Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Pennsylvania, blah, blah

This post isn't about the Pennsylvania primary. This post is about before the primary, when progressive folks like Amanda Marcotte said things like this:
For obvious reasons, a lot is riding on the primary today, though I wouldn’t say it’s all over after today, because god knows Clinton and Obama could come out neck and neck, and this could all continue on.
Emphasis mine.

On the contrary, though. Absolutely nothing was riding on that primary, or on any of the primaries. Some small but non-trivial amount is riding on the presidential election in November, sure. But there is absolutely no amount riding on the decision between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. The competition between the two is utterly, entirely meaningless.

Quick! Pop quiz: name the candidate!
  1. Which candidate proposes a health care plan that gives "consumers" a choice of which for-profit corporation you want to give money to, as well as a government-run program?
  2. Which candidate wants to remove troops from Iraq while "strengthening" the military's ability to kill people in the name of "security?"
  3. Which candidate will "secure our borders" from the brown immigrant hordes of Mexico?
  4. Which candidate wants to reduce carbon emissions through a market-based cap-and-trade system?
  5. Which candidate supports global capitalism and American hegemony?
  6. Which candidate is sponsored and approved of by corporate interests such as health insurance providers, oil and gas companies, drug companies, and weapon manufacturers?
If you answered "both, because they're fucking identical" to any of the above, you get an A for not being a sucker for pretty words and pictures.

There is no compelling reason to prefer Barack Obama (or John Edwards, or any other former candidate) over Hillary Clinton, or the reverse. Their few good points are the same, and their many bad points are as well. All that matters is not having a Republican president again, and even that really doesn't matter enough to care for any more time than it takes to cast a vote. Change happens elsewhere.

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