Mental Health Vote for Obama

Parent Cafe
21

<p>If it was Hillary against McCain, I would have a struggle to decide. If it was Obama against McCain I would most definitely vote for McCain.</p>

<p>Why? Because McCain and Hillary have both accomplished much in their lives. Personally, professionally, and in government. Obama hasn’t done anything. No one can tell me about any of his accomplishments. He hasn’t done anything of significance as a senator. He hasn’t done anything of significance in the private sector. The man talks good and motivates people but what will that get us? He talks about all the things that need to be changed, but we have no idea whether he can do it. That’s because we have no idea if he’s even ever done anything difficult in his life. He hasn’t done anything</p>

<p>With Hillary and McCain I know where they come from. I understand their position of things. Based on their actions and accomplishments in the past, I know when they speak if it’s sincere of political. I know based on their past accomplishments in government and the private sector what they are capable of. Presidents don’t make laws, but they lead. The lead the senate and congress in working together. The work with other countries in numerous international affairs. They lead our country in matters of national interests; economically, socially, environmentally, etc… In all these areas, I know where Hillary and McCain stand. I know how they will perform. I may not agree with everything they may do, but I’ll never agree 100% with any candidate. The problem with Obama is that he has no experience. He hasn’t done anything. McCain has been involved with laws and governing. Hillary has done the same as well as private practice in a law firm. You can see their deeds. Even Huckabee was a governor and has many accomplishments that can be looked at. As well as Romney who was governor and a private business man. You can see how he runs things. Same with Ron Paul.</p>

<p>All of this brings us back to Obama. What the hell has he ever done? I don’t want to hear all this “Feel Good” talking at speeches. It means nothing to me. Based on what we know, I am more qualified to be president than Obama. Most people here are probably more qualified than Obama. What has he done? What bill or law of any significance did he introduce? What panel or committee has he been on where he made a significant contribution? What business or private enterprise did he work in where he made significant contributions to the workers or the industry as a whole? What has he done as an educator, mentor, or ambassador in any capacity? In other words, what the hell has he done that I can honestly look at and determine what he might be able to do as a president. I believe that Hillary, McCain, Huckabee, Romney, Paul, Edwards, or any of the others that have dropped out by now all had credentials that had rational reasons to make them qualified to be president. Obama has nothing. </p>

<p>Of course there will be those who will rationalize and say that is the kind of president we need. That we need someone who motivates the people. Someone who cares. Sorry, but that is all cr*p. Thinking and voting that way is truly out of emotion and not common sense or logic. That is not a reason to vote for someone. You don’t invest $50,000 into a venture, project, etc… because it “FEELS RIGHT”. You don’t make daily decisions in your life because of how it “FEELS”. You make your decisions based on pros and cons. Based on what you believe to be BEST at the time based on the facts you have at hand. Obama has NOTHING to base a decision on. I wish he did. He’s a great orator. He’s energetic and personable. Unfortunately that is all he’s got going for him, he knows it and concentrates on it, and there’s a lot of people out there that he’s counting on to vote for him based on emotions and not facts. Obama is a disaster waiting to happen.</p>

22

<p>Wow, you seem really angry about this. I wonder what button he pushes of yours? You could try reading his second book “The Audacity of Hope” and get to know the man a little better. In it he communicates his values and offers solutions. Or you could go to his website and read about his accomplishments in the Illinois Senate and about what he’s been working on during his first term in the US Senate. You could read his first book and see what he accomplished for the poor in Chicago.</p>

<p>Or you could just rant about what a disaster you think he would be.</p>

23

<p>In the last 50 years, the two past presidents with the most extensive experience were also two of the worst: Nixon and LBJ. Not endorsing any candidate. Just a thought.
.</p>

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<p>"You don’t invest $50,000 into a venture, project, etc… because it “FEELS RIGHT”</p>

<p>Actually, yes you do. HBS did a study re successful business executives/investors looking for a common denominator that might explain why they are so. The common demonator turned out to be a “sixth sense” so to speak. The successful made many key decisions because it “felt correct” </p>

<p>Far be it from me to argue with Harvard</p>

25

<p>I have done very good in investing. Sometimes there’s a 6th sense involved. But always, there’s something from past performance to back up that “Feeling”. I definitely don’t need to read about what “He’s Working on”. That isn’t an accomplishment. I’ve read a lot about Obama. But if you’re the expert, then I pose the question to you. What has he done? And no, there is no “Anger” here against Obama. That is a narrow minded response to a disagreement in opinion. I’ve stated that he hasn’t accomplished anything of significance. If you believe he has, then state what it is that he has accomplished. We can debate that.</p>

