The Competence Question

It's an important one, and a corrective to my leaning toward Obama. A reader writes:

Just some anecdotal evidence to supplement your belief that everyone under 40 is voting for Obama. I'm a (gay) law student in Boston. There is quite a lively debate within the community about who we should support in the primary. While you're correct that Obama has more support among young people, particularly those in advanced programs, I've found that his advantage is not at all overwhelming.

It goes almost without saying that most people under 40 want a clean break from the debacle of the Bush presidency, but part of what makes his presidency such a disaster is the basic incompetence with which he, and members of his administration, exercise the powers they are charged with exercising. Clinton, whatever else you can say about her, exudes competence. Furthermore, she exudes this competence much more so than does Obama. That is what many, including myself, see as the tipping point.