Senator Obama, Quit Making This Hard For Me!

Great Debates
1

I have shared before my dilemma for the 2008 election.

We have a Democratic candidate (well, presumptive candidate) whose positions are, almost across the board, things I don’t generally support. And we have a Republican candidate whose positions are, in large measure, things I can and do support. That’s the same situation as in every election since I could vote.

But this time…

This time, the Democrat has campaigned in a truly new way, with a message that has to large degree eschewed soundbites and offered more in-depth analysis to problems. He’s shied away from negative ads. He’s spoken, so far as I can tell, honestly and forthrightly. If history is any judge, this is an insane way to campaign.

I like it. I like a lot. I have always wished to see ALL candidates campaign like this, and have always … assumed? imagined? … that the only reason they didn’t is the same reason the Soviets and the US built up such an arsenal: once your opponent does it, you have to do it too, in self-defense.

But Senator Obama has kicked that assumption in the teeth. First in his reactions to Senator Clinton’s negative attacks, and now in his reaction to Senator McCain’s, he’s shown a remarkable ability to stay above the fray and focus on his own ideas.

I like this so much that I am tempted to vote for Obama to send a signal that, of all the issues we face, the issues of campaigning TRUTHFULLY outweighs gun control, abortion law, Iraq, the economy, and the appoint of textualist judges.

Part of me keeps hoping that Obama will blow it, so I can end this internal conflict and vote for the guy that holds the correct view on all those positions. But while Obama isn’t completely clean – his campaign finance switcheroo tarnished him a bit – I recognize that it really was a case of necessity. I would have preferred he make a clean breast of it, and say, “I made that pledge simply not understanding the realities of financing at this level, and I’m not going to keep a pledge that’s become a suicide pact.” But in the end, that’s a minor spot of tarnish on armor that is otherwise unsullied.

So, a plea: Obama, please, go launch a series of attack ads that blame McCain for Iraq and the economy, or something, so I can safely pigeonhole you into the same box that every politician lives, and go back to my unconflicted decision-making. If you continue on this path, I may pull the level for a Democratic presidential candidate for the first time ever, and I’m afraid my flesh will writhe and demons will stream out, shrieking, for the booth or something.

2

Reported

3

Yes, well… Senator Obama is at fault for getting me all confused and posting in the wrong forum. I meant to put this in GD.

Mods? A little help?

4

Obama tried to stop me from moving this to Great Debates, but I did it anyway.

5

You don’t agree with the policies he intends to pursue; it follows then that you think they’re the wrong policies and would be bad for the country. However, as you find his honest campaigning refreshing you’ll vote for him anyway. Have I got that right?

I have the greatest respect for you, Bricker, bu this is Alice Through The Looking Glass stuff.

BTW have I missed something? I didn’t think the Republican attack-hounds had even been released yet, forcing Obama recently to dream up scare tactics that they might use (his face on the currency not looking right, etc).

6

Not at all.

In every election, we each must choose a candidate based on the issues that resonate most with us.

I vote for Republicans knowing that they’re pro-death-penalty, something I find shameful. I’ve voted locally for Democrats that were strong on gun-control, knowing reluctantly that I was getting a pro-choice guy as well. Every election involves such choices, and how you weigh them.

I voted for the gun-rights Dem at a time where I didn’t see much chance that the abortion issue would swing meaningfully either way… but when gun rights were very much in play. I had friends at the time that castigated me in much the same way you have, for voting for a “pro-abortion” candidate.

What I’m saying now is not simply that I find Obama’s campaigning “refreshing.” It’s that I find it to constitute an issue, on it’s own: how should our candidates campaign? And what I’m telling you right now is that this issue, in my mind, is important enough that I may become a single-issue voter on it. In the end, Obama will be in office four or eight years. He’s got a lot of wrong ideas, but he won’t wreck the country.

But if the message sent by his election includes, “We’re tired of half-truth, negative campaigning…” THAT is a change that will hopefully resonate years after Obama is President.

7

Ironically, I used to feel much the same way about McCain, especially since he was one of the only people I thought wanted to do anything serious about campaign finance reform. I think his desire to be President has overridden all the other values he used to have, though. I hope the same thing doesn’t happen to Obama.

