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

[spiletta42.livejournal.com]

No, my opinion of Clinton's health care plan (or any health care plan) is influenced by my experience with the government. My opinion of Clinton herself is influenced by her failure to explain her involvement in illegal business dealings, and her campaign's willingness to make untrue statements about her opposition, and of course her changing viewpoint on the Michigan and Florida primaries.

As for corporate greed, that's what puts corn syrup in our coffee creamer and hikes up the price of fuel, so I'm all for distrusting them as well. However, if a corporation treats an individual badly, the individual has the option of going elsewhere. Once the government has control of health care, that will no longer be the case.

Those same people who cannot afford health care now will not be better off under a government health care program. They might possibly get something like the care they need (you'll have trouble convincing me that the government won't be forcing specific treatment plans in some sort of complex maze of red tape, taking choices away from the patient to save pennies while wasting thousands), but they'll discover that the money they "saved" is still not in their pockets, because the government will raise taxes to pay for such a program. Instead of failing to afford a doctor's visit, they'll find themselves short of cash to deal with rising energy costs to heat their homes, rising gas prices to get to work, and a shrinking list of options at the grocery store as the healthier, and more expensive, options will be out of their price range.

It's always the working class that hurts from tax increases, and this health care plan cannot be accomplished without billions of dollars in increased government revenue. A national health care plan sponsored by the government is impractical. It will force businesses to reduce their payroll costs with layoffs, and it will force smaller businesses out of business entirely. Self employed individuals will find themselves paying the government even more, when they're already often struggling under the burden of self-employment taxes. For those folks, the government gobbles up thirty percent of their income even if their income falls under the poverty line.

This country is headed for financial crisis, and what it needs is decreased taxes, not an astronomical increase.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Decreasing taxes has not appeared to have helped so far. Increasing taxes in the right places might. But that depends on believing Clinton when she speaks. If you don't trust her to try her hardest to adjust taxes to actually aid the economy rather than aiding merely the rich, then you don't trust her. That's not the sort of thing that can really be argued one way or the other, I think.

Obama's campaign hasn't been run spotlessly either. Like I say below, they're both politicians and there are certain things that I don't trust them about. Either of them.

Honestly, I think the whole system could do with being torn down and rebuilt but that's... not practical or really even feasible for a country as large as the US of A.