I guess it's still too soon to tell who is going to be the Democratic candidate for president. Things haven't been going exactly the way I'd like them to go. I was initially for Hillary (maybe because I like Bill so much), but the Clintons finally got so over the top out of fear that the nomination was slipping away that they turned me off. My flirtation with Edwards was short because he dropped out just after I started shopping for a new candidate. Obama was my senator when I lived in Illinois and I was a strong supporter of his in that role, but I worried that he might not be ready for a bigger stage.
Today a friend of mine, with whom I'd been having an e-mail discussion about candidates (and whose opinion I regard highly) sent me a link to a blog (thank you, Jane). It is highly factual and worth the read. I've decided that this reflects somewhat badly on me, because I obviously haven't done my homework. If I had, my worries about Obama having sufficient substance would never have existed. The points made in the blog are not about Obama's stand on the "big" issues that the pundits talk about in the media. I think they are more fundamental than that. Although Obama seems more correct than most on those, he's also correct on some fundamental issues like openness and integrity in government that other candidates seem to have a problem recognizing as worthy of debate.
For example, I read an article this week about the number of Clinton administration members who are now with lobbyists or representing businesses and groups that want something from our government. The point of the article was that these people are already in place waiting for Hillary to be elected. I imagine that it is impossible to stop former administration employees from being in these sorts of positions and I don't think this should reflect negatively on Hillary. After all, a lot of unemployed Bushies are going to be angling for the same sorts of jobs over the next 12 months. On the other hand, Obama has proposed a whole set of safeguards to make such activities transparent--a much more realistic approach to the problem.
Anyway, here's a link to the blog. It may provide you with a whole new perspective on Barack Obama's candidacy. It did for me.
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