After reflecting on the content of the speeches by Senators Obama and Clinton last Tuesday evening, I did a bit of soul-searching on the issue of my having supported the draftobamaclinton.com movement.
I am uncomfortable with the notion that any candidate can lay claim to deciding how they are going to use their 18M votes going forward as did Senator Clinton-- in spite of the fact that Sen Obama is the presumptive nominee.
Your votes are entrusted to a candidate, and they can be withdrawn. And in the aftermath of her remarks on Tuesday evening Senator Clinton has obviously changed her course.
It's understandable how she must have felt as she spoke on Tuesday. I imagine that in the moment-- after such a historical, grueling primary season-- the pressures and emotions with which she was grappling were daunting.
However, I read a post the next morning by the Political Editor at the Huff Post, Hilary Rosen, who had been a staunch and steadfast supporter of Sen Clinton. Hilary announced her support for Sen Obama and said "I'm not a bargaining chip." She's right.
Maybe Obama and Clinton are the most formidable duo. There is an argument to be made and I did so a few days ago. However, I've gotta say that I jumped the gun.
Sen Obama is about changing the status quo. As he said Tuesday evening, "changing Washington is about more than just changing parties...."
I want Barack Obama to be our next President. But, I don't want him to have to compromise a quality which makes him the transformational, inspirational politician he is: his commitment to changing the culture of politics. That is going to be one helluva tall order. Senator Clinton, accomplished and competitive and compelling as she may be, is representative of status quo politics. And Senator McCain as an agent of change-- well that's a curious notion.
I'll support whomever Senator Obama selects as his running mate. He's run the smartest campaign any Democrat has waged in my lifetime. Part of his genius is that he surrounds himself with very smart people and he listens to them.
I've pulled my endorsement of the movement to forge an Obama Clinton ticket.
I'll eat crow on this one without hesitation. Senator Obama is entitled to choose who he wants and not who he thinks he has to get.