Go Obama, go! He did it in S. Carolina today and he's gonna do it all the way to Washington!"If the globe can't vote next November, it can find itself in Obama. Troubled by the violent chasm between the West and the Islamic world? Obama seems to bridge it. Disturbed by the gulf between rich and poor that globalization spurs? Obama, the African-American, gets it: The south side of Chicago is the south side of the world." So writes Roger Cohen, who might not be qualified to singlehandedly choose the next president of the United States, but he is a good writer and smart. In his International Herald Tribune column, he talks about what an Obama presidency would mean to the world and the significance of its symbolism. And that is no small factor.
Hillary is sharp, extremely knowledgeable and on the right side of a lot of issues. But, she is a real politician's politician, and that is a big turn-off. She in some ways seems to have a thirst for power and to give her personal ambition the priority. Secondly, the movement against her, whether or not she is deserving of it, is significant. It means not only more divisiveness and ugly politics, it could be a real barrier to her actual productivity. The Republicans are much more ready for a fight with her.
If it is a matter of change versus experience, firstly, almost anything would be a good change from the present embarrassment to the country. Clinton would offer a change, of course. And Obama's experience is not lacking in an obviously fatal way. But the kind of almost revolutionary transformation that Obama would offer overshadows everything else when taking a broad perspective.
Roger Cohen quotes Obama saying, "the security of the American people is inextricably linked to the security of all people." I cannot overstate how refreshing and inspiring this kind of thinking is after the 8-year disaster we have endured.
We, the world, need Obama in the White House.
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