Welcome to Week Two of Mothers of Intention! Every Wednesday between now and the November election, I’m inviting a fabulous woman blogger who doesn’t usually get all political to write something here about her political views — be they about a candidate, the campaign or a cause she is passionate about.
I’m SO excited that today the amazing Kristen from Motherhood Uncensored has agreed to share her thoughts. Enjoy!
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I realize that in writing this post prior to yesterday’s primaries, my comparison of Hillary and Obama might be a bit too late. So I will write this post as if I haven’t read the reports that are pointing towards a close race between the two in both Texas and Ohio which is not the landslide that Hillary needs to stay in the race and that the Democrats are calling for Hillary to step down now to provide more party unity.
I admit to never being so invested in the political process in all the 13 years that I’ve been eligible to vote. Perhaps it’s because I’m a parent now, and I’ve got my children’s livelihood to worry about. Or maybe it’s because I’m a military wife, and a desert deployment is almost inevitable if the war continues.
But really, it’s because I’m an American, and the state of this country, at many levels, concerns me greatly.
Indeed, we are ripe for change. We are thirsty for fresh leadership. We are hungry for a new beginning.
And I’m not sure any of things will have me voting for Barack Obama.
I’m actually quite hesitant in sharing my concern about Obama, mostly due to his overwhelmingly strong fan base. He’s become almost like a rock star, offering inspirational words and catch phrases with the masses cheering and screaming, few knowing exactly what he’s saying and what he’s planning on doing. His vibe is contagious and his presence is enamoring.
But I just don’t buy it.
To be honest with you, I worry less about his electability and more about his inexperience.
We can argue back and forth about the race and gender issues in our country. Certainly race is more deeply seeded, but clearly black men are still making more than white females.
And you can tell me how much you just don’t like Hillary until I’m blue in the face, but I just don’t think it would matter which female was running.
Regardless of all the rednecks that will poke their heads out of their assholes to ensure that a black president will never get elected, they’d pick a black president over a woman any day of the week.
But that’s probably not going to be an issue.
What is an issue, however, is Obama’s experience, or really, lack thereof. No doubt, he walks the walk, and talks the talk, but the current state of our country, particularly when it comes to foreign policy, requires someone with explicit experience in foreign affairs. It requires someone who has realistic solutions for bringing the troops home.
And it requires someone who can make his way through the “old-boys network” that has been running this country for centuries, and actually get them to do what he says he can.
The truth is, I don’t need to be courted by our next President. I don’t even really need to like him. I just need to believe that he knows what he’s doing, and that he’s not using this country’s desire for change to make us believe in something that’s just not achievable.
I suppose I should have believed a bit harder in my girl. Truly, we have yet to hear the “I’m not fat, I’m pregnant” lady sing.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:34 am
I woke up this morning to see a fellow Highbrid Nation writer reporting that Hillary has won the Ohio and Texas primaries and how this is getting bad. And like him I feel like this battle between Obama and Hillary has went on too long and now they are in danger of hurting the party by allowing McCain to take shots at them while they are dealing with each other. Howard Dean should step in and say “Look, Obama is going to be the canidate and Hillary you can be his running mate if you choose”…I know I know that would never happen but a guy can dream right?
March 5th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Thank you, this is why I’m supporting Hillary Clinton too. I don’t like her at all, but I respect her and her ability to do good work. Clinton and Obama are similar on 94% of the issues, but I feel she’s much more realistic. It’s that sense realism that comes with those extra years of life and experience that I’m really voting for.
March 5th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Yes. Exactly.
I don’t love Hillary, I don’t hate her. I think people may be right when they say she’s got an agenda.
But you know what? Her agenda matches pretty well with mine to get our country out of a mess. She’s got the brains, the drive, the experience, and the connections to get it done.
Obama may be a fine running mate but it’s Hillary’s name I want at the top of the ticket.
March 5th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Let’s see …
My political leanings are far more to the right and my party’s nominee has been decided, and I’m not so sure that is really a good thing.
That being said, I’m not a fan of H-Rod or of Obama, but I would be far more likely to vote out of my party lines if H-Rod were to represent the Dems. Like many others, I don’t like her and I don’t like many of her policy proposals, however I think her experience gives her a leg up on Obama. I’m not real excited about another Clinton in office and I wish there was a “real” Republican candidate, but I’ll work with what I’ve got.
March 5th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Kristen, this is great. I love your honesty and I’m happy you shared what you think with all of us.
March 5th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I’m not a fan of Hillary or things that she represents (bills she’s voted for, etc), and though I don’t buy a lot of the hype about any candidate I do support Obama. Partly because of what he stands for (marginally closer to my views than Clintons) and partly because of his experience. Hillary’s been behind the scenes in the political arena longer, perhaps, but she’s only been a senator for one term and really hasn’t made much of a mark from that. Obama’s done a lot more work and pushed through a lot more bills with more consequence. A political site I frequent, Crooks and Liars had a thread about Hillary recently, and this post sums it up for both Hillary and Obama’s experience.
