I know this is not local, but it is politics and it impacts us. Plus, Obama is going to campaign here (sort of) so it is sort of local.
Despite claiming no party affiliation, I've voted Republican or Libertarian in every presidential election since I've been old enough to vote (and there have been quite a few). At every other level, I could not even begin to guess how my votes were divided.
This year is different. I've been sold on Obama for awhile and each time I hear him speak, I feel more certain of that decision.
Not too long ago, after one of the primaries, I listened to one of Obama's "yes we can" speeches, followed by a sad attempt by Hillary to promote herself as a candidate for change. Obama was talking about all the things that make America great and all the things that we (Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Black, White, Hispanic, etc) can do if we work together. Hillary made some comment about not knowing what could be a bigger change than having a woman in the white house.
Dead serious.
Then, McCain came on and told me how Bin Laden would kill me in my sleep if I didn't vote for him.
Now, I've voted Republican many times and never voted Democrat (in a presidential election). I was in favor of the war in Iraq, although I was in favor if it because of Saddam torturing and gassing his own people (torture that makes water boarding look like a hot fudge sundae with a cherry on top). I think it has been disastrously mismanaged and I question whether anyone really knows how to fix it at this point. I'm acutely aware of the risk that Bin Laden poses and I want him caught, drawn and quartered.
Still, I've had enough of the divisiveness. We won't get Iraq under control, or catch Bin Laden, or fix the economy, or much of anything else, so long as we remain divided. Obama gets that. Hillary doesn't. McCain does, as evidenced by his history of working with the Democrats, but he's not very inspirational and he is kind of turning into a one-trick pony.
I like what Obama has to say about some issues. Most recently, I was really impressed with the idea that he would offer tuition credit in return for community service.
I don't like what he has to say about others.
In the end, I guess I am willing to have him push some ideas that I oppose, if it means bringing us all back together to work on the same team.
Hillary says talk is cheap, but I haven't had the stomach to listen to her in months.
I guess what I am saying is talk isn't cheap to me. Yes, there needs to be something behind it, but if he gets the American people behind that talk, there's no telling how much he could accomplish.
What say you? Surely someone is dying to agree or disagree, possibly violently.
I have no idea how I double-posted this. So, I am making an executive decision that this is the official thread (hopefully) before anyone responds to the other.
For my own personal reasons, intuitive and otherwise, I am voting for Obama. I don't think any candidates this time around are ogres, which is a nice change but yes, I have good feelings about this candidate that I must acknowledge that have nothing to do with his speeches, suits, colour, affiliation..( OK except that he's a democrat...that helps). Just wanted you to know semi native, that I too will be supporting Obama. Have an awesome day everyone.
He had a big turnout today in Dallas. A couple attorneys from our office stood in line for awhile but were turned away when the venue filled up and were unable to attend his rally.
Semi-native look into Hillary a little more and don't let the media completely make this decision. While Limbauagh and the lazy journalist of the more mainstream media like to paint Sen. Clinton with the liberal brush, her record says otherwise. She played well with the Arkansas legislature, which makes ours look urbane and liberal, in helping get several education inititives passed while her husband was Governor. Arkansas schools were worse than ours. The failed healthcare plan initially had the big insurnce companies and the AMA on board before the big pharmacy companies decided to torpedo it by lying about it. Then Newt passed most of it. She played well with the Republican Majority when first elected Senator, and as some of the Democrats including Obama have pointed out it's not exactly a liberal voting record. It was an Obama supporter that sold me when she called Hillary the "Eat your vegatables candidate". After W.'s 7 year frat party it's time we had an experienced adult that knows how the system work. You can rail against the system and maybe make a symbolic change or you can learn the rules and the players and make a significant change. Personally I think Obama could make a good president but like John Edwards before him, he should have waited and built a more serious resume. But then again Bill was my third choice in 92.
In my opinion, and it is just that, the mood of the country; the us and them mentality that crops up everywhere, is the most pressing issue we have.
Otherwise, I'd probably vote for McCain or Ron Paul. There's just too much about Hillary that rubs me the wrong way. I feel like she is too divisive. She may work well with the Republicans, but she is part of the group that makes me feel like the anti-christ for having any conservative views about anything.
The crowd was pretty amazing. I was lucky enough to get into the area close to where he was speaking, maybe 15 yards from the stage. As we were waiting, I'd look back and the line just kept going, and going. I'd estimate it at 10,000, but then I'm not good at an estimate like that. I'm surprised San Marcos made it onto his radar, and surprised that that many people showed up. I've been voting since Bush I, and even when Clinton was running, there never was that kind of showing....wow.
The Statesman is calling it 12,000. Hell even a bunch of the skaters at the skatepark were talking about Obama. I've been following Politics since I rode my bike to stuff letters for McGovern in 1972 and I have never seen anything like this. People I know that worked the RFK campaign are starting to compare the Obama Campaign with that one.
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