Last August, I wrote the post below, after the Logo Democratic Debate. But because of all of the local races we had, I felt it was more important that I focus on those and not what was happening nationally. With the Iowa caucuses tomorrow, now is the time.
The “question” did it for me. But I’ve been waffling on my support of Bill Richardson for president for a while now. Not because I don’t think he’s qualified, because I think he is. No, it has to do with his performance in the debates. Richardson’s resume is impressive. I still think he’s probably the one candidate that can appeal to the middle. But the guy still can’t string a sentence together and is unable to articulate a message, not to mention that his fundraising is lackluster. I expected more from him.
So I’m going with my number two. No, it isn’t Al Gore – because I don’t expect that he will enter the race. And neither is it John Edwards. I like his wife – hell, I wish she was the candidate. But there’s just something about John that I don’t like. Never have.
Ultimately, I will support the Democratic nominee. But for now, my support goes to…
I’ve read all the reports of why she can’t be elected. At the end of the day, though, I disagree with them. Hillary is a smart woman who knows what needs to be done – not only to win the nomination but to win the election. Will I disagree with her? Yes. But except for Dennis Kucinich, no one represents my views more closely than Hillary.
Below is her first campaign ad, one that I certainly identify with. I understand all too well what it is like to be invisible.
Hillary Clinton in 2008!
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
I’m glad some people can make up their minds. I haven’t yet and am glad I don’t have to make the choice yet. Still listening and probably will go for Hillary, but not ready yet.
Oh, and for the Dentist who is judging Edwards, the juries are just as qualified as he is and probably more so, because they spent the time to listen before judging. As a former nurse, i know some Dr.s don’t listen very well.
Yesterday on the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Mr. Jefferson said that the Founding Fathers did not want to have partisan politics and that they built a Constitution which is not only absent on the idea of parties, but that is ultimately weaker with parties.
In the mean time, we go with what we’ve got.
Vivian, I may not agree with you (then, again, maybe I do). I do know that my choice — who is notably not anywhere in the top tier and isn’t even running this year, Wesley Clark — is a supporter of Senator Clinton.
It’s going to be a wild year, although let us hope not as wild as 40 years ago…
One other thing: I firmly believe in all politics being local. So the real truth is that I am a heck of lot more concerned with who my Congressional representation will be than who will be president, just as I am more concerned with who my state reps will be than I am with who my Congressional reps will be. Good government starts at the bottom, not at the top.
Amen.
This is why you’ve got the best, most content-rich blog in VA.
MB, Loopyloo,
Kindly show me where my summary of Edwards rise to wealth is factually incorrect.
Or is reminding you of the unpleasant truth about a candidate now considered a “hit piece?”
Its not a Dr’s vs Lawyers thing. When patients are injured by a Dr’s negligence, fair compensation is the proper remedy. But when the courts are perverted by deciding cases based on sympathy and not fact, the courts are being used as a tool for thieves, and lawyers should be more upset by that than Dr’s.
Edwards is a paradox, not sure what he is other than he wants to be president. Obama is unknown and untested. The last time we voted in an unknown and untested we got George Bush and I don’t ever want that again.
Joe Biden is OK but doesn’t have a chance. The media has given the majority of their coverage to Obama so we see very little on candidates like Biden. By far the smartest and most capable person is Hillary so my vote goes to Hillary.
Welcome to the Hillary Wagon Vivian! I followed much the same route as you for the same reasons (might we be connected cosmos wize??).
BTW, Did you catch the Ralph Nader endorsement of Edwards the other day. Or was I just dreaming?? No Ralphie on the ballot this time!!?!?! Whoo Hoo.
I have nothing negative to say about Hillary Clinton as a person, although I am 90% certain that I am going to vote for Obama. I don’t think we know Hillary Clinton nearly as well as we think we do based on the assumptions we’ve built up about her over the years, so I’m not going to buy into this “not trustworthy” or “not personable” nonsense. I do think, however, that if Hillary is the nominee, the Republicans will try and make this election about Hillary (the Hillary people think they know), and while that’s not her fault, I think that would be bad for America. I’d prefer that this election was about the issues facing our country, and about the voter.
You can see them doing it already, by the way. Giuliani rejected the idea of ensuring that every American has healthcare as “HillaryCare.” Romney did the same thing, which was particularly ridiculous because the plan Mass. enacted during his gubernatorial tenure resembles Hillary’s plan very closely. What’s more pressing for the American people today? Hillary Clinton? Or the millions of Americans who flood our ERs every year because they don’t have healthcare and put off seeing a doctor until they have an honest-to-God medical emergency?
My support for Obama isn’t a reaction to Hillary, though. It’s just sort of instinctual. Leave aside the fact that he’s black, that his dad’s an immigrant, etc. I don’t support him because he’s exceptional in those ways; I support him because I feel like he’s the most like me. He went to a good school, worked hard, pursued a career in civil rights law that allowed him to help people, and got involved in his community as a local activist and organizer. I see a lot of myself in that description, and I see a lot of other Virginia Democrats in that description. I see Governor Timothy Kaine, who went to the same law school and has also served developing communities internationally as a Catholic missionary. I see some of Eileen in there, too, a public servant whose work ethic is as tireless as her passion for bettering her community is endless. I see some of you, Vivian, a hard-working professional with a private practice who cared about her community to stand up one day and say “I’m going to run for treasurer,” and who is still involved enough to keep this blog up and running to talk about the issues you care about.
I see a smart, talented but otherwise normal person who cares deeply about his community and his country, who won’t be dissuaded by people who tell him that one man can’t make a difference, and who isn’t afraid of the hard grunt work local political activism entails. And I can’t help but root for the guy because if he can do it, I can do it. And so can you.
All juries base their judgement on their perceptions as well as the facts. By the standards you have set forth, their would be no fair trials by juries. I am sorry disagree with you Dr., but I have seen it go the other way, too. Where the facts should have given a different judgement. We don’t have a perfect system of anything. it all relies on people and the judgement they make. Whether John Edwards is fit to serve or not will be decided by the voters. Whether you are fit to serve will be decided the same way. Until there is a better system, it simply comes down to what people feel. The most important thing is to get people to decide and sometimes that is the hardest thing of all. I know that it is for me.
Donald, you’ve presented a complex issue fraught with uncertainty in dishonestly simple terms, tried to pass it off as the story of John Edwards career, and then engaged in the BS practice of claiming that trial lawyers dictate health care decisions. There are plenty of honest and relevant criticisms of John Edwards out there. You just didn’t come up with one.
AACK! 🙂
Considering that Hillary admitted on the George “Stay-on-top-of-this” show that she illegally received classified information, but she will not reveal the source, she is obviously unfit to hold ANY public office.
See, this is why I’ve generally kept my criticisms of Hillary to myself. Look at my company on this thread. Good god.
We disagree on the candidate currently … I believe Barack Obama is by far the best candidate check out http://virginiadem.wordpress.com/2008/01/01/fired-up-ready-to-go-into-2008/ and http://virginiadem.wordpress.com/2007/12/27/barack-obama-our-moment-is-now-full-speech-video/
We both agree … to support the Democratic nominee … so … I look forward to your future support of Barack Obama … youll be in good company as you join Tim Kaine, Bobby Scott, thousands of other Virginians and myself.
Obama with Richardson as VP is what I hope will happen. We need a young mind, someone who is not totally integrated into the old time policital system. Richardson’s experience will help balance Obama’s perceived lack of experience. Obama seems smart enough to know he will need to surround himself with bright and experience staffers.