8

McCain is better on this front than almost everyone else out there.

But in this instance, he’s like the local club tennis pro who suddenly gets a visit from Roger Federer.

9

I agree with you, Bricker. I usually vote republican but will be pulling the trigger on Obama this time around. And he certainly “won’t wreck the country” any more than it’s been wrecked over the past 8 years (could that even be possible?)But for me, it is more than just his campaign tactics that are appealing. I think we need a leader who is as far away from GW Bush in every way possible.

10

Bricker, it’s simple: Based on all information now available to you – including but not limited to what the candidates’ campaign strategies may reveal about their respective characters and supporters – try to imagine what most likely will happen if McCain is POTUS for the next four years. Then try to imagine what most likely will happen if Obama is POTUS for the next four years. Vote for whichever scenario you prefer. That’s the best any of us can do.

My fear is that McCain is too hotheaded to be POTUS at this delicate period in history and might well take us to war with Iran, which, I’m sure you will agree, would be very, very bad. Obama is no pacifist – except by comparison.

11

I’m a fence rider in the sense that I don’t like either party. I admit that I’ve liked Obama from the start and have prefered him over every other candidate, even though I do not like his positions on a lot of issues. Gun Control, Oil Drilling, etc. Frankly, I’ve voted Republican (Reagan, Bush I) more often than Democrat, but OTOH, I vote for the person and voted for Rep. Sabo (D) in every single election when I lived in Minneapolis.

I’d love to find some reason to vote for McPain. But the deliberate misspelling of his name says it all. Negative ads, flip-flopping more than a dying fish. Hell, he not only attacked Obama for not visiting the troops in Germany, he actually had ads prepared to attack him FOR visiting them if he had! This is the man who promised to run a clean campaign, but all I see is desperation. It’s like watching a presidential version of the Arthur Carlson political campaign on WKRP. You know the one where he deliberate set out to destroy his own campaign and make himself look completely insane. Unfortunately, he STILL won, and I’m hoping to god that McCain doesn’t fall into the same dumb luck. (please please please pick Romney - really piss off the Evangelicals!)

But the bottom line is as you say. I’m seriously impressed with Obama’s ability to ride out the negativity and not respond to any of the petty bullshit.

12

What’s the debate?

13

Bricker vote Republican. If you thought Bush was giving thoughtful answers in the 2000 and 2004 elections ,then your threshold is very low. Bush has shown no ability to give a thorough thought out response to any question. If you thought that was good enough ,then McCain is your man.

14

Normally I base my choice on which candidate has more potential entertain me for the next four years. Then I look at who I could stand listening to for all that time. Finally, there’s the candidate’s platform and beliefs. Bill Clinton knocked it out of the park with the first two and doubled on the third, so I voted for him twice. Gore struck out at his first turn at bat but singled and doubled the next two while Dubya didn’t make it to first base. In Kerry vs Bush, well, let’s just say that it was a long, long game but Kerry tripled in his third at-bat.

Now with Obama vs McCain, the rookie is funnier, better-spoken, and hit a solid triple with his ideas. McCain, after some promising seasons, barely found the batter’s box and is swinging at anything pitched to him, whether it’s in the strike zone or heading for the box seats, and not connecting. Maybe it’s time he hung up his cleats.
FTR: No, I’m not entirely that shallow, but I can beat a metaphor like a rented mule, can’t I?

15

I used to vote for Paul Wellstone. Didn’t agree with much of what he said (I’m liberal, but he was a little too liberal for me), but I respected his integrity. If we have people with integrity in office, the system of checks and balances will keep us from steering too far left or right. And integrity doesn’t mean “never makes compromises, never flipflops, never makes mistakes or changes his mind.” Politicians, even those with integrity, are human and have to get things done in a system. But there is a point where you lose integrity when you compromise or change your mind. I don’t think Wellstone lost it - or if he did, he didn’t loose it often and would go find it again. Obama seems the same. McCain looked like he had it, but he lost it in the same spot the other sock goes - its never going to get found again.

16

Eh? