As a life long Democrat I actually feel that pretty much any of the Dems running this year would be more than acceptable to me, certainly compared with the Republican choices . Since I began voting at 18, umphity umph years ago, the Dems have rarely had that strong of a line-up and the GOP has rarely had that bad a group of potential candidates.

But...

I was watching CNN this morning and they were airing a live Obama speech from New Hampshire that really bothered me to the point I turned it off. He was talking about the typical Obama speech where the people watching him would suddenly see a light come down from wherever and have an epiphany that they would have to vote for him. It was sort of creepy. Later, I was reading SLATE MAGAZINE and they happened to mention the same speech. Take a look at their article then come back.

Hi, again. As they say, Obama probably was being humorous, but, boy, as you watched it, he didn't seem that way. I've long believed that to want to run for President requires a Messiah complex. Usually it's better disguised. I had also been turned off to the nasty campaigning done by him near the end of the Iowa politicking. He had been far more positive until then. What he has to say is generally good, but after Bush and currently Huckabee, I can do with less pontificating, humorous or not.

Hillary has been a different kind of problem. I think she's been tarred much too much by people who simply don't like her, but few can clearly and logically explain why. People say they don't want 8 more Clinton years, which is kind of weird because although flawed, those were generally decent times. I can understand, right or wrong, that after Bush-2 the concept of family royalty might be frowned upon but the hatred shown to her is far beyond that. She's been hated for years now. You might not like her voting record - I don't. But then in my lifetime I've never agreed with nearly every vote even the candidates I was 100% for voted for. I'm not positive that her attitudes would be forgiven or ignored if she were a man but I do think they are analyzed and criticized far more than male candidates. Men coming on strongly are rarely described in the way she is. Also, the so-called pundits, who usually get mostly everything wrong, keep saying with Hillary you get old-school politics. I'm shocked. Shocked. Politics from Politicians. Others talk about the fact that she's not immediately likable, although they also admit that in person she is. I guess I don't care if she's TV-likable or not. I don't vote for a President based on wanting to go out for a few drinks with them any more than I do on how religious they are. I want a solid manager who can lead a country - and yes, occasionally inspire us - but primarily one who is smart and open to different solutions on how to fix the problems besetting us. I think we've seen what voting for a C-student has done. Let's get some A-students back in charge. Someone who reads and thinks and isn't told by God what they should or should not do. Hillary isn't my favorite choice but I'd have no qualms about voting for her if she was the candidate.

I like Dennis Kucinich but he hasn't a hope in the world of getting elected in this television-ready world, which is a shame. But my choice has been and is John Edwards. I like what he has to say, and unlike some of the others, even as a lawyer he spent his life on the right side of many issues. I like his positive approach but it's backed up with specific plans for what he'd do. I'm pretty sure he won't be nominated either - he seems to be everyone's second choice - but I still like him.

Tomorrow is the actual first primary of the election season which these days seems to extend from the day after the Presidential election to the morning of the next election, four years later. Many of the decisions that will affect us will be made there. While it should be interesting, I have to say I cannot understand why any Dem would want to run this year. Thanks to the current administration, we are so much in debt and so hated by so many countries, that there will be no way to begin to solve any of our problems without heavily raising taxes and changing the very way we conduct foreign business. We can't continue to cut services which have already been cut to the bone. And you know if/when taxes are raised, four years from now the GOP will return to their old standby, "Those tax and spend Democrats" even though it was this administration that caused the debt.

I don't have answers, but I am pleased that at this point at least we have a number of candidates I could at least back. As they say, we live in interesting times. I don't know about you, but frankly, I could do with a little less interesting and a little more peace and tranquility.

Labels: The Primaries