I've commented before that a Hillary/Obama or Obama/Hillary ticket is simply impossible: right here

But facing a long slog to August and a possible nasty convention fight with lawsuits and gnashing of teeth, etc., how about this fantasy (at least as a matter to provoke some discussion):

I'm a social gambler. I was playing cards for money with my family from the time I was eight years old. Gambling and poker is a family tradition for me. Our Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners are followed by no-limit Texas-holdem tournaments where three generations play and compete together. The losers go to the loser's lounge where they play Rock Band together until the tournament is over. Poker is a wonderful way to learn about life, especially about people's character and personality. Recently I was playing in a friendly game with a few friends and one of them brought a new player. This new player was relatively inexperienced and so we regular players did what we always do to fresh meat, we test their character. One simple way to do this is to wait until you draw a strong hand, and then lure the player into a trap and then to ensure victory, you make a kind of psychological attack: you question the player's manhood or competence. An inexperienced player will often react the wrong way, by standing their ground or pushing back. It takes a little more experience to realize when you are beaten or when you are being provoked and to have the maturity to fold. So I take these lessons to our current Primary race:

Let me preface this by saying that I am by most definitions a cynic. I have no faith in man-made institutions whether they be religions, governments or otherwise. I've never participated in political campaigns and have rarely even voted because I believe strongly that people, especially politicians are primarily motivated to serve themselves.

I've been dreading writing this diary, because I'm scared of the reaction it might get. At the same time, I keep thinking about this and maybe this will help me think through this issue.

Should race be a factor when choosing a candidate?

I've seen two Hillary Clintons. There is the Hillary that kicks butt in debates, has consistent, thoughtful, well-prepared, often detailed and substantive answers while staying graceful, charming and avoiding negative attacks. Then there is the Hillary between debates that attacks her fellow Democrats, is tone deaf to racial issues, allows her attack dogs to use disgusting, slimy tactics and seems willing to do anything (including fear mongering) to gain power. Which is the real Hillary?

I first grew aware of Barack Obama when most of the rest of America did, when I heard him speak at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. I didn't give his Presidential campaign serious consideration until I heard a podcast about Harold Washington and his struggles as the first African-American mayor of Chicago. One of Harold Washington's great legacies was the number of young people he inspired and drew into the political process, one of which was Barack Obama.