Why I Voted for Obama

College Park Rally, originally uploaded by Barack Obama.
I grew up in the 1990s loathing Bill Clinton. He and his wife represented everything that was bad about politics — from the corruption and lies they brought from Arkansas to the immoral and embarrassing behavior in the White House. So when some of my conservative friends and colleagues told me they were voting for Hillary Clinton in today’s Virginia primary, I cringed.
One of the best parts of living in Virginia is the ability to cast a vote in either primary — Republican or Democrat. I’ve often found the Democrat races in Northern Virginia far more interesting. Take the contest between Jim Webb and Harris Miller in June 2006. I cast my vote for Miller, even though he was far to the left of Webb. A race between then-Sen. George Allen and Miller would have been far easier for the Republican. Allen might still be a senator had it played out the way I envisioned.
It’s partly for this reason that I decided to cast my vote for Barack Obama today. Although national polls give Obama a small advantage over John McCain in the general election, I firmly believe that McCain would handily defeat the inexperienced Obama. Secondly, I fear what the Clinton attack machine would do to McCain. Their ferocity would be worse than George W. Bush’s ugly attacks in 2000. Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows how much I dislike negative campaigning, and a Clinton-McCain matchup would be just that.
Because my vote for Obama will likely be ridiculed by many friends on the right, I want to explain exactly why I chose to cross party lines to back the Democrat senator from Illinois.
1) Electability. According to Real Clear Politics, McCain would beat Clinton by 1.2 percentage points. McCain, however, loses to Obama by 3.7 percentage points using the same polling average. Despite what these polls indicate today, I predict the numbers would flip once Democrats pick a nominee.
As Clinton pollster Mark Penn told Chris Cillizza, “The Republican attack machine redefines the Democratic candidate.” Fortunately (or unfortunately) for Clinton, there’s nothing left to define. But in the case of Obama, there are millions of Americans who know little about him or his far-left views. His lack of experience makes him even more vulnerable. It is for this reason that I would give McCain the edge in a head-to-head matchup with Obama. I’m not so sure the same is true against Hillary.
Keep in mind that my position has shifted on this matter. Back on Jan. 3, when I called McCain “the man to beat” for his surprise showing in Iowa, I also warned that his emergence could be disastrous for Republicans:
I’m not convinced McCain’s emergence is a good thing for the GOP, especially if Barack Obama wins the Democrat nomination. Unlike a race against Hillary, I’d give the edge to Obama in the general election. It would be the agent of change vs. the agent of old.
2) Not another Clinton presidency. I’ll do whatever it takes to avoid another Clinton in the White House, even if it means crossing over to vote in the Democrat primary, as I did today. The first eight years were bad enough; America can’t afford another Clinton running the country.
I’ve learned firsthand from watching Hillary’s rise in New York in 1999 and 2000 that it’s best to nip these problems in the bud. Had Republicans knocked her out back then, I wouldn’t be writing this today. They failed to do so, and eight years later we’re on the verge of a Clinton presidency.
Even though I’d never consider supporting Obama in the general election, the thought of casting a vote against Clinton was just too tempting.
3) The audacity of hope. Suppose my plan backfires and Obama ends up as the leader of the free world. There are some positive things that could result from the first black president and an inspiring young leader.
America’s image around the world almost certainly increase, giving us a greater ability to fight the war on terror. As much as I admire President Bush for his strong foreign policy, there’s no question our country has suffered as a result of his “You’re either with us or against us” way of thinking. That’s unfair to Bush, but it is reality.
If — and it’s a big if — Obama were to pursue a robust foreign policy with reliable national security advisers, he could make significant strides. I’m less confident of Clinton in this regard based on her husband’s failure to stop Osama bin Laden from building his al Qaeda network in the 1990s; Hillary would almost certainly bring back many of those same advisers. Read the wonderful book, “The Looming Tower,” and you’ll understand exactly why I’m scarred.
And finally, even though I dislike most of Obama’s policies, I do admire his willingness to engage with Republicans. The most notable example came in 2006 when he teamed with conservative Sen. Tom Coburn to pass the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, a bill that had the backing of the bipartisan coalition known as Porkbusters. I’m much more confident in Obama’s bipartisan spirit than anything Hillary would have to offer.
