Once we get past the limited selection of candidates, I really can’t complain about the outcome of today’s primaries.  As a registered Democrat, I viewed the Republican primary from the perspective of which candidate would be easier to beat in November.  Additionally, as a realist, I also considered which Republican would do the least damage as President, if the election went badly. 

A Huckabee candidacy would be both hilarious and an endless opportunity for critics of all types, but the Republicans won’t provide us with a gift of this magnitude. (No matter how much we all relish the thought of debate questions concerning dinosaurs as pets…) 

While McCain might prove to be a formidable candidate, I feel that the country could survive a single term McCain presidency.  Thinking about how four years in the White House ages even the most obsessive workaholics, the 72 year old McCain will be ready for the old sailor’s home after one term.  I believe that a Congress with stronger Democratic majorities in both houses would be able to stifle just about any major legislation proposed by McCain.  And for all of his “100 year war” nonsense, I honestly believe that the former POW will be more restrained than any other Republican candidate when it comes to actually putting our soldiers in harms way.  (His stand against torture confirms that he can be trusted to follow his own beliefs, regardless of his party’s efforts to align behind an indefensible, purely ideological position.)  If their nonstop complaining can be taken seriously, the far right pundits claim that McCain will have a hard enough time dragging conservative Republicans to the polls in November that they may very well defeat themselves.

Romney is the dangerous wild card: history indicates that he is open to backing any position that helps his candidacy.  He has the worst (most frightening) traits of Reagan in that he appeals to people who have no logical reason to like the man. He smiles easier than Bill Clinton, but without even the pretense of sincerity. His “business acumen” only proves that he could do more damage in four years than GWB could in a lifetime.   While he appears an easy mark for the Democrats, I just have horribly bad feelings about him; and the sudden rush to his side by the worst of the far right lunatic fringe only confirms my concerns.   If I had to choose a highlight from tonight’s results, it would be the effective end of the Romney candidacy.

Back home in the Democratic party, we were choosing between the lesser of two evils.  I was an Edwards backer, as he was the only one of the three “serious” candidates to openly address the severe economic inequalities responsible for most of America’s social problems.  With Edwards gone, my choice is based on the reverse of the logic I used with the Republicans.  With Hillary and Barack, I’m siding with the unknown potential versus the well known limitations.  I don’t need to discuss Clinton; we all know everything about her.  With Obama, I am hoping that he is playing hard to the center for political reasons.  But on the day of his inauguration, the real Obama will be revealed.

Eight term Illinois Congressman, and Obama supporter Bobby Rush joins Obama onstage.  He removes his overcoat to reveal a black leather car coat.  He dons a black beret and dark sunglasses; Rush the co-founder of the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party will lead the Obama cabinet. From the rear of the stage comes Angela Davis, Bobby Seale, David Hilliard, Elaine Brown, Flores Forbes…

If I believed in God, I would sell my soul if Obama would reveal himself to be a radical who conned white America to win the presidency.  This is my dream for an America we could all be proud of.