American politics and bathtub toys.

Doodle has this toy from Disneyland, it's a bathtub sized replica of one of the Small World Canal boats. A small plastic vessel with five occupants, a boy from China, a girl from Japan, a boy from an unidentified African culture, a boy from Italy and a boy from Mexico. Seems harmless right? Well, for this bleeding heart liberal it causes a myriad of problems. ( OK, it's a bath toy, maybe "problem" is too big a word) See, for the boat to float and not capsize, the boy from Mexico has to be driving and the boy from Italy has to be in the backseat, on the left. This leaves the boy from China, boy from Africa and the only girl in the boat to duke it out for the three remaining seats, two in the middle row and one in the back. Well...If I put the only girl in the back my feminist upbringing growls. I was raised with the voices of Dr. King and Mrs. Rosa Parks ringing in my ears, I cannot put the boy from with dark skin in the back seat either. (I know the difference between a black African and an African American... but still) This leaves only the boy from China, seems a bit unfair that he always shares the backseat with the gondolier from Italy but I guess that is the price you pay for being the only western European and a member of the most populace country on earth. I would really like for everyone to take turns driving, and to switch places once in a while, but it never happens. I always put the people in the boat in the same order; Mexico first, Japan and Africa next, and Italy and China in the back. Sad isn't it. Even in a toy I can see hierarchy. And why is the African boy not specific to one culture? Or is it me? Do I just no know enough about Africa ( a resounding yes would be appropriate here.)

Now, you might be wondering how this relates to American politics? Maybe you aren't, maybe you never read the title of these things... The Democrats have me over a barrel with the current field running. I believe that Obama is the best candidate they have; the guy who should be driving, or at least riding shotgun and in any case should not be in the back seat. But then there is Hilary Clinton. She is not my favourite woman in the world, she has problems, big ones. I don't entirely trust her and frankly she just bugs me. BUT, and it is a big one. She is my generations best shot at the White House. I have never really believed that I would see a woman president in my lifetime. How can I put her in the backseat? It's a dilemma! Do I hope for the first black president? or the first woman? Clinton/Obama or Obama/ Clinton. These are the things that keep me up at night. I live in a mostly blue state. I think it is pretty clear that our delegates will go to whomever the democratic party nominates. I just don't know who I want that to be. And lets be truthful, they both have a long time to screw up. Between now and the national election they could both self destruct. And will anyone in the red states vote for a woman or black man? Is putting either one of them in charge of the boat going to sink the whole thing? Will immigration reform be the ultimate spoiler?

Bathtub politics, I guess it is never to early. Right?