Agree or disagree, that’s my rationale. I’m anxious to see if my gamble pays off.




February 12th, 2008 at ,9 am
Couldn’t agree with you more. I too would do just about anything to avoid another Clinton presidency. I ended up voting for Huckabee, but will regret it if Clinton wins the VA primary.
February 12th, 2008 at ,11 am
Very interesting take on things. I agree that Obama would be more likely to work with Republicans than a Clinton administration would.
I disagree that he would be an easier opponent than Hillary in the fall, however.
Despite being criticised on a lack of specifics, Obama seems to have run a brilliant campaign. And he did not make many rookie mistakes when the Clinton attack machine got to work in South Carolina. If anything it backfired on the Clintons.
Now if the objective is to make sure the Clintons do not occupy the White House in early 2009, you have done the right thing. And, given general disaffection with GWB, it may have been the smart thing.
If Obama wins I could see two possible scenarios neither of which would be detremental to Republican interests.
The first is, his inexperience leads him to fail badly. If this happens, then 2012 will loom large on the horizon for the Republican Party.
The second is, he is pragmatic, surrounds himself with experienced individuals and adopts a bipartisan approach. If he does this, he may well get eight years. But these would be, to my way of thinking, far better for most Republican interests, than the possibility of eight more years of a Clinton administration.
February 12th, 2008 at ,3 pm
I think you raise a very good point. If I was able to vote in the Democratic primary, I would vote for Obama as well for essentially the same reasons. Alas, I am a New Yorker and my vote for Mitt Romney did him no good.
February 12th, 2008 at ,4 pm
I remember Democrats in 1980 salivating at running against the warmonger Ronald Reagan and Republicans in 1992 doing the same about running against Bill Clinton.
Those of us who grew up before the 1990’s realize that these things may not work out the way you hope.
February 12th, 2008 at ,4 pm
I also voted for Obama in Virginia Beach today even though I felt really guilty voting for a Marxist. My only reason was this might be my only chance to vote against Hillary.
February 12th, 2008 at ,6 pm
Seriously….you can’t say “Democratic”?
You have to say “Democrat primary” and use it in the pejorative connotation?
You can’t just argue your point without making a pointless and, unsurprisingly, stupid attack on Democrats.
The adjective is Democratic. Don’t act as stupid as you almost certainly are.
February 12th, 2008 at ,7 pm
That was about as logical a reason, or reasons, for crossing party lines. I never thought I would see the good in voting for a democrat, but you made the case!!
February 12th, 2008 at ,7 pm
I absolutely agree with you. I rather not have a Clinton or Obama presidency, but if I had to choose I’d rather have Obama.
February 12th, 2008 at ,8 pm
I came to the same conclusion awhile ago. However, to damage whoever comes out of the Dem primary as much as possible, the Dem convention needs to be a brokered convention fight. If Hillary falls too far behind, that’s not good. So, in Texas, I might have to vote for the Queen Witch of the Universe and hope there’s not more than a 100 delegate separation to get the circus rolling.
February 12th, 2008 at ,9 pm
“I’m anxious to see if my gamble pays off.” What gamble? What payoff? Your one vote won’t make the slightest bit of difference. Talk about self-absorption . . .
February 12th, 2008 at ,9 pm
Obama is the Anti-Christ, how anyone can fall under the spell of a cult figure is beyond me.
(not to imply that you have)
If you look closely at his record he has not really accomplished much other than gain political office. His views are about as far left as you can get and if you look into the beliefs of his church it will scare the sensible person silly.
We had headed for serious trouble.
February 12th, 2008 at ,10 pm
your thoughts would make sense if there were actually going to be any republicans left to work with. an obama victory will leave the republicans with the lowest number of congressmen since the 1970’s. you seem like a nice fellow and obama might even be a nice guy too, but the radical democratic leadership has a radical agenda that they can’t wait to get working on. do you think harry reid is a nice fellow like you?
wait until you see all the free network advertising obama receives from the network news in the general election. and the nice way they’re been treating mccain? say goodbye to that and hello to 6:30pm EST attack ads.
February 13th, 2008 at ,12 am
Interesting how -as usual- doing whatever to weaken the opponent has become more important to just boost your own candidate’s program.
Have McCain and the Republicans so much to lose? Are hey that much afraid of the Democrats?