*steps down off soapbox* (sorry)
March 5th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Kelly’s comment and link is very telling stuff, PM. I’d be interested to your response to that.
March 5th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
I also think that after the dunderhead that we have in office now, people are craving someone who can do more than just put a sentence together that is rife with malapropisms.
Obama is certainly a moving orator. Lifting spirits and hopes and all that. But so were a lot of people in history that I wouldn’t want as my president.
On the job training is fine for some things. Not so much for the leader of the free world.
March 5th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
I have to wonder, if Obama really has all that experience, then why isn’t he talking about it on the campaign trail? Why doesn’t he ever point to any of that when he is questioned about his experience?
March 5th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
The spin and inaccuracies in the comment Kelly linked to would make Karl Rove bow down with respect. That snippet has been posted all around political message boards and has been torn apart.
Note the sly wording: 20 bills Clinton “author and passed into law” vs. Obama’s “authored and cosponsored”. HRC has authored more like 350 bills and cosponsored over 1700.
Try taking a walk through this interesting Obama roundup (with credible sources) for some *really* telling stuff.
March 5th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
I had seen that list, which I think actually got posted as a comment here at some point. It seemed awfully skewed and when you try to link to the website with the purported info, you get nothing.
March 5th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
I have to admit that I didn’t think Hillary could pull it off but maybe she is finally learning to get her message across instead of people focusing on her personality which isn’t very likable.
And you know the more I think about it I don’t HAVE to like her for her to be a good president. From what I hear Bush is a great guy to be around but since he is a moron… I do think it’s better to be smart and not as personable.
Now Bill was one of those with both characteristics which does seem to be rare in top politicians. I guess Obama has that too but there is the experience thing…
In some ways it doesn’t matter who we get – as long as Shrub is gone and somebody is in office with a brain. I think all 3 candidates right now qualify.
March 5th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Thanks for pointing out the gender issue so clearly and calmly. I think history frequently points to the future and it’s very telling that black men were able to vote years ahead of women (at least by law if not by reality).
March 5th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I’ve been volunteering for Obama in Texas for a while now, but I wanted to chime in and say that I think it’s getting to be clear that neither candidate alone can really unite the Democrats. I like Mike Belgrove’s idea, although I imagine a joint agreement to give the VP slot to the eventual loser might be marginally more likely to happen.
I say this, by the way, as some who intends to volunteer extensively for the eventual nominee regardless of who it is and regardless of who the VP choice is. I’d prefer to see Obama/Clinton, but in the end I mostly want to see ANY Democratic president over McCain.
March 5th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
If I’m honest…I am not overly impressed with any of the candidates.
I agree that Obama makes a good speech…but I also worry about his substance.
Hillary annoys me and John McCain is as old as the hills! *sigh*
March 5th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
I voted for Obama and yet I agree with nearly everything you said here. I also fear the style over substance – and yet I think charisma goes a long way in a lot of respects. For whatever reason, he inspires people to want to be on his team and we need that in the white house.
This is a great series, Joanne! I love the idea of getting less political people thinking – and telling us just what they’re thinking.
March 5th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
experience does not always mean that the job will be well done. we have had plenty of presidents in the past with “experience” and they still manage to make a mess-sometime we just need some vision and execution. I really dont care if it is Obama or Hillary, McCain is the most annoying person ever-I cant even listen to him talk without getting the chills and his wife is equally annoying. Can you imagine 4 years of him. I would feel shame.
March 5th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
I voted for Clinton yesterday here in Ohio. Up until I was faced with the choices on the screen, I wasn’t sure who I was voting for.
I like Obama, and he does a wonderful job talking about hope and has some grand ideas. But hope won’t feed your family, and without a solid plan, I don’t see how these ideas will ever come to be.
The ship of state is a big ship with a very small rudder. We’ve had 8 years of pulling the country to the far right. The next president simply will not be able to step in and swing the ship full left, even with a Democratic Congress. Obama may not be in the pocket of lobbyists, but you can bet many of his fellow congressmen are. Trying to get back to midline is a better goal for now.
Yes, Clinton knows how to play dirty politics, and that’s exactly who I want on my side. Someone who knows the ins and outs of the system, and who will bite down and hang on like a rabid dog (Have I used enough metaphors yet?) to the issues she cares about until the change she seeks is put into effect. The opposition will play dirty – I want someone who can fight back.
Hope is great, and Obama is an excellent speaker, but I don’t see him being as effective of a president as Clinton. I will fully support whichever one is the nominee, but personally I feel Clinton is the better choice.
March 5th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Amen sister! Preach! I totally agree that we will see minority male presidents looooong before a woman. I am just thrilled that she is running (hopefully winning, but see above) and one more step is taken for equality.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
WASHINGTON – “Officials in Michigan and Florida are showing renewed interest in holding repeat presidential nominating contests so that their votes will count in the epic Democratic campaign.”
