I think the open enrollment meeting at work yesterday put it over the top. Something snapped in me, white-hot-rage-at-the-healthcare-system-wise. I studied Hillary's plan in detail after that. It would cover us all, in an elegant way that still allows and actually encourages free market competition and doesn't create a whole new layer of bureaucracy. It would actually dramatically cut costs over the long haul (and even in the short term) by creating a healthy system that covers everyone and has competition.

But that is not the only reason.

Obama totally lost me by trying to paint Hillary as a racist.* Hillary is a lot of things, some great, some bad. But she is NOT a racist. That was low. He's off the list. In addition to jumping right in with Obama's low race card tactics (which, if my reaction is any indication of Democratic voters at large, is going to backfire on them both, big time), Edwards lost me by falling right in line with Howard Dean and the DNC and dissing Florida. Even though they all agreed not to campaign here, Hillary is being clear that she will be the president of all fifty states and that all our voices will be heard after the primary idiocy.

There are other reasons, too. I do agree with her that it isn't an "either/or" between experience and "change". It is who has the experience to make the changes we want. Right on, I'm so with that sentiment.

I never thought I'd vote for her, but I am and I am actually getting a bit passionate about it. Go, girl (Hillary!).

If Al Gore were running, I would weep tears of joy. But he isn't. We have to choose from among the candidates actually in the race (we're "reality-based", remember?). I never thought my choice would be Hillary, but she's won me over. She's no Al Gore, but no one is. He is in a class by himself, a league of his own. One thing he is NOT in, is the presidential race.

Can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm voting for Hillary. AND I'm feeling good about it!

(Is an asteroid hurtling towards earth, or what? :lol: )

* edited to add: please see p.s., a few posts down.

Forgive me but I don't think that is entirely fair. If you look at the situation closely it was the media that has been trying to hype the whole race thing. Newspapers like the NY Times and Washington Post and TV shows like Meet the Press, cropped the comments of the Clintons to make them sound racist. Obama didn't do that, the media did.

Excellent point and very true. The media did indeed start this whole, ridiculous and disgusting thing, YET Obama jumped right on in and ever-so-subtley fanned the flames, didn't he? And so did Edwards. I find that totally reprehensible. Nothing will make me stand by Hillary as fast as someone calling her a racist. As I said, she is a lot of things. Many of those things are fair to criticize. I have done so myself many times. But to call her, of all people, a racist? NOT cool because it is clearly not true and when people use the race card in such an unfair and inflammatory way, that is one of the quickest ways to make me sick, and turn me right off of the one(s) doing it.

But that isn't the only reason I'm going to vote for Hillary. We desperately need health care reform and her plan is really, really well-thought out, elegant and excellent.

I just hope she will also lead on taking America and the world in a green direction, preserving Social Security, beginning to undo the profound damage that the W. administration has done to our economy, our reputation in the world, our rule of law, everything. Whoever steps into the role of president right now is stepping into a nightmare. I hope she can awaken us from it and lead us into a lovely new day. But it will be extremely challenging. On the plus side, they say that in every crisis, is opportunity. I think that, of the declared candidates, Hillary is the best one to make the most of that opportunity, and we need to pick the best one, the person who can do that, because this is a pivotal point for our country and the world.

Again, do I agonize daily because Gore isn't running? H*ll yes, I do. H*ll yes. But we have to play the cards we're dealt.

I'm going with Hill. I hope she will make me glad I did.

P.S. I am heartened to read about Obama's words in the Vegas debate (not having cable, I was not able to view the debate itself), in which he stated:

"Motioning to his fellow Democrats, he said, "everybody here is committed to racial equality ... (and) has been historically."

After reading the full article here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...6/MN6CUG2KE.DTL

...I feel much better about Obama. I am also proud of our party and all the candidates for keeping things substantive and civil, and not letting the media's attempt to derail things last for long.

That said, as of this writing, I stick with my decision to vote for Hillary. Her health care plan rules.

This is the first election of my lifetime in which I have remained "undecided" for so long. I was worried it was going to go all the way until I was face to face with the electronic voting booth. But I do feel I've made a decision now and I feel good about it ....as good as I can feel about anything with Gore not running.

I'm glad to read that Obama went the way of class, grace and truth on this media-invented racial tempest in a teapot, though. Like I said, that makes me proud of the way all our candidates are conducting themselves throughout this campaign. The repugs would have sensed raw meat and descended like vultures to rip it apart. While Obama and Edwards did seem to take the media's bait at first, it seems they have chosen to take the fair, high road now and props all around.

But let's go with the one with the detailed health care plan, peeps.

As far as energy/global warming, none of the ones still in the race have anywhere near an aggressive enough set of goals. For example, 2050 is WAY TOO LATE to reduce our emissions by 80% or whatever. Duuuuude, we will have gone the way of the dinosaurs by then.

Unfortunately, I remain totally undecided and unenthusiastic about the whole thing!
I still can't quite seem to get over not having Gore in his rightful place.
I know, I know... he'll be able to achieve more as a private citizen. But still... my disappointment is palpable.

