Looking at the Primaries and Caucuses leading up to the General Election, its seems quite clear to me that there is one person who seems to be clearly cut out for the job, Barack Obama. And looking around I see that there are many like myself who seems to think so as well, yet I still see a large chunk of people who side with Hillary Clinton. Not to say there is anything wrong with that, its is after all your right. But I cant help to wonder, why? Why is it that people are choosing Clinton over Obama? Looking from one angle it can be seen that McCain WANTS to go against Clinton, less of a challange, a win to be had. Where as, and polls show this, Obama is thought to be able to beat McCain. And looking at this from another angle, in terms of character, Obama wins hands down, where as Clinton is cold, calculating, and as far as I can tell, a liar. All this being said, I hope that all of you can write back telling me what your thoughts are, because it simply bewilders me as to what anyone would choose Clinton over Obama, I want insight, as to why people have made this choice, or why people have also clung to Obama. Perhaps I am the one who is clearly lost, so please, someone take a big swing with your intellectual baseball bat, and educate me as to what I am missing. In my mind it seems the rational choice to side with Obama, where as Clinton and how she and her campaign are composed, well it simply seems irrational to me.
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You never give a reason why you claim Clinton is irrational or a liar, nor do you state who Obama is a rational and truthful candidate.
Have you done any research to the voting records behind the rhetoric? Probably not. I've found countless times, with everyone I've talked to about supporting Obama in the past few months, that people really have no idea how he voted on many issues that came through Congress in his past six years as a Senator. I'm not claiming to be an expert. I'm not claiming to know every Bill he supported, opposed, lent his name to. This information is all readily available on the senate.gov website.
Obama is a classic liberal Democrat with a voting record clearly aligning with the major keystones of his party. However, like many Congressmen in this post-911 fearstorm, he has not wanted to appear 'soft' on 'terrorism'. So his, and many other 'anti-war' politicians', voting record also reflects a hard line on terrorism and a hefty boost on budgetary spending as it pertains to war. He has voted 'yea' on increased military budgets (inevitably extending the war, which goes against his recent 'withdrawal' and 'failure' rhetoric). He has voted 'yea' on provisions governing roving wiretaps and illegal searches and seizures as part of the Patriot Act and its subsequent revisions and extensions (all of which were necessary, btw, because these acts were unconstitutional and subsequently struck down many times over in district courts when challenged).
In the end, back a candidate with a clear vision that aligns with yours. If you are for freedom and liberty for the citizens of this country, for tax relief, for strengthening our borders WITHOUT preemptive oil greed-driven acts of war, then guess what? You're not a liberal Democrat. You're probably a libertarian or a classic Republican. I love how people equate Republicans with stodgy old white guys, pro-lifers, bigots and racists, the super-rich, and the freaks who want to force public schoolchildren to pray every morning. Yes, all of these types can be seen in the Republican party, but the true hallmark of a classic conservative view is the LIMITING of federal government control over our lives and strict adherence to the Constitution, the supreme law of our land. Democrats - even the perfect Obama - would add law after law, tax after tax, and how can true "change" start with the piling up of additional statutes upon an already-flawed network of shitty policy?
I advise you, instead of fishing about for someone to get in an argument with over Hillary or Barack's relative merits, to research their voting records and support for actual legislation and then decide for yourself how 'rational' it is to vote for either one.
- Jessica
progressiveu.org/blog/twilightzarathustra
"if you are for freedom and liberty for the citizens of this country, "
Jessica, as a true American, I am for freedom and liberty for the citizens of not just this country, but all humanity. > I think that's a fundamental difference between many Americans. Those who consider themselves privileged, and those that consider ourselves as part of a world community.
"for tax relief" - at the expense of what? Our schools? Education has ALWAYS been underfunded. Why? People complain when their property tax goes up. Guess how education gets funded. Tax relief? We already play a relatively low tax percentage when compared to many other functioning and prosperous countries. What more relief do we need? Oh, you mean those old white rich guys you were talking about. THey might need relief, you're right.
"for strengthening our borders" - what does that mean? strengthening our borders? Building a wall? A fence? Then aren't we also locked in? This is fear mongering at its best.
"WITHOUT preemptive oil greed-driven acts of war" - something we seem to agree on. ;)
"I love how people equate Republicans with stodgy old white guys, pro-lifers, bigots and racists, the super-rich, and the freaks who want to force public schoolchildren to pray every morning." - That's because that's who is most vocal and that's who is making changes in the conservative direction.
You're right the basic difference between liberal an conservative is the conservatives think the liberals will build too much government and the liberals think the conservatives won't build enough.
There's no right answer. We can only push and pull to find our way to the middle.
And I'm still gonna vote for Obama. I believe he examines an issue from all sides before making a decision. I believe that he still believes in the american way, even if I'm having difficulty believing in it after 8 years of W.
Hats off to you and your informed approach. ;)
I heard this great quote from a political scientist but I can't remember who it was.....He was discussing the two prominent families of the Democratic Party: the Clintons and Kennedys.
"The Kennedys believe what's right will win and the Clintons believe what will win is right."