Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Ten straight victories, eleven if you count the out of the country voters. A blow-out in Wisconsin last night...and...now some political pundits suggest Hilary Clinton may have to win as much as 65 percent of the votes in the remaining primaries to get enough delegates to win the Democratic nomination. It certainly looks like Obama now has the upper hand. I won't declare victory at this time but it sure looks like Hilary Clinton's only chance is to complete a couple of "Hail Mary" passes...I haven't said much about the primaries up to this point but I have been following the this particular election year for some time now and decided to support Barack Obama about three weeks ago. I do find this particular election year the most interesting in my lifetime but am cautious because I have become increasingly cynical about politics as I have gotten older. So, why have I decided to jump on the Obama bandwagon? Probably, for some of the similar reasons a lot of other folks have stated. For me, the bottom line is that I think he has the "best chance" of bringing about some long needed changes on the political front. I think he has the best chance because Obama does represent a new "attitude" towards the political process. I am not talking about his message of hope but rather the general demeanor he has modeled during the campaign and the debates. Obama "genuinely", imo, repeatedly appears to acknowledge common ground with his opponents...and...I don't think it is a calculated political ploy on his part but I believe it is just the nature of his personality and worldview....Another bottom line...While Hilary and McCain obviously have a lot more experience than Obama I don't think their experience will be able to handle the gridlock in Washington as well as Obama's ability to work with others...and...I think Obama's oratory prowess will put pressure on congress to make some long needed changes...At this point I do believe Obama has all the momentum and I expect him to be the next president of the United States but whether he is able to bring about the kind of change he talks about will have to wait for the next chapter in the book. And,as much as I like Obama and find his message inspiring and his demeanor refreshing he is just a man and the power of the President is limited by the power of Congress and the will of the people...and...that is why our Presidents don't wear Superman capes or jump over tall buildings now matter how much we want or hope they can....

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