Reply #31: Robyn, to be honest I don't see alot of difference between Barack and Hillary [View All]

[TBF]

on the issues. Big issues for this election include the economy, health care, and security. Barack and Hillary will stimulate the economy with a mix of tax incentives for small business, raising the taxes on the wealthy, and probably some make-work type programs domestically to get people back to work. Both recognize the need for single-payer health care and the country overwhelming wants it as well. Nearly everyone wants our soldiers out of Iraq.

When policy differences are few you tend to look at more subjective things like overall leadership style, past behavior/experience, and similar factors to determine who you think might do a better job.

I look at Hillary and see a moderate who is deeply tied to corporations and has alot of political baggage. I know many moderates actually won't vote for her because she had such high negatives in the 90's (whether they were fairly proscribed or not). She is a very educated lawyer, with the experience of being married to a president (which I don't think counts for all that much), and a few years in the Senate. She didn't even go back to one of her home-states (Arkansas or Illinois) to run for Senate - she ran in NY because she thought it would be a good springboard to run for president. She is roughly 15 years older than Barack, and life experience counts for something. She brings a unique voice in being a woman, but she grew up in a very well-to-do suburb of Chicago, and thus her view is influenced by those surroundings.

With Barack I see another well educated lawyer, with experiences of working as a civil rights organizer, civil rights lawyer, State Senator, and a couple of the years in the US Senate. I see incredible charisma and judgment (against the Iraq war from the beginning) and an inclusive attitude. He has run a phenomenal campaign for being a "novice", focusing on community involvement. Not just grass-roots support, but really building on the skill set of community organinizing. He's got "precinct captain" volunteers in every county nation-wide ready to work hard for him this fall. He is out there with an amazing energy, registering voters, and getting people excited about politics. Small donors are sending in record donations, while Hillary's donors are mainly PACs and large donors. He brings a very unique voice as the first African American to run a serious campaign for president. His worldview is influenced by having lived in not only Chicago, but also Hawaii and Indonesia.

I feel it is time for a real change, the vigor of youth, the judgment of someone who tries to talk to people rather than rattling off words like "obliterate" and "assassination" as if they are not serious terms to only be used with care in extreme situations, and a multi-cultural background that gives him an especially unique perspective. It's true that he hasn't been married to a president, but that can also be a plus because he doesn't bring all that baggage with him.

I don't know if this is what you hoped to generate, but it is honestly what I thought about when I became an Obama supporter.