'08 - Who do you want?

[green 6]

I read that the Demo tide is turning in Obama's favour. Yippee!

[BJean 16]

I haven't seen the likes of Obama's tremendous momentum surge in a presidential election in many, many years! It has been incredible to see so many people endorsing him and sending him money when everyone seemed to think that Hillary had it in the bag.

What do you know, green, that I don't know? Oh well, there's not enough internet space for that... just tell me the high points about Obama that have impressed you the most. I know all the trash that has gone around the internet about his being a radical Muslim, not Pledging the Allegience, not using the Bible for his swearing in, etc., is just that - trash. But what about him makes you think he's the man who can do the best job?

[ELENATION 0]

I haven't decided, so I won't vote on your survey yet. Can you delete Gravel or Tancredo and add in a choice like "Anyone but Hillary?"

I really don't want the humiliation again of hearing about what Bill's little interns are doing under his desk on national TV. TMI! These days, it'll be splashed on the news 24/7. Rather awkward to watch with my teenage son. Aren't the non-stop Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra commercials enough to put up with during the "family viewing hours?"

yeap! and besides, if people want "change", then why voting for Clinton? hello?

Oh wait.... she is nothing like Clinton! Bill that is....yeah right....

[mattiesue 0]

Not sure yet.

[marjon9 6]

I haven't seen the likes of Obama's tremendous momentum surge in a presidential election in many, many years! It has been incredible to see so many people endorsing him and sending him money when everyone seemed to think that Hillary had it in the bag.

What do you know, green, that I don't know? Oh well, there's not enough internet space for that... just tell me the high points about Obama that have impressed you the most. I know all the trash that has gone around the internet about his being a radical Muslim, not Pledging the Allegience, not using the Bible for his swearing in, etc., is just that - trash. But what about him makes you think he's the man who can do the best job?

If I may hijack this response, I'll throw in a couple centavos. To me the impressive thing about Obama is listening to him speak. He is inspiring in a way I have not seen in quite a while. He reminds me of Kennedy. Hillary has gotten better lately. She is more real now, and very impressive, in my opinion. But for many years when I heard her I felt like I was listening to someone who was guided by polls, and would say what she thought would help her at the moment. Like I say, though, I think she has gotten better. And I do think she could turn out to be really great president. I would not be disappointed if she won.

But with Obama, I feel like he is genuinely passionate about things I care about. With Hillary, I felt in the past that it was largely about ambition. With Obama, I feel it is about passion for the things that matter to me.

I also get the sense that Obama will be open minded in terms of his own learning curve. I believe that he will be able to make a change of direction without letting his ego make him get stuck in a rut. Bush would always get stuck. He would take a position and be unable to reconsider, or go in a new direction. I think this was largely because he felt like his hand was being guided by god. This is a very scary thing for a president. Probably the scariest thing about Bush.

But I feel like Obama will be able to be flexible and adjust. And he will have the potential to be open to the other side's position, including republicans. I think that is really important in that job, especially if you want to get something done.

There is no way to predict what will come to the president's desk once they get in there. The kind of person I'd like to see there, more than any other, is a really smart person who is able to have an open mind. Not a wimp, by any means. But open minded. Like Kennedy.

And as for the Obama "wave," after some of these polls that have been so wrong, who's to say what will happen. Nothing would surprise me here, including a sweep for Hillary, a sweep for Obama, or anything in between.

OK, that's enough for now. I think I might even have a centavo's change coming, for that matter.

[green 6]

Re your question, BJean: I suspect that on an emotional level he affects people in very much the same way that Canada's Pierre Elliot Trudeau did back when he first arrived on Canada's political scene.

At that time Trudeau was pretty much a rank outsider, but he quickly and suddenly became, against all odds, the head of the Liberal party and then, through his personal lustre, helped his party win a landslide victory. He of course became Prime Minister of this country. The media referred to this as Trudeau-mania.

Both Obama and Trudeau have much in common. Obama, like Trudeau, is operating as a complete outsider to the established political system, one which is viewed by many people, especially the young, the educated, the voiceless, as being tired, bankrupt of ideas, and corrupt. He is viewed as a fresh voice and as anti- what has come to be viewed as a failed establishment. Although that it is plenty nice that Hilary is a woman and that she is a Demo with experience in the field, this experience is going to be viewed by many as a negative. It is going to be interpreted as evidence that she will support the status quo, that she is part of the establishment, that she has nothing new to bring to the table.

Obama is an intellectual but, like Trudeau was able to do, he wears this lightly and in the most attractive fashion. Although he never talks down to folks, one is always left with the impression that this is a highly intelligent and well-educated man. One of the reasons that Canadians were crazy about Trudeau was that we liked the idea of our top elected representative, the public face which we show to the world and who is at the same time the mirror of our ownselves, being a worldly and intellectual man. Trudeau made us all feel more attractive, more polished, more sophisticated. (Remember that who you elect defines both who you feel you are and who you feel that you are not, eh.) Obama projects this same most attractive quality. (Should you folks elect this man this quality will serve you well on the international scene in ever so many ways.)

And like our Trudeau and your JFK and, Jackie, his beautiful wife, Obama and his wife present as a physically attractive, graceful, sophisticated, and elegant couple. Is this lookism? Oh, yah, but this is how the world unfairly turns. And the truth is that the physical grace of this couple does seem to be matched by a degree of ethical grace. By this I mean that there are no major scandals attached to them and they have opted to use their highly attractive Harvard law degrees in the low-paid arena of community work instead of chasing after those readily available big-bucks careers.