26

<p>I am surprised at how little those who castigage Obama as an empty suit fail to actually look up his record both in the Illinois legislature and in the US Senate. Here is an excerpt from a blog dating October 24, 2006:</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>[Obsidian</a> Wings: Barack Obama](<a href=“http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2006/10/barack_obama.html]Obsidian”>http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2006/10/barack_obama.html)</p>

<p>For specifics, click on the link.</p>

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<p>People are stereotyping Obama as someone who is a great orator with no substance. It reminds me of people who assume that a stunningly beautiful, well endowed blonde cannot also be brilliant. </p>

<p>Besides, it is extremely important for the President to be a convincing orator. He/she needs to lead the country and a very important part of leadership is to win the hearts and minds of people. George Bush failed in many of his domestic initiatives (immigration, social security reform, etc) partly because he did nothing to convince the public of the merits of those initiatives.</p>

28

<p>Here is a take on the other side of this equation, from Michael Gerson (in the Cleveland Plain Dealer today) and my own rant.</p>

<p>“Though it is increasingly unlikely, Clinton may still have a path to the nomination. She merely has to puncture the balloon of Democratic idealism; sully the character of a good man; feed racial tensions within her party; then eke out a win with the support of unelected superdelegates, thwarting the hopes of millions of new voters who would see an inspiring young man defeated by back- room arm-twisting.”
[cleveland.com:</a> Everything Cleveland](<a href=“http://www.cleveland.com/editorials/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1203256516254080.xml&coll=2]cleveland.com:”>http://www.cleveland.com/editorials/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1203256516254080.xml&coll=2)</p>

<p>It is frightening, frankly, to watch Bill Clinton speak these days. This is a battle to the death for him. First, he looks awful. Second, he reeks of anger and viciousness. THAT is one guy who should not be bearing arms! </p>

<p>Yep, I agree: Barack Obama for the mental health of our country!</p>

<p>By the way: to me his most pertinent accomplishment at the moment is the brilliant campaign he has run again the most powerful political machine in the United States. Compare that to Hillary’s train wreck, with some of the morally ugliest people in the country running it, campaign upheaval, and an inability to formulate a coherent message or obtain adequate funding, causing her to beg for free air time (debates). I expect that if she were to be elected, which she will not be, her cabinet would be organized and handled in similar fashion.</p>

29

<p>I appreciate the response. What lead me into this thought was that in the last year, numerous people have said that Obama hadn’t really done anything. Even Democratic Senator Joe Biden. But, I will concede that after doing some research, I did find something. This article even shows that Biden’s remarks aren’t totally accurate. They did find that;</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Working with Republican Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Obama won enactment of a law creating a single, searchable database of all federal contracts, grants and loans.</p></li>
<li><p>Separately, Obama was lead sponsor of a bill to provide relief and promote democracy in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which was signed into law in December 2006.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>The article goes on to say; “Though advocacy groups generally gave him positive marks for taking action, Obama’s absence from heated political battles makes it difficult to assess his effectiveness as a legislator. Still, he has passed one bill signed into law, making Biden’s statement False.”</p>

<p>[PolitiFact</a> | Obama sponsored a bill that became law](<a href=“http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/271/]PolitiFact”>http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/271/)</p>

<p>This still however proves my point. Other than a few people digging around for accomplishments, as we are doing here, the majority of Obama supporter know nothing of his accomplishments. Therefor, voting for him is based solely on likeability and personality. His position on things is not an accomplishment. Voting on a bill isn’t an accomplishment, it’s his job and isn’t his accolade. Co-Sponsoring a bill is pushing the limits of an accomplishment. (It’s not his bill). And even sponsoring a bill isn’t an accomplishment if it doesn’t get approved, ratified, and made into law. It’s a nice attempt, but not an accomplishment.</p>

<p>From Obama’s own campaign, he has a flyer, <a href=“http://www.obama08-wa.com/files/experience.pdf[/url]”>http://www.obama08-wa.com/files/experience.pdf&lt;/a&gt; where he specifically mentions his groundbreaking accomplishments. Many questionable as far as “accomplishments” go. But if this is all there is, then no wonder the average voter doesn’t know anything about him. </p>

