By Ross Balano, Midwest Voices Columnist 2008

Back in January, I was hoping that Hillary Clinton would be the Democrat candidate for president. I wanted this for two reasons.

First, I thought she would be the easier candidate to defeat in the general election. Now, I think I might have been wrong about that one. I think if she were the nominee she would be up by 10 points or more over Senator McCain. After the rousing reception she got at the convention Tuesday night, I wonder if Democrats are wishing they would have chosen her instead of Barack Obama.

Second, I believed that if she did win the general election she would be a better president than Obama. I think I was right on that one.

Senator Clinton got the crowd going pretty good and on the surface it seemed to be a very good Democrat speech. It had the usual and predictable calls for more government programs. Democrats, she said will give you everything you need from preschool to college, universal health care and union jobs for all. We’ll stop global warming. We expected those remarks.

What she didn’t say is what struck me. She didn’t say Obama would be a great president. She said Michelle would be a great first lady but never that Barack would be a great president.

She didn’t say Obama was ready to be commander in chief and never said that Obama was ready to lead.

She seemed adamant that we need a Democrat in the White House but not that Obama was the guy.

Overall, I would say that Clinton did her duty for her party. She talked of unity as required and got a few shots in at McCain. I just didn’t get the feeling that she’s a big Obama fan and it seems there are more than a few Democrats who share that feeling.

In January everyone said that the election was the Democrat’s to lose. They may have done just that by picking the wrong candidate.