New Hampshire Disappointment

I'm disappointed Obama didn't win. Though I suppose a 39-36 loss isn't all that bad, especially after winning by a wider margin in Iowa. And I suppose that a tough race against Hillary Clinton is good warm up for the horribly nasty things that will be coming from the GOP if Obama wins the nomination. But still, it is disheartening to think that it isn't a lock for Obama and he still may lose it. While I will be holding my nose and voting for Hillary Clinton if she wins the nomination, there are many many many many others who will not (but who would vote for Obama). Which makes me wonder sometimes if Democrats even want to win the Presidency. Obama totally blows everyone else away among Independents - and Independents are the ones who decide every election. Why shoot yourself in the foot and turn down the candidate with, by far, the best chance of winning the general election? I just don't understand that - just like I didn't understand people voting for Nader in 2000 when anyone with half a brain should have known that was essentially a vote for Bush, and Gore was closer to the philosophy of Nader than Bush was. That's just retarded.

Seeing McCain win the GOP in NH gives me mixed feelings. I used to really like McCain, before he sold his soul to the GOP base and caved in even on torture. After seeing that, I don't think we'll get anything from him different than Bush, and that is disappointing - that apparently to get the GOP nomination now you really do have to drink the neocon-fundie cool aid. And no candidate willing to do that is fit to be president. One could have a small hope that he would feel less need to do that once he was securely in office, but I don't have that hope - I've seen him cave in too many times to Bush to think he has anything independent of that left in him.

Of course, the Democrats also cave into Bush, but that still isn't enough to get me to vote GOP. One can hold out a small hope that some of them will resist, like Dodd recently did on FISA and telecom immunity. All hope for the GOP is dead and gone.

Michigan's primary comes up soon, and it sucks because Obama isn't even on the ballot, in "protest" of the early date. Hillary's name is on there. So basically, he ceded the state to her. That concerned me because it shows that Obama doesn't realize that you need to ruthlessly exploit power to get in - no GOP candidate would ever take his name off a ballot in "protest" - they all want power and know how to get it. Hillary apparently understands this as well. Too bad the Democrats still seem to be generally clueless about how to get and exploit power. Meaningless "protests" that lose you the chance to win are just plain stupid.

So I really have no reason to vote in the Primary here, nor do most of the other voters in this state. Sad.

I just hope the news improves as the race continues. If Hillary Clinton wins the nomination and faces off against McCain, I think the Dems will have yet again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory like a bunch of stupid freaking idiots.