I started to become politically aware in 1979 and 1980 with the Iran hostage crisis and the energy crisis of the late 70's. As an adolescent at that time, I started off enamored with Reagan's militarism with his star wars toys and the Cold War. I probably would have voted for Reagan twice had I been old enough. A substitute teacher in high school turned me around to look at his economic and racial divisiveness. I have actively devoured news since the presidency of Bush Senior, with Bill Clinton being the first President for whom I cast my vote. From the Reagan presidency through the current administration of Bush the Lessor, I feel like I have been witness to a growing politics of polarization, division, isolation and divide and conquer. In the early primaries this year, I feel like that narrative can and is changing.
There are things that I respect and admire from each of the top three Democratic candidates. I am excited by the fact that the top two candidates for the Democratic nomination are the first African American and the first woman who would be favorites to actually win the White House in November. Among the Democrats, there is not a lot of daylight in their policy views, though there is some. In a small number of conversations I've had, I have heard people ask about issues and substance as opposed to the politics of personality and character. In the primary season through the last couple of weeks, I had been leaning toward John Edwards because of his positions. In many respects, I feel his positions on the economy and health care have been driving forces in the debate and moving the Democratic party as a whole in a direction that benefits the debate for the party and the country.
Briefly what I like about each of the Democratic candidates:
Clinton: immediate grasp of policy issues, politically savvy
Edwards: Two Americas, strong focus on the reasons for the growing economic divide
Obama: inspiration, ability to disarm and work with political opponents to get legislation passed (Illinois record and Senate record), abillity to draw new voters to the process
My sense is that, of the candidates remaining, Edwards would be the most likely to reverse many of the abuses of the Bush administration, but I feel that will depend more on what happens between Congress and the President between now and November. Any of the Democratic candidates can make a great President. There are in fact things that I dislike about each of the candidates, but I am not going to go into them. On February 5th, I will vote for Barack Obama in California's primary.
On the whole, there has been a lot of excitement in the Democratic primaries, often with record-high turnout. In Saturday's South Carolina primary, Barack Obama by himself collected more votes (295,091) than all votes cast in the 2004 Democratic primary (291,175), in addition to gathering more votes than both of the top two Republican candidates combined in South Carolina last week (McCain - 147,283, Huckabee - 132,440). In a state where Republican registration outnumbers Democratic registration, where Bush beat Kerry by 17% in 2004, Democratic primary voters outnumbered Republican primary voters this year 530,322 to 442,918. With Obama's ability to draw in new voters combined with voter antipathy to the Republicans this cycle, I wonder if it is possible to produce a Democratic blowout to mirror the Republican victories of 1988 or 1984.
In addition to the numbers, I like what I hear and read Barack Obama saying. Hearing him speak and looking at his record both in Illinois and in the U.S. Senate, he makes me believe in the possibility of people coming together in hope as a unified country to achieve great things in a way I cannot recall from any other politician in my awareness (which, granted, is only around 30 years). His legislative accomplishments are stories of a politician working to bring around his opponents on legislation not by intimidation but by working with them with respect, doing the footwork necessary, holding out his hand in cooperation but also holding the line on principle so that measures are made the best they can be.
I think the first speech I heard in full from Obama was what he said in New Hampshire before the Nevada caucus (approx. 13 minutes): from the Northwest Progressive Institute blog text YouTube video
At Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr's Church (34 minutes): text in DemDog's diary YouTube video
South Carolina victory speech (approx. 17 minutes): New York Timestranscript YouTube video
One endorsement I'd like to add from Sunday's New York Times, from John Kennedy's daughter, Caroline Kennedy: "A President Like My Father".
I hope you're able to take the time to read or watch the above speeches. They strike me as something very special. Bush the Decider has made a lot of bad decisions in the last seven years compromising the integrity of our government and the future of our country. Any Democratic can provide a positive change. I believe Barack Obama provides an opportunity for an historic change.
I am sure there are many more eloquent and substantive arguments that can be made (see RenaRF, Sinister Rae, kid oakland's candidate diaries, Femlaw, Adam B, aaraujo, or turneresq for a few examples), but if you find what I've offered here persuasive, please forward it to friends, colleagues and family. I feel we are in the middle of a very rare opportunity, but to take advantage of it we must be prepared to stand up together in the primaries.
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