Then again, after 8 years of terrific GOP ruling in the White House, I would too!
February 13th, 2008 at ,12 am
This kind of stuff is too cute by half
February 13th, 2008 at ,1 am
America is coming back to its senses at long last.
Obama has already brought back the thing that Americans need most right now which is the simple and fundamental belief that together americans can determine their future.
All this and he is not yet PResident.
February 13th, 2008 at ,6 am
There is no argument against ” I am a HOPEMONGER”
Your theory of voting for the lesser evil to your Republican attack machine hasn’t worked for you yet and it won’t because your hero Bush seems to have been the real one who was a disaster to the US, not Bill Clinton. Let’s not forget your candidate wanted to change his party for the sake of opportunity but was beaten to the punch by Jeffords. His flip flops on issues most notably the Bush tax cuts and pandering to the evangical leaders can’t make you too confident of what he will do if he wins office, can it?
February 13th, 2008 at ,6 am
Problem with Obama as candidate for MCLiberal
1)Black voters, white liberals and independents combined with anti-MCliberal conservatives staying home to recover from all those knives in their backs will destroy my old friend Juan.
2)MCkoto/Kyoto/Mcopenborders
/Mctaxhike/Mcamnesty/MCFeingold/MCkennedy/McLeiberman/MCgang of14/Mcstemcell/MCunstabile etc.
3) age -face it, we live in a world that worships youth.
4) The obeetle phenomenon -nothing stops a voting populace that acts like teenie boppers in heat
February 13th, 2008 at ,6 am
Anybody who thinks McCain can beat Obama in the general is insane. McCain is old. That’s the ultimate turn off in America. Aging Baby Boomers will embrace Obama because he will remind them of JFK, young and vibrant. Young people will vote for Obama because he’s young and hip. Obama vs. McCain ends very badly for conservatives. There’s no way McCain can win that race. Young and pretty vs. old and crotchety is a mismatch, people.
February 13th, 2008 at ,7 am
Robert:
I hope that you are right. Obama is cruising towards the Democrat nomination whether we help him with our votes or not.
It’s just too difficult to know whether his inexperience is a liability or an asset. In these cynical times, perhaps inexperience (read new face) will be attractive to many voters.
February 13th, 2008 at ,11 am
Why I voted for Obama…Let’s read.
Freeing Yourself From Addiction to The Clintons!
Bill Clinton hit the Black community like crack! On June 9, 1992 then Presidential candidate Bill Clinton, in order to court the Black and minority community’s vote appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show on which he played the saxophone with the band. Playing that sax was like the Pied Piper, instead of children, leading Black voters to his side.
His boyish charm and aw shucks attitude immediately seduced the Black Community.
We weren’t prepared, not at all!
It didn’t help when acclaimed writer Toni Morrison in an article in the October 1998 New Yorker Magazine dubbed him “The First Black President.” The term caught on with nothing of true essence to support it. (see article)
The African American community in its never ending desire to have a white savior, glommed onto Bill Clinton and gave him unwarranted praise and credit for doing nothing. The power of the American media, the most influential propaganda machine in the world, helped to nourish and promote the idea of him as a friend and ally of minorities. This indeed is far from the truth.
Here are just a few of the things that took place during the Clinton Administration that impacted negatively on the country and the Black community.
1) It was under the Clinton administration that the Democratic Party took a dramatic move from the left toward the right, thus blurring the line between the Democratic and Republican Parties and their philosophies. They basically promoted the same policies with Republicans giving the hard sell and Democrats the soft approach. Americans were bamboozled by the “Good Cop, Bad Cop” manipulation of both parties.
It has long been known that the staunchest capitalist are Republicans. Money and profits come before the greater good of the masses. Many programs that made America great were funded or provided outright by the government, which were paid for by way of taxes. Clinton’s move to reduce taxes meant there was a reason to cut funding and eliminate programs. Americans don’t seem to understand that a few hundred dollars in their pockets yearly from taxes end up costing them thousands of dollars out of pocket per year for education, housing and healthcare. Under the Clinton administration those programs that were eliminated became the new businesses for private industry. This practice continues to this day. Thank You Mr. Clinton!
