I thought Bill Richardson had the best blend of policy & leadership. I wasn’t surprised he fizzled but was dissappointed.

I could support Mitt Romney because of his experience in business and as a R governor of a strongly D state (that tells me how knows how to compromise to get the deal done).

I admire Edwards’ commitment to raising the status of blue collar workers but never had much confidence he would succeed.

Knowing what I do about Mike Bloomberg, I could probably support him. Skilled technocrat, focused on solutions rather than ideology.

Hillary is openly, brazenly all about Hillary. All of these candiates are (experience has made me a cynical obesrver of pols) but you aren’t supposed to show it. To use an analogy, I know my doctor is focused on his bottom line, that he sometimes calls his broker in between patients, but in the exam room he is all about practicing medicine for his patients’ benefits. If he started rambling about the cost of tongue depressors or his second home in Tahoe while he was working on me or my family, I’d drop him like a stone. That’s how Hillary is to me.
Plus I see her as the most likely candidate to get us into another stupid war. All it would take would be some rumblings about her weakness — she’d send the Marines to prove she’s tough.

More than anything else, though, I’m dismayed by the entire ‘08 field on both sides. We are a wealthy and powerful nation but are teetering at the edge of serious decline. Bush has pushed us even closer to the brink of freefall & we badly need structural & systemic reform. It’s unlikely we get that from any of the frontrunners.

The Right had an inspiring figure in Ronald Reagan, and he also got things done: I just think he got the wrong things done, and put the country on the wrong track. Ever since the Reagan years I’ve hoped for a president who can reframe the debate about the role of government in society in a positive way. President Clinton succeeded in some extent, but to me he was more about triangulation than inspiration.

Senator Obama is a fresh break from what strikes me as a bunker mentality among the Clinton Democrats. Compare his clear stand on the Iraq war to Senator Clinton’s calculated positioning. Of course, Senator Obama—like all successful politicians—is calculating, too, but at least he comes up with the right answer!

So I have to ask Dave, and anyone else who is left cold by Obama, what mainstream candidate does inspire you or get you excited? Whose name on the ballot would have convinced you that the Democrats aren’t “trying their best to lose”?

In a year when the D’s could put a turnip on the ballot & win, they seem to be trying their best to lose.

http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/politics/blog/2008/02/videos_whose_is_cooler_hillary.html

Here’s another good Obama music video…catchy song, too:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LyJ72iZ3tW4

Oh, and in the interest of equal time, here’s Hillary Clinton’s version:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=rweVOO-fhug

Well, as inspiring as that last video was, I’m afraid I have already succumbed to Obamania. Even though I backed Clinton, Gore, and Kerry, I just never quite felt excited about or inspired by a presidential candidate. I saw Senator Obama’s Iowa victory speech, and what can I say? I caught the fever. Now—if you’ll forgive the expression—I’m fired up about his candidacy and ready to go vote for him tomorrow!

Of course, all of the pundits have missed the truly historic aspect of Barack Obama’s run for president: It means I actually agree with Don Roberts about something!