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Trying to give Obama some love
Posted on 2008.01.09 at 09:47Current Mood:
jaded
I think I must be an Obama supporter. I had been leaning towards just voting for Kucinich, to show him my appreciation for what he adds to the debate. I doubted my vote would make much difference by the time of the Massachusetts primary in March. Well, our primary has been moved up to "Super Tuesday," which is less than a month away. Sorry, Kucinich.
I took the WBUR/NewsHour Vote by Issue Quiz, and Obama, Kucinich, and Richardson (who knew?) tied for first at 8/10 issue agreement. I disagreed with Obama on Energy and National Security.
I disagreed with Mitt Romney* on all ten issues--no big surprise there. But I fear that the Iowa and NH results, in aggregate, show Romney as the rational, national choice. One woman interviewed in NH summed it up perfectly: "He looks like a president. He sounds like a president. He acts like a president." As far as I'm concerned, this is code for: he's a rich white guy that looks more than a little bit like Superman.
At the same time, the Democrats' results show division--between two people who look like less powerful superheroes. No matter that they're both more qualified, have more reasoned stances on the issues, etc.
At any rate, this entry started out with my apparent support for Obama. Remember that Vote by Issue Quiz? I agreed with Clinton on 5/10 issues--fewer than any other Democrat. I even agreed with Huckabee on three! I never really liked her, but I'm now totally convinced that she's not nearly progressive enough for me.**
I'd like to get excited about Obama, like I was way back in 2004 at his DNC speech. But there are so many factors working against it.
*Completely random trivia moment from Wikipedia: Apparently, Mitt is his middle name. "He was named 'Willard' after hotel magnate J. Willard Marriott, his father's best friend." J.Willard Marriott--that's Uncle Bill to me--my grandmother's big brother.
**Completely random moment #2: Doesn't the music from this ad sound just a little bit like the opening credits to the West Wing?
I took the WBUR/NewsHour Vote by Issue Quiz, and Obama, Kucinich, and Richardson (who knew?) tied for first at 8/10 issue agreement. I disagreed with Obama on Energy and National Security.
I was particularly disappointed about his energy stance because he prioritized corn-based ethanol and biodeisel; the former is inefficient and perpetuates the global problem of domestic corn subsidies, and the second is not sustainable. He went on to mention fuel efficient vehicles. Basically, all of this is wimpy, tip-of-the-melting-iceberg stuff that avoids the real issue.
I disagreed with Mitt Romney* on all ten issues--no big surprise there. But I fear that the Iowa and NH results, in aggregate, show Romney as the rational, national choice. One woman interviewed in NH summed it up perfectly: "He looks like a president. He sounds like a president. He acts like a president." As far as I'm concerned, this is code for: he's a rich white guy that looks more than a little bit like Superman.
At the same time, the Democrats' results show division--between two people who look like less powerful superheroes. No matter that they're both more qualified, have more reasoned stances on the issues, etc.
At any rate, this entry started out with my apparent support for Obama. Remember that Vote by Issue Quiz? I agreed with Clinton on 5/10 issues--fewer than any other Democrat. I even agreed with Huckabee on three! I never really liked her, but I'm now totally convinced that she's not nearly progressive enough for me.**
I'd like to get excited about Obama, like I was way back in 2004 at his DNC speech. But there are so many factors working against it.
Any suggestions about getting me engaged in this political process, or should I just wallow in my cynicism?1. I'm afraid of getting crushed by an inevitable Romney win (remember that I already experienced that once in Massachusetts).
2. I'm not convinced that Obama will have the political power or strategic ability to follow through on his promises, even if he did win (the larger political system hasn't changed).
3. I'm just so irritated by the whole process, that I'm thinking about submitting to NPR/PBS withdrawal just so that I don't have to hear one more commentator call Clinton "Hillary" or some idiot on the street say that "we'll never elect a black president" or pundits debate the relative merits of "experience" vs. "change."
*Completely random trivia moment from Wikipedia: Apparently, Mitt is his middle name. "He was named 'Willard' after hotel magnate J. Willard Marriott, his father's best friend." J.Willard Marriott--that's Uncle Bill to me--my grandmother's big brother.
**Completely random moment #2: Doesn't the music from this ad sound just a little bit like the opening credits to the West Wing?