danajohnhill.org | Hard Times Come Again No More

Let me begin by saying that I do not hate Hillary Clinton.  On the contrary, I believe she is an extremely intelligent, hard-working senator.  Likewise, John Edwards has heretofore been my hope for 2008.  His pro-middle-class, anti-corporate greed message resounds with me.  (I do sincerely believe that increasingly powerful corporations, unencumbered by any sort of sensible regulations, have taken America down a dangerous path.  The present mortgage crisis is a perfect example.)

Alas, John Edwards doesn’t seem to have any traction at this point, and that leaves me in the position of having to root for another team.  If it cannot be Edwards, then Barack Obama will be my man.  He is an electric speaker, and obviously smart and compassionate.  Coming out of Iowa with a surge of momentum things looked very promising.  For nearly a week the media made it appear that victory for Obama was certain in New Hampshire.  So, when all the pollsters and pundits got it wrong last night, it was disappointing for two reasons.  First, it reminded me a bit too much of the 2004 presidential election, where John Kerry was predicted to be the winner until late in the evening on election day.  Second, I really do not want Hillary Clinton to be the Democratic nominee this year. 

As I said, I don’t believe she isn’t as qualified as anyone else.  I simply think she is the most likely democratic candidate to lose to a Republican in November.  I think John McCain would crush her.  I believe that there are millions of Americans who, right or wrong, despise Hillary Clinton.  If Democrats would like to once again grab defeat from the jaws of victory, I think Clinton can do it.

On the other hand, I think Obama, with a message of unity and goodwill, has the most promise in terms of bringing in all the Democrats and most of the unaffiliated.  In order to make this happen, I think it might be best at this point, I am sorry to say, for Edwards to withdraw, and allow most of his supporters to move to the Obama camp. 

Filed under: Current Events, Politics on January 9th, 2008 | No Comments »