I have to preface my remarks by saying I am not (yet) an Obama Supporter. I hear a LOT of things I like in each of the Democratic Party's hopefuls.
What strikes me is a theme I keep hearing amongst the Clinton supporters. Best way to characterize it is a "return to the good-old days" of the 90's. With a tenuous majority in congress and a great opportunity to take back the White House in 08, Clinton supporters may just be close to getting EXACTLY what they saw happen in the 90's: A Clinton in the Oval office and both houses of Congress dominated by Republicans.
The 90's were, to be sure, better than the 2000's, which are turning out to be markedly similar to the 1980's. So it paves the way for a repeat performance on the economy for a President Clinton. Great news - break out the band....let the good times return.
But is that all we want? A return to the status-quo of the 90's? Criticize Karl Rove all you want, but his agenda was bold. He wanted nothing short of a "permanent majority" in both houses. I hear nothing that even comes close in terms of boldness from the DNC, and honestly in all of Ms. Clinton's positions, I hear many themes that all translate to "let's go back to the good-ol' days." I long thought that Bill Clinton was a moderate Republican whose ideas and actions were by no means a reflection of the progressive movement. In campaigning for the Democratic Party nomination, Hillary and Bill have taken up many of the attack style tactics that have been effectively used by Republicans in the past few elections. Attacking Barack's "present" votes in the Illinois Legislature is a GREAT example of what I feel are abhorrent campaign tactics. If Karl Rove did that, we would all be crying foul, but the rank-and-file Clintonistas are strangely quiet when you point out why he had to vote "present" in those cases.
Is this what we want? Is this what we are as Democrats? Are we so hungry for a victory in November that we are going to fracture the party and become our adversaries (again) just to win? What kind of victory is that?
I guess my argument is that it's un-progressive, and antithetical to the ideals of the democratic party, and arguably almost downright conservative (in the strict sense of the word) to be voting for Hillary because she represents something that "was."
The Democratic Party has long said it stands for forward-looking ideas. It claims to be the party of change. Democrats say they stand for hope, social justice equality and peace. What we are not, is a party of reactionaries who vote to return to something that was.
I want a Democratic Party who wants to be above this. I am not alone. I believe that what fuels the Obama campaign is just this desire. I think it's a desire to be Democrats.