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KOK Edit: your favorite copyeditor since 1984(SM) KOK Edit: your favorite copyeditor since 1984(SM) Katharine O'Moore Klopf
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Thursday, January 31, 2008

Why Obama and Not Clinton?

Because life around my house is so hectic these days, other bloggers keep beating me to the punch in articulating why I will be voting for Barack Obama rather than Hillary Clinton. I applaud this open letter to Clinton, though I've backed Obama from the start:
... What is different? [Obama] calls me to my best. You ask me to excuse your worst. When he speaks, he is inclusive. He calls Americans as a collective to stand for better things. You tell me what you will do with the singular “I”. I have had enough of the singular. I have had enough disenfranchisement. I don’t want someone to do FOR me, I want to work toward a goal WITH someone. I want to see the rest of this decade and the next become a time in our country where we all sacrifice time, talent, and effort as a group to make this country better.

I want to pick up a newspaper and read what we have done to make this world better, not what we’ve done to hurt others. And I want the leader, the President, to lead that call and that charge. He will make mistakes. He will have the old-guard scorched earth remaining Rovians to contend with, as would you. But in this time, in this era, what I see is you and Mr. Clinton climbing into the gutter with them, and I see Mr. Obama stepping over them onto the next step toward a better country and a better life. ...


8 comments:

JoAnne Tucker said...

YES!!

Robert Rouse said...

The way things look right now - with McCain looking more and more like the GOP nominee - I'm afraid a Hillary ticket would doom us to at least another four years of a Republican in the White House. Obama has the charisma and inspiration to bring in voters from all walks of like and even some from the GOP.

Unfortunately, I am scared to death that there are too many people who believe Hillary = Bill. How can we change their minds and open their eyes?

Katharine O'Moore-Klopf said...

For Clinton to get the votes she wants, she has to muzzle her husband. But I'm hoping that she doesn't and that people really listen to Obama. I want him in the White House. Clinton's gone over to the dark side of old-style corrupt politics and would be only a little better than Bush.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the nice post! With each passing day I believe more and more that the change can happen if we all do that little bit now to get him elected.

Understand something -- the last campaign I actively participated in was Richard Nixon's campaign for re-election, which is still a source of familial humiliation...they love to tease me about my 13-year old misguided rebellion.

While I've been content to stand on the sidelines and cheerlead or harp in subsequent campaigns, this campaign in this time has inspired me to understand that making a few phone calls and knocking on a few doors can make the difference between a Clinton and Obama ticket.

I have never in my lifetime seen anyone as gifted for leadership and inspiration as Obama. We would be foolish not to give it all we've got to get him elected, I think.

Katharine O'Moore-Klopf said...

You're very welcome, Karoli.

I have never in my lifetime seen anyone as gifted for leadership and inspiration as Obama. We would be foolish not to give it all we've got to get him elected, I think.

That's exactly why my husband and I are having a 3′ × 5′ Obama "change we can believe in" flag made to fly on the flagpole in our front yard.

owenandbenjamin said...

Mr. Obama is exciting a lot of people. He has intelligence and charisma. We will see if that is enough to overcome his lack of political experience.

I think intelligence and leadership ability and the ability to inspire people is enough to overcome inexperience.

Sustenance Scout said...

What an eloquent way to put it. Thanks for sharing this! K.

KCB said...

I have been on the fence up until now, but in the inevitable choice between Obama and Clinton, I have to go with Obama. The notion of having to excuse Hillary's worst just nails it.

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