2) Under the Clinton administration we began to see the selling of our public school system. The rhetoric surrounding vouchers gained a voice and support from the White House. Many technical and vocational programs in high schools across the country were eliminated and the beneficiaries of this change were private industries now providing the same training but at a cost to the poor and lower middle class families by way of student loans. Great win for the business world and the financial institutions that fund student loans but a continued loss and hardship for American families.
3) In 1993 the so-called “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” regulation concerning gays serving in the military was implemented. Since that time more than 11,000 men and women have been prosecuted, punished and/or discharged from the armed services.
4) The great economic expansion that is credited to Clinton was done on the backs of working class Americans, great for the rich but hardly a heroic effort on behalf of the average citizen.
The signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) by Clinton on January 1, 1994 opened the door to the exporting of millions of American jobs overseas. The term “outsourcing” was coined during his administration. Thousands of businesses have closed since that time and millions have become unemployed. This has had a devastating effect on our country, changes that continue to be ignored by the media and leaders in the Black community.
5) On August 22, 1996 Clinton signed the Welfare Reform Act. The problem with the policy is that in essence it placed a lifetime time limit of five years for receipt of welfare benefits. More shortcomings of the bill was that it provided no job or vocational training, scholarships or monetary incentives to improve the marketability of those that would be impacted by the new law.
6) Under the Clinton Administration in keeping with his policies of removing many programs from government control and turning them over to his friends in private industry, many penal institutions were opened which were becoming privately owned. All of which witnessed a surge of inmates to support their new investments. Clinton is credited with more incarcerations than with the previous Regan and Bush administrations combined.(see article) An incarceration rate which impacted negatively on the Black and Latino communities. Thanks again Bill!
7) To further guarantee delivery of the Black vote to the Democratic Party, Bill established an office in Harlem. Since being in Harlem he has been of no significant importance to improving the quality of life in the neighborhood or in protecting the rights of thousands of longtime tenants that are being evicted and displaced on a daily basis throughout the community.
In the present campaign for the nomination by Democrats for a candidate for President, one subject that continues to surface is the alleged experience of Hillary Clinton over that of Barack Obama. Since becoming a Senator from New York in 2000 there has been nothing of record that she has done for the state. Her only real claim to fame is that she slept for eight years next to her husband the President. She’s had no experience during that time that qualifies her to be President.
In essence what has happened is that the Black community, especially the African American community, have been hypnotized into a sense of obligation to the Clintons that is totally unfounded or unwarranted.
This blind faith following of all things Clinton has historic overtones.
During the 60’s the long anticipated uprising of Blacks against over four hundred years of slavery and oppression became a growing reality. Blacks in America were poised for an armed revolution. Along with the non-violent diplomatic efforts of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and his followers, the government had to make a positive move to diffuse the situation. That decision would have to be made despite which party was in office. The changes came about as a result of the specter of the third American Revolution led by Blacks who’d had enough.
The signing of the Civil Rights Act of on July 2, 1964 was a victory for people of color not the Democratic Party. It just happened to occur on their watch.
Unfortunately American Blacks and other people of color, instead of claiming the victory for ourselves, due in large part because of our unity and steadfast determination to make a change, have mistakenly given credit to President Kennedy and the Democratic Party.
Many forget that President Kennedy (who was assassinated nine months before the signing) along with then FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover had done everything in their power to undermine and squash the organization and direction of the Civil Rights Movement prior to his proposal of the bill made in 1963. He is also on record for distancing himself from the movement sighting that it would anger southern voters and the majority of Democrats then in Congress who were from the South.
That being said, Blacks have given Democrats a free pass based on that blind belief that the efforts of the party will benefit and support Black people.
This blind support is based on that belief that Civil Rights were a blessing from Democrats. This has made many African Americans lazy and passive in reference to our flexing our political muscle.
We’ve been eclipsed over the past few years in our political efforts by the Hispanic/Latino Community whose gains have been considerably great. These gains have come for an immigrant community that has been in this country a fraction of the time we have. Do they know something we don’t or refuse to accept?
The Clintons have been appointed as the leaders of the Democratic Party that can manipulate and control our community by leading the willing Blacks that will unfortunately follow them anywhere.
The choice is up to you to free yourself from your addiction to the Clintons!
