I am so tired of hearing this. Every argument as such lists complaints about his lack of experience. He didn’t hold “X” position you’d like him to hold.
When you point out what he has done in life, it is either summarily dismissed or someone claims that you can’t really tell where he stands on such issues.
Most of these people live in sound bite culture, they haven’t read his issues page in depth.
He didn’t publish because he was too busy working on the street level and running for public office. :rolleyes:
I am not complaining about people who have legitimate gripes against Obama. Sam Stone has made some good posts to that effect, I am talking about those who want to paint him as even less experienced than he actually was.
There are valid, political or philosophic reasons for people not to vote for Obama. But his supposed lack of experience is a bonus IMHO…it means he hasn’t been completely captured by the system. Like Hillary…who’s camp (and who) is currently the main source of this kind of attack on the man.
I’ve met Barack a couple times in the last 15 years and I wish I had time to go pound the pavement for him. Far from being vacuous, he’s an incredibly smart and thoughtful man whom I think will make a fine president.
My sentiments exactly! I think not spending decades in Washington, making deals with people who will soon come to collect, is one of his best attributes.
Meanwhile…Ford Prefect quoting Douglas Adams. Dude, you just blew my mind!
I’d submit that his speeches have been at least as substantive as his opponents. If you listen to Hillary’s speeches, very often she’s talking very broadly - as is McCain. That’s not to say that they don’t have detailed plans, much the same as Obama.
The trick lies in this fact, that he’s able to inspire and rally people. This leaves him with the “poet” label, and we all just KNOW that no poet ever said anything. And especially anything worthwhile…
Let’s throw something else in the mix… the President doesn’t create a single bit of legislation. What a President does is propose stuff, haggle with Congress, sign legislation or veto it. Other than that a President sets the agenda with… words to the nation. With symbolic acts. And help to guide the PROCESS. Able to add or subtract transparency. Able to appoint people to positions…
That’s what a President does.
Given that Obama has a record of working with both sides of the aisle (as does McCain) I’m more inclined to trust him (them) than other candidates. I’m a centrist and an independent. And I like big picture answers - not ideological ones.
Right. And it’s also reasonable to maintain that his lack of experience compared to Hillary or McCain is not a bonus. But as the OP said, it’s pretty damn annoying when people refuse to give him credit for the experience that he does have.
(FWIW, I think his non-insider status is a bonus, too.)
I *want *someone who understands the system. Note that Obama is a career politician, not some dude from “outside the system”. He is a bit nebulous, but so are many politcos, including Hillary. Obama is a very charismatic speaker, however, *much *more so than Hillary. What annoys me about Obama is not the candidate so much as his supporters, such as on this board. Oh, and “CHANGE!”. Like electing a woman for Prez isn’t “change”. :rolleyes: