So...Barack Obama wins in South Carolina

Seems like a lot more press is dedicated to the Democratic race, particularly between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Last week, I managed to catch the webcast of the latest debate (it was only just the two of them and John Edwards - no Mike Gravel - not sure why he hasn't dropped out yet - and Dennis Kucinich has since dropped off the ballot), and I managed to convince my wife to watch the last half-hour with me and then she saw some of the highlights...she said the same thing as I was thinking - Clinton comes off as very pompous and incredibly fake. I don't question Edwards' sincerity (and I like his stance against gay marriage) and Obama exudes confidence yet is humble at the same time. Clinton- there's something about her aura - she appears wooden, aloof, and not incredibly warm. When another candidate gets under her skin, she starts to show her true self. It's kind of weird...for a woman, she doesn't seem to have many feminine qualities - she seems like she's really trying hard to act like a man...but I digress. I hope Clinton doesn't win, regardless, but I'm not a Democrat or a left winger, so when it comes down to it, I couldn't care less which Democrat wins. On the other hand, I do have a copy of one of Hillary Clinton's books, signed by her (it's an investment vehicle, nothing more). If she gets the nomination, it'd be a good time to flip that book for some cash.

Anyhow, Obama wins South Carolina. Can't say I'm surprised. As much as people try to take race out of the picture when it comes to constituency, you can't really avoid it when you see that Oprah (who is black, of course) backs Obama, and in state where around half the voters are black, and 80% of them vote for Obama, it's hard not to make those connections or form conclusions. Yes, it was a pleasant surprise to see Obama win Iowa, a state with something like 97% white folks. He's leading in delegates currently, but that's for now - the projections on Super Tuesday (Feb. 5) seems to indicate that Clinton will be in the lead (with big states like New York and California seemingly being pro-Clinton) this time next month. But then again, Obama has garnered some big name supporters like former presidential candidate John Kerry and just today, Caroline Kennedy (not sure how strong her influence is, but anyway...)

Now, enough of the Democrats. Guess that's where the heated race is. And I guess people want to see who will triumph - the woman or the black man. But there is another party and on the Republican side, the general feeling is that John McCain seems to be the guy who will be on the Republican ticket this November. I really hope not. Not because he's old (doesn't bother me at all). He's a really, really soft conservative. His positions are fairly centrist, which I'm sure really piss off the conservative evangelical segment of voters. I can understand completely, and it is for that reason that I hope that Mike Huckabee wins. Even though I'm not an American, I donated to Huckabee's campaign just about a month ago. Ron Paul is an interesting choice, but not really a factor, despite the internet support - I find that he's a bit too libertarian for my liking and I am not crazy about his pro-home-schooling positions. Not to mention his views on an immediate pullout in Iraq (which is neither plausible nor realistic). Thank goodness Giuliani is buried in there and trailing badly - I hope he drops out - he was never a candidate that I could see American conservatives supporting. As for Mitt Romney - I can't seem to read that guy. His NRA gaffe made me go hmmm... (buying votes, anyone? The NRA gave him a crappy rating, anyway), and watching him on interviews - he seems a bit too polished for my liking. At least Huckabee has a sense of humour and is willing to jam with the Tonight Show band, and be himself. Romney seems too much like a typical weasely politician. Plus, his social policies make me ill. McCain needs to make some serious inroads into the conservative grassroots populace if he stands a chance of winning the presidency. When James Dobson doesn't endorse you, you are in trouble if you consider yourself a conservative.