My good friend Ed is a long time, well known, Chicago folk singer. He is an accomplished performer, a guitar teacher, a sometimes songwriter, a great story teller, and most definitely, a social commentator. We've known each other since 1961 or 62. Over the years, we have lost touch from time-to-time, as we moved about the country in different directions. Now we are both anchored to Chicago as we live out our days and talk about what it would take to make this a better world. I love this guy like a brother and consider him to be one of my closest and trusted friends.
Ed and I get together almost weekly for coffee or dinner. Since the primaries began, we have gone from talking a couple of times a week to almost daily phone calls, sometimes even 2-3 calls a day. When the primaries started, Ed was rooting for Hillary and I was for Obama. Now, we're both for Obama and both pretty sure he'll be the candidate to go up against John McCain. It took Ed a while to get to that point, but he is now certain that Barack will be the Democratic candidate. In fact, he is far more certain than me. The following are a number of topics we touched on:
Ed and I remembered we were both in either Grant Park on Michigan Avenue or in Lincoln Park, back in 1968, during the week the Democrats held their convention in Chicago. We participated in some of the demonstrations around town and were glad we did. Things got pretty crazy back then. The Democrats lost the November election and Richard Nixon became the 37th President of the United States. Nixon really doesn't look so bad after the past eight years does he?
As our dinner and conversation proceeded, I mentioned to Ed that a close, female friend thinks I just don't like Hillary and that I haven't from the get-go. I maintai, that I did not "dislike" Hillary in the beginning, but there is just something about her that really rubs me the wrong way. It wasn't a guy vs. gal thing. I have no problem with a female commander-in-chief, not a thing. It's just that Hillary pushes all the wrong buttons with me. I couldn't see it at first, but my vision has become quite clear over the last two-three months. I don't trust her, plain and simple. Her lies and manipulation have totally turned me off. The way her husband has campaigned is also a turn-off and has caused me to lose respect for him. Neither one of them will lose sleep over how I feel, but I'm not alone.
Now don't get me wrong, Hillary Clinton is clearly very bright, well qualified, and clearly more likely to try and change things in Washington than John McCain. However, like many other Democrats, she did vote to go to war. That's a big deal with me because I strongly oppose this war. I think she has hung in there all this time to show the world that she is one tough cookie and that she can go to war just like the BIG BOYS. To me, there is more strength in bucking the system at times than supporting it, and she clearly has made a mistake. Obama, who opposed the war from the beginning, can stand up against Clinton or McCain when it comes to the war.
With regard to change, Obama is the new kid on the block. He too is very bright, but some feel less qualified than Clinton. That may be so, but in my mind, he is far more likely to make the changes in Washington than either Hillary or John McCain. Experience, isn't all its cracked up to be when one considers what the past eight years have been. Did you ever imagine that an American President could screw things up so often and so badly? George W. Bush is an incompetent lout, a goof, and a national/international embarrassment. I also consider him to be a war criminal as I pointed out in last week's column- The pain of protest..."
To me, Hillary Clinton would clearly do a better job than either McCain or Bush, but she represents so much of what is wrong with Washington and so many of our politicians. The fabrication of her so-called accomplishments, the negative ads, the emphasis on 3 AM phone calls, the twisting of words that were used to question Obama's religion, all shut me down. Yes, she is "a fighter" and that might be what it takes, and Obama clearly needs to toughen up if he is to do battle with Senator McCain and the "Swift-boaters" but I want change. I'm willing to put my trust in change, hope and a vision for the future that hasn't even begun to creep into the minds of Hillary or Bill Clinton, John McCain and most certainly not, "W".
Last Tuesday, Hillary had a 10 point win in Pennsylvania. The talking heads are beginning to wonder if Hillary might really be able to pull off a miracle comeback. Of course the only way she can do that is to convince the super-delegates to vote for her. I find it most interesting the way Hillary's people work the numbers. Hillary's new math doesn't square with me and wouldn't with most math teachers. Hillary wants to count the Michigan and Florida voters, which she agreed long ago with the DNC, would not count.
Hillary and her staff are now trying to convince one and all to "work" the numbers on the popular vote and the delegate vote, and do whatever it takes to win. Does this remind anyone of Bush doing "whatever it takes" in Florida back in 2000? Little of what Hillary is trying to pull-off, would fall under the heading of following the rules. Also, please keep in mind, whatever states Hillary or Obama might win or lose against each other, doesn't necessarily translate into a loss against McCain in the general election. Also, what's going on with "Operation Chaos", the Rush Limbaugh movement to get Republicans to vote for Hillary in the primaries by temporarily changing party affiliation? Limaugh thinks Hillary will be easier to beat than Obama, in November.
So what will happen? My good friend Ed tells me not to worry. He predicts that the party (meaning the super-delegates) will never turn on Obama. Ed is convinced that going against the delegates and the populace who voted for Obama in the primaries, would be a catastrophe for the Democrats both in November, and for years to come. I tend to agree with him. Yet from the beginning, this has been the Democrat's election to lose and they sure seem to be working hard at that.
In my perfect world, Obama will get the nomination and easily beat John McCain. And if Hillary somehow wrestles the nomination away from Obama? I'll grudgingly vote for her. I won't be happy, but I'll vote for her. And if God forbid, either one of them loses to John McCain? Well, I guess if that happens, I'll call Ed and tell him to get his guitar. Then I'll muster up my middle-age and senior citizen friends, and we'll all head for Grant Park, Michigan Avenue, and Lincoln Park. Days of Rage... You ain't seen nothing yet. Peace, Bob