<p>Yes, Obama is a really “nice” guy. He is a great motivational speaker. He makes people “feel good”. He’s 46 years old so he appeals to the younger crows who is use to seeing older politicians. But with all of this, I can’t vote for him. He really hasn’t done anything of significance. I don’t know if he can lead the country. He talks a good talk, but that isn’t enough for me. I can vote democrat or republican. I could vote for McCain or for Hillary. Not that either are my favorite from a year ago. But Obama just can’t have my vote. He hasn’t done anything.</p>

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<p>

I’ve been pretty impressed with his campaign so far. Nimble where Clinton’s been flat-footed. Calm and reasoned where Edwards was stident. Borrowing a page from Ron Paul’s successful Internet fundraising playbook. Delivering a high-minded appeal to voters’ better instincts. He seems to understand that, in a country founded on an impractical, idealistic, untested vision and philosophy where the power of governance was supposed to rise from the bottom rather than be dispensed from the top, people like to be reminded periodically of what makes us unique. He seems to understand that if people are receptive to the messenger, they’re more likely to be receptive to the message and started delivering the meat and potatoes in Wisconsin. <a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/us/politics/17obama.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/us/politics/17obama.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>So far he’s managed to come from out of nowhere to beat a former vice presidential candidate and the once-thought impregnable Clinton machine on fundraising, popular votes, and committed convention delegates (and is narrowing the lead on committed superdelegates). Somehow he’s managed to do all that and stay out of the political mud. I’d call that an accomplishment, but I could be wrong. Maybe we should find out who’s (really?) responsible for his campaign strategy and execution and convince that person to run for president. :)</p>

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<p>It can be argued that Obama has not sufficiently emphasized either his legislative accomplishments or his plans; but that is quite different from saying he has none, or has so few as to be negligible.
He was advised at the beginning not to sound too wonky–precisely because he has a tendency to be wonky. One cannot teach Constitutional law without being extremely attentive to detail. Recently, he has begun to interject more programmatic details into his speeches. His programs are not new, and as I and many others have said, they do not differ markedly from Clinton’s.<br>
I do agree that the way his campaign has been run should be taken as a good omen for the way his administration would work: without demonizing opponents, seeking common ground and involving the American public. How refreshing!</p>

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<p>Obama’s recent speech on economic issues was a step in the right direction. It would be perfect for him to start adding more meat to his talks. If he cuts down the inspiration by 50% and adds about 50% of wonkishness to his speeches, he will take away from Hillary and McCain the one thing they have to criticize him.</p>

<p>Ironically, that is the easy part- to roll out the statistics and make arguments in favor of specific positions on issues. Look at our message boards- full of people carrying out learned discussions on every topic under the sun. A lot of substance, but not that much by way of inspiration.</p>

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<p>Wow! I though if I gave it a day or two, that people would list some significant accomplishments. Guess not. Obama is definitely a good speaker. He’s a good campaigner. He’s got a lot of opinions and positions on different topics. He definitely motivates people.</p>

<p>Sorry, but I thought the question I posed of what he accomplished was going to provide me with more material to make a better choice if it came down to Obama and McCain. Unfortunately, it didn’t. His accomplishments, because everybody has some, unfortunately doesn’t include anything of significance politically, economically, or managerially. Sorry, but I require some experience in those areas for the person I vote for President of the United States. Just about every serious person who has run in the past and was voted on has had this experience. Whether they won or not.</p>

<p>I think the problem is, is that most people don’t actually keep up on political issues. They don’t understand global economics, International affairs, or how the legislative process actually works. So, based on their little world, they get on the band wagon of; “We Need Change”. Mind you, this is the same exact band wagon that is in each and every campaign throughout history. Each time people change the name around. So, the attitude of “Anything is better than what we have” becomes the mantra. Unfortunately, because most of these people know so little of politics, economics, and international affairs, they also don’t know what they are talking about when they say and believe that “Anything is better than what we have now”. </p>

<p>Fortunately for us, we have 3 parts of government which are balanced by the other 2. Fortunately for us, the president DOESN’T make laws. There is very little that he can do without the consent and approval of the other two branches of government. So even if we get someone as president who isn’t experienced in any way whatsoever, out system is designed so that he can’t totally screw it up. He/She may not get much accomplished because our system is designed to be slow and methodical; but done only once, and he/she may not know how to deal with the congress. But that’s OK. Unfortunately, that’s why you have people who say that Carter was the worst president. Regan was the WORST president; that Bush (Daddy) was the worst. That Clinton was the WORST. and that G.W. was the worst. The fact is; none of them was the worst. The people just happen to revolve their opinion in retrospect. They blame existing presidents for current problems. Past presidents for continual problems. And consider presidents who didn’t do anything as those that accomplished a lot.</p>

