if you want to win in the fall, barack is the only option

[anyothername]

WARNING: LONGWINDED

before i start, i'd just like to make clear, this will not be an attack piece on hillary clinton. for years, she has been unfairly maligned by the most vicious of personal attacks, and i refuse to engage in the same disgusting tactics that so many of you seem to have adopted from your republican brethren. she is a remarkable woman, who at a great personal expense, has given voice to those without it, and there is no doubt that she would make a great president.

but she can't win in the fall.

it's a sad, unfortunate reality. she has the credentials and the ability to lead, but as we've been soberly made aware so often in the past, the best man/woman doesn't always win. ask yourself this; if john kerry, a decorated war hero with decades of honorable senate service, couldn't beat george w. bush, a shitbag, do you honestly think hillary, someone with the highest unfavorables in any party, can beat mccain? there's a chance she could, anything is possible i guess, but there's far too much at stake to risk it.

at stake:

-continued war in iraq and afganistan
-a possible war with iran
-more wars elsewhere... north korea? china? mexico?
-supreme court nominees (3-4 possible)
-the continuing divide between rich and poor
-global warming legislation
-privatization of government institutions
-nationalized health care
-government instituted torture
-government surveillance
-government waste
-etc.etc.etc.

this election is far too important to throw away. the republicans have made a calculated decision and nominated the candidate with the strongest favorable ratings in their party. we have to do the same.

so let's discuss barack obama. just as the attacks on hillary clinton by many users of this site, are appalling and unfair, so are those similar attacks on barack obama. seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you people? why are we demonizing the good guys? both barack and hillary have selflessly committed themselves to fighting for the disadvantaged and disenfranchised. this is inarguable, yet a constant stream of shit is thrown in their direction. is this the way you treat everyone who dedicates themselves to helping others? if so, please, take a hard look at yourself, and fuck off. and then join the republican party. you're welcome there.

barack obama is an impressive man, with an impressive record. most remarkably, in such divisive times, where the country is so bitterly divided along ideological lines, barack obama transcends traditional political boundaries, and unites both the democratic party behind him, and some republicans as well. call me a bleeding heart, but the thought of a country for once united, not behind fear or tragedy, but behind promise and hope, gets me all misty eyed.

it's an opportunity that we would be foolish to let slip away. we stand at a point in history where the republican party is fractured. years of failed policy has repudiated republican ideas, and their ranks are disillusioned and the party itself on life support. it's time to pull the plug. obama, with his broad appeal, has the ability to draw in the youth of today to create a longstanding democratic coalition for the future.

picture, a generation where democratic ideas dominate the political landscape. every child born in our country is ensured a quality education, and quality health care. alternative energy's are being produced on a national scale, eliminating the need for oil. and everyone smiles, and we almost all look as good as barack obama when we do.

now picture a world where republican policies dominate. never ending wars are continuing to be fought over oil, under the guise of mindless nationality. scientific progress is inducted into the axis of evil. and the only preventative measure for global warming is the inevitable coming nuclear winter. but at least gay people can't get married.

make no mistake about it, mccain may not be loved by the republican base at the moment, but a hillary candidacy would unite them behind him with a renewed purpose. a party that has existed solely on it's opposition to the clinton name for years would be given new life, when it could and should have been dead. and in the ensuing administration, mccain would further revitalize his party, as his conservative credentials would take center stage. think - supreme court justice sean hanity. the result: the republican party is back, and we're more fucked than ever.

barack is our only hope. he stands in perfect contrast to john mccain. as with any general election, the race will ultimately be decided by independents. and in a battle for independents, with the similar favorability ratings between barack and mccain effectively neutralizing each other, the race will be decided by the two candidates stances on the key issues of the day. specifically, the most important issue facing our country today, the war in iraq.

it is absolutely crucial we don't make the same mistake we made in 2004, lest we suffer the same fate. for the average voter in the last election, it was a far too nuanced position for john kerry to argue against the war, when he voted for it. they just didn't buy it and it was far too easy to argue against. this time we need a candidate with a clear record of opposing the iraq war from the start. independents, along with the rest of the country, are united in opposition of this failed occupation. it's a simple equation for them to make: john mccain supports the war. barack never has. who would you choose? we can't lose.

of course, it also doesn't hurt that barack obama is, in political terms, a young 47 years of age, and john mccain is, in political terms... really, really fucking old. youth always wins. which brings me to my last point.

