Cycloptichorn wrote:All over the nets there is a lot of anger on the part of Hillary supporters. I can honestly say that I've never seen so much whining about how 'unfair' everyone is to one candidate.
Cycloptichorn
But it is matched by the hyper indignation of Obama supporters (yourself included) whenever any criticism - even slight - is offered against their sainted hero.
Here's my assessment of the situation given in a post a few pages back that was lost in all the spam.
I think the best argument for Hillary is that she has been compromised by her own errors of judgement (think of her 1993 health care fiasco) and the various deceptions and financial dealings of the Clinton Administrations. Moreover she has clearly learned to compromise in the other (far better) sense of the word, and shown herself able to deal with the give and take of politics & governance. She is a worldly political animal whose ambitions are there to be seen and whose many faults are by now mostly visible to us all. One would wish for better and more, however in this case I think we have a good fix on the down side. Moreover she has to a greater degree been tested in adversity - not at all perfect, but we know what we will get.
Obama presents the opposite set of hopes and risks. he is clearly a gifted thinker and speaker. The concepts, complexities and inevitable tensions involved in synthesizing a broad strategy for any major issue come easily to him, and he has the rare ability to convey an impression of these tensions & contradictions while at the same time emphasizing simple, clear approaches to proposed solutions. (Some are perhaps too simple and too general, leaving room for one to wonder if he knows what he doesn't know). All this is very good, but experience in life teaches us that those so gifted often don't have the necessity of developing the habit of rigorous, self critical analysis so necessary to avoid error and self delusion. Often their shortcomings are only discovered when they get in over their heads, conveyed on by a sense (and aura) of omniscience, until things really turn to sheit and take them by surprise.
There is another, related factor as well. I am reminded of the wonderful speech of Nicias recorded in Thucydidies' Peloponesian War. Alcibiades, another inspiring, charismatic young man, had proposed to the city fathers of Athens, in the seventh year of the war with Sparta that finally destroyed the city, that they invade Sicily and that he, Alcibiades would lead the expedition. He generated enough enthusiasm and confidence in his invincibility that the assembly was carried away. Nicias, another city leader, followed Alcibiades to the platform and gave a memorable speech, congratulating Alcibiades on his plan and noting the benefits accruing to him for leading the expedition, but adding words of caution. To paraphrase, he asked rhetorically what if the expedition fails to utterly confound Sparta as promised? Who will defend Athens if our fleet and army are far away and the Spartans don't take the bait? Finally he asked if it was wise of the city fathers to put the safety and fate of the city "in the hands of a young man in a hurry". Unfortunately Nicias' message went unheeded and disaster ensued.
Happily there is an alternative - vote Republican.
