JoB
it’s hard, isn’t it.
I remember Kennedy’s campaign and in spite of his charisma, how difficult that first hurdle of catholicism was to jump… and the difference between the campaign promises and the reality of his presidency. That’s the process, isn’t it.
And now we have two candidates who would each topple further barriers… Obama and Clinton. Obama is charismatic… we want to like like him, We want him to succeed.
I just keep remembering that is why we had 4 more years of Bush, not because America liked what he had done, but because at least half of America liked what he told us he wanted to do. They wanted him to succeed.
Hilary isn’t so charismatic… no matter how much her policy wonks tweak her image. She is centrist, but unlike her husband, she presumably will have a congress that will back her instead of fighting every step of the way. And i think she is pragmatic which helps. She will have to fight to succeed and that can’t be a bad thing.
On the other side, we know that incredible amounts of money and political pressure will be brought to defeat her. And we know she is far more militant than most democrats are comfortable with. she is too militant for me.
Edwards has a great message, but he also has a wife battling breast cancer and a family to raise. Even if they are able to work around those issues, it will create a ton of stress and distraction that will make the job of president more difficult.
Kucinich is every idealistic thinking democrat’s dream… but like most intellectual presidential hopefuls, not likely to get elected in today’s media market.
So what’s an idealist to do?
I can’t forget the women’s movement. Especially these days, my hormones won’t let me. Hilary is one of us.
So, I will vote for her because she is a woman. Now, isnt’ that lame.
But, as a woman, she will have to work harder to succeed. i want my president working very hard for me.
She will have more scrutiny than any other president in our history and i think it is time to restore some accountability to our White House. It’s unlikely that much will slip past that kind of scrutiny.
She understands housekeeping and it is time we had a president who was interested in the details of managing our nation. Someone who knows what it is like to juggle diverse needs and schedules every day… someone who understands that health care and health are essential to productivity… who understands that good nutrition isn’t just a goal but an investment in the future… who knows what it is like to balance egos and outcomes.
ok, so those are campaign promises like everyone else’s.
It’s just that i think we have a better chance of having those promises fulfilled by a woman who grew up having to battle her way to success… and i will bet my vote on it.