Wednesday, August 08, 2007

The race is over!

I hate to admit this. The race for the Democratic Presidential nomination is over without a single vote being cast for it. Hilary Clinton has completely demolished her only main challenger, Barack Obama. Early this year, I thought Obama would catch up with Hilary, and beat her with his politics of ‘hope and change’. In fact, after announcing his candidacy, Obama quickly established a huge support base, and raised more money than Hilary for the primary elections. His speeches attracted huge crowds, and he appeared to be on a fast path to catch up Hilary in polls. His descend started with the series of Presidential debates that were broadcast on T.V. The people in USA judge and decide whom they would vote for, based on how the candidates come across in these debates. A careless statement, or a clever one-liner, can breakor make a candidate. Senator Hilary is a superb debater, and she has been outstanding in these debates. She came across well prepared, with an aura of authority and confidence. Senator Obama hung on until last week, when he made an innocent statement that he is willing to meet with the leaders of ‘enemy’ countries of USA, like Cuba, North Korea, and Iran. Hilary seized on this, and charged that it was ‘naïve and irresponsible’ for Obama to make a promise like that. Obama panicked. In his anxiety to show that he is tough on enemies, he made the stupid assertion that he will send US forces to Pakistan to kill Osama-bin-Laden even without President Musharraf’s consent. Obviously, he did not think through the implications of destabilizing the government there, and allowing Islamic extremists to take over that country with nuclear power. In the AFL-CIO sponsored Presidential debate yesterday, candidates Chris Dodd and Joseph Biden also joined Hilary in attacking Obama for making statements that, 'no President should ever make'. Although Obama was good in defending himself, the damage has been done. People in this country are in no mood for another inexperienced person becoming their President, and then learning the job! Obama is finished.