The primary elections today, in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., have taken on more importance than expected early in the presidential campaign. Up for grabs? According to NPR, 168 delegates, with most of the attention focused on Virginia ["Virginia will offer the greatest number (83), followed by Maryland (70) and Washington, D.C. (15)"]. Right now, Obama has 943 pledged delegates to Clinton's 895, according to a count by MSNBC -- well short of the 2,025 needed to clinch the Democratic nomination. So it's anyone's ball game.
The same NPR article said this: "Virginia hasn't been for a Democratic presidential candidate since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. In recent years, however, Virginia has elected back-to-back Democrats for governor and unseated a Republican senator, and it is favored to win another Senate seat this year. Now, Democrats hope to carry the state in November for their presidential candidate. But first they will have to decide which Democrat has the best chance." And that pretty much summed up my dilemma this morning. Who has the best chance of defeating the Republicans (specifically John McCain since he appears to have all but wrapped up the Republican nomination). As one voter put it: “Who can win? Who can bring in more votes? Who is less divisive? I think Clinton is too divisive. It comes down to: who can bring the party together and bring in independents?”
As I did my research, both candidates appear to be on the same page with regards to the biggest issues. From Health Care to Energy, Education, and the Economy, their plans are similar (though I did find it easier to determine Barack's stand on the issues with his very handy down-loadable file "
The Blueprint for Change" available on his website; it took a little more work to find Hillary's actual concrete plans for change). The main difference I could find was their stance on Iraq (my local paper said Hillary's withdrawal plans won't be completed until 2013). Also, I really liked what Barack had to say about Ethics in Washington (
"I am in this race to tell the corporate lobbyists that their days of setting the agenda in Washington are over. They have not funded my campaign, they will not get a job in my White House, and they will not drown out the voices of the American people when I am president."). After 8 years of Dick Cheney and Bush cronyism, this is quite a breath of fresh air. Imagine, actual qualified people in important jobs like the head of FEMA.
So what to do?
MSNBC said,
"the biggest difference between the two “appears to be judgment versus experience: Sen. Obama's media blitz portrays him as the candidate for change — youthful and charismatic — he even took a page from the Clinton handbook using ‘Hope’ in his book title. Sen. Clinton is an accomplished senator, master political tactician and invaluable asset to the party.”
I felt like a teenager cramming for a test as I pored over documents I had downloaded from their sites last night. I continued to read as I waited in line to vote this morning, truly undecided until I put in my voting card. But in the end, I went with my gut, and voted for Obama. I'm sorry Hillary, deeply sorry. As much as I want to see a woman in the White House, I don't think you are the one who will get there, at least not this time. As much as I'd like to see another Clinton leading our country, I don't think you are going to be able to pull this one off. I think Obama is our best hope for both defeating McCain and for giving us real change in the White House.
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