Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Should Hillary be VP

Based on the available choices, why shouldn't she be Obama's VP?

Is Hillary the only candidate who can help Obama turn the corner? Not at all. But who else on the shortlist is better to pressure? Picking a candidate to win a state belongs to the old way of doing politics. Choosing a candidate that deflates or challenges the platform of change seems regressive. Candidates such as Daschle, Nunn, Bayh, Kaine and even Biden and Sebelius have not excited the ticket. In the course of her primary campaign, Hillary Clinton transformed into a better politician, a woman who seemed to grow a small third ear that heard the needs of the average American, especially of women. Her problem was reaching that stage too late. She needs a position to grow her new ear.

See the full article on this at the Huffington post.

Not in the Huffington artcile are the additional ideas in italics.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

General Election

I'm a registered democrat for this election cycle and will probably stay one, but I consider myself an independent. Why? Candidates from the major parties always emerge from a broken system; they spin their wheels trying to fix that which cannot be fixed with solutions that forefront the maintenance of big business practices. Thus, I did not have a political crush on Hillary Clinton or on Barack Obama during the democratic primary.

A friend said, so, who did you vote for in the primary? Most people I know thought I rallied behind Hillary Clinton because I think it's critical that the female voice, even if it's a significantly mute female voice or a male centered voice, get heard through the political microphones. A woman who has been silenced by men can still evoke the desire in other women to rediscover themselves and their sense of selfhood. An absent voice can still stimulate the imagination and fill in the gaps or, even better, began the search. One day, a woman will, in fact, emerge with a voice that comes out of female political wisdom.

In the end, I supported Barack just a little more. It was based on at first a feeling that his administration would clean up the mess of the current administration a lot faster. Such speed would alleviate suffering for a much larger group of people. And I felt that it would be easier for the voters to pressure him because he stated he wanted to open the doors to we the people and keep the doors open. Hillary never offered that option. She still showed the same timidity she did when she gave up on her national health plan as First Lady. But she did grow a third ear, or half ear--and that's the main reason I now support her as Obama's running mate, especially since his other chocies will have little impact on the lives of voters. Better choices? Hundreds. How about Cynthia McKinney, Ralph Nadar or even Barbara Boxer or Bill Richardson.

I was taken by Barack Obama's promise to include the voters and the needs of the middle and lower economic classes in decision-making. He has opened the door to the voice of the voters, and I think we should push that door open until we can get through it. Of all the candidates, he seems the one most desiring to make history by rearranging America's political molecules so less people are suffering.

Coming Soon: General Election
Why Hillary should be Obama's running mate