I know that there are gay republicans, but I can not help thinking most are Democrats. I welcome the views of republicans, but I am certainly a full fledged Democrat. I also have fairly deep moral groundings, and usually see things somewhere in the middle, but when push comes to shove I believe in human rights and doing all we can to help those who need it. Bleeding Heart I have been called many times, and I am proud of it. I would rather a heart which bleeds than one that closes itself off to the plight of others. When I say I am often in the middle on issues I can give you a good example. Deep down I somehow cannot get beyond abortion being somehow wrong. But, at the same time I am smart enough to know that this world is getting over populated and there are many painful reasons that women must make this choice. So when it comes down to it I am full fledged pro choice as despite my deep down feelings I ultimately would fight hard for a woman’s right to choose.
I give you the above ramble only to clarify that I loath George Bush and all he stands for. His presentation, his stances, his lies and his ego driven decision making. I do however have a soft spot for Laura Bush, although her daughters are quite annoying.
I do very much like BOTH Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. For different reasons. I started by being 100 percent behind Clinton, wavered a bit from time to time, but although I will be thrilled if Obama is our next president I am currently fully behind Mrs. Clinton. Let me tell you why. She is a flawed politician for sure. It would be hard to be around as long as she has been without the warts showing through loud and clear. She has history and ultimately even though I cringe sometimes when she gives speeches I believe she truly cares for individuals, and her history has a proven track record of trying to push change and help those who need it. She is a fighter, and I truly admire that and believe more than anyone she will fight to ensure Americans get what they need.
Again, I like Obama, I like him very much. But over the past several weeks I have grown to see a hypocrisy in his presentation that I cannot get beyond. The Reverend Wright mess was the icing on the cake. Let me be clear, I could care less about his relationship with Wright. I think Wright is getting a bad wrap. If you listen to his speeches in their entirety there is some great things in his message, beyond the sound bites. Of course some of his statements make me wild, but overall I have no problem with him or Obama having a long term close relationship with him.
What I do have a problem with is that Obama has run a champaign of being different than Clinton and McCain. Of not being or supporting regular politics and wanting to rise above them. The Wright issue confirmed what I have thought all alone, Obama is not above being a typical politician, instead what he is actually the BEST politician currently running. So good, it appears he is not even acting like one, yet to me he is a politician at his most smooth, his most caring, his most manipulative and his most smart. He outspeaks Clinton by a mile, yet at the same time partakes in the same things the other two do, bowling with workers, kissing babies. He gives it back to Clinton as much as she gives it to him, just smoother and with more flair. He gives it so smoothly she gets all the crap about being negative. To me he is equally or more negative, just with a smile.
Again, I do like him, but when someone says for months they are rising above typical politician type actions, yet when I watch I see him doing them all, just better, so much better in fact to many it looks like he is not even doing them. Sort of a ‘slight of hand’. I see this as a core dishonesty in his campaign which I cannot get past.
The Reverend Wright issue showing this at it’s most glaring best. Obama distanced himself from race throughout most of the campaign, attempting to not have it be an issue. Wonderful thought, if not a bit naive. Hillary grabbed on to being a woman candidate from the get go. Got to give her that. Never attempted to distance going for the female vote. Yet Obama did distance himself from his race until Wright forced him to address it. Despite his amazing speech on race, I some how find it a bit insulting that it did not get done until he was in the corner over the Wright issue. The fact that it came when he was in trouble to me takes away from its power, something many seem to ignore. I was happy with his first talk on Wright when he distanced himself from Wrights views, yet held tight to their relationship. Then when Wright went all over the airways Obama through his friend under the bus. Yes, he did. Wright said nothing the past two weeks he has not said before, except for calling Obama something he is, a politician. This more than anything seemed to piss Obama off, possibly because it is the one thing he fears people will begin to see. With his denouncing Wright last week, I saw the most typical political response of his. When the going gets tough, throw your friend of 20 years to the wolves. Again, Wright did not do anything new, he just did what he always did. The only difference was where Obama is.
And for the final time I will say that I do like Obama. (for some reason I feel the need to say it over and over...what is that about.) I wish all could see he is as much a politician as Hillary or John, in fact he is more of one. An old fashioned, smooth talking, charismatic, ego driven politician. Hillary and McCain have embraced their roles, I just wish Obama could. I mean we want our doctors to be doctors, why would we not want our politicians to be politicians. If he does not embrace it soon, he still may get the nomination, but he cannot win the white house.
