit out over sour grapes. Back in December, not one of the Dems (or the Republicans, for that matter) had a majority of the voters. Kucinich, Richardson, Edwards (Brownback, Huckabee, Romney...) -- there's no lack of voters who could sit back and grouse about how the best person didn't ascend to the top of the ticket. But if we all did that, there'd be about 10% of the population turning out to vote in November, and that's no way to play this game.
Obama vs. McCain: that's the big game in town. Let's suit up, play hard and play fair, and may the best candidate win!
Knowing that I had been rooting for Obama, a co-worker asked me yesterday if I would have voted for Clinton or McCain if Obama had lost the nomination. I find it inconceivable that she even asked.
ReplyDeleteI know there are a lot of die hard Obama fans (Corey I know you are one of them), but what is it about Obama that people fall in love with?
ReplyDeleteI voted for Hillary. Personally I thought she had more experience. I am TRYING to be positive about the person that has been selected. No way will I vote for McCain, but I would like to get some insite.
The thing about Barack Obama that impresses me is the fact that he says so many of the things that I have been thinking. And he says 'em just the way I think 'em. It's almost like he can read my mind. (But of course, it's really nothing more than plain logic.)
ReplyDeletePennyp, I haven't been diehard for Obama for long -- remember, I'm a Kucinich Dem, and I still proudly fly his bumper sticker on the car... right across from Obama's.
ReplyDeleteObama is a moderate Democrat. He doesn't go far enough on health care (single-payer Canadian system is the way to go!). He won't upset the corporate apple cart nearly as much as Kucinich would.
But of the candidates who were able to hang in there, Obama is the most outside the system. Clinton was part of a dynasty as much as the current Bush. McCain has his maverick moments, but he's been in the machine longer than any of the others, and his pandering to the fundigelicals (folks he used to deservedly criticize) turned me off. Obama came on strong as the guy who could challenge the accepted powers. He went from underdog to giant-killer, and I'm always a sucker for that narrative.
Obama has also shown the least pandering and the most authenticity in the campaign. He called the politically appealing gas tax holiday a gimmick. He speaks more of the need for sacrifice and individual effort than the other candidates (whoops -- now that's the other candidate, singular). He isn't just offering presents under the Christmas tree the way Clinton did in her Iowa ad. He's drawing people in by telling them they aren't just consumers, but participants in government, whom he expects to keep working with him to create change after the November vote.
He's still not Kucinich, but he's a step in the right direction, the best step available.
Oh, and don't let experience get you down: Obama has twelve years of experience in elected office: eight in the Illinois State Senate, four in the U.S. Senate. Neither Obama nor Clinton could win a straight-up experience debate against John McCain (two terms U.S. House, four terms U.S. Senate as Barry Goldwater's successor... and don't forget 23 years in the U.S. Navy, five and a half of those spent as a POW in Hanoi). But Obama is no spring chicken; he brings plenty of experience to the table.
ReplyDeleteYou said Obama is outside the system. If that's the case, then why are there so many people in Washington wanting to support him??? To me that sends signals that they want to do things their way and Obama is the one willing to play ball. If there are so many people in Washington wanting change, then why hasn't the change already taken place?
ReplyDeleteI have had a number of people, life long Dems. amoung them, who have asked me what is so great about Obama. I can offer a some policy points of his I felt were better than Clinton's. But maybe this is this biggest difference. Obama inspires me. Maybe it is silly, but after twelve total years of the foolish Bush family, and eight years Bill's scandal, I'm ready for someone who makes me feel proud. Someone who inspires me, motivates me to strive for great things, and makes me believe we reach them together. And it just so happens I agree with his policies to.
ReplyDeleteGood question, Pennyp -- though I would be curious to see a breakdown of the Beltway support each of the candidates has enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteThis is a little thing, not a policy issue, but perhaps indicative of where Obama stands with respect to the Washington establishment: he made a point of having his main campaign team set up shop away from Washington, in Chicago.
Maybe more useful is Anon 10:20's point. Whatever the policies, Obama has an ability to inspire people that other candidates haven't been able to match. And I do agree that inspiration is a leadership quality worth considering. A great leader inspires other people (like Anon) to strive for great things.