Been asked by friends and colleagues (many of whom still support Hillary), exactly why I support Barack. So I penned a response (below the fold).
The main reasons I support Obama:
- McCain is a weak candidate, as weak as Dole if not weaker. His flaws are legion, glaring and irreparable. After the damage that Bush has done to this country in the past 8 years, McCain will be lucky to win more than 20 states against either of the Democratic candidates. My main concern is the down-ticket races. With Barack at the top of the ticket, we’ll actually have coattails for the federal senate and house races (not to mention the state level legislative contests) for the first time since I have been alive. Candidates won’t have to distance themselves from the top of the ticket (as many chose to in 2000, had to in 2004, and would have to in 2008 with Hillary at the top). The difference is stark: With Barack at the top of the ticket, we’re looking at picking up 6-9 seats in the senate and 24-32 seats (net) in the house. With Hillary we’re looking at picking up only 3-5 in the senate (possibly losing the only Dem senate seat in any danger, in Louisiana), and 12-15 seats (net) in the house.
- The two largest voting blocs that vote least (by percentage of eligible voters) are the young (18-35) and the African American. With Barack, both groups will not only come out in force, but, equally importantly, will stay involved in the political process. These are new voters, hundreds of thousands (millions?) of them. The only way that incompetence and corruption can continue is when the electorate doesn’t pay attention. The way to change politics as usual (pay to play, pre-emptive war, legislation based on business/corporate interests over consumer/citizen, using wedge issues to galvanize segments to vote against their own self-interest, etc.) is not to substitute players in the same game, it’s to change the game itself.
- This is an historic opportunity to actually get something done for the first time since FDR. There are massive problems to tackle, from the obvious (Iraq/Afghanistan/Iran/N. Korea/China/Russia/etc. and the recession) to the less obvious (national infrastructure, environmental legislation, jobs, trade, entitlement programs, retirement programs, etc.) Barack has been able to get things done with people who are not of the same political party because of his ability to listen and approach problems with an open mind. (See, i.e., the story about the legislation in Chicago regarding videotaped confessions from Barack’s days in the state senate.)
- One last note in the distinction between the 2 Democratic nominees for President: I am a partisan. I want retribution for the past 8 (28?) years. I want people on trial and in jail for the illegal, immoral and unconstitutional behavior of the past 8 years. Hillary is more likely to give me (and the millions of Americans who are looking for that kind of constitutional and legal protection and action) that kind of closure than Barack due to her being more partisan, whereas Barack will likely see fighting these "previous battles" as an impediment for bi-partisan action going forward. I see this as one of Barack’s few negatives, but am willing to look past it on behalf of what is best for this country going forward. But I do see this as a strike against Barack, and one which I thought necessary to note.
I look forward to reading other people's reasons if y'all are so inclined...