A Tuesday Point of View
Thought I'd drop in and chat a bit. Hadn't done it lately and figured it was about time, huh?
Visitors from the north will be coming to River City this weekend. In addition to our friends the Colletts and Mr. and Mrs. Gibson, Barak Obama is supposed to be in town to campaign for the democratic nomination for president in 2008. I heard the news on our local station this morning, but cannot find any online corroboration. I did, however, see that he is supposed to be in Cincinnati (just a hop and a skip from here) on Monday.
While I haven't had much time to research his stand on all the issues, I've found that he and I share a few things in common. He wants to end the war. He wants to do more energy research. He wants to hold politicians accountable for corruption. He wants a national healthcare system. I'm not saying I agree with his stance on every issue, but he's got my attention. And, apparently, he's got Hilary running a little more than she thought she'd have to, too.
I'd love to think that this country was ready to look the other way on issues of sexuality and color when it came to who was running the country, but I just don't. Please, America, prove me wrong. I'm not necessarily saying you need to prove it with these folks, but I'd love to see a president elected strictly on their abilities and talents, specifically disregarding gender or ethnicity, and without benefit of connections of slick political manuevering. Yeah, I'm a dreamer. What of it?
I'll tell you this, though, Obama's getting plenty of media. That can't hurt. Though I imagine Mrs. Clinton and Britney Spears would disagree.
Visitors from the north will be coming to River City this weekend. In addition to our friends the Colletts and Mr. and Mrs. Gibson, Barak Obama is supposed to be in town to campaign for the democratic nomination for president in 2008. I heard the news on our local station this morning, but cannot find any online corroboration. I did, however, see that he is supposed to be in Cincinnati (just a hop and a skip from here) on Monday.
While I haven't had much time to research his stand on all the issues, I've found that he and I share a few things in common. He wants to end the war. He wants to do more energy research. He wants to hold politicians accountable for corruption. He wants a national healthcare system. I'm not saying I agree with his stance on every issue, but he's got my attention. And, apparently, he's got Hilary running a little more than she thought she'd have to, too.
I'd love to think that this country was ready to look the other way on issues of sexuality and color when it came to who was running the country, but I just don't. Please, America, prove me wrong. I'm not necessarily saying you need to prove it with these folks, but I'd love to see a president elected strictly on their abilities and talents, specifically disregarding gender or ethnicity, and without benefit of connections of slick political manuevering. Yeah, I'm a dreamer. What of it?
I'll tell you this, though, Obama's getting plenty of media. That can't hurt. Though I imagine Mrs. Clinton and Britney Spears would disagree.
posted by SuperWife | 1:10 PM
4 Comments:
Found an article about Obamania coming to town:
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070220/NEWS01/70220043
For now it's just pleasant to have someone going around declaring intentions. It could be that once we get to really know Barak he'll appear as leprous in his fashion as nearly every other politician seems to when we get close enough, but for now I'm enjoying the vaseline-smeared lens of distance. At the moment I can take him as being wholly sincere, which is more than I can Hillary.
As I look ahead to the '08 race, though, and the field of Democratic candidates, I'm back to '00 and especially '04 again and the problem with the primary system. Several states have made the move towards earlier primaries -- and with one of them being California we could have a very different landscape this time -- but Pennsylvania isn't one of them. We won't get to vote until late April, when the candidate will have been long since decided. All I can hope for is that by that time there'll still be a name on the ballot I'll want to endorse.
Letting a few states decide the field of candidates for the rest of us is an abomination in a so-called democratic republic. In '04 I would have happily voted for Howard Dean (indeed, I still did when it came to the primary, though it was almost purely symbolic by that stage) but by the time I went to vote in the primary the Democratic die was long since cast, and I was left simply with the "still better than Bush" candidate.
I love it when politicians are all bright-eyed and rosy and Jimmy-Stewart-like. You know, before they get down in the mud and all the skeletons start to surface and they start mysteriously disappearing.
Unfortunately it's a long, long time until '08. A candidate nobody even considered could still be waiting in the wings. Although I'd love to see an Obama/Edwards ticket. While I'm all for a woman president, I don't think it's going to be Hillary, much as she's willing to beg, borrow and steal to get there. Unfortunately I don't think she has that connection that her husband did with the public. That "I feel your pain" factor.
Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy year.
Thanks for the heads up, Tony. I knew I'd heard it, I just couldn't figure out why I couldn't see anything about it.
We have a late primary, too, Mike. Even later than yours, sadly. So, yeah, all the cards have been played before we even get to ante. I realize Obama's still a politician, but he's keeping the dream of a different political picture alive for me, so I'm happy for that at the moment. I'm more concerned that he's a little Jesus-y for my tastes, but that's something I'll be willing to overlook, gratefully and easily, should the rest of the package be for real.
I hear you, Opus, the players will change many times before we get to the game. I hope we can pick the right one. The one that can get us back on a path I can respect, or at least tolerate. I'm buckled and ready for the ride, though.
Post a Comment
<< Home