Books I've Read So Far This Year

[nekosensei]

1. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
2. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
4. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
5. The Once and Future King by T. H. White
6. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
7. Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog
8. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

9. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama -- I have to admit that, during the primaries, I was torn between who I was going to vote for: Obama or Clinton. In fact, I don't think I picked a candidate until a day or two before the primary...I was that indecisive. In the end, I decided to vote for Obama because I felt that he was a good communicator/writer and he sounded practical. For one, I think that we need someone who has a way with words to negotiate with other world leaders and extract ourselves from the mess we've made in the Middle East and elsewhere. In the spring, he also made some comments that weren't "the correct" thing to say when you're running for office and and he drew a fair amount of criticism for it. I forgot what it was offhand (*pounds head on desk*) and I remember hearing it on NPR on the way to anime night with doomsey. When I remember it, I'll post it. On the other hand, it was a reasonable thing to say. So...it sounds to me that he isn't afraid to speak his mind. The comments he made back in the spring (I think it was after the Reverend Wright scandal broke) about racism were well said.

When reading the book, there were a lot of things that I agreed with. Universal health care. Check. Improving our education so that we're more competitive on the world market. Check. Reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Big check. It seems to me that he has a good grasp on what's going on both domestically and internationally and that he has some ideas on how to improve things. That, and he's a far cry better then who we have now.

I know there are some disgruntled Clinton supporters on my friends list, and I'm going to ask that you don't flame me / run off and de-friend me, okay? It's not my intention to provoke anyone. I picked up the book because I wanted to know more about what Obama claims to stand for before the elections. And I realize that he's not perfect. No candidate is really. Over dinner, doomsey and I discussed an article in which the author opined that Obama's "nice-guy" persona is really an act, and that he's willing to throw anyone under the bus for political gain. I can believe that. I think that that's the way politics work. Would Clinton or McCain be any better in that respect? (hey look, I'm throwing Obama under the bus now!) Another part of me worries that he could pull a "Jimmy Carter" while in office. I think that Jimmy Carter's heart was in the right place, but he tackled too many projects at once and stretched himself too thin. That made him an "ineffectual" president. I understand that most effective presidents only focus on two or three things. I also think the comment where Obama called a female reporter-- a professional-- "sweetie" was inappropriate. I'll grant you that. On the other hand, at least he didn't call his wife a cunt. *cough* McCain in 1992 *cough cough* So...I'm not saying that Obama is the best thing since sliced bread. I'm saying that I think, out of the choices we've had, he's the best option.

So...now I have a somewhat related topic. I was thinking about this over dinner. Why? Why do you think anyone would do something completely crazy like running for president? What is their rationale? What makes a person like that tick? When you come down to it, it's a shitty job...and you take your work home with you every night...