First Great Debate of 2008

Stave It Off watched the debates live from Walaka's crib with a rowdy crowd of card-carrying liberals. They mostly booed and hissed during the Republican portion... occasionally cheering for Ron Paul when he'd make one of his "kooky" comments about how we should get the hell out of the middle-east and how we'd be pissed off too if some foreign superpower (like China) came over here, occupied our land, set up military bases and occasionally took it upon themselves to "police" us. It was hilarious to watch all the other Republicans laugh condescendingly whenever Paul got a little air time. What a marvelous collection of ass wipes. Not sure who is more loathsome though... Mitt Romney and his "I'm a corporate tool" aesthetic, or Rudy G. and his "I'm sleazier than a Chicago mob-boss" vibe.

The interesting part was watching the three-headed beast of Clinton, Obama and Edwards. Bill Richardson? Thanks for playing. Take your 5% of the vote and go home. At least Dennis "the Menace" Kucinich voiced some opinions that stretched the field. Richardson's presence is pointless.

The Big Three wasted some time with a warm-up pissing match about flip-flopping... a completely inane issue best left to the chest-thumping Republicans. But then Clinton almost crapped herself when Obama and Edwards started tag-team blasting her as a force for status quo. It was clear at that point that Barak and John are both more determined to strike at Hillary than at each other. And it was clear that she will fight back when pressed.

As the debate evolved, all three major Democratic candidates showed their strengths. Edwards is a passionate defender of the middle-class who has shown surprising ethics in refusing lobbyist money and standing up to unethical corporations. He actually used his pulpit to name names... blasting Exxon and praising Costco for their respective corporate ethics. Let's call him The Paladin.

Obama made it clear that he believes in the concept of leadership. He believes that statesmanship can make a difference in inspiring Americans to the greater good. He attempts to be articulate and to listen closely to what others are saying. He seems to genuinely believe that instilling hope back to Americans is vitally needed. This likely comes from his background as a community organizer. Let's call him The Shepherd.

And Clinton is the insider. She's the one with the most experience (though much of it came as a first lady, both in Washington and Arkansas.) She's the one saying "leadership and ethics are great... but you've still got to get the job done if you want real change." Getting the job done means she'll cross party lines. It means she'll make concessions. She looks like someone I'd want working for me in a tough negotiation, where results meant more than grandstanding. Let's call her The Kingpin.

So... who would you want for President? All three are strong, capable politicians. All three blow away the Republican nominees. All three have their strengths and weaknesses in terms of electability. All three will wind up with significant roles in the next Democratic White House... either in the cabinet, or as Vice President. Personally, I came into the event expecting to affirm my support for Obama, but I was surprised at how well Clinton performed. Even so, my best case scenario is this: Put Obama, the Shepherd, up for President. He's best at leading, speechifying and will be a fantastic figurehead for the nation. He won't just shoot from the hip or sink into the "politics of fear" that have ruled this nation for the last 7 years. Put Edwards, the Paladin, up for VP. Let him be a moral compass, the way Al Gore was. Give him a supporting role and a strong voice in the administration. And install Clinton, the Kingpin, as Secretary of State, or some similar role where her powers of persuasion and ability to get things done will make this an effective administration. That's how I'd get the hydra to stop biting its own heads off and turn it into an ass-kicking political machine.