Tuesday, February 5th - Why Obama Doesn't Have My Vote

I do not believe Barack Obama has the power to do what he says he is going to do.

I think it is fantastic that he wants to make a change in the tenor of Washington. I think it is noble that he is trying to inspire Americans to be more than what they have been. The unfortunate thing is that it takes a lot more than a speech to bring this country together. The divisions that he speaks so mellifluously about bridging are really the same divisions we have been struggling with since the 1960's. In the intervening years, we have had many different political candidates all trying to lay claim to the mantle of a "transformative" candidate or candidate for "reconciliation" who can finally unite us.

Rick Perlstein said in an editorial in the Washington Post that "A President Obama could no more magically transcend America's '60s-born divisions...for the simple reason that our society is defined as much by its arguments as by its agreements." To bring about the change that Barack Obama is proselytizing, would be to change the fabric of America. We are a divided people because our country was formed on the basis of free thought. This does not mean that we cannot work through our differences, especially the ones based on hatred, but to think that a single man can heal the wounds of generations is setting oneself up to be disappointed. History is littered with candidates who have staked their entire existence to this cause.No one person can do this. Not Oprah. Not John F. Kennedy. Not Barack Obama. He has based his entire candidacy on something that is out of his reach. This is the main reason he does not have my vote.

Beyond that, I question highly Barack Obama's ability to combat the Republican Noise Machine. Does he really think that his message of unity is going to wash once the Republican's turn themselves full bore to his candidacy? Yes, indeed, the true believers will stick by his side, but the nervous Democrats and Independents will listen to what they have to say, and even despite the 25 year age difference, Obama will fall to the likes of John McCain. Plus, as we've seen in the recent Republican debate, John McCain can be an attack dog, and Obama has proven that he is very thin skinned when it comes to someone actually having the audacity to question him.

I know this pretty much makes me sound like an extreme cynic, but I am just being pragmatic. We can join our hands and sing of unity, but the Republicans will not all of a sudden join with us and sing along.

All this being said, if Obama wins the nomination, I will support him because I believe that the best course for our country in 2008 is to have a Democrat win the White House. I will have extreme reservations about him until he gets the reality check he so desperately needs, but there is not enough wrong here for me to think about McCain, like I would have in 2000.