OPINION & EDITORIAL
Finding America’s new voice
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Also by Gerald Cox:
- Duke's sex worker show provokes controversy, but without merit (February 11, 2008)
- Taking 'green' to new heights (February 3, 2008)
- Unifying candidate or bigoted clown? (January 28, 2008)
- 'Oprabama?' No thank you (December 10, 2007)
- I'll take a female president, just not her (December 3, 2007)
Related Stories:
- Progressives in Madison, unite! (February 25, 2005)
- Primary responsibility (January 21, 2008)
- Potential pitfalls abound for Plan B (November 29, 2006)
- Rep. Mark Pocan (February 4, 2002)
- Primary colors (September 13, 2004)
by Gerald Cox
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Serendipity. Who would have thought: we actually matter. With a primary that is fairly late in the primary season, few people were, a few short months ago, making the claim that “Wisconsin will matter.” Well, we do. That means you and I, dear reader, and the rest of our fellow progressive cheeseheads shall bear the immense responsibility of helping define who this nation chooses as its next leader.
So what’s an undecided Badger to do?
My initial choice, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., is long gone. Judging from the response I get whenever I mention his name, he may not have ever really been in the race. Colin Powell rejected my entreaties to rescue Republicans from near irrelevancy and Alando Tucker isn’t old enough to run.
So who do I vote for on Tuesday?
Kicking off his Wisconsin campaign with a packed Kohl Center rally that came off more as a concert than a political rally, Sen. Barack Obama seems to be a clear Wisconsin favorite. He’s been here longer, more often and has an impressive network of Obama-friendly college students to tap into. He’s been endorsed by Wisconsin’s largest newspaper, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and now it seems that even God Himself has it out for Sen. Hillary Clinton, as weather has postponed her first appearance in Madison this year from Sunday evening to Monday night.
Given such setbacks and possible divine intervention, it’s hard to imagine that Ms. Clinton can stem the seemingly inevitable tide of Obamaic excitement. But, according to polls, Wisconsin is still in play, and quite a few of my fellow students have surprised me with their ardent support for Ms. Clinton.
Ms. Clinton’s Wisconsin supporters remember her “thirty-five years of experience” and seem to insist that America is a country that rewards people like Sen. Clinton. People who fight for change, even when that change is unpopular (universal health care, anyone?).
People like that, people who have fought hard and long, and continue to do so, deserve to continue to lead this country. And that’s why Ms. Clinton should be allowed to do so.
As Senate Majority Leader.
Mr. Obama is a near mirror image of Ms. Clinton on many important issues: they both want universal health care, they seem to agree on how to get out of Iraq and, on the issues — supposedly his weakest point — Mr. Obama and his advisors have shown an intelligent command. To hear Mr. Obama speak on economic issues is music to this economics major’s ears. I once bought into the belief that he was all speeches and no solutions, that his words were poor substitution for Ms. Clinton’s experience. But once I stopped listening to the media buzz and started reading the candidate’s own words, speeches and issue papers, I realized there was a brilliant solutions-oriented man behind the stump speeches and flowery rhetoric.
But the realization that his command of the issues and solutions — yes, Mr. Obama has quite a few solutions up his sleeves — is not what convinced me he deserves the presidency more than Ms. Clinton. It only put him on equal footing.
So why will I be voting for Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton on Tuesday? It’s the fact that I have grown up in a country that has been ruled by Bushes and Clintons for the last 20 years. It’s the belief that we deserve something different and altogether better. It’s the fact that he will sit down with our enemies and confront them with our qualms. It’s the realization that, while a candidate for the Senate, he spoke out against a war that was at the peak of its popularity — an interesting analogue to Ms. Clinton’s unpopular work concerning universal health care in the ’90s.
It’s the fact that just having Mr. Obama as our president will change radically what the rest of the world thinks of America and what America thinks of itself. It’s the fact that when he leads, Americans and their elected officials are more likely to follow than if Ms. Clinton leads. It’s the fact that even now he is forming a coalition of independents, moderates, conservatives, liberals, Democrats and Republicans.
Ms. Clinton has faced more issues, solved and caused more problems than Mr. Obama has. She’s shaken more hands and knows more people. She may even have a base of knowledge far superior to Mr. Obama’s. Thank goodness she’s on our side.
But on Tuesday, we are not nominating a senator, we are nominating a president. We are not nominating a knowledgeable advisor. We are electing the leader of our country and, to some degree, the world. We are electing the face of America. The face I want to project to the rest of the world, and to ourselves, is Barack Obama’s.
Gerald Cox (gcox@badgerherald.com) is a senior majoring in economics.
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 2:03am):
predictable. college dem for obama.
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 2:44am):
Just wait for the Hillary Clinton/Ron Paul ticket. It's going to sweep the nation like a furby on a segway.
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 5:27am):
bravo.
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 5:38am):
I guess all the real news got snowed in this weekend.
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 5:50am):
5:38 - Are you in the wrong section?
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 7:33am):
At least the hottest College Dem is voting for Hillary. Hot for Hill!
