If and Only If...
clinton, obama 10:06 AM
Over time, my opinion is morphing on the issue of the Vice Presidential nominee for the Democratic party.
After Hillary Clinton conceded the race the first weekend in June, I have argued consistently that she should not accept an offer to be VP, should she receive said offer in the first place.
I argued this point because I believe that she is a lioness of a politician whose talents could be best utilized bridging the divide on legislation, which is how real change comes about. Think in terms of ENDA, DOMA, Social Security and Medicare reform. These things and many more come about one way and one way only - if the Congress drafts them and approves them.
Luckily, time has shown that we are highly likely to increase our majority in the House and the Senate, and with a Democratic White House, a veto-proof majority would be neither here nor there.
Still, as the election cycle has worn on, and it becomes clear that my choice in November will be either John McCain or Barack Obama, the dubiousness of pulling the lever for either candidate becomes apparent. Be that as it may (and it is), we cannot and should not miss the forest for the trees.
As many concerns as I have about the concept of "President Barack Obama", and they are plentiful, I'd be remiss not to take a step back and consider what a Democratic presidency would look like in comparison to another 4 or 8 years of a Republican administration.
To be sure, I have not had a sip of the Obama Kool-aid. Nor do I intend to. In fact, my blood still boils when I consider how he came to the nomination of our party, his questionable history as a politician, his dubious bedfellows, and of course foremost his awful treatment of Hillary Clinton, her supporters and her principles, during the primaries.
As time has worn me down, as I've re-examined and reconsidered the true gravity of the options before me, I have this to say:
If, and only if, Barack Obama takes on Hillary Clinton as his running mate, he can count on my vote in November.
Together they would be an unstoppable campaigning and legislating force. In the White House, they would be able to balance each other and bring about true change the only way possible - through hard work, a broad coalition, and substantive concrete efforts.
That would be change we could believe in.
After Hillary Clinton conceded the race the first weekend in June, I have argued consistently that she should not accept an offer to be VP, should she receive said offer in the first place.
I argued this point because I believe that she is a lioness of a politician whose talents could be best utilized bridging the divide on legislation, which is how real change comes about. Think in terms of ENDA, DOMA, Social Security and Medicare reform. These things and many more come about one way and one way only - if the Congress drafts them and approves them.
Luckily, time has shown that we are highly likely to increase our majority in the House and the Senate, and with a Democratic White House, a veto-proof majority would be neither here nor there.
Still, as the election cycle has worn on, and it becomes clear that my choice in November will be either John McCain or Barack Obama, the dubiousness of pulling the lever for either candidate becomes apparent. Be that as it may (and it is), we cannot and should not miss the forest for the trees.
As many concerns as I have about the concept of "President Barack Obama", and they are plentiful, I'd be remiss not to take a step back and consider what a Democratic presidency would look like in comparison to another 4 or 8 years of a Republican administration.
To be sure, I have not had a sip of the Obama Kool-aid. Nor do I intend to. In fact, my blood still boils when I consider how he came to the nomination of our party, his questionable history as a politician, his dubious bedfellows, and of course foremost his awful treatment of Hillary Clinton, her supporters and her principles, during the primaries.
As time has worn me down, as I've re-examined and reconsidered the true gravity of the options before me, I have this to say:
If, and only if, Barack Obama takes on Hillary Clinton as his running mate, he can count on my vote in November.
Together they would be an unstoppable campaigning and legislating force. In the White House, they would be able to balance each other and bring about true change the only way possible - through hard work, a broad coalition, and substantive concrete efforts.
That would be change we could believe in.
Posted by Nick Stone
on 10:06 AM.
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