Fired up, ready to go!

I'm coming out of the closet. I'm supporting Barack Obama for President.

First, policies:

Obama's health plan has been criticized for eschewing a mandate (at least at first) for people over age 17. From what I know about health insurance policy, I think I'd prefer a mandate. In the Netherlands, where residents are required to purchase insurance from one of several private companies (some for-profit, others non-profit), coverage extends to 98.5% of the population. But this mandate-or-no-mandate debate is overblown, despite what the Clinton campaign says. The quibble, says the NYT's Matt Bai, is "like watching a couple of homeless guys argue over which Ferrari they intend to buy." In fact, all the Democrats, except for Kucinich, have mediocre health plans. Only Kucinich would create universal, non-profit, single-payer health care by extending Medicare to everyone.

It's worth noting that the policy positions of the Democratic candidates are fairly similar. Differences are primarily matters of emphasis. Most would index the minimum wage to inflation, shift taxes to higher-income Americans, support workers' rights to organize, prohibit insurers from rejecting patients based on pre-existing conditions, and end the war in Iraq. (Yes, there are differences: Richardson would withdraw all troops, Edwards would withdraw combat troops, and Obama and Clinton would keep residual forces.) All would protect the legality of abortion (and I hope, fight to allow Medicaid to fund them). These policy positions are important. But the Democratic positions are not different enough, in my view, to crown one candidate over others (except perhaps Kucinich, but he wouldn't stand a chance in the general election).

So I look to the President's other role: To represent the U.S. to ourselves (speaking at the World Trade Center, the Minnesota bridge collapse, the California forest fires) and to the world (Iraq policy, G8, UN talks on climate change). The President serves as a rallying officer, a public face. And I think the next face of the United States should be Barack Obama's. I like several other candidates, especially John Edwards and Bill Richardson. I like Edwards' concern for the little guy and Bill Richardson's down-to-earth style. In the wake of Bush's failures - missing WMDs, climate change, Katrina, Walter Reed, Justice Dept. firings - I need a government I can trust, or at least one that doesn't fill me with cynicism. I don't think Hillary and Slick Willy can do that. I'd also worry about our democracy if Hillary wins the presidency. Counting from 1980, when George H.W. Bush was elected VP, to 2012, when Hillary would finish her first term as President, we would have 32 uninterpreted years of two families in the executive branch.

So, most of all, Barack Obama inspires me. Bill Clinton said he didn't inhale. Obama said of course he inhaled: "That was the point." It sometimes feels silly to evaluate a candidate by his character - after all, who cares if Bill Clinton enjoyed blow-jobs in the Oval Office - but I think Obama's public conduct and frankness sets a good example for government. Other candidates frame themselves in partisan terms. I see Obama as more conciliatory and thus more effective. I see him as a person who'd actually be able to convince people to get an HIV test by getting one himself on TV.

Below are photos from The Stumping Grounds, a photo blog maintained by four photographers who follow the Iowa political season voraciously. I picked out a few to tell a story:

Barack Obama, fired up and ready to go [© Scout Tufankjian 2007]:


Hillary Clinton, doomed by dynasty [© Allison Joyce 2007]:


John Edwards, reaching out [© Joshua Lott 2007]:


Bill Richardson, noteworthy [© Carey Wagner 2007]:


Obama's example, for America's future [© Allison Joyce 2007]: