All Thanks This Day to Our Sisters and Brothers in New Hampshire

The role of upstart this election cycle is being handled very capably by Barack Obama, and I'm excited to see him nominated to the Democratic ticket -in 2012. What he proposes to do if elected sounds like a bad idea: purging all the old cronies from Baghdad didn't work out too well, did it? Why should we think it is a good idea for Washington? You're left with a bunch of neophytes who don't know what they're doing and everything just stops for four years. Bill Clinton was certainly guilty of that mistake. I want a more seasoned Obama, when he's spent more time reading the currents at DC and knows better who should stay and who should go.

Mike Huckabee is not so much an upstart but a non-starter. Folks, the man is to the right of George W Bush when it comes to tax cuts. His national sales tax proposal would increase the share of taxes paid by the middle class. Aren't we trying to get away from that?

I'm encouraged by John McCain's edge up in New Hampshire, as well as Hillary Clinton's; these are the two best candidates running. He is a figure of staunch political will and has proven time and again that he can bring together disparate views for positive results -corporate reform during the current administration was a well-nigh heroic achievement, given the prevailing love affair with the private sector.

A contest between he and Clinton is the kind of presidential race our country deserves, and certainly will be the most compelling we've had since 1992. Hillary Clinton is the woman to win the Democratic nomination, a politician of reform values; it is criminal the way Obama demonizes her for her politics, calling them the "old Washington", when in fact she is as progressive as he is. It's like he's calling the kettle... well, nevermind.

I despaired for our country in 2004, when we had such a pair of shlubbs vying for the executive, an incumbent who was slowly and steadily dismantling the gains of thirty years, and a challenger whose only distinction was his service. Let's have some real candidates this year, please!