Is it time for Hillary to pack it up?

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

As many of my old readers know, and most of the new ones have probably figured out, I am a liberal. A moderate liberal, anyway. I'm not one of those "foam at the mouth" types who go monkey shit crazy for raising taxes and social programs, but I'm definitely more to the left than I am to the right. I, like many Americans, have been displeased with the way the US policy has been shaped in the last seven years and I'm looking forward to a change of any kind, because let's be honest here: None of the 3 major candidates are as corrosively partisan as the Bush Administration has been. No matter who wins, it's highly likely that we'll see some positive changes in some of the issues that matter the most (money, war, foreign policy).

Still, there's something that's bothering me. When it was time to vote in the Maryland Primaries, I didn't vote because I honestly couldn't decide which democrat I liked more - Hillary or Obama. Honestly, both of them share stances on the issues I'm most concerned about that it's hard to tell which would be better for me. Both also represent what I feel to be a major positive achievement in the history of our country: Both would be a tremendous first for the US - first true female contender for president, or first African-American contender for president. The way I see it, it's a win/win scenario both ways.

As time has gone on and things have been released about both candidates, I have admittedly leaned a little more towards Hillary Clinton. Not because of anything she did, however. I've leaned a little more towards Hillary because of the anti-semitic comments made by Barack Obama's pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. While Obama did come out and say that he didn't agree with some of the less-than-friendly stuff that Rev. Wright said, he didn't do what most politicians do in situations like this: distance themselves from the offender. While I can appreciate the candor with which Obama spoke about this incident, my inner Jew is always afraid and suspicious of people who associate themselves with those who blindly dislike my people or blame them for things that we aren't at fault for.

Despite all of that, however, I think it might be time for Hillary Clinton to pack it up and leave the race. Lately she and Obama have been going at it in a very negative way, and I'd hate to see this kind of negativity go far enough that it would damage the chance of the democratic presidential candidate in November. I don't think that would happen since the US has a very short memory of things that are said and done, but I don't think intra-party turmoil does us any good either, except to give the media something to discuss constantly.

Is it time for Hillary to pack it up, or should she continue to campaign and let the cards fall as they will at the Democratic National Convention in August?

Technorati Tags: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Elections, Democrats.

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