Boswell Endorses Hillary---Caucus For Her

Here is a wonderful video I found of Iowa Rep. Leonard Boswell on why he supports Hillary and why America needs her.  As he says in the video, Hillary has over 15 years of experience standing up against the Republican attack machine and against the special interests.  She has and continues to stand for meaningful change---not because she "hopes" for it, but because she has the actual experience and leadership to make it happen.  

Obama's Electability

Quite a stir has been caused by Billy Shaheen's remarks about Sen. Barack Obama's past cocaine use.  In all honestly, I think the media has spun the story into somethings it's simply not.  Bill Shaheen was not saying that people should vote against Barack Obama for his drug use, but rather that the Republicans would use it heavily against him in a general election, which is undoubtably true.  So while I do not feel that Shaheen's comments were as terrible as they have been made out to be, I will admit that it was not necessary for a Democrat to bring up Obama's cocaine use.  But since he did bring into question Obama's electability, I think all Democratic caucus goers and primary voters should take Obama's electability into serious question before supporting him.

Facts are facts.  Hillary Clinton and John Edwards have been under national scrutiny from the Republicans for years.  Both are experienced with how to deal with those problems.  Their pasts have been vetted; everything that could be used against them is already out.  

Barack Obama, on the other hand, has not had his past vetted.  He has yet to run a serious campaign against a Republican or take hard hits from the right-wing machine.  This makes Obama a vulnerable candidate and calls into question his electability next November.  

Past drug use, although it matters nothing at all to me, is something that could prove to be a turn off to many swing voters.  The Obama campaign likes to put forth the fact that he has been open about it in his book and in public.  But that, in a general election campaign against the Republicans, won't matter.  Do you really think that ordinary Americans have read Obama's book?  Of course not.  The Republicans will use this against Obama and it will hurt him.  I wish it wasn't true, but it is.

And it's not just his past drug use either.  We, much less the majority of Americans, know very little about Barack Obama's past.  He has not been vetted.  There are surely things in his past that could hurt his electability.  Every candidate has problems no doubt, but candidates like Clinton and Edwards have had their "dirty laundry" aired a long time ago.  Their "dirty laundry" is old news to voters.  Obama's would be new news.  

Clinton and Edwards have both proven successful in winning over Republican voters and winning in strong Republican areas.  Obama does not have that experience.  His one major election, his 2004 Senate campaign, was against a very weak opponent, Alan Keyes.  I mean, seriously, let's face it, Alan Keyes is just about the weakest Republican in the country.  The '08 election, in much contrast to Obama's Senate campaign, will be far from a cake walk.  As a Democrat committed to getting a Democrat elected in '08,  I want to put my trust in someone like Edwards or Clinton, who know how to deal with the Republican dirt machine and who have proven to be winners in tough battles.