A friend asked me who I supported for President. She knew it would be either Clinton or Obama. As things now stand I would vote for a box turtle for President over any likely Republican candidate. But why Obama and not Clinton?

Here’s why.

1. Hillary is too close to the defense industry – like very very close.

2. She has consistently supported Bush on key votes making it easier to attack others – most recently Iran. I opposed the Iraq war well before it broke out and made predictions that have been just about 100% true. If I could do it, she has no excuse. Obama also opposed it – and Clinton has tried to muddy that distinction. It is a very important distinction – over 500,000 Iraqis are dead today who would not be had Bush not attacked. Clinton shares in the guilt. Obama does not. Clinton has yet to fess up and admit she was wrong. We’ve had enough Presidents who cannot admit they were wrong.

3. I think dynastic politics are bad for democracies, particularly democracies in trouble, like ours. An office holder ideally should not be thinking about impact on family members’ careers when making policy. In fact, I think there should be a constitutional amendment barring direct spouses and descendants of federal office holders from holding the same office.

4. She makes a big point of her experience, but it is the people with experience that have gotten us into this horrible mess because most of them take as their frame of reference their friends in Washington, and not the well being of the country as a whole. Bush did not have experience, but the rest of his crowd had plenty, and Democrats with experience did a lousy job of fighting against them. Further, Clinton has refused to allow the public access to records of her experience (see below).

5. So far as I can tell – and this is speculative – Hillary is less likely than Obama to support cutting back the abuses of Executive power that Bush got away with – and that is very important for the long run. To be fair Clinto does say she would cut back the abuses. I’ve had it with secrecy freaks. See also here.

6. Obama may do a great deal symbolically to encourage Black Americans to enter the main stream more whole heartedly than they have – especially young ones. Now the same logic could be legitimately used for supporting a woman President – but women are rapidly entering the mainstreeam at ever higher levels. It’s a matter of time before one becomes President. I think the symbolic impact of Hillary Clinton getting it will be less than Obama getting it – and after the past 7 years I think we strongly need a symbolic btreak with the past and everything that is connected with the Republican Party in its present form.

7. Obama appeals to the non establishment wing of the Democratic Party and to the youth vote. The establishment wing has done a very poor job fighting the radical right and young people are a long term investment.

My bad boy side adds . . . And electing Obama will stick it to the South…

But if Hillary wins it, I will strongly support and happily vote for her. Politics is rarely getting one’s first choice and compared to the likely Republican opposition, well, she is beyond comparison.

I wish both had shown more leadership on FISA, war spending, and other issues while in the Senate. I’m not a super partisan of Obama, but I think on balance he’s a significantly better choice.