Letters to the Editor
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Obama's Experience
Barak Obama needs to remind people how much more experience he has than President Bush did when he was elected. Obama's lack of experience is gaining too much momentum too quickly. He needs to get of ahead of this now.
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AND
More on experience: If Wesley Clark is VPOTUS it makes for a VERY strong ticket. Obama deals with domestic issues- Congress, the American people, and the Republican minority. Clark deals with foreign relations and military policy. Clinton wrangles the legislature and we all actually get something done.
One more thing about Obama: he gets it, whether you're talking about the Patriot Act, domestic spying, torture, detainees- he's a Constitutional Law professor- and most importantly he understands our precarious financial position, something that will help with real conservatives and conservative independants who are fed up with our ridiculous financial situation.
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re: Preferencial treatment?
Actually, that is my point. No one is asking you to give him or anyone such treatment because of race. You are the one who asked if you should vote for someone because of race. I never suggested that you do.
My argument is that while you claim "inexperience," you continue to tangle yourself up in his race.
Perhaps instead you should tell me what kind of experience you expect a.....THIS candidate to have if it is not experience being a president.
He's a senator, was a professor, a lawyer, a father...etc.
What experience do you want him, Obama to haved?
You're the one who insisted race was the issue...how is this related to experience? I don't care what color he is, I just get annoyed that I'm automatically supposed to fawn over someone I'd never heard of until the last elections, coming out of (relatively) nowhere.
No one is implying he's NOT an eloquent speaker, or an effective lawyer, professor, and senator (though I don't understand how fatherhood is at all relevant). I'd just like to see more of a track record in the US Senate.
I could make the same arguments that people are so critical of Clinton because she's a woman (and I think it would be great to get a woman into the White House in my lifetime). Personally I'm pleased with what she's done in NY, but I'd probably have to go with Gore if he was running if it came down to their overall records.
Do you need experience in "politics" in order to be an effective president? Hell yes. Just like any corporate environment, you have to learn how to please the right people if you want them to see your changes as palatable.
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Don't hold your breath
"Who ever imagined, during the long terrible history of American race relations, that when the first black candidate made a serious bid for the presidency, the color of his skin would be regarded as close to an irrelevancy."
Just wait until he formally announces and starts fundraising. The Republicans have used race as an issue for decades. Don't forget what the Republicans did to McCain, one of their own, in South Carolina. You think that just because the candidate himself is black that that's going to stop them? If his chances stay strong, I have no doubt this will be one of the dirtiest, vilest campaigns in our history.
What scares me even more is that the constant chatter in the media about whether or not something was racist will cloud the discussion about the actual issues.
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Ron Paul?
Futhark-
Have you lost your mind? Ron Paul is a Libertarian whack job who wants to eliminate Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the minimum wage, unemployment insurance and every piece of environmental protection. He is a social Darwinist nightmare. There may be some common ground with Libertarians, but the downside of these bozos far exceeds any potential upside.
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Wesley Clark?
Ktwdawg-
What are you thinking? Wesley Clark? He supports the war in Iraq, he opposes national health insurance, he is quite anti-environment, etc. He's a DINO to the core. His presence on any ticket would make me stay home
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On to Obama
Ktwdawg-
I've read Obama's book. He's very wishy washy on separation of church and state. He claims to be for it, but he has on several occasions said that he supports limited prayer in public schools. He has also talked about teaching Intelligent Design as a competing theory to evolution. There can be no wiggle room here. Either you actually support real religious freedom or you don't.
Then, there is his association with and catering to some of the most virulent anti-homosexual bigots in the Black community. I will confess to being one of those rich, white, straight men who control everything, but I will vote for no one who does not believe in equal rights for ALL Americans regardless of status - and, yes, that does include gay marriage.
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Wesley Clark? Dear God no.
Scratch a populist you find some dark fascist tendencies almost every time.
Anyway, the Dems are trying to replicate their success of 92 by finding a centrist Republican-Democratic hybrid who can sway folks on the social issues and on the political issues. I think that if Dems are waiting for a pro abortion, pro gay marriage non religious quasi socialist environmental firebrand that maybe 2008 or even the USA is not the right time and place for them. I also think it's very important to divorce electoral slogans from executive action. It remains to be seen whether any non-zealot President actually does much of they say they will do when they are being elected. Obama might be very socially conservative, but then so? Congress in 2009 isn't probably going to have to send him any legislation that he has to sign on the issue anyway.
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That's why VP
Because he gets only as much power as he is given by the President. All those things you mention have nothing to do with his international operational experience other than his very tentative and conditional support for the war, but I'm sure the General can take orders. He is best equipped to deal with the military-industrial complex that the next President will surely inherit, under direction and supervision of the President.
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and if you don't think race matters
Or that 'liberals' don't exude their own special aroma of bigotry and racism, toddle over to the letters on the article on Lieberman. It's just this side of Henry Ford's Dearborn Nazi diatribes, updated for the podcast generation and flavored with postmodern Berkeley sweetness. Basically a sugar coated turd.