Why do you like Obama?

[54r93]

So serious question...can someone tell me something good about Obama? And I don't want stupid, empty statements I want legitimate, well thought out and well formed arguments informing me about something good that Obama has done, because as far as I can tell, he is a senator in one of the worst states (highest tax in nation, extremely high debt, worst educational system) and you can't blame republican's, there are none, so he's done nothing to change that...also, his platform is quite socialist regarding many topics. Finally, he has had very close relationships with known terrorists, and his father has been revealed to be close friends with the man leading the current Kenyan genocide, and his citizenship is being challenged...by a democrat...all because he won't produce his birth certificate or health records...

So someone please tell me, what about this man is appealing to you? Why is he fit to lead this country? Why are we not judging this man by the content of his character, as even MLK called for?

 

[Good morning blues]

I'm Canadian, so I won't be voting in your elections, but if I was, you'd better believe I'd be voting Democrat.

Obama is the closest thing to a left-wing politician that the United States has had in decades, and as a dude who leans to the left, I think that is a good thing. His proposals on health care, the environment, and education all make more sense to me than the Republican alternatives. Furthermore, he's the only genuinely charismatic political leader to come along since I was born, in either the United States or Canada.

Furthermore, I'd ask the same question about McCain. Don't get me wrong; when I heard that McCain was likely going to be the name on the Republican ticket, I smiled. At the time, I felt that McCain represented all that the Republicans should be - he was the straight talker, a guy whose opinions were based on his experience, who did what he thought was right. Since then, however, I feel like he's realized that he's no spring chicken anymore, and that this is like as not going to be his last chance to be President, and as a result he's sold out to the worst, most petty and hateful elements of the Republican base. He used to be the straight talker, but I feel like he sold out, just so that he could have his dream of being President of the United States. Obama, on the other hand, is the same guy he always was - respectable.

 

[Dommyboy]

Though people clearly are judging him for his character. You judged him right than. Americans say they are willing and accepting, but so many hate Obama out of his background. Just because he is black does not mean he must be a 100% African-American who had slave ancestors. He has been judged on that point which is stupid, no other president had ancestors who were slaves yet they did good in most cases, so why won't Obama.

 

[Alex_P]

Finally, he has had very close relationships with known terrorists

Everyone in the Chicago educational establishment has probably has something to do with Bill Ayers. He's a prominent education professor at UIC. To say that Obama has a "close relationship" with him is a joke.

That allegation is as fake as the one about McCain starting a fire on the Forrestal. You don't believe that bullshit, do you? So why do you believe this bullshit?

-- Alex

 

[54r93]

I don't hate him because he's black, I never even said that. He's been judged because he is friends with Ayers, a man who bombed the pentagon and claimed he and the 9/11 bombers didn't do enough. He even announced his candidacy for senate at his house. he's friends with Farakan, head of the nation of islam, a terrorist organization. His pastor is racist, he hates whites, and prays death to America, and Obama is a deacon in his church, so he knows his pastor and his views...I don't give a shit that he's black...he could be whiter than McCain's hair I'd still think the man was evil...and no offense to you morning blues, but when the government decides to take over things that should be based on a free market, that's socialism...and that may fly in Canada but this is America, a country built upon the free market

 

[crimson5pheonix]

What has he done? He is the senator of a cruddy state and hasn't done jack about it, but claims he's the candidate of change. What has he actually done, not what he says he'll do, but what he's actually accomplished. Forget McCain and what he has and has not done, I don't care. As it stands, I don't want to vote for either candidate so convince me Obama is a good candidate because I haven't found a single reason.

 

[54r93]

so convince me Obama is a good candidate because I haven't found a single reason.

I don't want to. I'm a McCain supporter and I just can't understand why people blindly support Obama, because I too cannot find a single good thing about him. That's why i made this topic, so I could see if anyone really knew what's so great about Obama I'm honestly asking people to convince me to change my mind and no one's seems able to

 

[crimson5pheonix]

so convince me Obama is a good candidate because I haven't found a single reason.

I don't want to. I'm a McCain supporter and I just can't understand why people blindly support Obama, because I too cannot find a single good thing about him. That's why i made this topic, so I could see if anyone really knew what's so great about Obama I'm honestly asking people to convince me to change my mind and no one's seems able to

Sorry I wasn't that clear, I wasn't aiming that comment at you. I'm on your side. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[54r93]

It's cool it looked like I needed to clarify anyway, no ones given a response close to what I thought I asked for haha

 

[Dommyboy]

You could start blindly supporting him like so many people just over his skin colour? Lets face it, people are obviously doing that. We don't want another George Bush incident (it relates in some way).

