My order of preference for the Democratic nomination
As we are only 1 week from the Iowa caucuses, I thought it would be fun to lay out my order of preference as if I was going to the Iowa caucuses myself. Number 1 will come as no surprise to anyone, but after that you might be a little stunned.1) Bill Richardson - if you don't know why I like him, you must have just joined us on Page 132. Try here and here for some of the best arguments why Bill Richardson should be the next President of the United States.
2) Chris Dodd - it is a huge drop from Richardson to number 2. I like Dodd because I think he has plenty of experience and he wouldn't make a mess of things. He'd be a nice caretaker president who has promised to bring the Iraq War to a close by the end of his first term.
3) John Edwards - in 2004, John Edwards was my man. 4 years later he has dropped. His fiery populism and horrible economic theories have really turned me off. However, he has pledged to get most of the troops home within the first year of his presidency.
4) Barack Obama - there is clearly no better orator in the race, but we aren't electing an orator. We are electing a president. Obama's lack of experience in any high pressure situation causes me some concern. Additionally, he's never had to run a tough race, so he may have skeletons in his closet. The last thing I want is a major scandal to arrive in October of 2008. He's equivocated on the Iraq War, but has made some comments that he'd bring the war to a close. His rhetoric and "change" frame could win over independents and Republicans in some states and change the electoral map. He's not a great strategic choice, but he's serviceable.
5) Hillary Clinton - Hillary will end up my generation's Edward Kennedy. A smart, politically savvy person with a great last name, destined to spend life in the Senate. There is very little I like about Hillary Clinton's candidacy and I'm convinced she isn't electable. She refuses to promise to bring the War in Iraq to an end. She's only had two major political decisions in her life and failed them both. Without Clinton as a last name, she'd never be taken seriously. I still can't figure out how she changes the electoral map.
6) Joe Biden - The only thing worse than Hillary's plan to stay in Iraq for a decade or more is Joe Biden's plan to artificially partition Iraq. It is true that the modern borders of Iraq were drawn by the British one-hundred years ago, but Iraqis have been living inside those borders ever since. Historically, partition has never worked to decrease violence. Pakistan-India, West Bank-Israel, etc. Joe Biden may have a lot of experience with foreign relations, but on this vital plan, he's completely wrong.
In the margins, imagine you are an Iowa voter and going to the caucus in one week. Where do you stand? What is your list? Give it to us, justification or not. If you are a Republican, who do you like? Is Huckabee your man or will it be McCain?
posted by Expat Teacher @ 1:04 AM
