A presidental contest shaping up
The big political news this week was the clinching of the Democratic Party nomination for Barack Obama. The primary contest between the two candidates is the most heated in my (admittedly short) political memory.
When Hillary first announced she was running for president, I frowned. I don't care for her as a politician. She was too careful for my taste. I found her too willing to accede to the opinion polls on her issues. I can't even remember why I initially formed that opinion, which is probably a good sign that I should just abandon that judgment and move on.
And when Obama first announced his run for president, I frowned. Being only a three year-member of the Senate, I felt he lacked the experience necessary for the job. My initial opinion was that he should stay in the cooker for another 4 years to "ripen".
And then came the contest. Long months of slog through debates and primary. Sniping at each other across the field. Mistakes and horrible slips of the tongue.
And tomorrow (supposedly) Hillary will concede the nomination to Obama. And therein lies the most important thing that all this primary season brought about. It fire-tested the candidates. Barack was forced to explain himself and his position. He answered questions about his inexperience and generally proved himself to be a capable political player. Hillary learned that her husband Bill is a great asset but is not the sort of person to sit idly by and quote the advertising copy, even if it's written by his wife.
Now we move on to the next chapter: the general election. The old man vs. the young man. Is this election going to revolve around wedge issues like gay rights and abortion, or are we mired in the national problems of the war and the economy?
When Hillary first announced she was running for president, I frowned. I don't care for her as a politician. She was too careful for my taste. I found her too willing to accede to the opinion polls on her issues. I can't even remember why I initially formed that opinion, which is probably a good sign that I should just abandon that judgment and move on.
And when Obama first announced his run for president, I frowned. Being only a three year-member of the Senate, I felt he lacked the experience necessary for the job. My initial opinion was that he should stay in the cooker for another 4 years to "ripen".
And then came the contest. Long months of slog through debates and primary. Sniping at each other across the field. Mistakes and horrible slips of the tongue.
And tomorrow (supposedly) Hillary will concede the nomination to Obama. And therein lies the most important thing that all this primary season brought about. It fire-tested the candidates. Barack was forced to explain himself and his position. He answered questions about his inexperience and generally proved himself to be a capable political player. Hillary learned that her husband Bill is a great asset but is not the sort of person to sit idly by and quote the advertising copy, even if it's written by his wife.
Now we move on to the next chapter: the general election. The old man vs. the young man. Is this election going to revolve around wedge issues like gay rights and abortion, or are we mired in the national problems of the war and the economy?
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