obaton '08?

I was until yesterday settled on my candidate. But in the event I've not made it clear, I'm a noncommittal kind of gal these days. And I have been seized by a late frost in the air—I have cold feet. Clinton? Obama? My god, I don't know. This is a peculiar position for me, as I've always had a relatively easy time deciding on my candidate in the past. Ultimately this time around, my priority is in voting for whoever can assure me that neither McCain nor (OMG) Romney makes it into office.

Truth is, though their histories each have their own disconcerting inconsistencies, C & O stand quite close to the same line on a number of issues that matter to me: withdrawal from Iraq, tax reform, gay marriage, education. Though I'm as enthusiastic as the next joe about a candidate who can spell AND speak sensibly, and I'm momentarily charmed by all the young bucks standing on all our overpasses and waving "Babes for Obama" signs, I am not necessarily going to vote for someone because he's been positioned as the next charismatic Kennedy. I simply want to vote for the Democrat who will win. Maybe that's crass, but Bush has been a cheese grater against my soul.

So.

One Berkeley comrade says this of Clinton: I've been watching Fox news a bit to see what those pundits are saying. They can't wait to skewer Hillary in the actual race. They are so keyed up to destroy her with past dirt, it is terrifying. We're talking absolute hatred that reminds me of anti-semitic language and rationale. She seems to have become a symbol for them of everything they cannot stand.

A dear and wise Jersey thinker offers me this disturbing reminder of the red-state take on Obama: I just think that by the time they got done with Barack, he'd not only be a Muslim who won't salute the flag, but a devil worshipper and a cannibal.

Oy! I gotsta remember the rest of the country doesn't exactly vote Berzerkeley-style. That said, I know all too well the risks involved in internalizing and working around the anticipated bigotry of the opposition. Am I giving too much credit to the GOP smear-machine by worrying over these defamations? A novel concept: maybe I should truly just vote for whoever I believe will be the best leader. How lovely would it be if we got both! Maybe the stars will align that way. Indeed. So who would take the other on as VP? Hmm. Perhaps I should just use the force to decide. (Click it! You'll be so glad you did.)