i've noticed through observation of this message board and through study of the exit polls, that support for a particular candidate is largely generational. younger voters tend to support barack, while the older voters tend to support hillary. baby boomers in general seem to be hesitant to support the relatively youthful barack. so, if you've managed to read this far, congrats, here's a treat. i'm about to make some news...

barack obama, born in 1961, is himself, a baby boomer! (born between 1946 and 1964) yes! it's true! he's one of yours. he's part of your legacy. with your help, he can be part of all of ours.

baby boomers, you've given us so much great music. so much great technology. so much great culture. etc. please, i ask a favor, give us this great leader. give us a future. give us barack obama.

thanks for reading.

p.s. check out these videos of barack in 2002, speaking out about the iraq war:

(couple minutes a piece)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=EhpKmQCCwB8
http://youtube.com/watch?v=sXzmXy226po


for reference:

obama's favorability ratings
fav: 59% unfav:32%
http://pollingreport.com/l-o.htm#Obama

hillary's favorability ratings:
fav: 50% unfav: 46%
http://pollingreport.com/C2.htm#Hillary

mccain's favorability ratings:
fav: 59% unfav: 29%
http://pollingreport.com/l-o.htm#McCain

[splat]

1. We've heard lots of great speakers; we've Imagined; it's not enough

The best orator isn't the contest.

[cooolandrew]

2. I know folks think it's bias but the right will energise to stop Hillary they just don't ....

... feel that same passion about Barack.

[Hieronymus]

3. Absolutely, those scandals of the '90s are not dead.

[splat]

4. They will call him Hussein at every opportunity; they're saving it

[caligirl]

5. Unlike Obama, Hillary looses indep's and some of the fed up repub votes as well

as those on the more progressive left. Obama keeps these voter types unified for the dem party. Hillary has shown her unfavorable ratings are still to high to overcome this in the GE.

Another worry I have is we have all seen a side of her many don't like. McCain will do his work at forcing her into that very aggressive shrill personality so many can't stand.

[AGirl]

6. Don't care. Fighting sexism and double standard is more important to me.

An Obama presidency worsen that effects. Nope . Never. Supporting the woman.

[caligirl]

7. and the other issues of our time be damned, right? Obama does nothing to

worsen sexism. You might consider that some one who can't keep their own party unified and is known to bring repubs to the polls for nothing more than hatred of her is a serious threat to a dem getting into the WH and maintaining control of the house and senate. The down ticket negatives are huge if she wins the dem nom. That is the accepted belief across all parties. So feel good for the short time if voting for her is your option. It has a high risk factor of not succeeding in the GE. It isn't fair but for the worst reasons she is hated by average repugs who rather than staying home , would come out for one reason and that is to vote against her. I also am concerned that McCain will bring out the side of her that won't help her at all. She can sometimes come across as shrill. That just adds to the higher negatives she has. Sometimes I like her sometimes I don't. But I don't want the risk of loosin g the WH the senate and the house because of the repug Hillary hating votes.

[splat]

8. Fear of losing is losing

[caligirl]

9. Electing the strongest candidate who will defeat the opposition is critical. Bush trades in fear.

[ErnestoG]

10. McCains team is salivating at the thought of a Hillary nom.

[ClintonTyree]

13. And they're scared of Obama?

:eyes: Think, the Republican "southern strategy" on a national level, AND on steroids. And yes, in my opinion there is still enough festering racism in this country to make it work for them. A sad, but true commentary on our national psyche. Not to mention the Islamic overtones they'll ruthlessly prey upon. Never give the American voter too much credit for being colorblind and open-minded. They'll disappoint you every time.

I doubt the RepubliCONS are very worried about a match-up with Obama, either.

[FrenchieCat]

15. You think that they are counting on the "racists" vote?

I wouldn't advise that strategy to the GOP. It's like playing Russian Roulette.

The addition Youth and Brown votes that Barack adds to the voter rolls, will take care of that diminishing percentage that judge a person by the color of their skin.

