Barack Obama for president

I stayed up until 4 a.m. Paris time watching the Democratic Presidential Debate. It was good to see both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama keeping a civil tone in discussing substantive issues. I think both candidates did a fairly good job in explaining their positions. Since John Edwards dropped out of the race, I am supporting Barack Obama. To me, his philosophy can be summed up in one statement he made last night:

 "I don't want to just end the war, but I want to end the mindset that got us into war in the first place."

 

That line epitomises so much about our previous governments: about our need for a better understanding of the world, its cultural and religious differences; about the ever-present need for dialogue. Like the Bruce Springsteen song Lonesome Day urges, "...better ask questions before you shoot." As former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter has said, refusing to talk to a leader - simply because one disagrees with him - is ridiculous. That's like saying 'I'm going to pick up my marbles and go home because I don't like you. And I'm not going to talk to you anymore.' If leaders don't talk to each other, how will any problems be resolved?

McCain's statements about France were misleading

I watched much of the Republican debate Wednesday, until I got annoyed at McCain's false and misleading statements and Romney laughing incredulously, then letting them pass without serious challenge. I've said previously that McCain's enthusiasm for keeping the US in Iraq "a hundred years," leaves me cold.

Early in the debate, McCain said that France now has a pro-American president. France's previous president, Jacques Chirac was also pro-American. The man was educated at Harvard and admired the United States, but disagreed with George Bush & Co.'s decision to rush headlong into a foolish war.  Although France - like many countries in Europe and around the world - disagreed with the Bush administration's invasion of Iraq - the French continued to be pro-American. Friends often disagree with each other. It doesn't mean they stop being friends, which was McCain's tired implication - that old Bush excuse for diplomatic failures, "You're either with us or against us."

The current French President Nicolas Sarkozy is a shrewd politician. He didn't make an overture to George Bush because he agreed with his politics or the war in Iraq. Au contraire! He visited Bush because the US soon will have another president and Sarkozy wanted to score political points in advance. He wanted to remind the Americans and Congress that France remains their friend and ally - just not where Iraq is concerned.

Also McCain talked about France getting 80 percent of its energy from nuclear power plants. What he didn't mention is how wildly expensive electricity is in France. A typical two-month electric bill for a two-bedroom Paris apartment is between 100 to nearly 400 euros (about $149 to $595), depending upon the season. This is the reason most homes don't have clothes dryers - the electricity costs would be prohibitive.

Why won't he just go away?

Remember Ralph Nader's role in thwarting Al Gore's win in 2000? It seems to me Nader could find more constructive things to do than try to spoil elections. Remember when he was doing good work as a consumer advocate? Yet again, Nader has formed a presidential exploratory committee. This week he told ABCNews.com  that he will launch another presidential bid if he can raise enough money to appear on state ballots this fall. Nader said he needs to attract enough lawyers "willing to work free of charge" to get his name on state ballots as an independent candidate.

And what about you? Who's your preferred presidential candidate? Will you be voting in the primary elections on Tuesday, Feb. 5th?