I have been wavering for weeks about the decision of whether to vote for Obama or Clinton in the upcoming Super Tuesday primary February 5th. Two developments have moved me decisively into the Obama camp: the now near-certainty that McCain will be the Republican nominee and the way the Democratic campaign in South Carolina went. With McCain as the nominee, it will be a very hard and close race for the Democrats in the general election with independents as the critical factor. The only way that the Democrats will win is if there are as few distractions as possible from the coming policy debate. The Democrats ought to win that debate, especially on Iraq. McCain is a super-hawk who outdoes Bush and who thinks we shouldn’t have ended the Vietnam War when we did. But the S.C. campaign convinces me that Hillary will not be able to (or want to?) restrain Bill enough and that he, personally, as the well as the issue of a “co-presidency” will become huge issues in the general election if Hillary is the Democratic nominee –with disastrous consequences.
If you do end up supporting Obama remember two things. First he needs money desperately right now. Secondly, in Illinois and in many other states, the Democratic delegates are apportioned by Congressional Districts, and by proportional representation within those districts. So even if a candidate is expected to take a particular district by a large majority every single vote in every district counts and may mean another delegate for your candidate.
