Know Hope!

Last week I went out to Halo for drinks with a friend. He was meeting some of his friends and I figured meeting new people would be fun. After forking over $26 for two drinks (!!!!!!), I slowly nursed my litchi-tini and chit chatted with his friends. The conversation eventually steered itself towards the two mainstays of DC conversation: real estate, and politics. Since I wasn't in the mood to talk real estate, I figured I'd make a go of politics. I like Barack Obama.

Well, one of the guys works for a firm that has software that manages political fundraising to make sure it's FEC compliant. How's that for a great DC niche market. Anyways, he was all plugged in and he was telling me that Hillary is going to win Iowa and then the election. And I was like, hmmm, not so fast.

Here's the deal. HRC is about as plastic, and polished, and soulless of a politician you will ever find. I'm sure she's smart, and competent, and I'm all for a woman president. Just not her. I never hear her speak where I don't wonder if she really believes what she's saying, or if she's just calculated what she needs to say to win. My new friend was also telling me that since HRC's already been through the ringer, that the republican's can't hurt her. And I can't tell you how much I disagree with that. HRC is a very polarizing figure. And I'm tired of that. I'm tired of the fighting, the name calling, the mud slinging, the posturing of extremist positions (left and right) when the middle isn't that bad. And I guess when it all boils down, I don't trust her. I don't trust her with the executive powers that Bush has taken by fiat. Andrew has a great clip of Hillary as Gladriel when Frodo offered her the ring. Hilary would use those powers, not renounce them. And that scares me.

So why Obama? Because he's smart. I can't wait for the day when the US President isn't on the wrong side of the bell curve when it comes to IQ. He's articulate. No more witty Bushism that are funny, but that make you cringe on the inside. He comes to the table with no baggage. No failed HealthCare plan, no philandering husband, no trophy wife. He's not part of the political culture of violence that seems to have taken over our political process. He wants to end the war, but I think he understands the value of the military and knows we're going to have to rebuilt the Army that Bush has ground down. And most importantly, I think he has the ability to move us beyond the red state-blue state mentality, beyond liberals vs conservatives, beyond us vs them. I think he can really reach out to independents and even some conservatives and win a real majority from which to govern. Now he's not perfect. He's kind of weak when it comes to GLBT stuff, but I can deal with that. He may not advance GLBT rights, but he certainly isn't going to attack them. And no, HRC wouldn't be any better.

I hope Obama wins in Iowa, and then in New Hampshire. And then the nomination. I really think he's part of the solution to what ails America, not part of the problem.