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BARACK OBAMA, BITCHES!

Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, a first-term Democratic senator trying to become the nation’s first African-American president, rolled to victory in the Iowa caucuses on Thursday night, lifted by a record turnout of voters who embraced his promise of change. (”Obama and Huckabee take Iowa as Clinton falters,” IHT)

A-freakin’ ‘mazing, it’s actually happening! Obama won 37% of the vote, compared with 29.7% for Edwards and 29.5% for Clinton. So much for “electability” and “experience,” eh Hillary? Iowa is 91% white and voted for Obama anyway (only 50% white), suggesting that may be America really has made it past 1965. Meanwhile, Hillary is frantically trying to climb the change wagon as the inherent contradiction between “experience” (what she supposedly has) and “change” (what people actually want) becomes rather apparent.

Hillary Clinton, in her Iowa concession speech, sought again to embrace the mantle of change that has served Obama so well, even as she was flanked on the stage by Clinton, his face frozen in a pained smile, and Madeleine Albright, who was Bill Clinton’s secretary of state. (”Iowa shakes up White House race,” IHT)

Thing is, a candidate campaigning on experience is basically promising more of the same, which is great if you’re Bill Clinton in 1996, not so great if you’re Hillary Clinton in 2008. I mean, a candidate would have experience in doing something he or shehasn’t done before. Besides, as Barack has noted, more experience doesn’t necessarily mean better judgment: Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld both had plenty of experience before becoming “Vice” President and Secretary of Defense. Heck, even Bush was at least Governor of Texas prior to destroying the country.

Regardless, I think Hillary would have done better to stay with her “experience” message instead of doing an about-face, because it’s obvious she’s only switching to Obama’s “change” message after seeing its success. First of all, that alienates people who bought into her original message. Second, it simply confirms the idea that she’s a politician and nothing more, the abundant sort of oily slick politician who will say whatever she needs to win.

Meanwhile, here’s Obama, possibly the last earnest guy on the planet, exactly the right face for a badly beaten America. If he pulls off New Hampshire then he’ll be first class on the Inevitability Train.

(Photo by danthesnoman)