Although we’ve known for some time that it might come to this, it is only now starting to settle on me that the next Democratic candidate for President will be either a woman or an African-American. It is a stunning turn of events. As I have watched the process these past few months, and sensed which way the wind was blowing, I have said to all who care to listen that this is a good field of Democratic candidates, that any one of them would make a fine President, and that I will be happy to support whoever is chosen by the national party.
Not that I haven’t had my favorites. I’ve admired John Edwards for the past four years and enjoyed watching him evolve into a populist candidate as he refined his message about the two Americas. Dennis Kucinich is (was) the only candidate this year that I had the honor to meet in person, and although we all knew he would not be the final nominee, he was my heart’s choice. (Actually, I did meet one other candidate before: twenty years ago, when I was living in New York, Rudy Guliani dashed across the street to shake my hand. He was running for State Attorney General and I didn’t like him then, either.)
After seven years of unbelievably inept “governing”, I have found myself nostalgic for the simple scandals of the Clinton years, not to mention the reassuring financial scene of the 1990s. And I have always liked Hillary Clinton the person, so I find her candidacy exciting on many levels.
A recent New Yorker article skillfully painted the choice that Democrats will have in November. If you are one who believes that what this administration is most guilty of is incompetence, then the best way to turn things around is to bring in an able manager, someone with the experience and native intelligence to patch up what’s broken and set our country back on the right track. If that is your priority, then you will lean towards Senator Clinton.
If, on the other hand, you believe that the root problem of this administration is that it is being run by ideologues who place narrow dogma over factual reality, then you may be attracted to the candidate with vision, one who promises a whole new way of looking at the world, an inspiring figure who can reach past the divisions wrought by years of partisan gamesmanship and craft a new American spirit. If you are looking for that kind of change, then you will lean towards Senator Obama.
The plain truth is that we need both. The George W. Bush administration suffers from both twisted ideology and spectacular incompetence and what we need now is a visionary administrator who can steer our ship of state from the rocky shoals and chart a course towards a new and exciting future. And I have no doubt that both candidates share similar strengths, and I will be happy to support the final nominee, but a curious thing has happened the past few weeks. A strange and nagging sense has crept into my consciousness, something I haven’t felt in nearly eight years.
Call it Clinton fatigue.
Remember that? As good as those years were, and as angry as we were with the Republicans for their non-stop smear machine, by the time Bill Clinton was ready to roll out of the White House, many of us were lined up to help him pack his bags. In retrospect, the peace and stability of the 90’s look even better now that we’ve suffered seven years of neocon idiocy, so bringing a Clinton back into the Presidency seemed a warm and comforting choice.
But as I’ve watched the campaigns unfold, I have found myself getting irritated with the Clintons lately and their “must win at any cost” maneuvers. Barrack Obama is a good man and an inspiring figure, and to see both Clintons, but Bill especially, be so dismissive of his historic candidacy is galling. On the surface, I’ve remained neutral, sticking to my pledge that all of the candidates are worthy of being the final nominee. But when Senator Obama won South Carolina last week, I found myself cheering. And not just because he won, but because Senator Clinton lost. And when I saw Bill Clinton on TV dismissing Obama’s victory because, you know, just the blacks supported him, I got angry. This is not the kind of Presidency I want. We need an inspirational leader whose life story and high ideals promises a sea change in our history. We need to show other nations, those that use to admire us, that we can still be grand and inventive. We need a President for the 21st century. We need Barrack Obama.
So I am showing my cards now. I support change. I support inspiration and imagination. I support showing the world that America can still do things that are surprising and good and reflective of our true inclusive nature. I support Barrack Obama for President.