Decision 2008

Now, after five long months of campaigning, caucuses, primaries, 3 a.m. phone calls, bickering, crazy pastors, superdelegates and the kitchen sink, we have a presumptive Democratic nominee for the 2008 general election. Though I am glad that now it's official, and that my guy is the winner, I can't help but feel a little bad for Hillary Clinton. I know, I know, after all the negative things I've written here, and angry feelings that I have had for her throughout this process, I may sound crazy saying that. But with as much drive and ambition and desire that she has had to win the presidency, it's hard to not sympathize with someone whose life goal falls out of their reach--and just barely by the way this worked out.
Ultimately though, the stronger candidate prevailed, and through this whole process, he's come out even stronger for a general election match up. People may say he lacks experience, but to take on the Clinton political machine and come out on top is no small feat. He set up and ran a successful national campaign. Sure he lost some races big, but he's shown to be one who can learn from his mistakes and improve from them. He's shown he has sound judgment and is willing to admit when he is wrong. He also has the courage to tell us what we don't want to hear but what is right.
There may be Clinton supporters who will see her loss to Obama as his stealing from her, and as such may be willing to support McCain. They shouldn't. Though the campaign may have had sexist tones, they have no more right to blame that for her loss than Obama did for his setbacks due to racial overtones--he won't and they shouldn't. If anything, her gender helped her to gain votes from millions of women who may not have voted had they not had the historic opportunity to vote for a viable woman candidate. Barack Obama ran a clean campaign, always rising above the mudslinging that went on. If he tried to fight dirty, it didn't suit him and it did him no good. His message has always been a message of change, and those who wanted to see change through Hillary would be foolish to vote for a continuation of failed Republican policies by supporting John McCain.
McCain is truly out of touch with America. He provided great service to this country, but should not be it's president. He's admitted to not know much about the economy, which is not what we need during these trying economic times. He's certain that all is well in Iraq, professing this yesterday while yet three more American lives were taken over there. As Barack Obama said in his speech last night "John McCain has spent a lot of time talking about trips to Iraq in the last few weeks, but maybe if he spent some time taking trips to the cities and towns that have been hardest hit by this economy – cities in Michigan, and Ohio, and right here in Minnesota – he’d understand the kind of change that people are looking for." At one point in his career, he may have been a "straight-talking maverick," but certainly is not now that he's trying to woo his party. He's embraced Bush's failed policies and offers nothing different, except possibly "bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb[ing] Iran."
So now, though no one knows exactly what Hillary will do from here (I, and many others, wish she would have graciously bowed out last night), it is time for the party to come together uniting around our candidate, and work for change this fall.