Heated Voices on the Great American Debate: Hillary or Obama?

My twenty-something son, who usually votes for moderate Republicans, surprised me when he announced (at Easter dinner!) his support for Sen. Hillary Clinton in 2008.

Puzzled, I told him, "But she won't renounce her vote for the Iraq War... or even the war itself. She's got a real tough-chick, undiplomatic attitude toward Iraq and the Middle East."

"Exactly!" he replied. And so continues the Hillary vs. Obama debate in my family

Of our 3 adult children and their 2 spouses... all whom I suspect voted for George Bush in 2004... none seems even remotely interested in Republican candidates for 2008. And no Democrats, other than Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, have captured their interest as serious presidential contenders. (Although, as if to reinforce his moderate views, my son loves to poke fun at Dennis Kucinich.)

I've been asked THE question many times in recent months, and hear it all the time, even on TV. Hillary or Obama? Even a guest comedian on The Tonight Show last night asked people on the street, "Hillary Or Obama?"

Kim Ruehl, About.com's Guide to Folk Music , regularly reminds me of Sen. Hillary Clinton's strong points when I go off on praising Sen. Barack Obama. For instance, when I recently wrote that Obama "is the only 2008 candidate actively working to offset the impact of selling access to large donors," Kim commented:

"I dig that he makes good speeches, but so far it all seems like lip service in comparison to Hillary, who has made some very clear statements about healthcare, Iraq, even Iran … "

There's Mark Daniels, one of my favorite, fair-minded bloggers, albeit a Republican, who recently wrote:

"I was shocked to hear this Linda Wertheimer report on NPR today. African-American women torn between supporting Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton were interviewed and several said that Clinton was the more experienced of the two...

... when considering elective political experience, of the three Democratic frontrunners--Obama, Clinton, and former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, Obama has the most experience. By my reckoning, counting his time in the Illinois state legislature, Obama has spent twelve years in elective office. Clinton has just over six years... "

And then there's the groundbreaking MoveOn.org Virtual Town Halls.

I say groundbreaking because in pre-YouTube days, candidates would submit written summaries of their stances on the issues. At MoveOn.org, the 2008 candidates now submit rounds of videos on the issues of the week, and the Great American Public votes in real-time. Results of the first round of voting, this time on the Iraq War, showed Sen. Obama running well ahead of Sen. Clinton:

Sen. Barack Obama - 28%
Sen. John Edwards - 25%
Rep. Dennis Kucinich - 17%
Gov. Bill Richardson - 12%
Sen. Hillary Clinton - 11%
Sen. Joe Biden - 6%
Sen. Chris Dodd - 1%

Chris Bowers of MyDD, a leading voice in the liberal blogosphere, fervently believes that there is NO contest between Hillary Clinton and the two other Democratic hopefuls, Barack Obama and John Edwards. Bowers, a deeply knowledgable political analyst, postulates that polls inflate Clinton support:

"I bet not a single one of these polls makes any attempts to adjust for the primary / caucus rules specific to the state where people are being polled...

Again, Clinton is weaker among high-information Democrats who are more likely to vote in Democratic primaries than she is among all self-identified Democrats."

The Hillary-Obama Race: Quite Real, Very Close
In contrast to Chris Bowers, I believe that the contest between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for the 2008 Democratic nomination is quite real and exceptionally close. And it's far from decided.

I also believe that the Clinton-Obama race is healthy for the Democratic party and the country, and is fostering debate and discussions on a variety of important issues. And this debate will likely continue into early 2008, when primary voters select the winner.

In two weeks, I will be attending, both as a voting delegate and a member of the press, the 2007 California Democratic Party Convention, at which candidates Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Richardson, Dodd and Kucinich are slated to speak.

While I presently lean toward Obama, I hear that Hillary Clinton delivers a powerful and popular stump speech.

I promise you this: both during and after the convention, I will to continue to report the very latest on the Great American Debate: Hillary or Obama?

Related Reading
Hillary Clinton in 2008 Info Center at About.com Liberal Politics
Barack Obama in 2008 Info Center at About.com Liberal Politics
About.com's Guide to Folk Music by Kim Ruehl
Better Living: Thoughts from Mark Daniels, April 9, 2007: The Experienced Democrat?
MyDD, April 12, 2007: Most Primary Polls Inflating Clinton's Advantage