I'm resigned to the fact that I'll have no choice but to throw away my vote in the primary (I still may write Al in), and will be true to the Dems in Nov., no matter who they pick.



I also agree with James that the media is playing this for all they can get out of it. That's part of the reason I'm so unenthused I think - I just don't really believe all that I hear, there's way too much spin on everything out there right now.

Senator Obama is not trying to paint Senator Clinton as a 'racist'...and get ready because soon we are going to hear that Senator Clinton is painting Barack Obama as a misogynist... :!:

WAKE UP! This is none other than Karl Rove pulling from his Playbook of 'dirty tricks' to promote the Politics Of Division that has been ruining this nation since BU$H took office...It was KARL BABY that put out the 'rumor' that Senator Clinton had scandal on Obama as well...and DICK MORRIS should be ashamed of himself for promoting the actions of RASPUTIN Rove who is STILL clearly in control of the GOP(Guardians Of Propaganda) :!:

When are you going to learn? When it comes from the ATTACK MACHINE then it is merely a 'dividing' tactic! :dripple:

It's Frikkin SPIN! :mad:

I feel the same way. I "miss" Gore in every debate (well, I've only seen one, on account of not having cable...nothing is on network TV anymore!) and all the election coverage. The fact that he is not there is a constant feeling and thought in my conscious mind.

I go to my mom's to watch C-SPAN every chance I get, as I am so hungry for some actual SUBSTANTIVE coverage. C-SPAN is awesome. The mainstream media just fans flames of made-up soundbyte controversies such as the one discussed above, instead of talking about the specifics of each candidates' stands on issues, what they specifically propose to do, etc. I'm a "where's the beef" kind of person/voter. Don't tell me who seemed more genuine today or who used the word "change" more often, tell me what they are going to raise CAFE standards to and by what date, ya know?

Anyway...when I look at the whole picture, I have to go with the Hillmeister. Is she my dream candidate? No. We all know who that is. But is she, as her slogan says "ready" to lead us and do what needs to be done at this crucial time in history? I belive she is.

I only hope that the ugly repugs will get out of her way and let her, instead of trying to drag down her presidency as they did to Bill the entire time he was in office. We don't need any more Kenneth Starrs, etc. If Hillary wins, I PRAY that the country will unite behind her in a bipartisan effort to make our country what it could and should be.

(I do worry, though, that if she wins, the repugs will never give her one day of peace. Then again, it does seem that the tide is FINALLY turning against their ugliness, the Reagan Era is FINALLY over, and perhaps sanity and civility might make a comeback in our great land...how welcome that would be!)

That's why we must remain united throughout the primaries...I look at a Clinton-Obama ticket as the IN YOUR FACE against BU$H, ROVE, GINGRICH, and ALL THe NEOCONS!...These SOB's (Sons Of BU$H) are NOW trying to promote themselves as the Agents Of Change!...How do THEY figure THAT? After 7 and a half YEARS of starting WARS...RAISING THE PRICE OF FUEL THROUGH BAD POLICIES....giving the RICH BIG TAX BREAKS...and STOPPING PEOPLE FROM HAVING HEALTHCARE...How can THEY change anything?...THE GOP IS MORE WAR AND MORE OF THE SAME OL' SAME OL' BU$H POLICIES! :mad:

U GO, Paraclete! Tell it like it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Papabear is correct, we need to remain united through the primaries.

As far as health care goes, I'm with Al Gore and Dennis Kucinich. Single-Payer. The way to cut out the 30% overhead that goes to insurance companies is to cut them out. Taxpayer subsidies to give even more profit to private insurance companies doesn't do much to impress me. My problem with Hillary and Edwards health care plans are that they basically force people to buy private insurance. I think we can do better. Heck, every other industrialized nation does. :blink:

Kucinich was my 2nd choice, after Gore (DUH), That's who will likely get my primary vote if I don't write-in Al. At this point I figure I'm doomed in the primary, so I might as well get in one vote for the person I really want, even if it's a "waste". I'll just have to wait and be a united Dem in November.

Of course, the primary in NC isn't till the beginning of May, so who knows what this race will look like then?!?!? Kucinich may be out by then. (And Al may be in! :clap: )

I'm still undecided myself, but I'm leaning more toward Obama or Edwards. I just can't muster up any support for Hillary, so far. I agree that the media was the one to hype the race issue. More spin. What was it Gore said about the washing machine constantly being on the spin cycle...?? :!:

Also, I don't like Hillary's idea of forcing people to buy private insurance, as Wayne mentioned. I think we can do better and Al has good ideas about this. He's just not running right now....

I'm hoping that the delegates will continue to shake up the race. I think this is exactly what the candidates need to realize that Americans are tired of politics as usual and don't want to settle for less. I want the candidates to stay focused on the issues and stop the mudslinging. If they are really qualified, they should be able to sell themselves - not badmouth each other.

Each day the primaries switch from one candidate to another is a good day to me. It says we're getting closer to the possibility of a brokered convention - then maybe we can get in there who we REALLY want. :coolwink:

So true/good point!