It's not just because he is young and seems to actually care about our age group, not just give it lip service. It is not just because he has written two amazing books. It is not just because he admitted to using narcotics and isn't ashamed of it. It is not because he gave a killer speech in East LA that the Bruin Democrats went to and loved. It is not because he is half-black and the prospect of a black president is very appealing to college students. It is not just that he has the kind of passion that our age group respects. It is not just because he seems to be from the "new Democrats" that are done with the old system of rhetoric and politicking and a lack of results. It is not just because he has the passion that Washington desperately needs. It is not just because he took a chance and voted against the war (which, really, was a chance - because if we had found WMD's or something, or it hadn't gotten out of hand, the hawks would have been lauded). It is a combination of all of this, and it is many more things. Every aspect of his personality, history, and campaign appeals to young voters, and I'm not ashamed to say that it appeals to me and gets me more fired up than any other campaigns, other than Gravel perhaps...
In spite of this, I am voting for Hillary Clinton. True, there are countless reasons not to vote for her, and yes there are aspects of her personality and past (her failed healthcare platform, staying by Bill's side if that is a bad thing) that are not too flattering. But, in my opinion, she is the best candidate. Not just because she is married to Bill and I want him back in office or something like that, and not just because I knew her name before I knew Obama's. She has experience, she knows the system, and she has a vision that, while not as passionate as Obama's, seems much more obtainable. She knows how to get votes, even if some may say that Republicans would never vote with her. She is a master compromiser, knows how to have productive back-office meetings. I am open to discuss these reasons and many more (because there are countless more) with someone willing to have an intelligent discussion and not jump down my throat.
But this post is about Obama, and why he works for college students. Hillary is seen as the stodgy, unimpressive candidate who doesn't get your soul fired up. But she has what it takes to get it done, and she knows how to give her voters what they want. Much like Bill, she knows when to run to the center and when to stick it out on the mid-left, and it is better to have that than someone who I may agree more with ideologically but can't achieve those goals in Washington. I love Obama, I agree with him more, and he appeals to me on every level BUT those of experience and the ability to get it done.
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It's the whole "master compromiser" thing that gets me. I don't want someone who will compromise on something as important as the war in Iraq, for example. It's about time Democrats started "sticking to their guns" instead of always meeting the right on their side of the discussion just to appeal to more voters. Kerry was in theory chosen as the Democratic candidate because he was more electable than the other Democratic candidates-why don't we choose someone whose visions and platforms we actually agree with?
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