Law Students

Pulling for Obama in Iowa

By otium cum dignitate

It's a close call for me between Obama and Hillary, and I'm still not sure about how I will vote in November, but for now I am pulling for Obama to win tomorrow in Iowa.  The most recent Des Moines Register poll shows Obama leading with 32% of support from likely Democratic caucusgoers compared to Hillary's 25%.  However, Hillary still leads Obama in national polls by more than 21 points - a gap that may close quickly should Obama win in Iowa.

Obama and Hillary have similar economic goals (including tax cuts for middle-class Americans and tweaking of international trade laws).  On the environment, both Obama and Hillary have aggressive plans to address global warming and energy independence (fyi, the NYT editorial provided a concise accounting of the candidates' environmental plans yesterday).

Obviously, this election will probably be won or lost on the Iraq issue.  And when it comes to Iraq, I find Hillary's plan to be a little bit more realistic and organized than Obama's.  Obama says he will get all of the troops out of Iraq in 16 months -- a doubtful scenario -- and he seems to think that simply talking to Middle East leaders will start a successful diplomatic alternative to our current troop "surge."  Hillary also plans to bring the troops home as quickly as possible, but shrewdly refuses to set a timetable for such action.  Hillary's diplomatic mission seems a bit more structured and organized than Obama's right now. 

For these reasons, on the issues alone, I probably favor Hillary.  Why, then, have I continued to support Obama?  Well, for one, it's because of speeches like this (on reconciling faith and politics).   I'm just impressed with Obama's vision of the future -- it really is hopeful, and refuses to accept the cynical realism of modern United States politics.  I do realize that being President is about more than just speech-making, but then again, as Obama says, if one voice can change a room, then one voice can change a nation (it somehow doesn't sound cheesy when he says it).

Perhaps I just fit the billing as another hopeful young person naively inspired by Obama's rhetoric.  That could be true.  But in a race as close as this one, speech-making may be the difference maker. 

Full post as published by otium cum dignitate on January 02, 2008 (boomark / email).