Obama gets a moderate blogger’s support at Donklephant:
Here’s the thing…if a politician can actually make us feel that there’s hope, that there’s a chance to actually mend our partisan wounds, we shouldn’t ignore it. That’s what Barack brings to the table, and that’s why I’m excited about his candidacy.
I can agree with that sentiment. However, perhaps it’s been too much exposure to politics, combined with my experiences witnessing the sausage-making that takes place in government in this country, which keeps me too cynical about any face the media and conventional wisdom deign to shine a spotlight upon.
I’ve enjoyed listening to Obama, and his talk of working across party lines has a definite appeal to me. However, I’m reminded of the hope and optimism many of us felt when Bill Clinton was elected in 1992. We looked forward to the handoff to a new generation of politics, with the expectation that everything was going to be better.
While Bill definitely chalked up some significant accomplishments during his stint at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, much of what we were optimistic about faded quickly, as the political climate quickly degenerated into the perpetual battle of the Clinton political machine and the Right-Wing’s hatred of “Billary”.
I think I would prefer Obama in office over Hillary…but frankly, I don’t see anyone active in the political arena that I particularly want as President (although Bloomberg, if he would run, might be the exception).
(For whatever it’s worth, I’m still planning to cat my protest vote for Ron Paul on Super Tuesday. He’s flawed as a candidate, and definitely not viable given Connecticut’s winner-take-all status with the GOP, but his running has, at least, gotten the concept of fiscal conservatism and individual liberty as a campaign platform a few minutes of media attention.