What to do, what to do...
I really need to mail my absentee ballot soon. Real soon. I have only marginal faith in the capabilities of the Canadian postal service, so I want to allow 2 weeks for my ballot to reach San Francisco.
Although I really don't know why I am worried. My tiny little vote really won't make much difference in the outcome of the primary. It also doesn't really matter who wins: either way, I am voting for the Democratic candidate in the next election. Still, I take my voting very seriously. Which leads to my dilemma: who the heck should I vote for??
I have watched both the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries and the speeches of the various candidates. Barack Obama is one hell of a speaker; inspiring, articulate, clever. Sometimes too clever, methinks, but I admire the technique. I read The Audacity of Hope over the summer, and I respected his ideas, but he didn't entirely sweep me away. I am not overly concerned with the lack of experience tag, because heaven knows there are plenty of presidents with lots of "experience" who sucked donkeys' eggs. I like the idea of voting for a black president.
Then there's Hillary. I have no objection to Hillary on any basis, unless it is that she is a political animal to the core. She doesn't have anything even resembling Obama's public charisma, although I suspect that one-on-one she could be devastating. She is smart, she is relentless and she has Bill to back her up. I find myself thinking "Hey! the Clinton years? Pretty damn good." Except for all those Republican-fueled scandals. Those got seriously boring. And finally, I really like the idea of voting for a woman president.
I could vote for Edwards; no quarrels with him either. And if he is still in the race, and the convention is essentially tied between Hillary and Barack, it would be fascinating to see his role as kingmaker. So, that vote would just be for entertainment value, because I think he is not viable as a candidate anymore. As for the rest; I don't really feel strongly enough about any of them to make a "sending a message" vote.
I would love to hear what other people think. I just finished reading the responses to John Scalzi's post here, and it was interesting, but I am not sure it really helped. I am tending slightly one way, but it is only by the slightest of margins. Talk to me.
Although I really don't know why I am worried. My tiny little vote really won't make much difference in the outcome of the primary. It also doesn't really matter who wins: either way, I am voting for the Democratic candidate in the next election. Still, I take my voting very seriously. Which leads to my dilemma: who the heck should I vote for??
I have watched both the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries and the speeches of the various candidates. Barack Obama is one hell of a speaker; inspiring, articulate, clever. Sometimes too clever, methinks, but I admire the technique. I read The Audacity of Hope over the summer, and I respected his ideas, but he didn't entirely sweep me away. I am not overly concerned with the lack of experience tag, because heaven knows there are plenty of presidents with lots of "experience" who sucked donkeys' eggs. I like the idea of voting for a black president.
Then there's Hillary. I have no objection to Hillary on any basis, unless it is that she is a political animal to the core. She doesn't have anything even resembling Obama's public charisma, although I suspect that one-on-one she could be devastating. She is smart, she is relentless and she has Bill to back her up. I find myself thinking "Hey! the Clinton years? Pretty damn good." Except for all those Republican-fueled scandals. Those got seriously boring. And finally, I really like the idea of voting for a woman president.
I could vote for Edwards; no quarrels with him either. And if he is still in the race, and the convention is essentially tied between Hillary and Barack, it would be fascinating to see his role as kingmaker. So, that vote would just be for entertainment value, because I think he is not viable as a candidate anymore. As for the rest; I don't really feel strongly enough about any of them to make a "sending a message" vote.
I would love to hear what other people think. I just finished reading the responses to John Scalzi's post here, and it was interesting, but I am not sure it really helped. I am tending slightly one way, but it is only by the slightest of margins. Talk to me.
posted by allison | 12:13 PM
4 Comments:
I am afraid I am no help at all. If I were able to vote, I would be just as torn as you are.
I am, uh, kinda planning to let Sam vote for me.
Not being American I haven't followed this very closely. However, if I had the choice I would put my cross next to the name "Barack Obama". He seems smart.
I supported Obama in the caucus, and I'll try to explain why.
I leaned Republican in the '90s and leaned Democratic in the '00s. At this point, I'm tired of not having a president I can respect. When I look at Obama through the lens of experience with both sides, I see a man that I think everyone can at least respect, regardless of affiliation. As much as I admire Clinton, she is seen by Republicans as a divisive figure, and that's not something I want to continue in Washington.
And then, knowing what I know now about the outcome of the caucus, I would have been just as happy to go to the Republican caucus and voted for Ron Paul.
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