Washington Caucus

it's Washington Caucus Time! - Read Below

We're headed off to the Washington State caucuses soon. It's very exciting. Almost everyone I know is taking this election seriously, and there are a large number of educated undecideds. It's not that people haven't been doing their research, and (for once) it's not people talking about "the lesser of two evils", a phrase that makes me gnash my teeth. It's that Obama and Clinton are both fantastic candidates with their own deep wells of support.

This is a real race between two fantastic (and historic) frontrunners, and I don't think there's a wrong answer. But some people do, and I'd like to address them today. It's pretty simple:

Don't be a sore loser.

To the Hillary folks that claim she's having trouble because she's a woman: yes, her gender probably limits her somewhat. But the bigger issue is that her name is Hillary Clinton. A lot of people are turned off by her, not because she's a woman but because they don't like her personally. Fair or not, that's the card she's been dealt.

And the Obama people (I'm voting for him today) are preemptively bellyaching that if Hillary wins, "people get the Democracy they deserve", or claiming they'll stay home rather than vote for Hillary. In their minds, there's a right answer and a very, very wrong answer, and they're willing to Nader the Hillary campaign to make a point. But remember, if she wins, she won't do it by accident. People (even if you can't believe it) are enthusiastic about Hillary Clinton being in the White House.

If you're a Democratic that's actually considering sulking on election day rather than supporting the party, I can only assume you care more about the president's personality than actual policy.

• On health care, Obama and Clinton's plans both move in the same direction with slightly different ideas. McCain goes in the opposite direction, which is more of the same "the market will solve eventually solve health care" thinking.

• On foreign policy, McCain is likely to take military action against Iran. He has claimed that the amount of time we're in Iraq is irrelevant, whether 50 or 100 years. Obama and Clinton both want to get out quickly and carefully.

• Abortion isn't a big election-year topic, but McCain is pro-life. Obama and Clinton are pro-choice. The president is responsible for appointing Supreme Court justices.

• Tax cuts to solve almost any financial problem? Obama and Clinton want to let the tax cuts expire for people making over $250,000 as a way to help pay for universal health care. (middle class families would not be affected) McCain is in a party that talks about fiscal responsibility yet has sent us into record deficits since 1980 while simultaneously pushing tax cuts for the rich. The only exception? Clinton, from the so-called "tax and spend" party.

It's great seeing Democrats fighting hard for their nominee. This is how our government works, and it's a heart-warming thing to see in action. But when a winner is chosen, it is of paramount importance that we rally behind the Democrat, no matter who he or she happens to be. Save your die-hard allegiances for sporting events. We're dealing with real issues with real consequences here.

News From: http://jonb.vox.com/library/post/washington-caucus.html?_c=feed-atom