Politics 2008

I have a policy of not discussing politics or religion on this site, but I want to make the following exception:

Back in 1979, I left college and moved (alone) to San Francisco. I had just turned 19. The next year was the first occasion I had to vote in a presidential election. I was young, smart and (apparently) really stupid because I told everyone who would listen that Ronald Reagan would be (gulp!) the greatest president the country had ever known.

I admit, I was wrong.

Okay, the NEXT time I told everyone who would listen what I thought is when I said Bill Clinton would be a good president. (At the time, I would have elected a beagle to get the first Bush out of office -- and we probably would have had a better president.) Clinton was not the best president ever, but he did the country a lot of good and I am glad I voted for him (twice).

Last year, I kept telling people my thoughts: Although a registered Libertarian, I would be happy if our next president were either of Clinton, Obama, Edwards -- or McCain (really) even though I figured McCain never had a chance.

Imagine how surprised I am that my top four choices made it this far.

All the candidates have their flaws: Although smart, Clinton is "old Washington" and we need to get away from that. Obama, while smart, is "young Washington" and may not be experienced enough. Edwards (smart) is the best candidate overall, but I lost respect for him when he paid $400 for a haircut. How out of touch can one be? (Edwards has since dropped out of the running.)

McCain, while not a Democrat or Libertarian, is one of the few intelligent Republicans I have ever interviewed. I have met his wife and had lunch at their home (before they moved to downtown Phoenix). I have a great deal of respect for him, and wish he had won the last time he ran for president. He has his faults, too, but for a Republican, he is a pretty good option.

So, there you have them: my thoughts for this presidential cycle. I fully support the notion that we need to get a woman into the White House. I fully support the notion that we need to elect a person of color to the White House. More important, it is time we elect someone intelligent to the White House.