What Stood Out This Week - 2/3-2/9

We survived Super Tuesday, dear B&E readers, but who didn't? Let's see What Stood Out This Week...

The Quitter

Mitt Romney - Mormon Mitt is out. Turns out that Mitt's height, good hair, and stunning looks couldn't cover up that the man's an asshole. He poured a hundred billion (or so) of his own dollars into a campaign to win over the voters, but all he did was prove to them, once and for all, that he's a loathsome, hateful man. His quit speech was just as assholic as the man himself. Do yourself a favor and head on over to the Daily Show website to watch Jon Stewart respond to Mitt's speech. It's such a ridiculous quit speech that it needs no commentary, but Jon does a nice job of adding his two cents when it could use it and just letting Mitt yammer on when he's already self-satirizing.

The Republicans

So where does this leave the Pubes?

John McCain was the obvious big winner from Super Tuesday, although Huckabee swept the bat-shit crazy vote. It truly was a joyful experience watching Romney get second and third place in state after state over the course of the evening (or silver and bronze medals as he liked to say).

What's really awesome about the results is that the closer the Pubes get to a genuine nominee the less harmony there is in the Party. The Radical Right hates McCain. You got the Rushes and the Coulters saying they'd campaign for Hillary over John.

What's less awesome about the results is that John McCain has the reputation for being a "reasonable Republican," because of a couple of minor disagreements he's had with the Radical Right over the years. In other words, he's probably the most electable candidate the Pubes have on a national level. Great, so a McCain presidency would make some of the campaign finance laws a little stricter, and our already traumatized, over-worked, over-stretched troops would move permanently to Iraq and invade Iran.

Ron Paul's still running, by the way, in case anyone cares.

The Democrats

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton pretty much split the vote on Super Tuesday. Hillary squeaked out ahead in the overall popular vote, and Barack won slightly more delegates (although the numbers there still aren't finalized) and a few more states.

I found myself feeling sort of down on Wednesday. I had hoped that Obama would do better, particularly in California. But it's a remarkably even race at the moment. And even though the campaign has been occasionally ugly, Democrats in general remain united and poised and harmonious.

The policy differences between Obama and Clinton are, let's face it, mostly cosmetic. The biggest difference is their history with the Iraq War. Neither is as liberal as I'd like (but then, no one ever is). Because they are so substantively similar, I'm now supporting the personality I like best. Yes, even though I've spoken out against voting for this idea of "electability," that's exactly what I did on Tuesday (not that it made a difference in New York).

I think Obama is more electable than Hillary. Fair or not, Hillary is a lightning rod of divisiveness for the Right. People are irrational about their hatred for Hillary. Obama, as a relatively clean slate, will appeal to voters Hillary won't. Obama's got the charisma Hillary dreams of. Obama's not so dumb that he won't stack his administration with all that experience people say he lacks. Obama has the potential to inspire. Isn't that one of the most important qualities in a leader?

Obama can compete in the states that Hillary would write-off in a general election. Obama has dominated the primaries where Republicans generally win. Take Kansas, for example. According to my mother (who's never wrong or confused about anything), more than 37,000 people turned up for the Kansas Democratic caucus. In 2004, that number was 1,300. Obama won with more than 70% of the vote.

Here's something else: Obama has a greater potential of restoring our image overseas. Let's not forget that the first Clinton administration was arrogant, too, if not nearly as arrogant as the current administration. I don't remember where I saw this, but I admit that it's a stolen thought: The White House isn't a fucking time share. New blood in the White House will show the world that we're looking forward, that we do want change (as cynical as I may be about what that means), that we want to erase our disastrous past.

This is probably as close to an endorsement of Barack Obama as I'll get. I wish he was more progressive, but when the policy differences between the last two (viable) candidates are so minor, you gotta go with the charisma. I believe Obama can beat McCain. I don't believe Hillary can.

Unfortunately, the election will probably come down to the super-delegates, which is shockingly un-democratic.

Oh, and Mike Gravel soldiers on, too, although he's even less visible than Ron Paul.