Iz Man wrote:1) He wrote a book.
he's written two, actually, and unlike Hillary Rodham Clinton, he doesn't hire a ghostwriter.
Audacity of Hope, which you should read, outlines his worldview and his ideas of what it means to be the President. in fact, you cannot glibly dismiss it (as you do in what i've quoted) unless you HAVE read it. because it is not the fact of writing the book, but what is contained therein, that matters.
he doesn't lay out detailed plans for healthcare the way Hillary does, because that is not the job of the Executive. it is the legislators that introduce bills, the Executive makes suggestions and has the veto power. it is indeed hubris for Hillary to assume she could enact any plan she has laid out, when as President that would not be her job. With that in mind, it underscores how little Hillary would actually DO in office, when she has built such a complete and thorough mirage of 'experience'. where then, is the bill she's introduced for universal healthcare?
actually, i think the Obama camp has released a detailed healthcare plan recently. i have not yet had the chance to look it over in detail. however, healthcare is not my primary concern for the next president.
He served for 7 years in the Illinois State Senate, where he earned a well deserved reputation for representing his constituents' interests in earnest and not bowing to the kinds of financial and political pressures often found among representatives in that office. it is, in fact, the greatest point of interest to me, and why i have been supporting Obama from very early in this campaign, that he has resisted the corrupting influences of public office.
to that end, I was very impressed with his involvement (and the amount of time he spent) on the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (introduced by Coburn, with Obama's name attached -- and, notably, John McCain's).
I have also been impressed and happy with his involvement with CTR -- Cooperative Threat Reduction. and that's all part of a larger concern -- that of diplomatic relations with Russia and other nations. our next President MUST be very good with foreign relations, and given Obama's background and his record for the short time he has been in FEDERAL office, i believe he will do well -- looking out for both the interests of the USA and reaching mutually beneficial compromises with other nations.
His work in the state legislature is exemplary of the kinds of challenges in compromise all public officials face, and i can sympathize with his frustration, especially over issues like abortion legislation, and the inability for either side of the debate to reach a compromise.
I also like how he's been managing his campaign. So often, candidates try to change who they really are to pander to voters and get those votes. Al Gore did it in 2000. John McCain is doing it now... talking about tax cuts when we all know that's not even a viable option... and DOES NOT sound like the John McCain i once admired. Obama has taken more of a "take me or leave me" stance. he is who he is, and essentially asks us voters to support him if we agree with him. instead of saying to us voters, "hey, i agree with whatever it is you want me to agree with!"
there's more, but since i doubt you're going to give any serious consideration to what i've already written, i'm going to go ahead and busy myself with something more productive than an interweb argument that is not likely to change anyone's mind.
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:17 am