Obama isn’t ready

This certainly isn’t how I expected to feel about the Democratic presidential primary.\nI remember the good old days, back in high school, when I would carry around my autographed copy of “The Audacity of Hope,” when I volunteered with Barack Obama’s campaign over the summer. After Obama finally announced he was going to run for president, I really felt like everything was going to be OK after all. \nUnfortunately, dreams don’t last forever. Instead of campaigning for him in Iowa like I planned, I suddenly found myself “busy” with other things to do over winter break. I didn’t learn of the man’s victory in Iowa by being on the front line. Instead, I just got a call from my mom while I was driving home from Chicago. \nMy shift toward Hillary probably started when I began to realize how shallow some of her critics (including the press) were, especially those who bash her in sexist ways. I am also not very impressed when I hear Obama supporters complain about Hillary’s policies; the two candidates’ policies are essentially the same on almost every major issue. \nThe actual differences between the two candidates, for now, hurt Obama. When it comes to being president, Mr. Obama is not a man with a particularly impressive resume. \nThe gap is particularly large when it comes to foreign policy. The man has some of the right ideas, especially when it comes to engaging our enemies more, but sometimes the devil is in the details. His comment about taking unilateral action in Pakistan was probably just made to make him sound tougher. Because he is unwilling to acknowledge how ridiculous it is to breach the sovereignty of a nuclear-armed and unstable Muslim country, it seems to have become his policy. \nHillary is clearly a woman of uncanny intelligence and drive. She has experience in government that dates back decades, plus she already has an extensive political apparatus in place. While Barack has tried to downplay Hillary’s experience as first lady, Mr. Obama is probably well-aware of how important a role Hillary played in her husband’s presidency. \nHillary Clinton certainly has her faults. She hasn’t campaigned in a way I would describe as particularly dignified. I have often gotten the feeling that she thought the primaries were supposed to serve merely as her coronation and even her greatest admirers should be able to admit that the last time she was in the White House, she made her fair share of mistakes. \nThere are times (too few lately) when I find Hillary just as likeable as Obama. It makes me wonder why she goes to such great lengths to be disingenuous. After some of her campaign’s recent attacks, Obama would be tough to resist if he came with better work experience. But, alas, Obama just isn’t ready. \nGood thing I like the idea of electing the first woman president just as much as I like the idea of electing the first black one.