Ohio Election - Obama or Clinton?

The State of Ohio 2008 Presidential primary takes place this Tuesday.
So, which candidate should I vote for: Senator Barack Obama or Senator Hillary Clinton?

Simple answer for me: Barack Obama.
Why?

He's as far from the "typical" candidate we have, and the typical Washington politics just are not cutting it with regard to the concerns paramount to the middle-class these days: economy, health care, foreign policy, etc. We need some serious change of direction.

Prior to an earlier blog a month or two ago about supporting Senator John Edwards, I have never expressed any political opinions on my blog. I was disappointed to see Edwards get no further than he did (though, it wouldn't surprise me if he jumped on as a Vice Presidential candidate for Obama yet). I liked Edwards because he very openly attacked "business as usual" in Washington, and though his message seemed to not be enough to get votes early in this campaign, similar messages from the leading candidates are now acceptable it appears.

Barack has definitely taken up where Edwards left off, and he seems emboldened enough to really try to make a difference in Washington. Don't get me wrong here: it's not just because he is a Democrat that I like him. If there was a great Republican candidate that was focused on fixing some of what's wrong with this country, I'd certainly consider them also. But, the Republican ticket looks like it'd simply lead to another 4 years of a Bush-like era, where Ohio has experienced a less-than-positive effect from those economic policies (according to 60 minutes this evening, the median income in Ohio has dropped 10% during Bush's Presidency - and that is just scary!

So, here I am blogging about my hopes that someone, Barack Obama in particular, will focus on our own Country as much as the current administration is focused on the Middle East and moving jobs to China and abroad. We CAN reverse this massive sucking sound (of all our Capital being sucked out of the USA at a record pace for war spending, Middle East and foreign oil, and Chinese goods). We can, instead, use Ohio's manufacturing might to build solar cells, windmills, and other products that will wean us off this foreign cash-draining oil! We also have some leading health-care technology manufacturers here too, that could certainly help spread modern health-care to the masses (presuming we implement a universal health-care system somehow).

Something has to change. Here's hoping Barack Obama can be the vehicle of change that will help Ohio, and the rest of the United States, start moving in a direction that addresses the concerns of the middle-class and the less fortunate. How can we continue to ignore the issues that are weighing heavily on the Country? Again, the evening 60 minutes piece tonight should give anyone concern (if you didn't see it - the piece about how medical "rescue" operations, that formerly were helping outside this country, are now helping with the crisis of uninsured here in the USA - it was just downright scary how close we all are to being dependent on the goodwill of others).

We need to start treating people, our friends and neighbors, as more important than the insane pursuit of ever-more money and ever more consumer goods. This is not to say I don't believe in business pursuits, Capitalism, or improving one's self and economic position. But, if the health of our people is less important than cheap consumer goods and electronics, what does that say about where we are as a culture? Let's adjust our priorities a bit and start putting our own health at the top of the list. And, this opinion is coming from someone that has health insurance and has what should be adequate coverage -- but, from someone that clearly sees how little it can take to move ANYONE from the ranks of healthy and insured to uninsured and at risk. It's just not something people should have to be so worried about.

We're the only major industrialized and "advanced" economy in the world without National health-care. It's time for change. So, bring it on Barack Obama, and I wish you luck getting the rest of Washington on board! And, I really want wind and solar power (and American energy independence) to boot!