My three cents on the people still in the race

[PatGund]

Looking at the three people still running on the Democratic side. My thoughts on such:

Sen. Mike Gravel - The zen nutcase from Alaska?? *Chuckle* I still think a debate between him and Ron Paul would have been funny. However, he's got no chance to speak of. Comic relief, but not much else.

Sen. Barack Obama - Very mixed feelings. There's a lot about him I like, and a lot about him I don't like. I would have liked a lot more experience. And while he's still got more experience than Sen. Clinton, I would prefer more seasoning before opting for the White House.

Then again, if experience is what mattered, Dodd, Richardson, and Biden would still be in the race.

A lot is going to depend on his choice of running mate - I think an Obama/Clark or Obama/Richardson ticket would be ideal, and offer a mix of experience and talents.

Some of his supporters bug me though. Seriously, he ain't the baby Jesus people. And while the message is sound, the cult of personality that a vocal minority of his followers have is scary.

Still, he's got some major crossover appeal which is needed in the general election, especially against a false "maverick" like McCain.

Sen. Hillary Clinton - Started off with very high negatives, and has done nothing to improve my opinion of her. The fact that the right-wing media has been shilling for her as the intended nominee also sets off warning flags. And the attitude she's projected from day one - a sense of entitlement that she's OWED the presidency - really turns me off. Her voting record is also a major strike against her.

To be fair, I gave her another examination when Gen. Wesley Clark endorsed her. And had to end up disagreeing with Gen. Clark. Quite honestly, I think she would be a disaster as president.

The nasty campaigning of late has made matters far worse. She seems far too willing to adopt a scorched earth policy, and if she gets the nomination, she's going to discover she may have salted the earth too badly for the crop of voters to grow. The people around her do not make matters better, in fact they make them worse. You get the feeling she's willing to destroy the Democratic party if she doesn't get the nomination, and then stand above the ashes looking pious and saying "See what you made me do?"

Seriously, her actions give people the impression she'll do anything to win, and do her best to undermine the winner if she loses. And a minority of her supporters seem far too willing to burn bridges she'll NEED to win if she gets the nomination. Fact is, if she gets the nomination, she's going to need the people and states Obama brings to the table - mocking his supporters and the states that voted for him only undermines Sen. Clinton and gives McCain more ammo he doesn't need.

[Bicoastal]

1. My lack of avatar probably gives it away...

...I don't think Obama is the most fantastic nominee ever (that would have been Gore). I just happen to think he's waaaaay better than the alternative.

[PatGund]

3. Pretty much so, yeah

Like I said, paired with the right running mate, and I think he would bring a lot more benefits and pluses to the table.

He's not the best choice for president. But he's the best choice we have

[bellasgrams]

6. He's a far cry from being the best. Even MC would be better.

[Bicoastal]

8. You REALLY believe that? You really think John McCain would be a better President?

Or are you referring to someone else with "MC" in their name? I can't tell.

I don't think MC Hammer would be a better President.

[democrattotheend]

2. Is "seasoning" always such a good thing

More experience in Washington means more deals, more people you become beholden to. I work in Washington and from what I have seen, I think having less experience here is a plus. I want Obama to be president before he loses his idealism and becomes just another jaded, cynical politician like everyone else.

[PatGund]

4. There's pluses and minuses to washington experience.

There's been some wonderful presidents, (Lincoin, JFK, Bill Clinton), that had little to no Washington experience before they became president.

And some that have been disasters. Like the current resident of the White House.

[bellasgrams]

5. Hillary is the only one that has what it takes to bring the country

out of this mess. BO hasn't a clue. It's a shame it has come to this. BO by himself is bad enough but add his mean, vengeful followers, and this country is doomed. At one time he was my 3rd choice after Clark and Richardson, but now that I've listened to him more and watched the reactions of his followers on DU, I don't think the country can handle him and the way he affects his people

[PatGund]

10. And this is where we have to disagree.....

What I've seen of the nasty sniping seems to be coming almost entirely from Sen Clinton's camp and a certain vocal minority of her supporters.

I started out willing to be proven wrong about Sen Clinton. I even gave her a second look over after Wes Clark endorsed her. And my opinion of her has gone from "I'll hold my nose and vote for her if need be" to "I seriously don't think I could at all". This is largely in part to the nasty GOP-like campaign she's waged and the sense of entitlement she projects.

Obama, Richardson, Clark, etc., all project a concern for the welfare of the nation and of the party. Clinton projects a contempt for both that is sickening.

I'm not saying I like Obama either - he's seriously not my first, second, or third choice. But of the people left, he's the best choice we have.

And quite frankly, after eight years of Bush misrule, the United States deserves better than McCain, Clinton, OR Obama. But right now the choice is between McCain and whichever the Democratic nominee is. And I personally believe that Sen. Clinton's politics of personal destruction would be very harmful to the country - much less the Democratic party.

[dbonds]

7. I think the whole experience argument is backwards.

It isn't the candidates experience that is needed to be President - I think only being President can give you relevant experience. The experience that counts is more my experience watching the candidate and how he really votes. We all know it is hard to judge any candidate by what they say, it is by what they do. In this way Obama is not a known factor, but I like what I see so far. On the other hand, Hillary is more of a known factor and I don't like what I see or who she seems to be beholden to. So the experience works against Hillary.

[Seabiscuit]

9. Well, that's $0.01 more than I'm willing to give. :)

[PatGund]

11. *chuckle*

I said three cents. I wasn't willing to spend the whole nickel :-)

[Seabiscuit]

14. My thoughts come cheap. Just 2 cents a pop.

I'm not proud. Or tired. So...

My Thought For The Day:

"And friends, somewhere in Washington enshrined in some little folder, is a
study in black and white of my fingerprints. And the only reason I'm
singing you this song now is cause you may know somebody in a similar
situation, or you may be in a similar situation, and if your in a
situation like that there's only one thing you can do and that's walk into
the shrink wherever you are ,just walk in say "Shrink, You can get
anything you want, at Alice's restaurant.". And walk out. You know, if
one person, just one person does it they may think he's really sick and
they won't take him. And if two people, two people do it, in harmony,
they may think they're both faggots and they won't take either of them.
And three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people walking in
singin a bar of Alice's Restaurant and walking out. They may think it's an
organization. And can you, can you imagine fifty people a day,I said
fifty people a day walking in singin a bar of Alice's Restaurant and
walking out. And friends they may thinks it's a movement."

[Johnny__Motown]

12. But nobody will have enough pledged delegates to win.. Gravel still can win. he should stay in

[PatGund]

13. Maybe he can be the unity choice??

Stranger things HAVE been known to happen.