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

If you specifically desire to not like a given candidate, then you won't.

 

[Spinozaad]

I'm from the Netherlands, and over here practically everybody would vote for Barack Obama. Even our own Christian conservatives (excluding the SGP-party, who are more Christian and more conservative than anything the American 'Moral Majority' can come up with) would vote for Obama.

Why?

Because Obama is so much more in line with our own perception of how a good politician should be. True, he's not left enough for our own true left-wing, but he's the best candidate in years. We in Europe, or at least in the Netherlands, have grown sick and tired of the Bush administration. It's a myth that 'we' 'hate' America. We hate how the Bush administration has presented itself to and upon the world. We'd like to see a change in the American policy, one we feel Obama can bring.

The best thing that could happen to the USA in their foreign relationships is Obama as president, McCain is different from Bush, but still a Republican. And to be honest, the Republican party makes many of us Dutchies barf.

I'd like to close with a comment on the whole mud-slinging thing. Over here, we usually (not in all cases, though) judge our politicians on their trustworthiness and programme. Not because they might or might not have done something in their personal lifes. "The Party" is more important than he or she who represents it. Still, this might be the case because we have a multiple party-system, and not just two.

 

[Alex_P]

I don't hate him because he's black, I never even said that. He's been judged because he is friends with Ayers, a man who bombed the pentagon and claimed he and the 9/11 bombers didn't do enough. He even announced his candidacy for senate at his house. he's friends with Farakan, head of the nation of islam, a terrorist organization. His pastor is racist, he hates whites, and prays death to America, and Obama is a deacon in his church, so he knows his pastor and his views...I don't give a shit that he's black...he could be whiter than McCain's hair I'd still think the man was evil...and no offense to you morning blues, but when the government decides to take over things that should be based on a free market, that's socialism...and that may fly in Canada but this is America, a country built upon the free market

See, here's the problem: you don't want a real conversation.

If you wanted a real conversation you'd read up on some of this stuff for ten minutes instead of just repeating it indiscriminately.

There's no point in saying anything good about Obama because you will respond with "Yeah, but what about ? Doesn't that kinda eclipse his good aspects?"

There's no point in saying anything bad about Obama because you will also respond with "Yeah, but what about ? Isn't that a lot worse than the thing you mentioned?"

-- Alex

 

[54r93]

ok, all I seem to be getting is that Obama's a liberal and that's why he's good. And that's great if you don't live here, but what's he gonna do for an american that should make me want to vote for him? As far as I can tell he's not really helping anyone unless they're unbelievably poor, and he's hiking up taxes on some of the higher rungs of the middle class. I personally don't think you're rich if you're making above 250 k a year, i think that's the higher end of middle class

 

[54r93]

I personally don't think you're rich if you're making above 250 k a year, i think that's the higher end of middle class

I'd kill for that amount of money.

I would too, I'm just saying I don't feel that gets you out of the middle class

 

[lumenadducere]

Was going to mention/dismiss the "terrorist" relationship, but Alex beat me to it. Props for the ninja skills. The guy is a well-known professor in Obama's home state. Any relationship Obama has with him is no worse than one that the guy's co-workers have with him, so the allegations are ridiculous.

As for Obama's dad, whatever relationships that guy had are irrelevant because Obama only ever saw his father a few times. It's highly unlikely that Obama has ever met the guy, and even if he has it doesn't matter. Kenya has a whole host of social and political problems, and Obama's dad was one of the people trying to help rebuild the nation after it gained its independence. It makes sense that his dad is going to have known and met people who wind up becoming leaders, even those that wind up leading a bad group of people.

And y'know, I'm more disappointed in McCain than anything else. I used to like the guy and was rooting for him in 2000. But he's taken his previous track record and integrity and completely smeared his reputation. His ads have been so false that Karl Rove - the guy behind the negative ads for Bush - has said himself that McCain's gone too far. Personally I think that's saying something.

And McCain's choice in Palin is a complete and utter joke. If Obama dies at least we've got Biden to take over, but if McCain goes (and given his age and the immense stress of the White House it's very, very likely he will) we get someone who has no idea what's going on and is one of the most socially conservative people we've seen in national politics in recent memory. Add in the fact that her family situation is dubious and her attempted removal of her sister's ex-husband from his job just for getting a divorce, and I'm seeing some morally questionable actions.

So for me a part of it is integrity. I think the Democratic campaign has handled itself much better than the Republican one. McCain has gotten so obsessed with winning this that he's completely given up his personal integrity and Palin IMO had little to begin with.

 

[Darkauthor81]

He's not McCain.