Obama, Hillary, and the Fragmentation of DU (an answer to "why vote 4 Obama") [View All]

[Blue State Bandit]

I have seen many posts lately asking why one supports this candidate or that candidate. Some are genuine, but many, it seems, are just houses on fire. This community is starting to look more like the foothills of Southern California and less like a forum for inter-party political discourse. So I decided that I needed to explain why I will not vote for Hillary Clinton, and why I feel many harbor such explosive feelings on this subject as of late.

My mind was made up to vote for Obama when Hillary's campaign proclaimed that as her first act as President, she would send Bush 41 and Clinton 42 to re-build the world's view of America that was destroyed by Bush 43. I almost lost my lunch when I heard this. (edit: campaign added)

This single moment in Hillary Clinton's campaign struck me with a troika -anger, fear, and utter disbelief- that I could never get over, short a medically-induced coma. How could this possibly be seen as "Change" other than my change of underwear?

Domestically, I don't see how she could have expected the father of George W. Bush to join Bill Clinton on a "BASH BUSH WORLD TOUR". What did she think would be the selling point that would get Bush Sr. to denounce his own son to the world? Thirty pieces of silver? Or, would she sell her political soul to the same people who covet our privacy, and lie us into war after meaningless war?

Prior to the Primary season, this forum was in near perfect harmony when the subject of accountability came to the floor. It was a rare bird who didn't foam at the mouth at the thought of a Bush administration official doing time. And if it was Bush or Cheney, I could see the saliva dripping down the comment list onto my desk below.

Today, it seems that DU has broken up into candidate oriented factions and nobody seems to understand each other. It's like someone dropped a Babylon bomb on the site. People, like ProgressiveByDesign, are leaving in frustration due to this fracturing. But I don't think that PBD and other Hillary Clinton backers understand how they are seen by the Obama/Edwards camps; colored by the close relationship Bill has fostered with GHWB.

IMO, support for Hillary is seen by many in the Obama camp as treachery; that she will sell out and nothing will change.


Then there is how the world will perceive our choices. In the days after Iowa, the world took notice. Never has the Iowa Caucus been the headline in so many international newspapers. I think the only country to have a negative opinion was India due to Obama's stand on outsourcing, but I maybe wrong. They call him the next Kennedy. Germany is going nuts over him. Most of all, he is not seen in the world as having anything to do with the policies that have taken America from Pin-Up to Pariah. Foreign policy experience means nothing to our current standing in the world if nobody trusts the messenger.

IMO, electing Hillary will be seen by the world as a marriage of two American political dynasties, and that we, the American people, have not "learned our lesson".

It is my hope that this explanation will help calm the waters; and maybe score some converts. But if you must flame, get it out here, and get it over with. Cry all you want, be it over questions about Diebold, or hair stylists, I’m still VOTING FO OBAMA!

(edit to reflect Hillary's Campaign, not Hillary)