To tell you the truth, I suspect that Obama will do a fine job serving Americans at home and he will certainly restore the lustre of your country abroad. This is only my opinion. But my reading of his surge in popularity is contained in the above notes.

[green 6]

Yep, I like what Marjon says. Obama doesn't get hung up on political machismo. Machismo interferes with the ability to listen and to process new information, new ideas.

[Laura_MD 5]

I haven't seen the likes of Obama's tremendous momentum surge in a presidential election in many, many years! It has been incredible to see so many people endorsing him and sending him money when everyone seemed to think that Hillary had it in the bag.

What do you know, green, that I don't know? Oh well, there's not enough internet space for that... just tell me the high points about Obama that have impressed you the most. I know all the trash that has gone around the internet about his being a radical Muslim, not Pledging the Allegience, not using the Bible for his swearing in, etc., is just that - trash. But what about him makes you think he's the man who can do the best job?

BJean,

I read your post inquiring about Obama (it will be nice for "O" to mean someone besides just Oprah won't it). I would like to espouse my opinion about how Obama is the only candidate that I feel can restore the grace and dignity to the presidency of the US, but I would really rather direct you to the sources I used to reach that conclusion and let you decide for yourself. Besides, the others did a very good job of eloquently saying most of what I would have said.

Except this, those viral emails you referred to are, as you say, trash! Obama is NOT Muslim and he was NOT the one who was sworn in on the Koran (This claim confuses Obama with the first and only Muslim member of Congress, Democratic House member Keith Ellison of Minnesota. (You can see a picture of Obama being sworn in on his own personal Bible at FactCheck.org: Sliming Obama ). Just so you know, those emails came from staffers on the Clinton campaign who she fired when she "discovered" that they were responsible. Of course she new nothing about it, like she didn't know about the question from her friend that made her "cry" the night before the NH primary. And oh golly, it just happened again last night. HHHMMM! I smell a rat. I used to like her until she started doing this same political crap they have done for years.

• To check the facts on any candidate (national or local) go to FactCheck.org. It is a refreshingly honest and unbiased site operated by a student group at the University of Pennsylvania. They quote their sources and will snoop out answers to your questions if they don't already have them.
  
• To read Obama's plan and see where he stands on any issue go to his website: Welcome to Obama for America
  
  
• Lastly, if you like to read, check out Obama's book, The Audacity to Hope from the library next week. He is awe inspiring and he is a very funny, intelligent man who is an excellent writer.
  

Just my 10 cents (adjusted for Bush's inflation rates). Good luck with your decision. Is your primary today? When?

[luluc 6]

Very well stated Laura_MD.

[BJean 16]

Well thanks ya'll!! Very helpful, laura. I've read some online info and I have watched the specials on TV, but I really wanted to know some specifics about why his supporters are backing him. I appreciate what each of you posted.

After watching one special on the various health care plans - which, let's face it, is an enormous problem, I liked Obama's take on it the best. The Republicans are following an approach very much like everything else they do, let the people have the money... they will make the decisions about when and how they buy health insurance and it will take care of itself. Very much like their approach to Social Security, education, etc. They seem to ignore the reasons why we have the problems we have right now. Empower the insurance providers and the pharmacutical companies? No darned way!!!

We know that trickle down doesen't work and that while in theory this idea seems good for most people, it actually doesn't solve the problem of unaffordable, unattainable insurance and health care for the middle class or the poor. Republicans say that idea is fostered by "bleeding heart liberals" who want nothing but big government and more taxes, which couldn't be further from the truth. I have no problem with the rich getting richer as long as it isn't by taking unfair advantage of and crushing everyone else. If the wealthy hadn't been so consumed with greed we wouldn't have some of the major problems that we have now, like unattainable health care for some of our citizens.

Hillary wants to enforce a law that says everyone HAS to buy health insurance. That will work about as well as mandatory car insurance. Some people still won't buy it and we will wind up paying for their health care as well as paying our own premiums. Plus it still gives the insurance companies power. So although some of the fine points of her plan are good, I don't like that one.

Obama doesn't agree with her that people should be forced to buy insurance. I'm not sure that his plan will work, but so far it is the freshest approach and one that doesn't scare me.

Some people have said that Obama is very much like Kennedy. I tend to diasgree. His demeanor is very different. He's much calmer and more smooth in his quiet manner. Jack Kennedy was very dynamic and outspoken and showed no fear. He attacked sometimes if he felt it was necessary. I've never seen Obama come on strong and get that fearless outspoken demeanor that I've been waiting for.

Of course that's one of the characteristics that people criticize about both Hillary and John McCain. So maybe Obama does have what it takes to win-over the populace and get this country back on a path to healing this very broken nation.

[Sunwyse 1]

As I'm not American, I don't care.

[BJean 16]

Sure can't say as I blame you Sunwyse! Sometimes it's hard for the natives to muster up some interest in the elections. :mad:

[ELENATION 0]

As I'm not American, I don't care.

Smart from your part... specially after the crap, lies, and plain stupidities that I read here sometimes....:mad:

[BJean 16]

Hey... wait a minute... I resemble that remark!

[ELENATION 0]

Hey... wait a minute... I resemble that remark!

Oh please BJean, don't take it personally!:mad: