I thought we had a thread about Obama, but I can’t find it.
Anyway, I wanted to start a thread about him.
I’m working on his campaign here in Illinois.
If you like what he has to say, visit his website: http://www.barackobama.com/
There are alot of ways to help out and spread the word.
If your interested, I’m part of a group called Fans of live music for Obama.
We will be spreading the word at concerts this summer.
Only through action can change happen.
If you don’t like him, support someone else, but don’t sit on your ass and complain any longer.
Do something.
Not to be the fly in your ointment Bri, but take a look at this right wing article from before the 2004 election. It brings out some serious issues concerning who or what kind of candidate the dems need to nominate to prevent another republican from taking over the white house.
This issue of “gravitas” which became a bad joke used by the liberal pundits in 2000, rang more true in 2004 then they could have imagined. The problem is, neither Obama or Clinton is realistically electable based upon their experience. Even the mere odds of a senator winning the presidency, something that’s rarely accomplished, is working against both of them. Hell, I think the newly elected governor from NY, Elliot Spitzer has more “gravitas” and electability than either of the other two leading dem candidates to win the office of prez.
Why do you think Jon Corzine gave up his senate seat to become governor of NJ? I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t step forward into the race, except that maybe his first year in office hasn’t exactly been a rousing success.
Obama sounds good, but he’s got no real experience. Even Clinton had a governorship to augment his excellent communication skills and masterful campaigning strategies. The democratic resources may be wasted on Obama beyond the first primary or two. I think it’s too early for him. Just the fact that he’s started this soon to run for president displays politics as usual something that he purports not to be about.
If he’s serious about managing the country, he should focus on gaining experience managing a state. Run for governor, make some impressions, gain some real backing and poularity from the midwest, and then consider the white house.
Meanwhile, if things continue the way they’re going for the dems, it’ll be McCain or Guiliani for sure in 08, and I’m not sure if that’s quite what we need.
Sorry, but I don’t think he’s ready. I guess it’s good to work for him to keep his name out there, but it’s kind of like voting for Ralph Nader and letting Bush win again in my mind.
This is a critical time for dems to figure out who should run, if they think having a female and a black man run for the presidancy is going to help them win, they should really think again.
Let me say this, i have nothing wrong with either of them being president, shit i don’t care what the gender or race is of the president, but a predominant amount of the nation will not vote democrat if a black man or woman runs IMO, which will allow the repubs to win again.
just my view on the whole thing, i don’t think you’ll see obama or hillary in the race at the end
^Agree. And I think it’s important that the country swings back to the left, as a natural balance of who we are as a nation. Unfortunately, these two candidates present too radical a change to allow that swing to occur.
I understand your point of view, especially the point of him being a senator. But I think that is exactly why he needs to run now.
The problem with senators running is their records of votes cast. The last senator elected president was JFK, and he had to get help from my current mayor’s father, Richard Daley Sr.
If you thought that the 2000 election is the only one with voter fraud your wrong. But that’s another story for another thread. As long as your in the senate, the opposition has hard facts about where you stand on certain issues and it’s hard to fight against that. I complete understand that point of view fone.
But this does not make sense to me either. Olfactory said:
Does that mean you won’t vote for him because other people won’t?
I can’t stand that point of view.
Follow your heart and others will follow.
I think that is the big problem here.
There are many people out there who I’ve heard say this as well.
The point being, these people DO want to vote for him, but won’t because they THINK that others won’t so they won’t.
What if people just voted for what they believe in, instead of what they are told by others to think?
What if people actually voted period?
Think about that for a second.
As for your argument fone, how much experience did Bush have when he was elected?
Not much.
Now I know that the argument to counter that is, “That’s exactly the point! Look at this mess that America is in!”
My thoughts on that are, America needs someone to unite us.
Someone to make the citizens feel good about ourselves as well as make us not afraid of each other just because we voted for someone different or some other party all together.
Now I think Hillary is to polarizing.
I think McCain is a joke and all his back and forth over his stands with Bush will hurt him in the end. As will his age.
As for Guiliani, I think he will crumble under the pressure that he will get from the religious right. The “base” of the republican party won’t follow him after they find out about his actions in office as well as his liberal stance on Abortion and guns.
I am just really impressed with Obama’s character.
Even if he ends up in the Vice president slot of the ticket I will be happy.
I think he is exactly what this country needs and the longer he waits, the more likely he will turn into a person like Ed Kennedy or John Kerry.
I think he needs to strike while the iron is hot so to speak.
I’m getting carried away. I apologize.
I just think that this will be a very important election.
Probably the most important ever in our country’s brief history.
Vote, that’s all I really want people to understand.
I’m really tired of people who say “Who cares?”, then do nothing but complain and moan.
Fone said:
^I completely disagree with that statement.
I’m proud I voted for Nader in 2000 and I do not think I helped get Bush elected. Al Gore lost that election all by himself. Again, thoughts for another thread.
I will support anyone who speaks from their heart.
I think Obama does exactly that and I value that in a person.
Especially in these days of lying and closed door meetings.
No what I was meaning to say is that because other people won’t vote for him, he won’t win, which will allow the repubs to win again.
I am in no way talking about what i will do come election time, only time can tell who i will even have a choice to vote for.
I just think that if he is one of the choices, that a majority of the people who vote democratic no matter what, may change their minds and vote republican because of his race.
Im not saying this is what I would do, rather I am saying that it is my opinion that the majority of america would vote for a white man over a black man.
Now this is an opinion of mine, I could be wrong and totally underestimating the general public of America, but I kind of doubt it.
What does everybody think? Anybody think we’ll have a woman or black man as the next president?
I for one do not. I’m not saying I wouldn’t vote for a woman or a black man, I’m saying that a majority of Americans won’t vote for a woman or black man.
This should be another thread because it opens up a whole can of worms. I agree with you, and I don’t. The logic of the numbers is irrefutable, although a better democratic candidate might have been able to entice the Nader voters back over.
^But like (I think it was) Gamecat that wrote before. If we have discussions on it not becoming or becoming an issue of race, we then make it and issue of race.
The ideal thing to do would be just to not talk about it…
With me typing this and saying I don’t look at it at being an issue, I in turn make it an issue of black and white.
All I’m going to say is that you guys could use someone as President who hasn’t been in the politics game for as many years as a lot of the other candidates. Politics is a dirty game and can corrupt even the most noble of souls. Obama doesn’t have the experience that a lot of politicians have, but by the time you “have enough experience” you get really good at lying, manipulating and working more to secure yourself a decent nest egg than you are working to create a better country. I’m not too keen on keeping up with American politics and the platforms of each of the candidates, but I do know that you could use some young blood in that office.
Democracts will vote for whoever the Democrats run regardless of race, sexuality, gender, etc. What Democrats need to worry about is running a candidate that stands a chance of winning over Ma and Pa Apple Pie moderate American. And neither Hillary nor Obama stand a match’s chance in a vacuum of winning the next election.
^I’m sorry to have to say this, but I like your posts better when you’re drinking. Well, actually, now that I think about it, I’m not sorry to have to say that at all.
