My Vote for Obama

I think it's safe to say that all the candidates for US President in 2008 have been extremely disappointing. Rudy thinks the constitution is a shackle for which we need to find more workarounds. McCain has sold out as a "Bush Republican" and has stopped being original so that he might appeal a little more broadly and not upset his party leaders. Hillary's a crook. Mitt has a stupid name (also he supports unreliable methods of torture that make us look bad internationally and are known to be unreliable and produce misinformation...and he's kind of a tool). Obama's the best of the lot, because there's nothing you can say about him. He's unobjectionable...but mostly because he hasn't DONE anything. Any accomplished state governor should be able to rip him to shreds. Obama, however, still might get my vote. And here's why:

Obama is the only candidate that has made a definitive statement that I wholeheartedly support. It happens to be a fashion statement, but in this presidential pre-race, I think we can agree that one can't afford to be picky.

On June 9th, the Wall Street Journal ran a fluff piece on "The Obama Look." Obama has made abold fashion statement, simultaneously full of leadership and comfort, by wearing suits without ties. I love suiting up, but I hate tightening an expensive noose around my only neck first thing in the morning, regardless of how impeccable my taste may be. I can get behind that, and if he gets elected president, I think the trend will catch on like wildfire. Tieless could be the new tuxedo, which would be fantastic--especially given how good I look in a blue suit without a tie.

While the other candidates have shown themselves to be the kinds of guys to steer our nation into a giant nose-dive, making our country one big plummeting metaphor headed inexorably for a crash site paved with the principles upon which their about-to-explode aircraft was founded, Obama would probably just be a lateral move. And if he pioneered a fashion trend that would make my fellow Americans and me more comfortable, he's got my vote. At least until something real comes along.