Don’t let yourself and our people have to suffer the tragedy of those addicted to drugs by hitting rock bottom! Needless to say I don’t think we can go any lower!
Under the current deplorable conditions that exist in our government and our lives we can’t afford to elect another Clinton to further undermine our efforts for freedom and equality by selling out our communities to the highest bidder!
Hillary has been and will continue to be part of the problem not the solution!
Vote for Change!
February 13th, 2008 at ,2 pm
It’s funny, I just read an Ann Coulter article chastizing Democrats for voting for the worst Republican candidate(McCain) so they would win the election.
I would vote for McCain over Hillary, but not Obama.
February 13th, 2008 at ,8 pm
You give good reasons why Obama might be weaker than Hillary in the general election. Unfortunately, the prediction markets in which people wager there own money on these issues and which have proved to be the most effective aggregations of information in elections do not agree.
At the time of my post (although the numbers have been fairly stable over the last month) on intrade.com the implied probability of Obama defeating the Republican nominee was 68% while Hillary was 64%.
February 13th, 2008 at ,10 pm
How Dangerous is Obama?
This article proves that he’s merely a tool for the world government and promoter of a tax to be paid to the UN to fuel its totalitarian control over us and to redistribute the wealth to other countries.
“A nice-sounding bill called the “Global Poverty Act,” sponsored by Democratic presidential candidate and Senator Barack Obama, is up for a Senate vote on Thursday and could result in the imposition of a global tax on the United States. The bill, which has the support of many liberal religious groups, makes levels of U.S. foreign aid spending subservient to the dictates of the United Nations.”
“The bill defines the term “Millennium Development Goals” as the goals set out in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, General Assembly Resolution 55/2 (2000).”
“In addition to seeking to eradicate poverty, that declaration commits nations to banning “small arms and light weapons” and ratifying a series of treaties, including the International Criminal Court Treaty, the Kyoto Protocol (global warming treaty), the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.”
An Obama presidency would be racist and a disaster for the USA.
In one of Obama’s campaign offices, there is even a flag with a picture of a murderous Marxist dictator on it!
Read the rest here: http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/ckincaid/2008/ck_02131.shtml
February 13th, 2008 at ,11 pm
“As much as I admire President Bush for his strong foreign policy”
What???
What???
What???
Вы отдаете себе отчет!?
February 14th, 2008 at ,12 pm
So… ur voting for obama because he says nothing but lets change, lets have hope?!? Obama is the same as hitlary any way.
February 14th, 2008 at ,3 pm
Have you read Obama’s book? He’s now featured on the Red Room, a new online site for writers and readers. You may want to check it out: http://www.redroom.com/author/barack-obama
February 15th, 2008 at ,5 am
Another wasted vote, Obama will win in november because conservatives, like Robert Bluey, will make McCain life a misery right upto November.
February 17th, 2008 at ,7 pm
I suspect that some of Barack Obama’s red state primary votes were actually hate Hillary votes. My guess is that Obama is more electable in November than Clinton although something of a risk. John McCain is going to be a formidable opponent.
Although I am a Democrat, you are right that the last thing we need is another Clinton Administration. If Obama picks Jim Webb as a running mate, you might have a real contest even in some conservative states.
March 5th, 2008 at ,9 am
[…] from a political fighter named Clinton. Although some fellow conservatives called me crazy for casting my vote for Obama in the Virginia primary, I think last night’s results emphasize why it was so important to […]
March 22nd, 2008 at ,3 pm
We should judge a person by their actions and not their words. The fact that Obama choose Mr. Wright as his spiritual teacher for 20 years and included Mr. Wright in his election staff speaks well for Mr. Obama’s thinking and actions. Words are easy to manipulate and it is unlikely that Obama’s recent speech was written by Mr. Obama anyway. Mr. Obama has a powerful and power hungry staff including his wife that will do anything to get him elected to power. But clearly this man Mr. Obama is not to be trusted with the future of our great country. And regardless that he is ‘fashionably black’ and that many of you have some desire to prove to yourself or to others that you are not prejudice and that you like ‘black people’ with an attitude of ‘See, I like black people, I voted for a black person.’ And whether you are black or white, such an attitude of voting for a person because of their race is the definition of prejudice.
April 8th, 2008 at ,7 pm
Come join the rebellion.
www.republicansforobama.org
BR