Now this could make things very interesting…
peace
fm
March 6th, 2008 at 12:13 am
honestly, i’ve been scared to say so, but i really like and respect hillary, and i would really love to see her in the white house. i think she would be great at the job. but i feel surrounded by so many hard-core obama fans that i’ve been too ashamed to stand up and say so. the few times i have said so, jitta (my roommate) has gotten in major debates with me about it. but i still feel it.
March 6th, 2008 at 12:37 am
You made some good points. However, I do want to point out that black men don’t actually make more money than white women– black men make about 75 cents on the dollar to what white men make; white women also make about 75 cents on the dollar compared to white men. And, as I pointed out to you before, there are 17 women Senators right now and only one black senator, so I think that implies that white (and hispanic) women are actually more likely to be elected to office than black men.
This is not to say that I don’t think that sexism has been a huge and terrible factor in this election– it most certainly has. But I don’t think this has been as much of a cakewalk for Obama as some people imply.
I am amused by the fact that the media portrays Barack Obama as a sort of an empty dreamer these days. People in the Illinois State Legislature used to make fun of him back in the day because they thought he was too much of a policy wonk. What with his Harvard Law degree, those Constitutional Law classes he was teaching, those 800 bills he authored, and all.
I agree that Hillary has a lot of good experience. But I really dislike the negative tone her campaign has taken recently. It feels like more of the same old, same old. And I’m SICK of the same old political game.
One of my biggest issues with the Bush administration is that they lie, constantly and unabashedly, about just about everything of importance. And then they tear down anyone who tries to point out their lies with vicious attacks. People who didn’t believe in preemptive war weren’t patriots. People who didn’t think there were WMDs were in league with the terrorists. People who want to stop the government from spying on us are really doing nothing but greedy political posturing, and their foolish antics will get us all killed. Etc., etc., ad nauseum.
Maybe Obama really isn’t different from the rest. I can’t know for sure since I don’t know him personally. But, at least he is out there SAYING that trying to manipulate voters using fear is wrong. And I’ve waited so long to hear someone in a position of power say that out loud.
March 6th, 2008 at 12:41 am
P.S. Lara, if your friends attack you personally for supporting Hillary, they are not being very good friends. It’s depressing that this campaign has gotten so contentious that people are afraid to speak their thoughts aloud to fellow Democrats.
March 6th, 2008 at 8:01 am
An interesting article:
I refuse to buy into the Obama hype.
March 6th, 2008 at 9:06 am
I am Obama’s girl. But I want Hillary to stay in, precisely because I want people to be thinking hard about the issues you raise here. This is an excellent post, and I will probably forward it to a bunch of people today, starting with my husband!
And by the way? If the two were to share a ticket, I would be instantaneously raptured.
March 6th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
This is something I have been thinking about quite a bit recently. When this campaign started, I was a Hillary fan. I big one. By the time it got to Super Tuesday, I was completely undecided. I thought both were super candidates, but a tentatively cast my vote for Obama based on electability…it seemed all else was equal, and I had to make a decision some how. Since then, I have become more turned off by Hillary. Yes she’s intelligent, and competent. She probably would make a great president, when looking just at the issues and policies. But, I feel like I can say the same thing about Obama. And Hillary’s increasingly negative (and in my mind sneaky and underhanded) campaign tactics have proven to me that she is less of a change than she claims to be. She is politics as usual. And it makes me not trust her…not trust that she cares about the country, only her own ambition. Obama on the other hand, seems like a breath of fresh air. And I think the ability to inspire people to work with you (or in the case of young voters, to get off their duffs and actually vote) is a HUGE asset to any leader, especially a president. When faced with two equally competent, intelligent, (I believe) experienced candidates, I’m going to vote for the one who inspires me and can get me to believe in this country again. And for me, it’s not Hillary.
March 6th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
I like and respect both candidates. I am wary of Obama’s promises to bring people together, change the tone, reach across party lines, etc., because I’ve heard that before. I wish he could detail exactly how he is going to do that. I don’t mean specific policies because I know he has very solid plans on what he wants to achieve, but how, exactly, is he going to “change the tone?” Wasn’t W going to do that, too?
March 6th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
What does it say about our country that out of all the people we have here, these three are the best we can come up with?
I have to agree with Queen of the Mayhem.
March 7th, 2008 at 1:22 am
We could always nominate Kristen for president.
March 13th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Exactly what experience do you think that Hillary has that Obama doesn’t. Kristen.
Please tell me, with specificity.
March 14th, 2008 at 4:31 am
Obama has more experience than Abraham Lincoln or FDR had when they were elected president.
Barack has spent 3 years as a U.S. Senator, Abraham Lincoln was a U.S. Senator for 2 years before being elected president.
Both Lincoln and Obama have 10 years experience when you add in the years they spent in the Illinois Legislature.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt served as State Senator from New York for 2 years and Governor of New York for 4 years prior to being elected President.
Putting aside the non-issue of experience (since there is no correlation between experience and being an effective President), the fact is that people are tired of the old school politics of polarization that Hillary represents.
I’ll take Barack’s – Yes we can…vs. Hillary’s Yes I can (if the vast right wing conspiracy doesn’t mess things up for me again) any day.