Obama and the roll of the dice

The choice between Obama and Clinton has clarified, and it looks like Obama has the edge. Ironically, it was Bill Clinton himself who convinced me that Obama was the man for the hour. I’ll explain.

The evening before Super Tuesday, I was invited to attend what turned out to be the San Francisco leg of Senator Clinton’s national town hall meeting. Bill Clinton was there, and I got to shake his hand. Pretty cool.

Anyway, as Bill was making the rounds after the event, he focused on a knot of people, myself among them, who remained undecided. And he said, in effect, "If you think that inspiration is the most important thing right now, then by all means you should vote for Obama. If you think, however, that the ability to wrestle with and solve the many problems we face to day is the more important, then you have to vote for Hillary." Bill made clear he felt she was the best he had ever seen at coming up with solutions to complex problems.

And my decision was confirmed right then and there - I was an Obama man. I think Bill nailed it, just as he had when he exclaimed that a vote for Obama was a role of the dice. What he didn’t realize, or more likely just doesn’t want to admit, is that we need that roll of the dice right now, we need that inspiration. The whole world needs that inspiration.

I’ll admit right of the bat that I still like Senator Clinton’s policy proposals a whole lot more than I do Obama’s. Hers are clearer, more focused, and better targeted to achieving the results she seeks. At least to date, Obama’s are comparatively broad and less likely to achieve positive results. But here’s the thing – I don’t think a President Hillary Clinton will be able to get her proposals enacted. She doesn’t inspire that call to action, that passion that is required to accomplish real change.

Obama has that ability to inspire. He charges us to believe in the possible, to feel good about our country and our people again. And, because he can summon that passion, he will get things done.

So the choice for me was between Clinton, who’s policies I prefer, but whom I suspect will not be able to bring those proposals to fruition, and Obama, who I suspect just may well be able to accomplish whatever he sets his administration’s sights on. Clinton would approach foreign policy as a deal-maker, whereas Obama will approach foreign policy by calling on people to rise to greater heights. With Obama, there is a possibility for real transformation, both within our country and throughout the world, and that is worth a roll of the dice.