Tuesday, February 05, 2008

It is Super Duper Pooper Scooper Tuesday!

Yes it is. Super Duper Pooper Scooper Tuesday--the day when voters in 24 states will get to choose their Democratic and Republican presidential nominee. For a general roundup of today's scooped-out madness, you can check McClatchy News, MSNBC, ABC News, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. The news stories are pretty much saying the same thing--candidates rushing around the country, soliciting those last-minute votes.

I live in Campbell, California--The Big Enchilada State with 441 Democratic Party delegates and 173 Republican Party delegates (Including super-delegates). At the moment, California is a toss-up as to who will win for both the Democratic and Presidential candidates. I am registered as a non-partisan, which means I will not be voting for the Democratic or Republican races. But if I had to choose between the political parties, I would choose the Democratic Party, simply because I do want a change in the direction our country is heading after seven disastrous years of Bush incompetence and Republican Party corruption.

This brings up an interesting problem for me. You see, I like both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as the Democratic Party candidates. I like Hillary Clinton's experience as both the former First Lady and as the New York senator. And she could become the first women president for the United States--talk about breaking through the ultimate glass ceiling here! Both are excellent qualities that can serve her well in the Oval Office. But I am also excited about Barack Obama's incredible charisma, intelligence, and his message of change. Obama brings an almost John-F-Kennedy-mystic with him as he campaigns across the country. Obama has been an amazing energizing influence within the Democratic Party. And Obama could become the first African-American president for the United States. What an insane choice here--I like them both!

So how do you choose between Clinton or Obama? I don't know. I was watching the January 31, 2008 California debate between Clinton and Obama, and the last question presented to them was the prospect of the combined ticket with both of them as president or vice-president. The crowd went nuts with the idea of having both Clinton and Obama on the same ticket. This really says something about the Democratic Party here--the Democrats love both candidates. The Democrats want both of them for president. We have a party here this is energized, excited, and perhaps even unified behind these two candidates. Regardless of who wins on Super Duper Tuesday, we will have an excellent candidate to rally around for retaking the White House this November. We will have a qualified and experienced candidate with strong policy ideas to fix the complex problems this country faces. I have never seen this type of energy and excitement take place within the Democratic Party--and that is even looking back to the Bill Clinton, or even the Jimmy Carter, years. So this is going to be a fascinating race to watch.

Going back to the combined Clinton-Obama ticket, which would I choose? Would I choose a Clinton presidency/Obama vice presidency? Or would I choose an Obama presidency/Clinton vice presidency? I would say that both would be great choices. But I would give a Clinton presidency/Obama vice presidency a slight nod simply because it could extend the Democratic Party's hold on the White House. As much as I like Barack Obama, I will admit that he does lack some experience, when compared to Clinton. Obama is not as good of a debater as Clinton. In the debates, he stammers slightly as he is trying to speak one sentence, while his brain is processing two or three sentences ahead. Clinton has been very smooth in her presentation during the debates. As much as I like Obama's message of change, I will admit that he needs a little seasoning here. And it is this point, that I will give a slight nod to a Clinton/Obama ticket. Obama could serve two terms as the vice president, gaining incredible executive experience. In 2016, Obama could become a very powerful Democratic contender who could continue to maintain the Democratic Party's control of the White House.

Either way, I could happily vote and support either a Clinton nomination or an Obama nomination. These are two great presidential candidates. Even more, they are far better candidates than anything the Republican Party has to offer here. If you want a change in the direction this country has been heading, if you want something better than the seven years of corruption and incompetence of this current Bush administration, you have two great choices on the Democratic ticket that you can select. Whether it is Clinton or Obama, your vote can give the necessary change that this country needs.

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