The Politics of HOPE

I came of age during ‘the Clintons’. The first vote for President I cast was for Bill Clinton. I worked in the Clinton White House. Those 8 years were good years.

I am/was/am/was a HRC supporter. I volunteered my time and I gave her my money. She is a strong, smart and powerful person. She would have made a very good president. She knows how to get things done, and I believe she would have done some very good things for this town and the nation. But one of the most powerful things she has done as a woman is to loose.

She should never have won because she was a woman, like no one should vote for Obama because he is black. He is a better candidate, has more support, more money, etc. That is the reason he is where he is. And that is the real equality in the race.

Don’t get me wrong, I do have my reservations about Obama. Mainly, I think he makes things too simple. Governing is not simple, and compromise is a necessity – which means most people, most of the time, think you have in some way ‘sold out’. He’s taken a pass on some votes in the Senate for this very reason. I can respect why he did it, but the longer you govern, the longer your record and if you are in this town long enough, you will indeed vote for something and then vote against it – it is a procedural reality.

But if Obama’s biggest problem is that he is pandering to the hope within all people that things can get better, it’s a whole hell of a lot better than pandering to the fear that politicians usually use by default.

In the end, it will be not as bad as McCain says, nor unfortunately as good as Senator Obama claims. But we ought to at least give HOPE a go.

So…sign me up and bring on the yard signs and the bumper stickers.