I totally agree with what this guy is saying. Barack Obama is the frontrunner. He has more money. He has won more states. He has won more delegates. He has won some key establishment endorsements. The primaries over the next month (Louisiana, Wisconsin, Maryland, Virginia) favor him. I just want to know where exactly Hillary Clinton is beating him. You know, in any categories that matters.
There are benefits that come with being considered the underdog. You can talk about taking on the "establishment." (Kind of akin to "sticking it to The Man even though you are The Man.") You can run as an "outsider to the Washington system." You can criticize "the old way of doing things in Washington" when you are the underdog. As you can see, I am not quite convinced by Barack Obama quite yet. (Sorry, Josh.)
The Barack Obama message is that he is not the establishment candidate. (All while taking on all the accoutrements of an establishment candidate.) Hmm, interesting. The Barack Obama message is he was right on the single biggest issue of our time (going to war in Iraq) and Hillary Clinton was wrong. The Barack Obama message is that he is unique candidate because of his all-encompassing racial heritage.
All these are true. But there is some nuance missing. (Remember nuance? It has done gone missing since George W. Bush became president in 2001.)
Barack Obama says he was against the war back before it was popular to be against the war. You know what? So was I. Barack Obama points out he was president of the Harvard Law Review. I can't say that I was the president of the Harvard Law Review or that I went to Harvard Law School but I can say that I am a lawyer. Barack Obama says he turned down high-paying jobs to go work as a community organizer in poor neighborhoods in Chicago. I can't say that I have turned down many high-paying jobs but I did go work as a high school teacher in a poor neighborhood in Houston. Barack Obama likes to talk about his mixed racial heritage. I got this one beat. I have a mixed racial heritage AND a mixed religious heritage. My dad is white and Jewish. My mom was from the Philippines and Catholic. Barack Obama mentions his strong support from the Kennedy family. Well, my dad joined the Peace Corps, went to the Philippines to serve for 2 years, and met my mom while there. The Peace Corps was started by John F. Kennedy.
Part of me wonders if I should run for president. I mean, I am about to turn 35. I am so fired up and really ready to go too.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
I Should Run for President
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8 comments:
go for it!
If you could cry a little you'd be the perfect candidate...
So you're main critique of Obama is that he's a lot like you?
Maybe that's why I'm so hesitant to vote for Hillary.
On another note:
What are your thoughts on why the Latino and Asian-American voters are going for Clinton, and the young, white, overly-educated people are going for Obama?
I guess I am saying that Obama's main selling points aren't all that unique. I really think he needs to add more "selling points" to his quiver, Josh.
I kind of think that Latinos and African-Americans think that outreach to minority groups is a zero-sum game. If one group is getting helped, that must mean the other group is left hanging.
There are also the economic issues. African-Americans and Latinos tend to be less educated which means they have less control over their job situations. The less control you have, the more you are likely to be threatened by forces outside your control. Here that would be people on the same rung of the economic ladder as you.
Good points...I actually think it is all about economics (though the zero sum game is an interesting theory.)
Both Latinos and Asian-Americans did better economically during the Clinton years. As a result I think there is a strong association with the Clintons.
I've also wondered about the role of mothers in the respective cultures (e.g.- a stronger attachment mothers) and if that has anything to do with favoring a woman candidate...but I don't want to mention that for fear of being tagged as insensitive or ignorant of the dynamics within each of those groups...plus there are plenty of reasons against such a theory...
You going to the Obama rally tomorrow?
Looks like Obama
is downplaying the underdog role now...
When and where is the Obama rally, Josh?
Key Arena
11:00 AM
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