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 8:21am):
It's not news. This is an opinion column, so it's...an opinion. As for 2:03's comment, College Dems is pretty split down the middle on who supports which candidate. I could list them here, but they do have the right to keep their choice private.
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 9:03am):
The last great Democrat Boy Wonder was JFK, you know, Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missle Crisis, Viet Nam, JFK.
If Obama is the new face of the USA, I fully expect the bullies to be kicking sand in our face.
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 10:24am):
biden was my first pick too..props to you for that gerald.
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 11:42am):
It's good to see a well thought out position. I agree with your choice, though I've been a supporter of Obama's from the beginning.
I'm rather surprised at Hillary Clinton choosing to pit speeches against solutions. Senator Obama managed to get health care passed in Illinois where she failed as First Lady. If anyone puts their legislative records side by side, Obama comes out way ahead, not only in substantial, sponsored legislation, but those that they were able to get passed. That, and the ability to inspire a nation and the world where unfortunately Senator Clinton is extremely divisive, makes Obama a clear choice in my opinion.
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 11:55am):
It would've been nice if you had mentioned some of Obama's great proposals, solutions, etc. What are his economic policies you have found so great? Hmm?? The big issue I can think of - health care - is one where Obama's plan is weaker economically. Without mandates, we will NOT achieve universal healthcare, while whatever form of goverment-aided healthcare we do achieve will be at a much higher cost per person.
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 12:59pm):
Obama speaks of economic issues? in platitudes, maybe.
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 1:06pm):
Obama's criticism of NAFTA is music to your economics major's ears Gerald?
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 1:29pm):
the smartest college dems are voting for obama.
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 1:41pm):
Obama is a shady Chicago socialist. Some people like that.
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 1:42pm):
A Hillary/Ron Paul ticket?
Who the heck comes with this stuff?
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 1:54pm):
Point Conceded, 1:06. I'm not a big fan of his NAFTA stance, or his anti-corporation lambasting of Corporate profits, particularly Exxon's.
Specifically, some of his comments on the housing market/sub primes has been most endearing.
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 1:55pm):
"Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missle Crisis, Viet Nam, JFK."
yawn
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 2:22pm):
remember that time Clinton gave Bush a blank check in iraq and never apologized?
and then five years later, voted to give him the same blank check again in iran?
clearly, Senator Clinton's judgment is vastly superior, and her experience is leading her to make the right foreign policy decisions.
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 3:05pm):
Talk is cheap... I wonder how much "corporation bashing" he'd do as president, given his donations. And as for NAFTA, it's easy to bash that as well, even though most dems have done nothing to oppose or repeal it. Yet Obama also supported some of Bush's free trade proposals. Despite the populism, it'll be a while before we really see a lefty run for president.
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 9:35pm):
Wow, we have people worried about silly speeches, but no one runs a story on how you buy a piece of land for 40% off, BEFORE the housing bust; or how does the hospital your wife helps run make $100M, when its a not-for-profit hospital, or that it overcharges by 538%, or that it charges blacks 6X what whites pay.
No one runs a story on how you deregulated an energy bill to help AxelRove and Exelon - your big donor - not face stiff penalites for playing badly. No one runs a story about an Ethics Bill you never wrote, but you run ads saying the 14 day start to finish bill was hard to pass (it wasnât) and that without you, it would never have made it. If you didnât write it, change it, introduce it, then you have nothing to do with it.
No one runs a story on how Obama says his conception was directly related to his parents being in Selma in 1965, when we all know Barack was born in 1961.
No one runs a story on how his geneology proves he is not even legally able to claim he is African American. He has one, great great grandparent that is African Negro.
No one runs a story about how Obamaâs dad was not a goat herder but in fact a rather well off Kenyan Gov. employee.
No one runs a story on the fact that he lied about being fluent in Indonesian and that his teachers basically said he was an utter failure at the language, and thus was not so deeply connected to that Asian nation like he wants us to believe.
No one runs a story on the fact that his wife reeped big bucks from Treehouse, connected to Wal-Mart, while he was insulting Clinton as a Wal-Mart Lawyer.
No one runs a story on the fact he was a Professor of Constitutional Law, NOT CONSTITUTIONAL LAWYER. He might just be a constitutional liar, perhaps.
No one runs a story on Larry Sinclair just to see if any of it is true. But within a millisecond every tramp from California to South Carolina, that said she porked Bill Clinton, was headline news, even if it was later proved not quite so. Letâs get Larry that lie detector test and see those credit card receipts.
No one runs a story on how the man that made the ugly 1984 ads was directly related to Obamaâs campaign, when Obama said that his campaign had nothing to do with it and they didnât have the ability - It took an Apple laptop and 4 hours one afternoon. Liar.
No one runs a story about how he falsely claimed that most Illinois politicians vote Present alot - they donât.
No one runs a story on how he hits the wrong voting button a half a dozen times - but only says so after he is confronted by his angry fellow Democrats.
No one runs a story on how Obama says he doesnât do PAC (which he does better than PAC MAN) and lobbyists (Clinton could take lessons from this liar).
Letâs hear these stories in the main area - not this blog. Letâs hear what all these defenders have to say. Is that all you got?
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