<p>Anyway, after all this, I am right where I started. Between Hillary and McCain; something to think about. Between Obama and McCain; nothing to think about. (McCain). Obama isn’t ready for this. He doesn’t have any experience and hasn’t shown any accomplishments that would make me feel comfortable that he could lead a nation. Wrong choice for sure.</p>

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<p>^^ There is no question that McCain and Hillary have more experience than Obama. So if that is the most important criterion for you, then you should go ahead and vote for them.</p>

<p>For me, I know that Hillary has had plenty of opportunity to show what she can accomplish and her record is not too impressive. McCain has had even longer to prove his abilities and while he is a solid candidate, his lifetime of service has produced only slightly above average results. While both of them would be adequate as President, neither would make a great President.</p>

<p>I prefer to choose the younger, more talented politician who shares my values and my vision for America. He may actually be a great President, the kind we need to fix the mess we find ourselves in.</p>

35

<p>Different poll results show Hillary ahead in Texas:</p>

<p>Rasmussen Reports
Date: 2/14
Texas
Added: 2/15/08
Est. MoE = 4.1% [?] </p>

<p>Hillary Clinton 54%
Barack Obama 38%
Unsure 9%</p>

36

<p>I want two things in the next President: an international perspective, and the desire and ability to give us a universal health care system. All three of our candidates this election have the perspective I’m looking for, and for that I am grateful. We should all take a minute and give thanks that we will NOT be electing a president ignorant about our world. </p>

<p>Only two candidates, however, Hillary and Obama, would, I think, deliver a health care program.</p>

<p>I find Christcorp’s post condescending. I was hoping we could avoid a negative tone. Well, I try to keep up on political issues and international issues. I have a degree in int’l development, my DH is from India, and I have lived in two foreign countries. But neither I nor anybody else predicted 9/11 and there we were, with a president who had never even made a trip to Europe. </p>

<p>The decision we face requires more than listing someone’s accomplishments. Curiosity is an important trait. The willingness to listen to and consider other perspectives. The ability to resist using U.S. power to bully others. A preference for choosing people for their skills and talents, not for their personal loyalty. Sure, Obama would be an even stronger candidate if he had five or ten more years of experience, and I wish he did. But of the three candidates, he best embodies my hopes for the next president.</p>

37

<p>Being the first black president of the Harvard Law Review is a very big deal in my book.</p>

<p>The brightest and most ferociously ambitious young lawyers in America – almost all of them white – held a caged death match to decide on a leader, and the answer was Obama. Who then walked away from the money, prestige and power this position brought him to take a grass-roots community service job. This is unheard of. This is special.</p>

<p>I’m not joking about the caged death match, by the way. That’s what they do.</p>

38

<p>February 15, 2008 - Texas Primary Preferences</p>

<p>Democrats TX </p>

<p>Clinton 42%
Obama 48%
Someone else 3%
Undecided 7% </p>

<p>This is different than the poll results cited in post #35. After all the misinformation from previous polls, neither means anything at this point. :confused:</p>

39

<p>Poll results in no. 38 are the same ones as in no. 19. Here are some additional poll results, different from 19/38 and 35:</p>

<p>Texas Credit Union League
Date: 2/11-13
Texas
Added: 2/15/08
Est. MoE = 4.9% [?] </p>

<p>Hillary Clinton 49%
Barack Obama 41%
Refused 1%
Unsure 8%
Other 1%</p>

<p>Who knows who the Texas Credit Union Leaque is; should be an interesting day, March 4. Sokkermom, i’m just messin with ya. I think the dems are gonna win. More of them are voting in the primaries.</p>

40

<p>Wisconsin poll from Public Policy Polling:</p>

<p>Obama: 53%
Clinton: 40%
<a href=“http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Wisconsin_Release_021808.pdf[/url]”>http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Wisconsin_Release_021808.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>And a new SUSA poll for the general election matchups:</p>

<p>Hillary Clinton 42%
John McCain 49%</p>

<p>Barack Obama 52%
John McCain 42% </p>

<p>I believe SUSA was the poll that got California right on Feb. 5th, so I trust its accuracy a little more than the others, especially Zogby, which blew it big time.</p>

<p>[SurveyUSA</a> Election Poll #13380](<a href=“http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=a661ced6-61db-4aea-a60c-ebe256c4676c]SurveyUSA”>SurveyUSA Election Poll #13380)</p>