Super Tuesday

A part of me wishes that I could vote in the primaries. Because it seems important. Because it seems like it really matters this time more than ever.

But I am not a US citizen, even though I have lived and breathed this country for the greater part of the last six years and this other part of me is relieved that I don’t have to face the difficult decision today: Clinton or Obama?

After my – and J’s – favored candidate John Edwards dropped out last week, the decision has become tougher by the minute.
Although my political knowledge is relatively superficial, I had made up my mind, with the help of online quizzes and articles that I read and by talking to J who knows a whole lot more about politics than I do, about which candidate I would officially support, if I was to cast a vote.

Here in California they still gave out ballots with the names of all initial presidential candidates on them. Does that mean you can still vote for someone who’s not even running anymore? That seems like a wasted vote to me, so why didn’t they take the drop-outs off the ballot?
I surely hope that everybody who has gone and still will go to the polls today has followed the campaigns closely enough to know who is still running and who isn’t.

Another thing occurred to me today. I don’t understand why you have to be a registered voter for a certain party to vote for their candidates. That make no sense to me whatsoever.
How many votes do you think will not be casted today, because of the fact that a person might have been registered for the wrong party, or no party for that matter, this time around?

Admittedly, that kind of person could have taken care of changing the voter registration a long time ago, but fact is: Why can’t everybody vote for whomever they want to vote for without having to be registered for a certain party? A simple state ID should do.

I am clearly curious and excited about who will make it on the Democratic side today. The issues between the two remaining candidates seem to be much greater than just the question with whose policies one conforms. The more basic question is: Should one vote for a woman or a black man?

Honestly, if you ask me, either one of them would make a splendid first-timer in the Oval Office and since it’s not up to me to help make this decision, all I can do is sit back and hope for the best.

  1. Edwards was my favourite too, now it is Clinton – but just because she has 30+ years of experience instead of 3+ years for Obama. That would be the only reason for me to make a difference between those two.

    But, like you said, all what we can do is sit back and hope for the best.

  2. It’s amazing to me that people believe that Hilary has all this experience in the political arena. Until she was elected to the senate in NY she had none!
    Obama has been in the political arena for some time.
    Much of Hilary’s claim to fame was being/staying married to Bill.
    I know, you’ve guessed, I am not a Hilary fan.

  3. i think either one would be great. in fact, as long as the office will go democratic again and kick bush out, it’ll be good. C says american is not ready for a woman and if i look at the votes yesterday, he may be right. i think obama is gonna make it. but i guess we’ll see and it can only get better ;)

  4. i think it’s a toughie, since i think hillary would be cool for a change as the first woman. and obama would be great for being the first black guy. but i agree with kim, as long as it will be democratic:-) but i wouldn’t know too much the details for an american voting system to be able to discuss in detail. but it will be exciting to know the result.

  5. I’m just so glad that I’ve got two great candidates to choose from on the Democratic side. I was sad about John Edwards, too, but I’ll vote for either H. or O. in a heartbeat.

    Here in Georgia, you don’t have to register with a party to vote in the primary. You just have to choose the party that you want to vote for on that day, that is, yesterday I voted in the Democratic primary. This must be a state-by-state law.

  6. @ sophie: you’re correct. it seems to be a state-to-state law. I just read up about it ;)

  7. I spent much of last night reading all the details about primaries, parties, and delegates on CNN. Click around their election 2008 section and you’ll learn so much! The more you learn, the more confusing it gets but it is fascinating.

    Basically, most states require that you be a registered party member because the primaries are run by the parties – they’re aren’t true elections. The votes simply represent how the party reps will vote at the convention. Even more interesting to me, there are people called superdelegates who vote at the convention and their votes don’t have to be inline with the public.

    Long story short, there’s still much more voting to happen! Obama, Clinton. Clinton, Obama. The debating continues!

  8. Ah yeah the confusion….. ;-)

  9. thats america for you! :)

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