Sobering Thoughts

Not that I was un-sober late last night after just a couple beer-garitas, but I thought with the light of day I should clarify some of my feelings toward Hillary and Bill as far as this election goes. 

In brief, every time Hillary speaks, it is like nails on a chalkboard for me. And it's not that she is a woman -- I could listen to Nancy Pelosi or Jan Schakowsky speak at length, as I have, when they've been on CSPAN or local TV. The biggest things about Hillary, as it boils down to how I feel is that 1) she plagiarizes and takes ideas from others and 2) she sounds as though she doesn't have a sincere bone in her body -- no matter what she is saying, she always finds a way to denigrate someone else and get back to her tried and tired "message." 

Last night, for instance, as she was basking in her first primary victory in the past 12, she spoke only of herself, whereas Obama, in his gracious concession speech, spoke more of the American people (while also drawing very important similarities between Clinton and McCain). It's as if she could hardly wait to get through the obligatory part of her speech where she thanks voters and family, to once again speak of how speeches don't bring about change, "experience" does. Then she goes back to her "3 a.m." phone commercial in saying that when that phone rings in the White House at 3 a.m., the American people want someone who has oh, what is it -- picked up a phone before in the White House? She just could not tear herself away from the commercial which played to people's fears instead of their hopes. 

And, as someone who supported the candidacy of John Edwards, it infuriates me that Hillary has of late picked up his talking points, criticizing NAFTA and corporations whose executives make tens of millions of dollars while their employees have to scrape the bottom of their barrels to find money to pay for healthcare and tuition and rent. 

I was skeptical of Obama for quite a while, and rightfully so, since he is a freshman senator who really didn't distinguish himself in the Illinois legislature. His association with Rezko doesn't bother me as much as his 'present' votes on potentially controversial measures. But when I listen to him speak, he not only gives me hope that this country can be better, can be more tolerant, can be actually United and that the rest of the planet will once again look to us as a beacon of hope and democracy, but he makes me want to be a better person, a smarter person, a more compassionate person. As a Democrat, when I hear Hillary, the feeling I come away with is 'let's get back at the Republicans and take what's ours.' When I hear Obama, the feeling I get is that we can still change the world, and our country, for the better -- we can still do some good in the world, and this is our chance.