Hard Choices. Real Change.

As the voting was proceeding in yesterday's Potomac Primary I was sitting here in the nation's capitol pondering my choices.  All of a sudden I realized the choice is pretty clear. Or is it?

As a Democrat I am deciding between Barack Obama--potentially the first African American president in history, and Hillary Clinton--potentially the first woman president in history. Both candidates present America with choices that it has never faced before. Unexpectedly the presidential election of 2008 has turned into "a moment."  It has turned into a moment of significance for many Americans--African Americans, women, progressives, liberals, young people, and anyone else who has dreamed of America truly living up to its promise as a color-blind, gender-blind, play by the rules, "content of your character" type of nation.

As much as the pundits like to assert that there aren't very many substantive differences between Obama and Clinton, I think primary voters are faced with a stark choice between the two. Some of their differences are policy related, yet many come down to simple individual characteristics.

In regard to policy, many Democrats will decide their vote based upon Obama's early opposition to the U.S. war in Iraq and Clinton's senate vote to authorize the war in 2002. A look at the exit polls from Super Tuesday show that three voters in ten (29%) named the war as the most important issue facing the country. Among these voters almost a solid majority (54%) supported Obama, while about 4 in 10 (42%) supported Clinton. Others are more concerned about the state of the U.S. economy (48%), and among these voters 52 percent supported for Clinton and 44 percent voted for Obama).  Whether a voter decides based on their opposition to the war in Iraq or their desire to recall the economic happy days of the Clinton years, there are real, albeit nuanced differences on these issues between the candidates that voters can hang their hats on. 

On Super Tuesday a more distinct choice revolved around whether voters were seeking change or experience.  A majority of voters (52%) voted for their candidate because they think that person can bring about needed change in Washington--57 percent of this group felt Barack was that agent of change while 30 percent felt the same about Hillary. For those voting on Super Tuesday based on experience (23%), the overwhelming majority (91%) chose Clinton compared to only 5 percent who pulled the lever for Obama.  Again, the remainder of this primary season presents voters with two candidates with distinct differences and forces a real decision at the ballot box.

Then there is the obvious.  For some voters the notion of having a woman serve as president, and all that entails, is far too delicious to pass by. On Super Tuesday 60 percent of white women voted for Clinton and only 36 percent voted for Obama. Similarly, many voters may be drawn to Obama's candidacy because of the pure satisfaction of electing a black person to lead this country barely a generation after the end of the civil rights movement and Jim Crow.  During last Tuesday's "national primary" more than 8 in 10 (82%) African Americans voted for Obama while only 16 percent voted for Clinton. Many voters, particularly new voters, believe that it is time to pass the torch on to a new generation of leaders, and among this group Hillary Clinton's age works against her. In the exit poll from February 5, voters age 44 and under (39% of the electorate) backed Obama over Clinton 55 percent to 42 percent; older voters--those 45 and over (60% of the electorate)--strongly supported Clinton over Obama by 59 percent to 41 percent. Large differences and, once again, distinct choices.

Regardless, if a Democratic primary voter decides to vote for Clinton as a result of the economy or her health care plan, because she is a woman or because of her experience in Washington, then that's fine. By the same token, if a voter supports Obama because of his opposition to entering the war, or the fact that he is black, or because of his age, that too is reasonable.

As I come closer to making up my mind I firmly believe that this election is a window into the soul and character of America. This election is going to tell us how far we've come as a nation, or how far we still may need to travel.  I began this election season as a cynic. "There is absolutely no way America is ready to elect a black president or a female president," I said on a number of occasions.  Now, I am not confident that I was correct on either measure.

Are we ready to elect our first female president? Our first black president?  In this watershed election I certainly hope that America is ready to live up to its stated ideals and elect a leader based upon their qualifications, personality, leadership ability, intellect and policy preferences, and not vote against a candidate (either in the primary or the general election) because of their race or gender. There are too many other factors, real factors, to base one's vote. To do anything else is both unacceptable and un-American.

At the end of the day, whichever candidate wins the nomination, I am confident that the choice we are in the midst of making will provide legendary fodder for many a political tale.  Yesterday, as I was leaving to pick up my son from school and take him with me to vote the choice for me was an obvious one. I voted for Barack because not only do I agree with him on policy, not only do I believe that it is time for a new generation to pick up the mantle and run, but most importantly he inspires me to dream about a truly new world order.  He is the one I envision sitting across the table from President Ahmadinejad of Iran, Moammar Kadhafi of Libya and King Abdullah II of Jordan--a man of color among men of color, looking to solve the myriad problems of the Middle East.  For me he represents a real opportunity for a new direction on so many fronts.

Hard choices. Real change.