Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Missouri--a homer's perspective

I think George Will was correct to watch Missouri on Super-Tuesday. Maybe this is a "homer" mentality, but Missouri showed more courage than either "liberal" bastions California and Massachusetts. Illinois and New York don't count, given the "favorite son/daughter" dynamic. (See "It Isn't Easy Being Purple").

I am wary though of seeming to bash Hillary too much. I just worry she'll just unite the Republicans in a stroke, while Obama won't. So to all the Hillary voters who read this blog, I respect the choice you made--if you went by the debates alone, it is hard to make a case that she should not get the nod, hands down. I just don't think that's the end of the story. Looks like she is in a pickle and no consensus from the talking heads about what her campaign strategy moving forward should be--and they're not disagreeing on the edges but on fundamental approaches. No matter what happens, that Obama momentum appears it is going to be hard to slow.

4 comments:

Barb Adams said...

I don't know what an Obama-McCain battle would look like. Could be ugly; could inspire Americans to be their best selves.

My mental image of a Democratic convention where Hillary gets the nomination is of a sailboat at sea, where all the wind gets sucked out of the sails and we are becalmed. There is so much energy coming from Obama supporters - "Yes, we can" - and such a feeling of plodding earnestness with Hillary's campaign.

The young, I feel, would desert the field if Obama doesn't prevail. And, as you say, the Hillary-haters on all sides would come out of the woodwork, and feel free to give vent to all their worst inclinations.

Martha Endicott said...

I like Obama's theme that there comes a time for each generation to rise and take hold and turn the country in a new direction. So it was with FDR and JFK and the people of those eras responded as called upon. The positive response is not a given of course, but it will be fascinating to watch and see what happens in the next few months. Gobama!

Rob said...

Looks like McCain v. Obama might be ugly--interesting piece in today's NYTimes that they don't like each other. In 2006, McCain wrote an open letter to Obama that was very snarky and mean-spirited. He said he could see why a freshman senator would want to hijack an issue over ethics that his party was exploiting, but went on to "forgive" Obama for his earlier "disingenuousness" on the issue. What a guy. Straight talk indeed.

Barb Adams said...

Enquiring minds want to know: what did you make of Texas, Ohio, et al?