I'm done with Obama. He came in with the mantra of Change we can Believe In and I've figured out that (1) he hasn't changed anything important, and (2) I definitely can't believe anything he says. He ran as a reformer and has, so far, governed -- to the extent he even has -- as a wishy-washy guy who can't get anything done and/or can't sell it to the American people. Hell, he's not even sold any of it to ME, and I was desperate for what he was selling!
The only thing that might help absent a viable third-party candidate is if we get a real reformer in the office. I would like to start an effort to recruit ... drum roll please ... ELIOT SPITZER and ARIANA HUFFINGTON. Perfect. This will be a short diary because my main objective is to test the waters to see if there's any interest, but if you'll follow me over the jump, I'll explain my reasoning.
Eliot Spitzer was known as the head-cracker in chief over Wall Street. He reeallly pissed them off when he was in office. He went after them with a vengeance, and he saw this whole financial crisis coming from miles away. And--even better--actually DID SOMETHING (quite aggressive, I might add), to fight them.
Yes, he may be flawed morally, or "damaged" on character, but is he really? If he hasn't returned to the same shenanigans with the hookers which make him vulnerable to all sorts of untoward influence and distractions, I'm willing to forgive him.
We are in serious times, and we need serious, strong, responsible people. What he did in his personal life is not good, admittedly, but he appears to have made appropriate reparations to his wife and family. As far as I know, his wife still supports him. If it's ok with her, I can live with it. I don't think we see the propensities in him that are potential campaign killers that were there with ... oh ... say, John Edwards for one. Vetting him on this would certainly be prudent, but I sincerely think he's a man who was weak in the sexual realm, he made some mistakes, he got caught in his trap and foisted on his own petard. He has paid dearly for his mistakes, and I suspect he's learned his lesson. Watch Client 9. It's worth it.
One opinion writer who I'll admit I don't recognize nevertheless nailed how I feel about Spitzer in his article "How About Eliot Spitzer for President." http://www.aolnews.com/... I especially liked this passage:
But Spitzer put himself on the line in his campaign to root out fraud and injustice. In "Client-9," Gibney points out several occasions that illustrate how the Justice Department, as well as the FBI, targeted Spitzer personally.
In the end, isn't that the kind of person you want in the White House? Someone who knows the stakes of a scandal because he's lived it? Someone humbled by his own past mistakes? Yet someone who has the intestinal fortitude to stand up for the little guy?
During his campaign, Obama made a lot of noise about taking on the same financial villains. But so far, he's done nothing but talk a game that Spitzer's already proved he can play anytime, anywhere.
I doubt I'll ever have the opportunity, but if the choice were Obama or Spitzer for president, I'd pick a flawed Spitzer over a perfect Obama anytime. Nothing like having a choirboy with a loaded bazooka in the White House who ain't afraid to use it.
I haven't started researching Spitzer in earnest, in part because I doubt the viability of a run or even whether he has any interest in running. But at this point in my information-gathering, I think he'd do a damn fine job.
As to Arianna--well we all know what she's about. She consistently articulates the wrongs of both parties as well as the right policies to pursue. She's been unafraid to speak her mind, and in fact, built a rather profitable empire on doing just that. She has the gravitas to hold her own. She would hire the right consultants to help her if she's weak anywhere. Because of her consistency of message and concern for the actual welfare of the entire American populace, I think she would be an excellent VP choice.
I know this is all probably pie in the sky, but before you dismiss me as being too out there, I'll tell you I pegged Hillary for Secty of State months upon months before Obama did. Apparently before anyone even thought about it because I was soundly dismissed when I suggested in a thread here.
I would love to hear what you think. May not be here to respond, but I'll come back if anybody cares. I promise. I'm quite curious. Thanks for listening.