we must accept finite disappointment ...

... but we must never lose infinite hope.
－ Martin Luther King, Jr.

OK, you've probably wondered about it already, so I guess I should come on out with my little confession. I've not been opining and pontificating about the Democratic nomination contest *not* because it hasn't been fascinating and *not* because I haven't been following it － I mean, really, a black man and a white woman are our choices? Have I died and gone to heaven? The truth is, I've not been blogging about the competition between Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama because I call this a feminist blog, but I, ladies and gentlemen, am a Mama for Obama.

Which just goes to show you how really easy it still is to stumble into that old standby, the "feminism means anti-male" trap. Feminism is not about joining the She-Woman-Man-Haters Club. Feminism is about having options unfettered by discrimination, and about women supporting each others' choices, regardless of whether they're the same ones we would make for ourselves.

So, having reminded you all and myself of that fact, I'm coming clean: I'm backing Barack for president. I'm not going to go into all the whys and wherefores right here and now, but I will say when Clinton and Obama first emerged as the key contenders for the nomination, I was leaning toward Obama, but still extremely supportive of Clinton. The better of two goods, I thought. Win-win, right? But as the tete-a-tete (d)evolved, I became more and more disillusioned with and disappointed in Senator Clinton and her campaign for a vast variety of reasons, most of them having to do with doing politics the old way (mud treatment, anyone?) vs. creating a new way to run a political campaign (I think it's connected to the fabled "high road" I've heard tell of). Bottom line for me: Every time Senator Obama talks about going backward vs. moving forward, I find myself nodding until my neck aches.

All that finally put out there, Senator Clinton did a sit-down, town-hall-type meeting with MomLogic.com a few weeks ago (May 3rd), and I must say, if I had seen more of this Hillary and less of the mean-dog-with-a-bone-no-snarls-barred-think-my-bark-is-bad-wait-until-you-feel-my-bite Clinton, then she might still have stood a chance of gaining my support. Click through and be surprised by how relaxed, personable, genuine and funny this trailblazing woman can be.

There are nine excerpts from the interview posted at MomLogic － begin here with Senator Clinton's Mother's Day wish, then scroll down the page for more clips.