You can't go wrong today

I still don't know who I will vote for today in the Massachusetts primary.  I happen to like both Democrats very much, and am so excited that our great Democratic party will be the first party to have either a woman or an African-American as the party's nominee.  This nomination truly is historic.

The is one thing when I vote I know is clear:  when Americans vote for a candidate for President, they aren't voting for a checklist of policy positions; they are voting for a person.  That is the way we Americans choose our President, and both Democratic candidates have their strengths and weakness.

Hillary Clinton, I wrote yesterday, possesses encyclopedic knowledge and extrodinary command of the issues.  Nowhere is that more clear than on health care.  Like her husband, Hillary Clinton can explain the most complicated concepts in the simplest terms.  What's more is that Hillary  also has plenty of experience taking those slings and arrows -- much of it on our behalf -- from those mean and vindictive Republicans during policy debates, and sticking it to the Republicans.  Barack Obama simply does not have this experience.  With the stakes so high, it's nice to have that kind of comfort with Hillary Clinton.

Barack Obama, stephdray points out, offers the potential for a politically transformative moment in history, and it would be great to be there when it happens.  You don't get a candidate with that kind of potential very often.  Do I really want to look at myself, 20, 30 years from now knowing that I stood in the way of someone who could change the political landscape and for the better?  That's a difficult choice.

So I am really torn between these two excellent candidates.  The only thing I know is that I can't go wrong with either one.  Please feel free to share your thoughts on the candidates.

•  Tips, recs, etc.

  For two great Democratic candidates and a truly historic Democratic primary.

  by jim bow on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 07:41:37 AM PDT

  •  You can go wrong.

    Hillary will divide the Democratic Party and galvanize the opposition.

    Obama will unite the Democratic Party and attract some Republicans.

    Make the right choice.

    Obama!

    by rick on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 08:01:30 AM PDT

•  It is a tough choice, check out this link...

  My undecided friends found it very helpful. Hope it helps you too. Who Should I Vote For?

  by V in Vermont on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 07:47:27 AM PDT

•  Yes you can go wrong today.

  There are several ways to go wrong today, at least in some states.  Their names are McCain, Romney, Huckabee...

  by mistersite on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 07:47:52 AM PDT

  •  Good point n/t

    by jim bow on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 08:00:17 AM PDT

•  Hillary Clinton Is Beholden To Special Interests

  Otherwise, she is a good candidate.

  But that's a big limitation.  If Hillary manages to win the nomination, we'll have to deal with a heaping helping of more of the same in Washington.

  Also, remember that Hillary lacks credibility on the Iraq war, having voted FOR the 2003 AUMF bill without even reading the national intelligence estimate.  This is also an important concern.

  Every once in a long while, we have a chance to elect an honest progressive to the White House.  Barack Obama is that opportunity in 2008.

  by bincbom on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 07:49:30 AM PDT

•  I happen to think that

  among other reasons electing Hillary Clinton, who happens to be a woman, to the highest office in the land, would be just as transformative, and for 51 percent of our population, an historic first.

  Not saying that should be the ONLY reason to vote for her.  But it is a good one.

  Whomever you decide, we'll all come together for November and beat the real enemy...

  by Kevvboy on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 07:50:15 AM PDT

  •  are you happy...

    with Nancy Pelosi? She's the first woman Speaker of the House. How much difference does it really make. Our choices should be based on our vision of the future, not on what gender a candidate is.

    by sunflight on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 08:40:04 AM PDT

    •  It makes a hell of a difference.

      Nancy Pelosi is a great Speaker.  She's certainly a heckuva lot better than any other House Democrat could be.

      Ultimately, however, unless we live in San Francisco, we don't have much say as to whether Nancy Pelosi is our Speaker.  House members -- not voters -- choose their Speaker.  So long as Nancy keeps racking up those funds for endangered Democrats, House Democrats will keep her as Speaker.

      by jim bow on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 08:48:26 AM PDT

•  I agree with your broader assessment

  even though I have a clear favorite.  