[Hieronymus]

11. Your attitude sounds sexist to me.

[anyothername]

12. no, i don't believe it

AGirl, i'm going to use my great deductive ability, and guess that you are, in fact, a girl. and i'm going to go even further out on a limb, and guess, despite your claims, that yes, you actually do care.

you care about a womans right to choose. you care about children's health care. you care about the divide in earning wages between men and women. etc. of course you care.

and being the caring woman that i know you to be, i'm sure you're concerned about which party wins the whitehouse in 2008. a hillary candidacy, while a moral victory for your cause, wouldn't be enough to overcome john mccains broad appeal. john mccain would win the election handedly and the issues in which you care deeply, would be in serious jeopardy. do you really want more conservative judges on the bench?

ultimately, it comes down to, who do you really support? do you support, the singular "woman" as in hillary? or is it much more? do you really support the plural form, "women" as in all of woman kind? if it's the latter, rather than the former, and you want women to continue to have the right to choose, for instance, then, my caring friend, you support barack obama.

welcome aboard. ;)

by the way, barack obama has 2 daughters. he has a wife. he has a sister. do you honestly believe he wouldn't be as committed to women's causes as hillary clinton simply because he isn't one himself? isn't that a form of sexism?

[VotesForWomen]

14. i absolutely disagree. Obama has not even been touched by the repug attack machine,

and believe me, they will not go nearly as easy on him as the other dems have. Barack Hussein Obama is in no way more electable than hillary.

[dailykoff]

16. He's been "touched" by the Clinton attack machine,

and the man has teflon on race and religion issues. Otherwise Hilly would be picking out her coronation shoes.

[dailykoff]

17. Corollary: Hilly HASN'T been hit with ANYTHING yet

and yet she's still tanking. Obama has the decency to forbear, but McCain is just another RW tool and won't do much to stop the shitstorm.

[FrenchieCat]

18. You most likely think exactly like that......

But not as many as you "wish" do.

That's the problem with some of you Hillary voters. You all think that even when folks see Barack close up, that they'll automatically not vote for him simply because of the color of his skin. In essense, it is your divisive way of looking at the world that attempts to fuel a self defeating prophecy. That's why it was the Hillary pollster that decided to tell Latinos that Latinos don't vote for Black candidates. I actually don't believe that this is the case. But it was a calculated call; to use a wedge between Brown people.....just as your is in this post; but between White and Black people.

Truth be told, Obama is a brother with game. Folks will see him for what he is; a superbly authentic individual who can transform our politics with people power. You will be left on the sideline with your politics of hate and the other 10% of the population that wouldn't vote for a woman either. Y'all are starting to look real small to me.

Barack Hussein Obama; a skinny kid with a funny name who realized the Ultimate American dream. The world will see this and we will be transformed from looking like hypocrites who preach values but come up empty, to a country that lives up to its ideals. Which is the best scenario for the country? Ask yourself. :shrug:

If you believe, you can achieve. We will have a majority believing in November.

[ecdab]

19. What Obama brings

with him is an increase in the base of the Democratic Party. He will turn out more young people and get them involved long term with the party. That can offset the votes he will not get because of the color of his skin. Hillary has shown no sign of providing such an offset and, in fact, it appears she will be a heavy burden for Democratic Congressmen running in the so called red states.

The idea that the Republicans will go easier on Obama than Hillary is fairly silly - they will pull out every trick in the book against either. For me the question remains - who can offset those tricks better. Expanding the voting base seems like the best way to do that and it has added long term benefits for the Democratic Party in addition to helping to expand the current Democratic majority in Congress as well.

In the end, I think both Obama and Hillary can win the GE - so electability isn't really a factor to me. However, the the fact that I see Obama expanding the base of the party and helping to add seats in Congress is a factor to me (and not the only one). However, I can easily understand why somebody would back Hillary - having a women President would be just as meaningful as having an African American President. For me, I know that which ever way I vote I will be helping to produce a meaningful result in those terms - so I'm looking at other factors to guide my decision making process.

[Perry Logan]

20. What a loser's argument. And we call the Democrats in Congress cowards!

[TexasObserver]

21. Disagree with the premise, and reject it.

I am concerned that Hillary is not as electable as I believe either Obama or Edwards to be, but I reject any premise which says she is unelectable in the fall. She can be elected, and will be elected if she's the nominee. Probably.

I do endorse the proposition that Obama gives the party its best chance to bring in a new, vital generation of Democrats, who are badly needed. Our party regulars are getting old. We must have the new blood to carry on the battle. I used to feel proud when we would win some important battle. But I failed to understand how the forces of evil never sleep, and that even in defeat they are secretly plotting to take back every victory we forge. We must have new blood to take up the fight.