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Sunday, April 06, 2008

Hillary - Quit 

I loved Bill Clinton as president, and my estimation of him only grew in contrast to his successor. However, his wife's campaign for president has diminished him in my eyes, mainly when he plays the indignant and offended spouse, telling someone off when they dare to question. Sure, that's probably how President Clinton has played politics his entire life in the back rooms, but it's not attractive in public. And it just highlights problem number one with Senator Clinton's campaign. She is running for president for herself, for the sake of holding the highest office in the land.

As of next January, we will have spent eight years under a petty tyrant who practiced exactly that -- the office of the presidency as power, and nothing else. Like her husband's successor, Hillary seems to have forgotten the major lesson every presidential candidate must learn. You are running for the office not to rule the American People, but to serve them. The election process is not a vote for Prom Queen. It is a drawn-out job interview.

I can't help but think that Barack Obama, alone among the three remaining candidates, is running for the right reason. He is not running for Obama. He is running for America. He gets it. He is the only one of them that I would trust to understand that, with great power, comes great responsibility. From Clinton and McCain, I can't help but get the vibe that they'd just be the same as Bush -- declaring "I'm the decider" at every opportunity.

Another reason Hillary should step aside and let Obama have the nomination -- his last name is neither Clinton nor Bush. We have had one or the other in the Presidential or Vice Presidential seat for nearly 28 years now. Or, to put it another way, if you are under 50 years old, you have never voted in a presidential election without a Bush or a Clinton on the ballot, and have never seen an election in which a Bush or a Clinton did not win. Quite simply, no matter what her qualifications, America is not a monarchy with royal families passing the baton. We are a democracy, and 28 years of rule by two families is enough. Those who would point out, with good reason, that America has been ruled by five families for a hundred and forty years, note that those families can't be voted out of office, since they hold none... but they can be booted out by elected officials who are not connected to them.

Reason number three, there are enough Democrats who liked McCain originally and who hate Hillary that she's likely to hand the presidency back to the Republicans.

Reason four, this country has been around 232 years. It's about damn time we put a black man in charge. Okay, so he's a mixed-race "nice" black man that the fearful bourgeois can get behind, kind of the Tiger Woods of politics. Baby steps, people. Baby steps. He also happens to be a brilliant and inspirational orator, an inspiring figure regardless of race, which is exactly what we need right now. And, not to play the "race" card, but I can't help but think that President Obama could go a long way, merely as a figurehead, in healing racial relations in this country. Hillary is shrill. McCain is pompous. Obama is... well, see above.

Reason five, Hillary is a frigging baby boomer and McCain is an old fart. Obama is 46. It's about time that we bring fresh, young blood into the highest office. Both JFK and Teddy Roosevelt are regarded as pretty amazing presidents, and Obama is in their age group. The oldest presidents ever elected? William Henry Harrison and Ronald Reagan -- the shortest term and the worst president until W., respectively. Do we really want to take that risk again, and make McCain the oldest president ever elected? And do we want to elect Hillary, a member of the whiniest generation? No. My money is on the Gen X kid.

I'm sure there are a lot more reasons, but those should suffice. Senator Clinton, if you truly love America, you will drop out of this race now, and throw your support entirely behind Senator Obama.

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