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Why the US Needs to Elect Barack Obama as President
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The Bobster



Joined: 15 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 6:45 pm    Post subject: Why the US Needs to Elect Barack Obama as President Reply with quote

I noticed fiveeagles' thread with a title opposite to this is up to 10 pages but I also notice Obama hasn't been mentioned much in any of the last 3 or 4 pages of it ... I guess I should have opened this up for the contrary point of view some time ago, but I've been busy.

I�m going to try to do this without once referring to Mr Obama�s opponent, John McCain, or the GOP's veep Candidate, Sarah Palin. That�s because I personally feel he�d almost certainly be the best choice no matter who he might have run against. And, especially with Palin, we'd be repeating stuff we've been saying for a while, anyway.

I've got some more than this, but 7 is good number to get us started.

1. He has asserted and articulated what most of us know to be true, that the policies and direction of the GOP over the last 7 years have been little more than one disastrous mistake followed by another, and another after that. His campaign has focused itself on communicating this need and describing new directions for the course ahead.

2. Although he is undoubtedly a politician, he has on several occasion displayed an ability and a willingness to make difficult decisions and promote unpopular opinions even at the risk of jeopardy to his personal advancement, one example being his early opposition to the Iraq Fiasco at a time when nearly everyone else in public life felt the need to succumb or at least assent to the war fever rampant at the time, or be labeled unpatriotic. I think one way to describe this is true leadership, a stark contrast to most politicians who will merely craft a message based on the latest opinion polls, sensing the direction of the herd so they can get out in front of it and just look like they are leading people.

3. He is a gifted orator, able to exude both charisma and gravitas. The kind of changes the country needs right now are going to require someone who can not only promote some fresh and original ideas, but also be able to persuade large numbers of people that they are the best ideas around, even when the implementation will at times require sacrifices to be made.

4. Despite attempts by his opponents to muddy him, he remains relatively untainted by scandal � and most of those instances where the brush has been applied reflect only guilt-by-association, and tenuous association at that, and nothing more.

5. Aside from some experimenting with hard drugs in his � which have been described in his own memoirs rather than being revealed by the press or political enemies � he lives the clean, healthy, whole, and almost boring life of a devoted family man.

6. His stance on feminism includes a woman�s right to end an early pregnancy and displays a clear understanding and a commitment to a right of privacy and an intention to limit the reach of government into the private lives of citizens.

7. Due his background as a legal scholar, we can have some confidence that he will end the practice of circumventing, ignoring and at times completely abrogating civil liberties and constitutional protections, a situation that has been a distinctive and unfortunate hallmark of American government since the attacks of 9/11.

As I said, I have more. I'll stop by later and add a few.
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caniff



Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map

PostPosted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 8:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My fingers are crossed. Hopefully voting irregularity (i.e Diebold aka Premiere) isn't too much of a factor, because otherwise this is a done deal for Obama.
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jadarite



Joined: 01 Sep 2007
Location: Andong, Yeongyang, Seoul, now Pyeongtaek

PostPosted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 9:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Voting is nothing more than a placebo effect to make the common people think they have some control and avoid uprising.

The current population of America is (2008 estimate) 305,548,000 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States

This means that the only 2 guys that have a chance, Obama or McCain (if not assasinated), will be 6.5456164006964535e-9 of the population that can take office and make the decisions for everyone else. Do you want 3.2728082003482267e-9 of the population to rule over the country?

How much closer to a dictatorship do you need to see the idiocy in this? Do you need Bush X 1000 to get the message across? 911 X 1000?

Send your ballot in, shut off your brain, stop thinking, and go back to work SLAVE!!!! Maybe, just maybe, one of the 2 people in the US we have given you the choice to vote for will be selected to pull your chains.

Solutions by Larken Rose http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=tVCDQgLyrG0

Ignore the Election by Larken Rose http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm-coaO28JU

Penn Says: Don't Watch the Debate! http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=j_k_4n5CwJY
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Ya-ta Boy



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994

PostPosted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 12:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good list, Bob. If I may...

8. He is not contemptuous of the institution he seeks to lead. That means he will try to use the powers of government to seek solutions to the problems that beset the nation.
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agentX



Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Location: Jeolla province

PostPosted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 1:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like your list but I think it's a little flawed.
We need to focus more on his resume and on his opponent's resume than on his personality and speaking ability.

