Barack Obama and Hillary’s New Role

So, here its is. Barack Obama has won the primaries and he will be vying for the presidency against John McCain. It would seem the Democrats would come back together to support their candidate. But this isn’t the case.

I’ve been hearing a good deal of reports saying that many of Hillary’s supporters are saying they will not vote for Barack Obama. I’m still not certain if this is just the immediate reaction of a group of people who put their all into a campaign run by the likely first female presidential candidate or if this bitterness will last. The concept of people actually switching from Democratic to Republican voting simply because the woman didn’t win is astounding. In all truth, Obama and Clinton’s stances on the issues are very similar. Really, changing from one to the next is like picking Oreos over Hydrox.

So Hillary lost, get over it. I fully believe that we should have a female president. Was I excited with the prospect of Hillary running when she first threw in her hat? Of course I was. It was thrilling to think a woman could run, especially one who might have a good chance at the nomination. But then I watched her speak, I watched her tactics, I watched her husband (whom I liked when he was president) act like a zealot and a fool. I was not impressed with Hillary’s campaign. Is it time for a female president? Yes. Just not time for Hillary Clinton.

That’s not to say I was always happy with Obama. When the two began bickering in the debates and on news shows and in interviews, I was driven to turn off the program so as to avoid the screeching sound that followed. But what I appreciate about Obama is that he did his best to avoid attack politics. And he still vows to do so, to stick to the issues and to not dig up the dirt on another candidate just to drive people his way. I suppose we’ll see what happens.

Today, however, Hillary will speak to her supporters about the end of the campaign. It is now up to her to show her support for Obama as the next Democratic presidential candidate and help ease the bitterness that so many people are now feeling having their choice lose. She needs to speak clearly and passionately about backing Obama and the Democratic party. And she needs to put away any animosity she had at one point for Obama, because if her voice does not convince people, some will be lost to other parties. And if the Democrats lose voters, we may lose the next election. And if we lose this election, there will be many more years in Iraq, many more years with little consideration of domestic issues like health care and environment, economy and poverty, the housing crisis and the continuously rising gas prices. Its time for a change, and the only way to reach it is for all Democrats to get together behind one candidate. Put away the anger and the bitterness and do the right thing for our nation.