The Final Countdown

This image was the headline at the Huffington Post on Wednesday morning. It does sink in. One of these four people will be the next President, will be the person who determines what kind of country we are moving forward for the next four (eight?) years. That is what is at stake on Tuesday, and in the months leading up to November. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the silliness of modern politics, it's important to remember the stakes.

Who do you want sitting in that Oval Office starting next January? Are you voting Tuesday?

My choice has held steady for a few months now... Senator Obama. He was right on all the big issues, particularly Iraq (as he said, it's not good enough to criticize the execution of the war; we must defeat the mentality that got us into it to begin with). I believe his policy proposals are also more realistic-- if seemingly similar to Clinton's on some issues-- in their implementation (notice how Clinton dodged the question of how she would enforce her health-care mandates). Moreover, all the high-profile red-state Democrats endorsing him shows that they know which candidate will be better off for the down-ticket candidates in those areas of the country whose Republican leanings are nowhere near as solid as four years ago. That's important, because without a much larger congressional majority than we have now-- particularly in the Senate-- the next President will see their agenda filibustered to death by bitter Republicans. Sen. Clinton simply has too much baggage for my tastes (not her personal history, but her voting record), and a return to the politics of the 1990s, while vastly preferable to another Republican term, would be walking backwards on that bridge to the 21st century Bill Clinton spoke of in his 1996 reelection campaign.

For a more detailed argument in favor of the Big O, read Christopher Hayes in The Nation.

Finally, a general look at where things stand. Talking Points Memo has state-by-state analysis for both Democrats and Republicans. And Reason's Dave Weigel looks at the issue of winner-take-all contests versus shared delegate wins makes analyzing the two parties much different. Now go watch some football or whatever.