It's About Good Judgment, Stupid! Why Jean Weiss is Right about Obama

I'm a relatively new member of Kos, having joined right when the manufactured "bittergate" scandal was taking place.  I'm an academic who writes about issues of racial equality, affirmative action, and school segregation.  So, yes, I'm one of those SF liberal elite types who are overwhelmingly supporting Obama.  

I don't drink lattes, though, and I'm actually a relatively new Obama supporter, having come on board shortly before Super Tuesday.  Early in the primary season, I believed that Obama was indeed too inexperienced to become president, and that in an ideal world, HRC would become the nominee with Obama as her running-mate, setting him to become President in 2016.  

I don't believe that anymore.  After watching Obama's press conference yesterday and hearing him talk about the gas tax holiday, I now firmly believe that Obama has what it takes to be president, and while Clinton has lots of experience in insider politics, she seems to be lacking a quality that is essential for good leadership: good judgment.  

During this ugly primary race, HRC's actions have proven to me only that she has a very bad sense of judgment.  And if you have bad judgment, all the experience in the world doesn't count for anything.  More below the fold.

The gas tax holiday nonsense is the latest evidence of HRC's poor judgment.    So, let's see, we have "inexperienced" Obama and all the economists, including HRC shill Paul Krugman, saying the gas tax holiday is a really dumb idea, while on the other side, we have the ultra-experienced wonder twins Hillary and McCain talking up the gas tax holiday as good policy.  

We also have had the "experienced" HRC going around talking about she is going to "obliterate" Iran, scaring the daylights out of our foreign allies with her recklessly maverick and apocalyptic rhetoric.  

Hmm, so if I had to choose between inexperience/good judgment versus experience/bad judgment, it's a no brainer.  I'll take inexperienced Obama, his integrity, and much, much sounder judgment over two politicians experienced, it seems, only in knowing how to play the Washington shell game and in pandering to voters with sound-bite friendly, but empty and dangerous policies.  

HRC is going around trying to sell her gas tax holiday idea as proof that she takes "action" while her opponent just makes speeches.  But, the Bush administration took action in invading Iraq.  The Bush Administration took action to enforce the Patriot Act.  So, what good is taking action if it is based on bad judgment?  

The Obama campaign should respond to Hillary's "I'm taking action" mantra by saying that taking action based on bad policy is dangerous and reckless.  We need someone willing to think through the consequences of taking action and making the hard but right decision, even if the decision may not be politically expedient.  And what we don't need are any more presidents, experienced or inexperienced, who take action in maverick, cavalier, and reckless fashion.  

Judgment should become a main campaign theme for Obama in the general election.  Time and time again during the democratic primary campaign, Obama has shown himself to be consistent, wise, and one who will take action only after deliberate consideration.  Clinton, on the other hand, has shown herself as someone lots of experience in pandering to the basest desires and fears of voters.  

In the 2008 election, like the 1992 election, it definitely is about the economy, stupid.  

But, it's also about the war, stupid.
It's also about good judgment, stupid.
It's also about integrity, stupid.

And, it's about change, hope, and taking responsible action.    

If I had any doubts before, they have been completely "obliterated" over the past few months.  Obama has responded to each of his "crises" with dignity, integrity, good judgment, and a palpable sense of humanity and humility.

So, I'm fully with Jean Weiss on this one when she affectionately admonished Obama, "You better be president...You've gotta be president!"