Obama ’08!

At some point in this extraordinary campaign season, Hillary’s gender failed to be an issue. Would she end the war in Iraq? Could she repair our failing economy? Will all Americans have health care? Those were the questions being asked. The question about whether or not a woman could handle the job–or if people would vote for a woman faded along the way.

I think Hillary Clinton’s campaign put to rest the humiliating, cringe evoking, condescending question about whether or not a woman can handle the job. Thousands of voters in this campaign think she can. If she can, any woman candidate with the right credentials can.

Number one: An individual who can excerise a determining influence on the affairs of the country, must be well liked.
Number two: To exercise political authority, the person must be well liked.
Number three: To initiate policies or processes that meet global acceptance as well as, America’s interest requires an individual who is highly intelligent, and again well-liked.
Number four: The U.S. needs a good debater because if the congress had debated longer and considered the long term risks, would we be in Iraq today? And to move more troops to Afghanistan will just create another failed state like Iraq.

The U.S. has an 104 acre complex in Iraq, where it has just completed building the largest U.S. Embassy ever conceived. The cost to run the facility is $1 billion a year. It was to be completed in Sept. but had overruns in time and dollars.

The three candidates; Obama is the most intelligent, while McCain has the ear of congress and military, while Hilliary goes along with whatever the most popular position is.

There is a strong field of women out there in the Republican Party– but would republicans be any better than democrats at getting over sexism?

The winner has to be able to provide a positive global identity and also be capable with domestic agenda. I do not know of a woman at this time other than Hillary who might be able to handle both. On the other hand, without global identity, could Obama with a good support team and his good speaking abilities enhance America’s image?

We still have some time to assess the current choices. I worry about continued economic drain due to our overseas committments in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, but I also see how difficult it will be to exit. There are no easy fixes domestically; but it is all pie in the sky until we have the Democratic candidate in place. At this point, Hillary seems the better choice globally and domestically but as a small business owner, I am concerned about spending and who will pay for the programs we need for our citizens so I do not know which way I will vote except choice is important to me and while it is only one part of the whole picture, I wish the platform of the Republican Party could change.