Therefore, I have 5 things voters should consider
1. He has a forward-thinking agenda when it comes to Energy Policy and Infrastructure Policy. While not Kucinich's "Apollo Project for Energy", Obama wants deficiencies in electric delivery fixed while electric cars are being mass developed.
2. He picked Joe Biden. McCain picked Sarah Palin. Need I say more?
3. He wants to incorporate Republicans and Republican input into his cabinet and plans. While I disagree with this, it gives conservatives some hope that they won't be shut out of government much how Bush shut progressives out of government.
4. He is not tied to lobbyists who foment chaos throughout the world. See Randy Schunamann and the Georgian conflict.
5. He is not erratic like McCain is.
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Joo Rip Gwa Rhhee



Joined: 25 May 2003

PostPosted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 3:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

McCain also said he would put democrats in the cabinet.
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Joo Rip Gwa Rhhee



Joined: 25 May 2003

PostPosted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 3:30 am    Post subject: Re: Why the US Needs to Elect Barack Obama as President Reply with quote

The Bobster wrote:
I noticed fiveeagles' thread with a title opposite to this is up to 10 pages but I also notice Obama hasn't been mentioned much in any of the last 3 or 4 pages of it ... I guess I should have opened this up for the contrary point of view some time ago, but I've been busy.

I�m going to try to do this without once referring to Mr Obama�s opponent, John McCain, or the GOP's veep Candidate, Sarah Palin. That�s because I personally feel he�d almost certainly be the best choice no matter who he might have run against. And, especially with Palin, we'd be repeating stuff we've been saying for a while, anyway.

I've got some more than this, but 7 is good number to get us started.

1. He has asserted and articulated what most of us know to be true, that the policies and direction of the GOP over the last 7 years have been little more than one disastrous mistake followed by another, and another after that. His campaign has focused itself on communicating this need and describing new directions for the course ahead.

2. Although he is undoubtedly a politician, he has on several occasion displayed an ability and a willingness to make difficult decisions and promote unpopular opinions even at the risk of jeopardy to his personal advancement, one example being his early opposition to the Iraq Fiasco at a time when nearly everyone else in public life felt the need to succumb or at least assent to the war fever rampant at the time, or be labeled unpatriotic. I think one way to describe this is true leadership, a stark contrast to most politicians who will merely craft a message based on the latest opinion polls, sensing the direction of the herd so they can get out in front of it and just look like they are leading people.

3. He is a gifted orator, able to exude both charisma and gravitas. The kind of changes the country needs right now are going to require someone who can not only promote some fresh and original ideas, but also be able to persuade large numbers of people that they are the best ideas around, even when the implementation will at times require sacrifices to be made.

4. Despite attempts by his opponents to muddy him, he remains relatively untainted by scandal � and most of those instances where the brush has been applied reflect only guilt-by-association, and tenuous association at that, and nothing more.

5. Aside from some experimenting with hard drugs in his � which have been described in his own memoirs rather than being revealed by the press or political enemies � he lives the clean, healthy, whole, and almost boring life of a devoted family man.

6. His stance on feminism includes a woman�s right to end an early pregnancy and displays a clear understanding and a commitment to a right of privacy and an intention to limit the reach of government into the private lives of citizens.

7. Due his background as a legal scholar, we can have some confidence that he will end the practice of circumventing, ignoring and at times completely abrogating civil liberties and constitutional protections, a situation that has been a distinctive and unfortunate hallmark of American government since the attacks of 9/11.

As I said, I have more. I'll stop by later and add a few.


When Obama was against the war there was little down side for him since he was running for a position where most of the voters were liberals.

Anyway your list probably appeals to liberals and democrats . Why not make a second list that would address the concerns of concervatives.
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The Bobster



Joined: 15 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 4:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Joo Rip Gwa Rhhee wrote:
Anyway your list probably appeals to liberals and democrats . Why not make a second list that would address the concerns of concervatives.

You caught me. I am, in fact, both a liberal and a democrat. I've seen what conservatism has done to my country and I don't like it. Judging by the polls, I'm probably not alone.

You are free to make a similar list to address the concerns of conservatives, if you feel qualified, and I'll read it. I sort of thought that's what the fiveeagles thread might have been about, but he's got a hyper-religious angle on everything ...

agentX wrote:
I like your list but I think it's a little flawed.
We need to focus more on his resume and on his opponent's resume than on his personality and speaking ability.

I like your list, too, especially the point about McCain's erratic behavior. (I was trying hard not to do the negativity dance against the opponent - but honestly, if I was in the mood to cast a vote merely against McCain, that would be a big reason to do so.)

