I refrain from political discussion entirely on my radio show. But the blog, well, that’s different (I’ll figure out a number of reasons how and get back to you, but one is that it has veered into personal items in the past), so I take this opportunity to briefly mention why I will be voting for Sen. Obama for President in the Democratic primary in my new home-state of North Carolina on May 6.
In essence, it can be summarized by my belief that Obama means what he says about seeking change in how government does business. I do not think that Obama is flawless. But, while I disagree with Obama on some issues (i.e., I would like to see specific plans and ideas for entitlement reform, which is already eating a massive amount of our yearly Federal budget, but no current candidate is really offering that), I generally agree with him; so, on substance, I have relatively little with which to quibble.
But the real change comes in actually addressing the massive degradation of the operations of government — from ethical loopholes to increasing secrecy to the control of money in politics (note: I am not saying Washington — I mean government at all levels). And it is here where, I believe, Obama is serious and has enough political experience to understand what has and is happening. Unlike Sen. Clinton, who has given no indication that she would actually attempt to fix government (and has given indications that not only would she would not make any such attempts, but she might make the situation worse), it seems that Obama may actually address the pointlessly divisive stranglehold of incumbency and money that has come to represent government, from Washington to Albany to [name your local municipality]. That, combined with his admirable candor and thoughtfulness in not pandering to the voters with repeated platitudes and non-answers, is sadly remarkable.
I’ll gladly vote for Obama on May 6 in the hope that he offers a real opportunity to attempt to regain confidence in our government.
I leave you with Obama, addressing and explaining his “bitter” remark in his own words, on April 11:
and Jon Stewart nicely (and hilariously) summing up the “bitter” contrived controversy and, implicitly, why we want an “elitist” in the White House, from The Daily Show, April 14:
