Undecideds: Go With Your Gut

Since John Edwards stepped out of the ring last week, millions of his supporters have been searching their souls to determine how to re-cast their vote. I'm sure many of them have been listening carefully to the Democratic debates and doing their due diligence on the issues.

Truth be told, until now, I've done very little research and paid very little attention to the Democratic candidates plans. Really, there was no need. I've known I would vote for Barack Obama the minute I saw him speak at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. I remember so clearly being agape at his eloquence and his inspirational reminder about what was good about America. As shivers ran down my spine, I thought, "This is the guy. He's it. He's what we've been waiting for."

The decision was confirmed when I saw the Obamas on Oprah, months before he announced his candidacy. They talked about how Barack insisted on helping plan their daughter's birthday party. Michelle wisely assigned him the simple task of ordering the pizza because she knew he could handle it. When he insisted on doing the goody bags too, she refused saying that his "head would explode" with all the options he would have to choose from at the party store. I loved that as a young, well-educated, dual-career family, I could see our family in theirs. But I also knew that because of their heritage, they understood a harsh reality that I would never know, but would be invaluable in leading our country.

Having already cast my vote, I was curious to see just how far apart Hillary and Barack really were on the issues. I realized that by casting my vote for Barack, I was relying on intuition and trading inspiration for considerable experience in Hillary Clinton. So I figured I'd go see what I'd sacrificed. After studying both their campaign Web sites, I was surprised to learn that aside from some subtle nuances, their plans were practically identical on most of the issues. Hillary's site laid out proposals in greater depth and detail on some issues, but Barack's did the same on others. I was surprised to learn that Hillary dedicated much of her career to non-profit work and spent many years as an advocate for mothers and children.

I was almost starting to like Hillary when I finally ran into exactly what has turned me off to her as a potential President. There it was, right on her site: blogHillary. In today's post, her chief strategist, Mark Penn, takes aim at Barack Obama, laying out all of the "facts" that journalists have uncovered lately about the Senator and his "claims" on his so-called record. Reading this treatise, designed to "help" me learn more about Senator Obama with this "new information," my stomach started to churn.

Just to check myself up, I flipped back to the Obama site to see what dirt they were dishing on Hillary. Of course, I couldn't find a thing. All I found were page upon page detailing the Senator's positions on the issues, his activities on the campaign trail and his latest list of endorsements. I did land on this page, which asks me for feedback on his policy ideas and to share mine as well. Whether he actually uses my ideas or not, it sure is nice to be asked.

I don't know about you, but I can't take four more, eight more, or any more years of negative, divisive politics as usual. Penn's "new information," factual or not, is irrelevant in my eyes. I'm glad I went with my gut -- I'll take integrity over experience any day. I hope Edwards supporters nationwide heard Maria Shriver's endorsement speech for Obama. Here's the best part:

"This is a moment. It's a moment to have a conversation with yourself. Not with anyone else. Have a conversation with your own heart and ask yourself, 'What kind of America do I believe in? Do I believe in an America that's about unity, that's about coming together, that's about seeing beyond the labels that divide us?' And if that's the kind of America I want, I think it'll be very clear to you what you should do on Tuesday."

Undecideds: Go With Your Gut

Who Will You Hire?

In recognition of the Iowa caucuses today, BlogHer political contributing editor Morra Aarons asks about the politics of change and what it means to you. Oh, I don't know -- maybe it would mean a world where Americans traveling abroad wouldn't feel compelled to pretend they're Canadian? Or maybe it would mean a health care system that doesn't require a masters degree to figure out or afford.

OR, maybe it would finally mean a country that makes it possible to successfully raise a family and hold down a job without losing your sanity.

I always approach an election as if I'm hiring someone for a job. Experience, ideas and chemistry with colleagues are all critical considerations. I've hired people with great experience, but if they can't offer solid thinking, or don't play well with others, it can mean disaster. I've also hired wonderful people who were well-liked, but unless they can come up with realistic ideas and command enough respect for others to buy into those ideas, they don't last long either.

If I was hiring for this job, here's how the Democratic contenders would break down:

• Hillary Clinton: Great resume, top-notch experience. Clearly knows her stuff. But Hillary strikes me as the kind of exec whose smart, strong ideas would command respect, but her take no prisoners attitude would scare everyone sh**less. Lots of people effectively lead this way, but can it fly in DC these days, especially given the anti-Clinton sentiment that likely still lingers? And given the part of the world with which we have to mend relations, as much as I hate to say it, I wonder if a woman is right for the job right now. I know this is heresy to my kind -- I may be a woman, but I'm also a realist.
  
  
• John Edwards: Experienced. Passionate. Thoughtful. A nice guy, Edwards reminds me of a top exec at my organization who makes a point of saying hello to everyone he sees and ends every conversation by thanking you for your very hard work. Edwards has ambitious ideas, but are they too ambitious and would he command enough respect in DC to push them through? Speaking of respect, how would yet another white guy with a Southern accent play with the Middle East?
  
  
• Barack Obama: Not as much direct experience as the other candidates, but his resume contains an interesting mix. As a dark horse contender and a non-insider, Obama would initially enjoy a certain mystique in DC. A strong communicator, he could eventually win over even the toughest skeptics with his smart, pragmatic approach, calm demeanor and his rejection of negative political tactics. Could his darker skin and Muslim-sounding name intrigue our Middle Eastern enemies enough to open doors to real conversation?
  

While no candidate has the perfect combination of experience, ideas and chemistry, if I was hiring for this position, I'd extend an offer to Obama. His ethnicity holds a symbolic and unspoken promise of uniting our country and the world, but his background and natural inclination to find common ground can make change a reality. What we need most is a pragmatic approach and the promise of a new day -- a strong sign to both our foreign friends and our own Congress that America is ready for real change.

Who will you hire?

Who Will You Hire?