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On February 19th I voted. I voted for a candidate, not a cause. I voted with hope, but not for history. As an historian, I know that history is usually written by the victors and we’re still in the playoffs. I confess I did not vote my conscience. Had I done so, I would have voted for a candidate no longer in the race. But I did vote with my head and heart for what I believe matters most.
To my head…
What Mattered Most: Who can win against the republicans?
This comes down to two questions:
1. Who will match-up best against McCain? Questions about who’s ready on “Day One” are moot if you can’t win on November 4. I looked at exit polls, support from the democratic base, grassroots and inside-the-Beltway appeal, potential cross-over support from independents, and each candidate’s vulnerabilities and strengths vis-à-vis McCain’s record, platform and character.
2. What issues do the majority of the American people care about most? Which are in fact negotiable and which represent fundamental expectations that must be met by any democrat seeking to build a winning coalition in November? Which candidate can best mobilize this majority? Voting is an individual choice in a collective process and the majority wins. (Paperless voting machines and electoral college hijackings notwithstanding). Protest votes don’t interest me; opting out isn’t an option. I want to win; ergo, I want to be in that majority.
What Mattered – NOT:
1. I did not pour over policy differences, because they are modest at best, and neither candidate’s agenda will protect them from being branded a spendthrift, tax-loving, anti-free trade, quasi-patriotic, dovish liberal by republicans.
2. I did not put great weight on “experience,” because frankly neither candidate will find that a compelling argument against McCain.
3. I did not spend much time pondering “electability” either. In the midst of an overheated, year-long primary season, “electability” long ago became an emergent, subjective trait impervious to reasoned argument.
4. I did not put much store by momentum or money. As of today, both candidates remain one major victory or one major gaffe away from claiming or losing the Big Mo’ and seeing their money pot fill up or drain out accordingly.
To my heart…
What Mattered Most: Which democratic candidate could I trust to be President?
Which candidate could I trust to exercise power judiciously, to pursue a progressive platform tenaciously, to engage ordinary Americans in political decision-making, to embrace transparency and accountability, to lead by example, to govern inclusively but give no ground when it comes to fundamental principles, to stand up for human rights while respecting global cultural diversity, to restore our standing in the international community while ensuring that America’s interests and security remain primary?
Answer: Neither One. After seven years of a failed presidency, my heart’s expectations (and I suspect that of the majority of Americans) far exceeds the ability of any candidate to fulfill them. Neither candidate is “a J.F.K”; then again, neither was Jack Kennedy. It is only in historical hindsight that we make heroes of our presidents. Mantles of inevitability and cults of personality rarely last beyond the first 100 days. Our presidents don’t have prime ministers to get down in the trenches while they pontificate at 35,000 ft. Democratic politics is by nature confrontational and compromising; our best candidate is not the one who can soar above the melee, but who can exploit it to the people’s advantage. Our best candidate will not transcend politics, but will make it serve the interests of the many even as it inevitably enhances the political power of the few (a.k.a “our representatives”) Our best candidate will use words and deeds to convince ordinary Americans to believe again that politics and the people’s welfare are not mutually exclusive. Our best candidate is, quite simply, our best politician in the best sense of the word. And that candidate must still earn my trust, but my heart was willing to take the leap of faith.
What Mattered – NOT
1. Smears, “gotcha” moments, debate score cards, charges of plagiarism, accusations of flip-flopping, sexist/racist innuendos, and other primary shenanigans. Frankly, they besmirch both candidates and the hands of neither campaign are clean. The media (and much of GD-P sadly) are being played but I don’t have to be. And I have to trust that the public ultimately won’t be either.
If you’ve read this far, thank you, but you must be wondering whom I voted for. I'm not trying to be coy, but that doesn’t matter. If you are still undecided, I hope my journey to my vote can help you decide what matters most to you. If you’re reading this post as a supporter of a particular candidate, then I wager you’ve found here ample validation of your choice. Either way, sharing my vote will only add a partisan tinge that – in this political hothouse – would render this post mere pablum for the converted. But consider this: if two thoughtful democrats can each read this and come to reasoned, heartfelt but opposite conclusions as to which candidate should be our nominee, what does this suggest about our choices and chances in November? Pretty damn good.
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