August Vote

As a new US citizen and newly registered voter, I'll get to do my civic duty and exercise my franchise in the Washington State mail-in primary elections on August 19th. Every office from governor to congressman to Superior Court judges are on the ballot. By the rules of the WA State primary, the top two primary vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, make it to the general election ballot in November. That means that it's possible that two Democrats (and no Republican) will be running for congress in my district in November. This is a new system that has arisen out of various court challenges to the old party primaries, and this new system is itself under challenge in the courts. But in any case, I will go through the voters' guide and make the best choices I can. Somehow, I don't think that I'll be voting for Goodspaceguy Nelson (yes, that really is his name, and he really is running for Congress) for US Congressional district #7.

In November, I'll get to vote for President for the first time. I'm still firmly in Obama's camp, but without the enthusiasm I had for him a couple of months ago. I just don't understand what he's doing. McCain is running a lackluster gaffe-filled campaign, and yet he's closing the gap in the polls. Obama is running way behind the Democrats in general, and McCain is way ahead of the Republican brand. I'm constantly receiving email messages forwarded by friends or acquaintances questioning Obama's patriotism, his arrogance, his religion, and even his weight and his fussy eating habits. That whispering campaign is having an effect. McCain runs cheesy but very effective ads saying that Obama is an empty-suit celebrity or that he has a God complex. Obama is not responding well. He could be hammering McCain for his stupid gaffes (Phil Gramm's mental-recession-nation-of-whiners comments, the non-existent Iraq-Pakistani border, confusing Shiites and Sunnis, etc.) So what does he do? He panders to the ignorant multitudes about compromising on offshore drilling! He's beginning to look like an ordinary, not very effective politician, but with great oratorical skills.

A week ago, he was making points about US withdrawal from Iraq, even getting Maliki to essentially endorse his position. But Obama has to be careful about what he wishes for. He talks of sending more troops to Afghanistan. That is an even dicier conflict than Iraq, with even less chance for success. Obama could well be caught in a hopeless situation with two ongoing unpopular un-winnable wars. I think he should stick with his original plans and try to withdraw with some shred of dignity.

I am disappointed, but not yet disheartened.