Politics: United States Democratic Primary

[butterfly]

So, the total number number of delegates needed to win the nomination is 2,025, yes? That's the lowest number for a majority. Obama is currently leading Clinton by 143 delegates, with his total number at 1,631 and hers at 1,488. That's... not insurmountable by any means. Certainly not a good reason for her to curl up and go home.

Pennsylvia's primary is on the twenty-second of this month. Then Indiana and North Carolina on the 6th. West Virginia on the 13th and, finally, the 20th of May, Oregon gets to vote (along with Kentucky). The fact that my primary is so far away is a source of frustration to me.

I like Clinton's health care plan. When she and Obama talk specifics about issues and votes, I tend to find myself agreeing with her more often than with him when they differ (many times, they don't). Of course, in any race between Obama and McCain, Obama would get my vote in a heartbeat, but between him and Clinton... yes, I plan to vote for her.

The world that we live in is not post-racism or post-sexism (or, for that matter, post-classism and it certainly isn't post-homophobia). Either Clinton or Obama as our President will be a major step forward for this country. I'll be proud to call either of them my President.

Comments

[danamaree.livejournal.com]

I'm not American, so my opinion is...just that, an opinion. But I find that Clinton sounds like she knows what she's talking about.

I've become very jaded working around policy workers in Government, and I've seen what Politicians do to move things along, it's not pretty, but pragmatism and a good working knowledge of the system does count for a lot.

I see Obama as an idealist, and I agree with a lot of what he says, but I keep saying 'So, how are you going implement this, how is this going to work down on the ground, do you know anything about the machinery of government? '.

Social policy takes a lot of work to swing things around, it's not a matter of signing a piece of paper. I don't know if Obama quite grasps that reality as yet.

And who knows, maybe he'll be very good at it, and I don't know how pluralist democracy works in America, apart from some vague concepts of working Federalism and what I've seen in episodes of the 'The West Wing'.

I'm a little terrified*, from watching your system, of the way the election system sets up factional party infighting, but I've been told by people who know more then I do that it's very normal, so I'll go along with that ;)

(OK, sometimes a lot terrified when I see people who support the same party getting into flame wars)

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

A large part of why I'd like to vote for her is because she does, indeed, know what she's talking about from front-line experience. I don't doubt Obama's enthusiasm in the least, but his record is far from as proven as hers is.