by Sean McCallum
Webmaster

The presidential Democrat of choice has not officially been selected. John Edwards has bowed out of the race and Mrs. Clinton is ahead of Barack Obama.

The February 5 “Super Tuesday” primaries have yet to happen, but my resigned prediction is that Hillary will take the Democratic nomination. What I’m not sure of, though, is whether this will be Hillary’s third presidential term or Bill’s.

During Bill Clinton’s presidency, he was sometimes accused, among other things, of holding the office while Hillary ran things from backstage.

I have no way of telling whether that is an accurate description of the Clinton family power-sharing agreement, or whether it’s the other way around. Perhaps it’s some of both.

Judging from Bill’s strong presence on the Clinton campaign trail, it seems that they both have quite a voice in “their” policy and strategy.

I definitely lean toward electing a Democrat at just about any cost this year, but I don’t know if I’m ready to commit to electing from one of two families that have been in the executive office since 1980.

One of the crucial reasons our democracy came by its configuration is to avoid the dangers of legacy rule. To give more of the citizens in our country a voice in the way things are run.

That is not going to happen if we keep electing Bushes and Clintons.

Their stances on “the issues” are not my issue. Both Clinton and Obama have positions on various issues that I agree with enough to elect them, but it’s time to give someone else a turn.

Obama represents most of the same voices that Clinton does, plus a wealth of additional voices that have long been sidelined. I don’t necessarily think that a president should be elected solely on race, gender, religion or other personal traits, but neither will I deny that those traits should be factor. On those merits alone, I would have to go for Obama, but that’s not my major concern.

It’s just that Bill Clinton already served two terms. That is supposed to be the maximum amount of time for one person to hold presidential power in this country. It is inevitable that with that kind of political experience, his talents would be used to assist his wife in shaping policy during her tenure.

I have no problem with Clinton being a senator. Congress deserves to have all of the available experience and the ability to easily draw on any first-hand historic knowledge of politics, but the presidency needs fresh perspective right now.

Our next president needs to have a broad vision of what really makes this nation and what this nation needs in order to fulfill its obligations to itself and to the world at large and I believe that continuing to pull our leaders from the same dynastic stocks is a huge mistake.

More of the same old, same old will not cut the mustard at this important stage in history, and McCain and Hillary are nothing new.