10:54 am - Tues 2/5/08
Super-Tuesday

As you might imagine, I'm following news of a possible end to the Writers strike with great interest.

It could be over early as next week, if there aren't any more negotiating snags, and the WGA rank-and-file approve the deal once they get it (Which, according to the article I just read, could happen this coming Friday).

I hope it is really coming to an end, but I'm leery of being too hopeful, especially when it seems all the "leaks" about a deal are coming from the AMPTP (i.e. the Producers), while the WGA is cautioning that there are still things to work out, and no deal is in place just yet.

(There's supposed to be a news "blackout" on the negotiations. And to my way of thinking, the only reason to "leak" that things are over before they're actually over, is to pressure the other side to make a deal or else look like "the bad guys" who are holding up progress.)

But anyway...

The more important story today, to the country at large, is that it's "Super Tuesday".

To be honest, and to my embarrassment, I haven't been following the primaries all that closely. I haven't seen a single debate, and while I clearly intended to become better informed at one point - I have a number of Time and Newsweek magazines on my bed, waiting to be read - I never got around to actually getting better informed.

And now here we are - "Super Tuesday".

(In an election year, it can be hard getting unbiased info about the issues involved and what the candidates really stand for, when the media is only interested in reporting on the sexier, "horse race" aspect of the story. But that's no excuse; it may no longer be possible to be well-informed by osmosis - my preferred method - but the info is always out there. Now you just have to look for it.)

One nice thing this year - Looking on either side of the aisle, Democrat or Republican, I have to say I'd be more comfortable with any of them leading the country than the doofus we've had in the White House the past eight years (Looking past politics, it would just be nice if I felt like the person running our country was smarter and more capable than I am).

All that said, I will, of course, be voting Democrat. Because whatever its flaws, I still feel the Democratic party speaks more to the way I view the world in general, and government in particular, than the Republicans.

And I think it's cool that, as a Democrat, I get to potentially make history with my vote this year. That's kind of exciting.

I was somewhat leaning towards Hillary, but I read an editorial recently that swayed me a bit towards Obama.

Something I'm looking for, personally, is the opportunity to feel good about the country again, to feel inspired when the President speaks, instead of embarrassed.

So while I feel both Democratic candidates are good people, capable of doing the job - and I imagine they see the world more as I do than their Republican counterparts - when asked, as the editorial did, "Who is more capable of inspiring us to be our best selves, to do better, to do more good, than we might have thought possible?"...well, it's hard to imagine Hillary in that role.

Yes, I want someone to be a good manager as President, but more importantly, I want someone to be a great Leader.

Well, I should wrap this up and go vote...

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