Why Not Obama?

I have always been a supporter of Senator Hillary Clinton. With that said, I do not dislike Senator Barack Obama and, should he get the Democratic nomination for president, I will support him. However, there are numerous reasons why I personally feel that Senator Obama is not as ready or as qualified to be the next president of the United States as Senator Clinton is. It is important to note that I don't think that either Clinton or Obama are the best and most qualified candidates that ran this election season. They are both superstars with fans and this has undoubtedly helped both of them. But...it has now come to a showdown between the two and the choice for me is clear...Hillary Clinton. She is, by far, the better candidate over Barack Obama.

First off, there is the love and hype for Obama. Yes, he is a phenomenal speaker. He has ignited people into politics in a way that I don't think any candidate, not even JFK, has ever done before in the history of our nation. But his words do not match his actions always and, after the election of George W. Bush, I have become cynical and skeptical towards "just words". Senator Obama gave a speech in 2002 in opposition to the Iraq War. Congratulations! You were right. The war would be a disaster. However, if your whole platform last year when you started your campaign was that you were against the war then why did you constantly vote to fund it and vote identically as Senator Clinton? In your own words, "it's business as usual." Obama, though not him alone, continues to throw the fact that Hillary voted in support for the war back in her face to try to show voters that he has better judgment. This is a tired argument. Obama was NOT in the senate at the time of the vote and therefore no one really knows how Obama would have voted had he had the same intelligence that was available to the MAJORITY of senators that voted for the war, including Senator Clinton. It's a waste of time for me. I don't care if you voted for the war or against the war. The point is...we ARE at war. So get us out. And you both agree that we need to get out so Senator Obama...stop trying to drive this issue as a wedge.

This leads me to my next issue with Obama. His whole stance on "politics as usual." He says he'll be different and that he will play things differently than the status quo and that he will bring the end of dirty politcs. Really though...he's not. He's playing the game just as those have played it before and he's masked it well. Part of his platform was that he would not attack. He has. He's played this election no differently than Senator Clinton. Do I have a problem with his attacks? Absolutely not. I most definitely think he should say what he needs to say to defend himself and to gain momentum. However, I have a problem with you attacking after saying that you will not attack and then masking your attacks as something else. Own up to the things you're doing and at least get some respect and stop sending out your staff to say things about your opponents. Say them yourself.

As a person who is training to be a part of the media, I think I am qualified in saying that the media has leaned towards Obama. There is no doubt a Clinton hating media. The way the stories are covered between Clinton and Obama is just upsetting and unfair. To me, Obama is getting a free pass. Even the whole trial of Antonin Rezko, who has been tied to Obama, has been seriously overlooked. One thing I know about the media is that, while the media loves a good comeback and the rise of a person...they love the fall of an individual so much more. The media will turn on Obama, like they do on everyone, at some point soon and I do not think he will be prepared for how much of an effect it will have. Can you imagine being loved and then suddenly unloved? I think he's gotten too wrapped up in the media not being so hard on him and he's become a big celebrity with all the supporters he has acquired. What happens when the crowds leave? What happens when they move on to someone else? Trust me...they will. If not now...then later. Will you be able to handle it? Maybe. But who knows. I compare Obama to one of those LiveStrong bracelets that Lance Armstrong made so popular. Everyone jumped on the bandwagon and everyone wanted one. Those bracelets rose fast, peaked, and now they are out of fashion and in the past. Barack Obama is a LiveStrong bracelet. Overexposure is a killer.

When people say that Hillary has been plotting her rise to the presidency for years and that all she can see ahead of her is the White House, it is infuriating. Every single person running has been plotting their rise to the presidency and has their eyes on the White House. They are all ambitious. I don't doubt that they all want to help change the country for the better...but to say that only one of them is power hungry is, simply, wrong. I see Obama as wanting the power way more than Hillary. I see him as impatient. He was elected to the senate in 2004 and then less than two years into his term he already has his focus on a new job. He's still a senator, but he's rarely there. True, Hillary is rarely there these days as well. However, at least she served a full 6 year term before throwing in her hat for the presidency. At least she spent the first years of this decade really and truly learning the workings of the Senate and making friends, joining strong committees, and working with Republicans who had previously villified her. I just cannot help by being put off by Obama being chosen to do one job and then neglecting that job because he wants to climb the next step of the ladder.

With all this said and probably a couple more unwritten things that I forgot to mention, notice I neither mentioned race nor gender, I firmly believe that Hillary Clinton is the BETTER candidate over Barack Obama. She's been vetted and tried over and over again. He has not. She's been patient. He has not. More importantly, I've been listening and I've been talking to people and I know that there is no one in the race right now with more knowledge on the issues than Hillary Clinton. I've spoken to health insurance professionals that have told me how Obama's insurance plan is seriously flawed in comparison to Hillary's and how it's clear that he doesn't quite understand it as well as she does. Again, I will support Obama should he win the nomination. No doubt he has worked harder than everyone. But he still does not have the nomination despite what the media says and despite his attitude that he has this in the bag. If anything, I think Hillary's losses will prove to be a good thing because I think it humbles a person and will make her realize not to take the job for granted because it was hard to get there. She's ready. If she wins...bring on the hate storm. She could win the presidency and people will still speak ill of her, perhaps even more so than now and in the past. She's not running to be liked...because many people will never like her no matter what. I admire her for putting herself out there and dealing with all the hate she has to face. She's a powerful woman...but she didn't get to where she is today by sliding by and leaning on her husband. She's intelligent and, get this, she's actually a warm and good person. It's been sad to see many of the Democratic elite turning their backs to her because they don't want to see her in power. I don't see it as a pro-Obama vote by some of the superdelegates, but more of an anti-Clinton vote. But that's a whole other argument over Hillary's electability. The party is split. Of course, I end this with an encouragment for the United States to vote for Hillary Clinton.