Ya-ta Boy
Quote:
8. He is not contemptuous of the institution he seeks to lead. That means he will try to use the powers of government to seek solutions to the problems that beset the nation.

This is quite excellent and I regret I missed it myself, so thanks.

Here's another.

His candidacy has created enormous excitement and caused thousands who were previously cynical and apathetic about politics to become enthusiastic, energized, even optimistic - and willing to devote time and money at levels that have not been seen in decades. If such can survive beyond inauguration day, there is real potential to see some truly profound and truly positive effects on American society. Naw, he ain't gonna part the waters, but I could easily see some very interesting changes in the general political climate of the nation that could go beyond the tenure of his term, something like the effect JFK (and RFK) had on the psyches of American youth at another place in history.
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Ya-ta Boy



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994

PostPosted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 5:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here's my nomination for #9:

Obama's color is going to have a profound impact on a whole lot of people. Imagine some 10 year old whose older brother dropped out of school at 16. Suddenly that kid is going to have a positive role model at the top to look up to and imagine that kind of future for him/herself. In twenty or thirty years, that change is going to start showing up. Much of the rest of the world is going to see a country that is, step-by-step, solving its racial problems. If it can happen in the US, it can happen elsewhere. If the US can be a successful multicultural society, there is hope that the world can find a way to the same place.
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OneWayTraffic



Joined: 14 Mar 2005

PostPosted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 5:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

jadarite wrote:
Voting is nothing more than a placebo effect to make the common people think they have some control and avoid uprising.

The current population of America is (2008 estimate) 305,548,000 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States

This means that the only 2 guys that have a chance, Obama or McCain (if not assasinated), will be 6.5456164006964535e-9 of the population that can take office and make the decisions for everyone else. Do you want 3.2728082003482267e-9 of the population to rule over the country?

How much closer to a dictatorship do you need to see the idiocy in this? Do you need Bush X 1000 to get the message across? 911 X 1000?

Send your ballot in, shut off your brain, stop thinking, and go back to work SLAVE!!!! Maybe, just maybe, one of the 2 people in the US we have given you the choice to vote for will be selected to pull your chains.

Solutions by Larken Rose http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=tVCDQgLyrG0

Ignore the Election by Larken Rose http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm-coaO28JU

Penn Says: Don't Watch the Debate! http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=j_k_4n5CwJY


Well if you have a problem with this, why not run for local office?

Besides, you are conveniently ignoring a little thing called checks and balances. Congress, the Supreme court and all that. Not to mention how much popularity and approval ratings affect a politicians ability to weild power.

Oh and one last thing. It's easy to say "I don't like that." But it's not good enough. Do you have a better option than a representative democracy? A direct democracy where we can all link our minds and make decisions communally would be nice, but it's hardly a practical option.
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Ya-ta Boy



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994

PostPosted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 7:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Solutions by Larken Rose


You can safely ignore this one unless you enjoy a tirade by a libertarian Ayn Rand reader blathering on about non-compliance with the government. Basically just your cheap-jack anti-government nonsense, with less to back it up than usual.
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bacasper



Joined: 26 Mar 2007

PostPosted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 7:40 am    Post subject: Re: Why the US Needs to Elect Barack Obama as President Reply with quote

Joo Rip Gwa Rhhee wrote:
When Obama was against the war there was little down side for him since he was running for a position where most of the voters were liberals.

You make a good point that Obama just tilts with the wind and says whatever he needs to get elected (just like about just about every other politician).

He'll say whatever he needs to please his audience, and then do the bidding of the corporations in whos pocket he is (i.e. the ethanol industry, or ArcherDanielsMidland.)
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head-in-the-clouds



Joined: 14 Oct 2008
Location: London for now

PostPosted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 2:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice to see The Michael Moore types in full flow with their threads, good luck suckers
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bucheon bum



Joined: 16 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 3:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Bobster wrote:

His candidacy has created enormous excitement and caused thousands who were previously cynical and apathetic about politics to become enthusiastic, energized, even optimistic - and willing to devote time and money at levels that have not been seen in decades. If such can survive beyond inauguration day, there is real potential to see some truly profound and truly positive effects on American society. Naw, he ain't gonna part the waters, but I could easily see some very interesting changes in the general political climate of the nation that could go beyond the tenure of his term, something like the effect JFK (and RFK) had on the psyches of American youth at another place in history.


A ny times article backing up this claim
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NoExplode



Joined: 15 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 4:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

NO way in hell am I voting for a
























politician from Chicago.
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