The State of the Race

Just thinking about the Democratic race for president gives me agita. After the Iowa caucus, I was giddy. It seemed that Barack Obama had bucked the odds and set himself up as the victorious candidate, winning a state that is almost entirely white. Then he was up in the polls in New Hampshire, and a decisive win there would have dealt a severe blow to the campaign for Hillary Clinton. But then Hillary got a little teary-eyed in a New Hampshire diner...

I don't know if Hillary Clinton won New Hampshire because she showed emotion, but anyone who voted for her because of that needs to have their head examined, and is why Democrats so often turn up on the losing side of the ledger. If you believe that Hillary is the better candidate, that's fine, but deep down, do you want to win in November? Maybe I'm hopelessly naive, but after Obama's win in Iowa it seemed to me that had he gone on to coast to the Democratic nomination, he would have been very tough to beat in November. But a protracted, nasty election process that lasts through spring will not do the Democratic party any good.

Why do I think Obama is the preferable candidate? First of all, he does not have the baggage that Hillary does. I think she'd make a fine president, but let's face it, she is despised by half the people in this country. She will not pick up independent votes. She will not inspire people who otherwise woudln't vote (particularly young people). I think Obama could do both of those things, and would be a more likely person to unite the country and dissipate this awful red-state/blue-state stuff. I think there is also a Clinton fatigue, and would think an exciting new face would do more to generate votes in November than business as usual. I also think Obama, though he would be trashed from pillar to post by the Republicans if he were to win the nomination, doesn't inspire the kind of hatred that Hillary does. I know a few rock-solid Republicans that like him.

I think this is even more important if John McCain wins the Republican nomination, which is looking more and more likely. Republicans seem to making an examination of who is most electable, and that is clearly McCain, who I think would beat Hillary soundly. Obama, however, would be another story.

My fingers are crossed that Obama rebounds and wins the nomination (it would help if Edwards would pack up and go home--I like him, too, but if he doesn't win South Carolina he should read the handwriting on the wall). If Hillary does win it, I will pull for her with every fiber of my being, but Obama is the better way to victory (it also helps that I agree with his stance on the issues more than Clinton's anyway).