Can we?

I promise not to talk only about politics between now and November, but I've been ruminating about Obama and Clinton since Tuesday's primaries. I've become more set in my decision that Obama would make a better leader. On both an emotional and cognitive level, Obama is the right choice to be the Democratic nominee. Why choose a candidate who is despised by half the country? What is the basis of Clinton's superior experience?

Electability, a criterion I swore I would never after Kerry, is, thankfully, a wash: though Clinton does a bit better in polls against McCain, prevailing wisdom suggests that the only thing that could motivate large numbers of conservatives to the polls is a Clinton candidacy. Both polls and prevailing wisdom are horrible predictors of anything, but in this case they cancel out and are only being mentioned for the benefit of those who would like to incorporate "electability" into their decision-making algorithm.

In terms of policy, I think its a tie between the two. I like Clinton's mandates, but as demonstrated by Obama's below-the-belt "Harry and Louise" style mailer, I think it will not stand be able to pass. Neither candidate can provide the single payer, universal coverage that is the standard in modern societies, and if we as a nation don't want that, then as long as more health care is available in the future than is available now, I will have to accept it.

As for Iraq and foreign policy, Clinton is more of a hawk than Obama. She may be trying to counter any perceived inherent weakness as a female, which is unfortunate, but the fact remains that she has generally sided on the side of militarism on difficult decisions. If elected, both candidates would immediately improve U.S. foreign relations. McCain, on the other hand, who has openly joked about bombing Iran, would make the world that much more fearful of our intentions. Think about it, how did it feel when Hamas won the Palestinian elections, or Akmadinajad became president of Iran? If you were a little bit uneasy, join the club.

I know many of you have seen this before, and it is obviously not a logical way to make an informed decision, but could you imagine anyone every making a comparable tribute to Clinton?

Ok, I promise I won't talk about politics next time. Please be aware, I am not a great promise keeper.