Thoughts on the New Hampshire Primary

As voters go to the polls in New Hampshire today, our world is changing and our future is coming into view.

I've said that I have nothing against Barack Obama but that he isn't my candidate of choice. However, one issue that's always bothered me about him - and on which many of his supporters are uninformed - is his position on the war in Iraq.

Sure, it's easy to say that you don't support the war TODAY. Wouldn't we all say that or at least agree to some extent? While I'm not proud to admit it, I was a trusting American who was misled by our government and supported the initial efforts in Iraq. That was by far the popular opinion at the time and I can respect anyone - especially a presidential candidate - who can admit they were duped like many of us.

Obama has the luxury of no voting record on Iraq because he wasn't elected to the US Senate until 2004. And now he's using that as one of the tenets of his "change" campaign. In fact, Obama said in a 2004 speech that he didn't know how he would've voted on the Iraq resolution and that there was "no difference" between him and George Bush on the war.

Am I the only one who is concerned about his lack of experience? I mean, what has this guy really done? Sure, if he becomes the nominee I will support him because I'm a loyal Democrat, but I wonder if the dogmatic core of his supporters are fully aware of his position on some of the more divisive issues.

Chris asked me yesterday if I thought the campaign promises that candidates make bear any similarity to what they actually do in office. Rarely, I said, but not because they're trying to trick us in to voting for them (with the probable exception of Bush and company).

It's extremely difficult for one person to effect dramatic change, even the president. We are fortunate to live in a country where laws are enacted by a representative democracy, not one person. I'd love to believe Obama could make radical changes, but my question then is, if he's such a change agent, what has he done in the Senate or even in the Illinois State Senate to indicate he has the ability to DO and not just TALK??