A fair enough question.
I like Obama. I like him enough to not question whether I’m voting for him for president. I find him inspirational, I find his policy plans articulate, and I think he is the sort of leader we need after eight years of the Bush White House. I’m not 100% in lockstep with him, but I’m not sure I’d be 100% in lockstep with myself if I were running for president.
But I don’t talk a lot about him, or about Joe Biden his running mate. I spend a lot more time railing about Palin’s lack of qualifications and proto-Cheney arrogance, and about McCain’s lies and confusion and fall from honor, than about why I think Obama and Biden would make a good team.
Part of that is the easy target. Palin/McCain seem made to poke fun at, point accusingly at, observe feet of clay regarding. When there’s a guy in a business suit and a guy in a clown outfit, you’ll probably talk more about the clown.
Part of it is that criticism is easier. It’s more difficult to say, “Looking at this substantive issue, here’s what Obama is proposing and why, on balance, it’s a superior approach and will net the following positive outcomes” — not because it isn’t doable, but because that become a matter of nuanced evaluation and policy wonkishness, taking more time and effort than noting how the Palin campaign lied about X again, or how McCain has flip-flopped on Y, or how Fox News is spreading slander about Z.
Not only that, but the latter is a lot more motivating. I have gone from a credulous “Well, that seems unfair and poorly considered on their part, but let’s consider all sides of the argument and give them the benefit of the doubt” position related to the GOP and their stewardship of this nation to an intense “Ride the bums out on a rail” attitude. I want to see Obama in — but I’d rather see anyone in the White House who was running on the Democratic primaries than anyone who was running on the GOP side. They had their chance, and, after 8 years controlling the White House, controlling the House for 12 of the last 14 years, and controlling the Senate 10 of the last 14 years, that the GOP now claims that they are the party of “Change” and “Reform” as they flee from Bush would be laughable if it were not so despicable.
I am not so starry-eyed as to think the Democrats, as a whole, are going to solve all our problems, let alone avoid introducing new ones. But the GOP in general has clearly demonstrated that adding problems to our nation is essentially not a bug, but a design.
In particular, John McCain has amply shown through his conduct in this election that where he doesn’t actually toe the party line, he’s willing to do whatever he must in order to win, no matter how reprehensible or how much it abandons stands he previously considered principled and non-negotiable. His selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate was archly manipulative, and not only an insult to the process but an arrogantly grave danger to the nation should she be called upon to finish McCain’s term for some reason.
And that’s why I spend so much time talking about Palin/McCain. Because I think they both are and stand for the biggest issues of this election campaign, beyond Obama’s message of hope and transformation. It is not that Obama is the lesser of two evils, but that the GOP ticket (and any congressional strength they coat-tail along with them) represent a danger far greater than even the most pie-in-the-sky promises from the Democrats represent a hopeful prospect.