  We can't go wrong today.  If you see voters holding their nose as they walk into the booth today, then you know they requested a Republican ballot.

  by cardinal on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 07:55:01 AM PDT

•  Massachusetts here, too.

  I'm going with Obama. I know at least two in my family are voting Hillary.

  You're right:   We. Can't. Lose.

  by PBen on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 07:57:54 AM PDT

•  my thoughts

  bill and hillary supported cheney and bush and sent my wife to iraq.

  by ToxicTidepool on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 07:58:39 AM PDT

•  you can go wrong

  if you should be voting today get out there and do your civic duty!

  by Hey BB on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 08:11:35 AM PDT

•  Agreed

  Both candidates are extraordinarily smart and, as president, would take this country in the right direction.

  Sadly, some of Sen. Obama's supporters have come unhinged (*cough*rick*cough*), but that surely is not the Senator's doing.

  I chose Hillary this morning for policy reasons, but I will enthusiastically campaign for Sen. Obama in the GE if he secures the nomination.

  Happy Super Tuesday, jim.

  by HobbyWizard on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 08:13:55 AM PDT

•  that was a killer diary you wrote yesterday, jim.

  out of all the diaries published yesterday, you ended up #3 in comments, #5 in recommends, and #5 in impact in the stats i ran last night.

  by campskunk on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 08:14:50 AM PDT

  •  My first dairy to make the reco list.

    I thank everyone who recommended it.

    How is the stat impact thing computed?

    by jim bow on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 08:29:10 AM PDT

    •  it's a part of the search function.

      here. that's set to sort yesterday's diaries by number of recommends. you can play with the parameters to get different days, or sort by number of comments, impact, etc. ALWAYS remember to expand the search interval to include the entire 24 hour period of the day you're searching for. "2 days to now" covers all of yesterday, for instance.

      by campskunk on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 09:28:45 AM PDT

      •  Thanks, campskunk.

        You learn something new everyday.

        by jim bow on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 11:17:21 AM PDT

  •  btw

    Thanks for the info.  Maybe someday I'll make celebrity status at Daily Kos :)  Yeah right!

    by jim bow on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 08:34:54 AM PDT

•  What is "encyclopedic knowledge" anyway?

  I really don't understand why everybody just accepts the "encyclopedic knowledge" meme without question?

  by seenos on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 08:18:02 AM PDT

  •  Did you see last Thursday's debate?

    Look at how intelligently Hillary Clinton can talk about health care -- a very complicated subject.

    by jim bow on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 08:30:04 AM PDT

    •  yeah, she did such a great job with it last time

      Being able to recite facts and figures and the minute details of policies is a qualification for bean-counter, not for president. A president needs to lead with vision, not with statistics.

      The issues change rapidly in today's world, and if you don't know who you are and are not very clear about your own core values, your center will not hold and you will be vulnerable to bending anyway someone blows you forcefully. Think about Hillary's political history. Just think about it.

      There's plenty of "daylight" between the 2 candidates.

      by sunflight on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 08:45:52 AM PDT

    •  She bombards listeners with facts!

      But often they are unrelated to the question at hand, or are filled with serious sounding phrases that mean very little.

      She seems like she's trying to talk me into submission, by forcing me to agree with the "encyclopedic knowlege" reputation.

      I would be more impressed if she could give a concise answer to a question, rather than a ten point plan!

      by seenos on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 11:50:15 AM PDT

•  Just be grateful that your

  choices aren't only McCain or Romney.

  I, at least, won't have to hold my nose to vote in the primary.

  by nupstateny on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 08:18:50 AM PDT

•  Fixed your tags.

  by Jacques on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 08:26:33 AM PDT

  •  Thanks n/t

    by jim bow on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 08:30:58 AM PDT

•  You've answered your own question

  Barack Obama, stephdray points out, offers the potential for a politically transformative moment in history, and it would be great to be there when it happens.  You don't get a candidate with that kind of potential very often.  Do I really want to look at myself, 20, 30 years from now knowing that I stood in the way of someone who could change the political landscape and for the better?

  If you vote for comfort, you're voting for your fears.

  Vote for your hopes.

  by sunflight on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 08:35:20 AM PDT