Who to vote for?

I am so on the fence.   What is interesting is the same conversation I keep having with people.  The pro’s and con’s to Hillary and Obama.  One day I lean one way, the next day I lean another. 

I have always believed that the campaign you run says something about the candidate from the onset.  Obama and Hillary have both run good campaigns.  Obama came out of the gate slowly but continues to reach new heights daily.  Hillary has managed her campaign well from the get go.  Although the last few days Hillary doesn’t seem to be in charge of her own campaign, Bill does.  That does not sit well with me.  If she is the candidate for Presidency, she should be the voice not Bill.  I love Bill but send him home. 

I’ve really enjoyed the last few debates between Edwards, Hillary and Obama.  It is obvious that each one of them is smart and understands the issues at many levels.  All 3 are incredibly intelligent which is refreshing.  I never believed that George Bush understood the basics of supply and demand which is obvious from the mess we are in now.  So to see 3 stellar Democratic candidates talk openly and honestly about issues from energy to social security to Iraq to the Middle East to college educations for everyone is inspiring. 

So who is my candidate?  What I like about Hillary is that she is smart.  She understands how Washington works.  She has done a great job being a junior senator and assumed that role with her sleeves rolled up.  She has worked inside Washington playing politics, making sacrifices to get things passed and learned how to reach over to the other side of the table.  She is tough and has no problems making decisions.  She is also organized.  Take a look at Chelsea Clinton and you know that there is more to Hillary than meets the eye.  She gets that our country is in turmoil and we need a major change to take place.  I do believe that Hillary has a very different agenda than Bill and that should come out more during her campaign but doesn’t.  Is she too controlled?  Yet on the other hand, she does get Washington and is that a good thing?  Is she going to be able to look at the way Government is run with a set of fresh eyes?  I am worried that we will be in for another round of politics as usual even though Hillary doesn’t want to go there, she already has her relationships in Washington etched in stone. 

Obama.  Smart, sharp, visionary.  All the things you want in a candidate.  Is it a good thing or a bad thing that he has absolutely no idea how Washington runs.  Will he get there and spin his wheels?  Will he be able to make tough decisions quickly or will he spend too much time attempting to get everyone on his side of the table.  His speeches about change and a new America are inspiring but part of me says "where’s the beef"?  Hillary talks about how she will get things done and Obama talks more about big picture.  Big picture doesn’t work unless there are some great producers in the background executing on the dream.  Is he another Jimmy Carter?  Talk is cheap.  We need substance. Yet having Obama as the new face of America is inspiring.  I want to believe but there is a small part of me that is hesitant.  Is he prepared for the ugly Republican machine that will charge up to win the race to the White House.  The race becomes nasty because after all, these candidates are vying for the most powerful job in the nation or perhaps the world. 

Our country needs to take a dramatic and radical change as a leader in the western world.  Who has the capabilities to do that?  Is it Hillary or is it Obama?  In many ways I’d love to see Hillary and Obama work together.  I think they’d make a killer team that would be felt for years to come.  She is a true CEO and he is a great Chairperson.  Egos are both probably too big for that to happen but as I write CEO vs. Chairperson, that is where the fence sits.  Which is better?  CEO or Chairperson?  Having Obama travel around the world meeting leaders is powerful, Hillary executing in DC and getting policies in place.  Maybe they could convince Bloomberg to come in an run the Fed.  Perhaps a dream but  that would by my dream team.  I am going to have to make a decision which side of the fence I should be on by February 5th when I walk into the voting booth on Super Tuesday.

I will say one thing, it has been one helluva race.  Every vote in every state counts.  The next 10 days will be big.  Will it come down to the convention or will the decision be made before hand.  Only time will tell. 

Comments (Archived):

  1. Tom

    Gotham Gal,

    You (and Fred it seeems) are mired in the same quicksand dilemma that all democrats are in. As an outsider Canadian, with more than a passing interest in who is the next president, I am worried for you.

    The fact the Democrats are so divided on a candidate is the worst thing that could happen in a year where you should win by a country mile. Having so many opinions will undoubtedly lead to a much closer race than predicted a year ago.

    You and all Democrats need to come to a conclusion on this sooner rather than later or risk another four years (at least) of Religous Right Rule coupled with oil politics.

    Sorry for the long-winded comment but just one more point; Visonary, Big-Picture thinking got man to the moon, mapped the human genome, and changed the ways we communicate with one another. Don’t underestimate it.

    Hoping you make the right choice.

    Concerned in Canada

  2. Chris Ceppi

    Hi –

    FWIW: AVC put you solidly in the Hillary camp on 1/16:

    http://avc.blogs.com/a_vc/2008/01/executives-vs-l.html

    For me it is a tough decision, but it comes down to whether you think the current partisan/ideological divisiveness is a core failing in our current politics. I think it is. In the current climate policy issues are parsed not for their merit, but for their alignment with one ideology or another. This makes it virtually impossible to deliver effective policy and thus the government flails.

    While Hillary may (I emphasize may) be better positioned to design policy, Obama is much better positioned to move our politics beyond the current partisan/ideological quagmire. At an importanat level, Hillary and Obama are focused on a different set of problems. Hillary is focused on how to execute specific policy changes. Obama is focused on changing the culture that makes good policy almost impossible to get implemented.

    There is an argument that Obama is swinging for the fences and that his goal of changing the political scene is fanciful. This may end up being true, but I choose to use my limited participation in the political process to express idealism. So I support Obama.

  3. Jamba

    It’s a pretty black and white decision (no pun intended) if you ask me.
    I am opposed to the war. I was opposed to it from the very beginning. Obama was opposed to it from the very beginning. Hillary voted in favor of the resolution.

    That was a very poor judgement call. And it’s not like every democrat voted in favor of it. Corzine voted against it. So did others. And she still refuses to admit it was a mistake.

    She may be great with the nitty gritty details of putting something together, but that’s not enough to be President. You need to be a bit of a visionary – to borrow an expression of Gretsky’s “to see where the puck is going”.
    As some pointed out after the last debate – Hillary proved she could be a great Sec of Health and Human Services. Wonderful. Then that’s what she should be. But we are not voting for Sec. of Health and Human Services.

    Also, a Clinton Obama ticket will not happen if Obama is smart. Without Obama running as VP, she has a reasonable chance of losing in the general election, to McCain. This would allow Obama to run again in 4 years – rather than wait 8 years to run again.