Vote for Obillara?

2008 marks the first year I will vote in a Democratic primary election.

I am going to vote for either Hillary or Obama. But which?On the one hand, I really like Obama's website better than Hillary's. He gives much more extensive explanations of where he stands on what issues, and what his plans are to address them. And I have to agree his is a more rousing speaker. Hillary got sort of defensive and petty in the New Hampshire debates. Blaaarg.

But I also agree with those who argue that there something to be said for Hillary's more extensive experience. I found this article by Gloria Steinem incredibly compelling, which opens by asking readers whether a female with Obama's social and racial profile, and his limited political experience, would ever really stand a chance getting elected as president. Hillary's preparedness in debate and list of accomplishments impress me. When people criticize her for lacking a human touch, it reminds me of how schoolkids hate the smartest, most prepared kid in the class. That kid was certainly annoying, but I also hope the person running my country was that kid. I am sure Hillary would be far more than competent as president.

Also in Hillary's favor, as far as I'm concerned: SHE IS A WOMAN. That's right, I said it. I would be truly moved by seeing a woman in the role of Commander in Chief of the leader of the free world. That would be a huge deal to me. I was surprised by this article, which suggests that feminist pride is a more relevant factor for women my mother's age than mine. Female friends and readers, what do you think? If I am being honest with myself, I have to admit that her gender is a huge push for me to vote her way.

So who will I vote for? I am still undecided. As an Arizona voter, I have until February 5th to hem and haw, watch more debates on YouTube, and come to a decision.

Obama: Not Black Enough?

I don't know much 'bout politics. But I was annoyed by an article in yesterday's NY Times: "So Far, Obama Can't Take Black Vote for Granted." The gist of the article is that many African Americans don't feel Obama is "black enough" or "one of us," and that as the son of a white mother and Kenyan father, he doesn't share the struggles and experience of a typical black American.

But, A: neither do most white presidential candidates share the struggles and experiences of the average white American. It seems to me that many white presidential candidates were born into wealth, often belong to families that are already politically prominent, and have enjoyed the benefits of private education and ivy league degrees. This is obviously not the experience of your average American of any color. Also, I know that my elected officials are supposed to represent me and my fellow "average" Americans, but they don't have to be "average" themselves. In fact, I hope they are a lot smarter and more educated than I am.

Secondly, I have a big problem with this analysis of Obama's lack of support, as given in the same article:

The black author and essayist Debra J. Dickerson recently declared that “Obama isn’t black” in an American racial context.

To me this is reminiscent of one analysis often given to explain the persistence of the achievement gap in schools between black and white students. In her book "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?", psychologist Beverly Tatum expounds on the idea that as black adolescents begin to form their racial identities, it often seems "white" to do well in school, and that black students who do excel academically face being ostracized by their peers. Dickerson's analysis suggests to me whole masses of the kids in Tatum's book growing up without growing out of this mindset and thinking, "you know what else 'isn't black' in an American racial context? Being a politician. Therefore I don't think I'll support Obama."

It seems silly to me to think that anyone would decide on whether to support a candidate based on whether or not they fit into a certain racial paradigm, or whether they're somehow representative of any vague notion of the average American experience. On the other hand, I guess politicians are always trying to show us that they come from backgrounds "just like us" to secure our votes. And as a nation, we did vote for Bush, a non-intellectual cowboy, just like the rest of us Amuricans. So is my thinking on this naive and overly idealistic? I welcome your comments.