In my heart I feel this is truly an IMHO, but if the thread gets any traction whatsodamnever I’m sure I’ll become a debate ere long.
Anywhistle: here are the rules. Tell us why your candidates for US president should get the job, in terms of that candidate only. Do not mention either person on any other ticket–and that includes code words, covert allusions, and so forth. In your argument, refer only to your candidate’s policies, qualities, history, and so forth. Persons supporting Obama may not mention Mccain, Palin, the senator from Arizona, the governor of Alaska, the ex-POW, the hockey mon, or anything like that. Persons supporting McCain may not mention Obama, Biden, the senator from Illinois, the senator from Delaware, Barry, or anything like that.
I believe Barack Obama when he says that his plan to protect the financial interests of the average American will help to resolve our current financial crisis, and that his plan in the Middle East to focus on known threats and ongoing issues in countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan will help to bring about as much peace as it is possible to do so in the Middle East. I believe that he has a history of cooperation and working with his colleagues towards a common goal and that this experience will serve him well in the office of President.
I believe Barack Obama is a highly intelligent candidate with a fresh point of view to Washington politics. His foreign policy stance mimics my own: that we need to improve the world impression of America, that we need to engage in aggressive diplomacy, that we need to shift the front of the War on Terror back to Afghanistan, where it belongs. I believe that his economic plan (while not perfect) has a considerably higher chance of stimulating the economy and reducing our national debt than some alternative theories. I feel he has an inspirational quality that will help him to garner support for his policies, so he might actually be able to get the legislation he wants to pass to pass.
And most importantly, he is more liberal on the social issues that matter most to me. Freedom of choice, protection of privacy, support of alternative lifestyles (though I’d like him to come out in full support of gay marriage), etc.
Barring a philosopher-king walking onto the scene and assuming we’re restricted to a congresscritter, the best we can hope for is someone who:
has depth of experience
has proven leadership skills
understands that the primary role of the President is to ensure nation’s security
has proven himself to be able and willing to work across the aisle, and effectively
has proven himself willing to stand alone, to call out his own party when he thinks it wrong
has a clear philosophy of governance that he is trying to move the country toward
has character that is beyond reproach. Ideally, it will have been tested and not be merely hypothetical
someone who has a track record that that we can look back on and see if his words match his deeds
While I may disagree with John McCain on some issues, I see him having the qualities I list in abundance. I don’t think military service is a prerequisite, by any means. But I do think it is a bonus in that he understands the men and women he may be sending into harms way better. I’ve admired McCain for some time for his independent spirit. I wish more pols would be less blindly partisan. I appreciate his stance on earmarks. Not only for the few billion it saves us, but for the line it draws in the sand. It acts as a reminder that IT IS OUR MONEY! Let everyone who wants an earmark argue for it in the light of day.
He has gained the respect of his colleagues, from both sides. He has worked closely with Feingold, Leiberman and Kennedy, and others. He has Clinton’s respect. Kerry wanted him as his VP. Even Biden has sung his praises.
Is he perfect? No. I do think he is the best we have, particularly in these highly partisan times. I can see McCain bringing people together and moving the ball more than it would move with anyone else. For that, and for his generally conservative stance, he gets my vote.
Without addressing the issue of whether McCain meets that criterion, is it really fair or even wise to expect such perfection of any candidate for public office?
It’s about time we had a black president. Or a female president. Or a Jewish president. Or a gay president. Or an atheist president. Or a Muslim president. Or a libertarian president.
But I’d still support Obama even if he were none of these.
Of the choices available to us I believe Obama has the better demeanor, intellect and character to lead the country.
I believe if we are to be the progressive nation we like to think we are electing a black man or bi-racial man if you prefer, is an important step in fixing a problem that’s been with America since the ratification of the constitution.
I think electing Obama will be a good start towards marginalizing the evangelical christian/neocon segment of the republican party and help it to recover to what it once was and should be.
I don’t believe an Obama administration will be rife with the corruption and incompetence that been endemic in the Bush years.
