Democratic Nomination

Now that Barack Obama has clinched the nomination, I have a few closing thoughts and comments on the Democratic race. One, I am glad that Hillary Clinton stuck in the race till the end. I wasn't particularly happy with the way she carried herself at points (good article on her candidacy), like claiming she had won the popular vote when Obama wasn't even on the Michigan ballot. But, I'm glad that every state, and even territories that can't vote for president, actually got to vote and have it matter.

I like the fact that the primaries are spaced out and it allows a lot of time for candidates to campaign in each state, and not just the swing states. A lot of people got to see candidates and go to rallies who would have otherwise never had the chance, and I think that this greater level of involvement in government is a huge plus. However, I hate the fact that some states always have their primaries first, and they have a greater weight in determining the winner. I think a lottery system would be a major help in democratizing the process.

I thought that Gail Collins made some very nice points about Hillary Clinton's candidacy in her recent op-ed piece. In particular, I liked this section:
So many battles against prejudice are won when people get used to seeing women and minorities in roles that only white men had held before. By the end of those 54 primaries and caucuses, Hillary had made a woman running for president seem normal.

I believe that the next woman who runs for president will have a much easier path thanks to Clinton. She did put up with a lot of unnecessary crap from the media. I couldn't believe how many professionals made pantsuits jokes. I don't think I heard any jokes about how the male candidates dressed or looked. But she kept going. The next woman to run will have a clearer idea of what to expect and how to overcome obstacles.

People begged Clinton to drop out. I would have appreciated it if she were more modest about her chances of winning once it was pretty clear that she was likely to lose. The degree in which she believes in herself is admirable, although it perhaps borders on delusional. But I do appreciate her sticking in the race and giving every primary and caucus a meaning when so many others wanted her to quit, which would have been the less democratic option.

I don't think that she was the best candidate for president, but I think that it was very important for her to run and establish the normalcy of women going toe-to-toe with male candidates for the presidency. Hopefully it will soon be normal to have female presidents too.