On The 2008 Presidential Elections

I am a Democrat, as anyone who's even sort of paid attention to me for any length of time can probably figure out, and as of right now, I'm supporting Hillary Clinton for President in 2008. As I see it, there are only three real contenders for the Democratic nomination:

--Hillary. The bottom line is that I like her. She's profoundly intelligent, she's tough under pressure, her experience is unmatched among the current crop of nominees, her stances on issues are always thoughtful and considered, and even when I don't agree with her I can trust her to never advance a policy that's flat-out batshit insane. She's obviously a shit-magnet on a level that politics rarely sees, but at this point I really think I do subscribe to the argument that there is nowhere for her to go from here but up. She actually is a likeable politician, and as Americans start to see something other than the caricature, I think they'll get on board. Obviously she starts with a pretty broad-based "no" vote staring at her that will never switch, but it's not enough on its own to deny her a victory.

--Barack Obama. There's certainly plenty to like about Obama, but I honestly do feel he's both too young and too inexperienced. In fact, pursuing the nomination this early in his political career tarnishes him as a person and a professional, in my opinion. There's also the fact that really, from a policy perspective, just what the hell does he stand for? I do think a Clinton / Obama ticket would be unbeatable, even with the whiff of patronization it entails, but at this point it is, sadly, kind of a distant pipe dream. Oh well.

--John Edwards. I'm the least drawn to him in general, for two reasons: one is simply the fact that he was part of a losing campaign, which is a crippling liability in the modern super-saturated political landscape, and the other is that he's got kind of an untenable position on gay marriage -- from an ethical standpoint, anyway, though I guess the "I'm conflicted" line is potentially saleable to the part of the American demographic who shares his views. (Don't get me wrong, I'm not deluded enough to think any of the Democratic nominees will legalize gay marriage with one fell swoop the moment they get into office. I could foresee it as an outside-shot second-term development for Hillary, but that's about it. However, the way you talk about the issue matters.)

So yes: Go Hillary. I want a female President (though a black one would be great too [and a gay atheist one would be even better. Maybe a polyamorous Hispanic one with a lot of tattoos and piercings]). The good news is, I wouldn't be upset if any of these three people won the nomination, or the Presidency. So things are already looking bright for 2008, when (cue game show voice) one of these three contestants will face... JOHN MCCAIN! Seriously, I'm going on record, if he doesn't win the Republican nomination I will burn a $20 bill and photograph it. Hold me to this. Also, read this depressing article on McCain's recent campaign hires... oh, Mr. Ethics, where are you now. Though I suppose there's a reasonable counter-argument to say that he's locking up this kind of firepower in order to make sure that somebody with an even shakier moral grounding doesn't get their hands on it...