Hats in the Ring

Well, today's the day, isn't it? The day the primary season officially begins, and voters begin paring down their lists of viable candidates until just two remain standing. The Common Man will offer no predictions at this point, though he will remind you that he foresaw a strong finish for John Edwards back in July. As for today's vote, if the polls are any indication, Iowa is completely up for grabs in both parties. Not that it truly matters, mind you. As long as a candidate finishes strong, he (or she!) will demonstrate viability to carry over into New Hampshire next week. Unless, of course, that candidate is Mitt Romney or Hilary Clinton, for whom a defeat in Iowa would demonstrate considerable weakness (especially for Romney, who figures to get little support in South Carolina in a couple of weeks).

So who is The Common Man supporting? On one hand, it doesn't really matter. By the time that Pennsylvania votes, everyone will know who the nominee will be. But one must choose, musn't one? So The Common Man did. Up until recently, The Common Man had faced a dilemma. He was torn between two extremes, Barak Obama and Mike Huckabee. Surprised? So was The Common Man.

Obama's case was fairly clearcut. In a time when relatively few Americans trust their government or the politicians who inhabit it, Obama represents change and hope for a better future. Change because, of course, Obama is a relative newcomer to Washington politics and would be the first African-American president in this country's history (unless you count 24's David Palmer, a possibility The Common Man is not ready to discount just yet). Hope because, of all the candidates running for the Oval Office, Obama's words seem to inspire others in a way reminiscent of Democratic giants of the past, Kennedy, Roosevelt, Clinton. And, of course, as a Democrat, Obama believes in the various social programs that The Common Man believes the Federal government needs to have a hand in, social security, basic health care for children and the infirm, and increased funding for schools. And among his Democratic rivals, Obama's exit strategy for Iraq seems to be one of the more sane approaches (a staged pullout of most of the troops, an advisory force left behind for training, and the option to reinsert troops should the situation become untenable).

Huckabee, however, won The Common Man over with his truly compassionate sounding Conservatism and Christianity. On his website, he explains that "when it comes to the environment, I believe in being a good steward of the earth." Likewise, when discussing his pro-life views, he points out that "Life doesn't begin at conception and end at birth. Every child deserves a quality education, first-rate health care, decent housing in a safe neighborhood, and clean air and drinking water. Every child deserves the opportunity to discover and use his God-given gifts and talents." Perhaps most importantly, Huckabee has argued for remaining in Iraq as a moral issue. As The Common Man wrote in May, the issue in Iraq should boil down to the old "if you break it you buy it," store policy: "Any effort to leave the country, at this point, may be emotionally satisfying, but is immoral and will damage America's already shaky credibility with the people of the next country it invades (The Common Man is looking at you Iran!). Indeed, how can citizens of the countries that we "liberate" have any enthusiasm for our presence if our appearance is the harbinger of disaster, chaos, and destruction? The Common Man believes that the U.S. is obligated to stay.

Ultimately, however, I was frustrated by Huckabee's stance on gay rights. He writes, "I support and have always supported passage of a federal constitutional amendment that defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman. As President, I will fight for passage of this amendment. My personal belief is that marriage is between one man and one woman, for life." It's one thing for Huckabee to believe that marriage, particularly religious marriage is a heterosexual construct, it's another for him to push for the Federal government to sanction just whom its citizens can have relationships with, and what nature those relationships should take. Such a stance is directly in opposition to core conservative values. Indeed, while anti-homosexual groups like to argue that government's recognition of same sex unions would lead to a slippery slope of legalized perversion until you could marry your pet llama in a Catholic cathedral, a far more likely scenario, in The Common Man's humble opinion, is that the government could use this precedent to continue to limit the relationships Americans can form with each other. Christians and Jews wouldn't be allowed to do business together. Children from black neighborhoods wouldn't be allowed in white ones. And nobody better talk to the Arabs. Coupled with Huckabee's either unforgivably ignorant or cynically pandering call for the quarantining of AIDS patients in 1991, it's clear that Huckabee's views on homosexuality bend slightly sinister. The Common Man simply was not comfortable supporting a man who would violate his supposed core moral and political beliefs because of his apparent bigotry.

So in the end, The Common Man was left with Obama. Less of a fairweather candidate than Hilary. More viable than Biden (also, this country has had enough of Presidents sticking their foots in their mouths). Less crazy than Bill Richardson (who wants an immediate troop withdraw, Iraq and American interests be damned). And, well, The Common Man is stuck to find a tangible reason to pick him over Edwards, except that he just seems to be a step below in all respects.

Of course, The Common Man reserves the right to change his mind at any point over the next 11 months. Now get out and vote, Iowa.