Big O

As I think about the candidates from both parties, I can't but appreciate what a unique candidate Barack Obama was. 

He came after the economic and geopolitical catastrophes of Bush; had opposed the Iraq debacle; ran against a candidate with no more horse sense than to pick a Sarah Palin as running mate; and, not insignificantly, gave Americans a chance to have a black president.

Did I mention he was eloquent? Did I throw in he was smart, in the best sense, in that he learns?

Very hard to reproduce such an abundance of characteristics and qualifications now.

Certainly nothing remotely comparable to be found among this year's crop of would-be nominees.

Trump, Cruz, Rubio, Kasich are contemptible at best, evil at worst, and on average contemptible and evil at the same time.

Moving on.

I wish I could say something really nice about the Dems. But Hillary is a mess sure to beget further messes. Mess-making is her history and métier. Trust her about that, and about hardly anything else. (I say hardly because she does at, her core, assuming you get through and arrive at it, believe in health care and women's rights.)

Bernie, face it, really nice guy, but a bit old. Unless I misread the Wiki, Sanders, at 73, would be this country's oldest elected President, assuming election.

I know, we age better, these days, but sorry, 73 is not the new 43.

Bernie continues to think "political revolution" is announced and instigated from above. It isn't. It's almost cute he thinks so. But it isn't.

I like him, I trust him, but he's sclerotic.

History, context, personality, talent make Obama unique.

The Big O will be out of office in a few months.

We, who want to prevent the worst, have to do it with the best we have.

Should we fail, history does one of those nasty 180 switchbacks it's fond of.

And that we have to climb out of again.