Trickle down economics doesn’t work. Nothing trickles down, instead it trickles into the pockets of the CEOs and other officers as bonuses and perks and $400.000 dollar spa events. TD economics with little or no oversight played a large part in creating the problems we are now facing. TD economics fosters greed by allowing over-rewarding of those at the top. I wonder whether a 4 billion dollar oil company tax break would “trickle down” to Main Street or end up in the pockets of the corporate elite?
Which candidate offers a change from TD economics?
(IANA Economist, so feel free to correct my views).
I am independent, so I create a list of the values I feel are important and score the candidates against it. Whoever scores highest gets my vote. FTR, my list is:
Intelligence
Curiosity
Creativity
Lack of ethical blind spots
Honest
Consistent
Proven ability to lead
International knowledge and/or experience.
Honor
Tolerance
So of those, and only looking at the top spot, Obama scores 7/10 and McCain scores 6/10.
However, adding in the VP candidates and applying the same test but dividing the VP’s score by 2 to make up for their relative lack of impact post-Election, Obama / Biden get 11/15 and McCain / Palin get 6/15. She brings nothing that I care about to McCain to balance his shortcomings, while Biden does help bring things that Obama lacks.
I also choose to try to vote to maintain balance of power. IMO the best governance of the last 20 years has been when Congress was in opposition to the White House. So since I don’t have a state vote as I am no longer a state resident, I might even choose (if the candidate doesn’t score too low) to vote against the party in majority in Congress. Not in this case - McCain/Palin scores too low to risk that.
Oh, how I wish McCain could have found a decent running mate; he might have been a good President (with a Democratic Congress) and certainly would have been an improvement over Bush.
No, I don’t think we can expect this of a candidate. Most of us will never have been put in a position where we will be so tested. That’s a good thing. But if we feel that character is important—and I do—someone who has been tested and acted admirably has a leg up on someone who hasn’t had such a trial.
Obama fails in:
Ethics (Rezko and pork-barrel projects)
Proven Leadership (some but not as much as McCain)
International knowledge / experience - he’s a smart guy and knows a lot, but real exposure to international relations is pretty limited.
FTR, McCain fails in:
Curiosity (he doesn’t seem curious about other viewpoints, only in defending his own)
Ethics (S&L, torture flip-flop, pork)
Consistency (manic flip-flopping and erratic behaviour)
Tolerance (he’s embraced the Religious Right a bit too much for me to believe he’s tolerant of gays, etc)
Biden fails in Ethics (he is a Senator after all :D) but gets high marks in my book in all the other criteria.
Palin fails in everything but Honesty. I don’t doubt she honestly holds her beliefs and treats honestly with people as an ambitious person who has an agenda; it’s her agenda itself I find objectionable.
Obama inspires me. I’m usually disdainful of people who vote based on emotion or personality, so this has been surprisingly important to me. It’s not so much that he inspires ME, in fact, but that he seems to inspire a lot of people. This country has been in such a bitter, partisan mood not just for the last eight years, but for the last 16. I really would like to see our country rally together, and I want a president who can inspire confidence and patriotism while holding us to our own high ideals.
I actually think we could do a lot worse than either candidate in this respect. He Who Must Not Be Named In This Post used to inspire me and he could very well do so again.
But I also agree with Obama’s policies by and large. He has shown himself to be thoughtful and intelligent. His foreign policy ideas, his health plan, his energy plan–he’s no empty suit as he was once accused of being.
Finally, there’s his integrity and values. I suspect his high-road approach is just a strategy, but I think it’s good to have an elevated campaign and I want to encourage it. I respect his work as a community organizer, a civil rights lawyer, a professor, and a state senator. That isn’t the career of a power seeker, but of someone who believes in improving his community. And his campaign has continued to show his character - he hasn’t spoken down to voters to the extent most candidates do. He’s explained his personal and professional decisions about family, race, religion, money, votes, etc. with admirable honesty and sophistication. He appears capable of distinguishing between compromise for the sake of progress and compromising your values. And his positions show a value orientation I support - America leading by example and through diplomacy, support for the middle class, emphasis on renewable energy.
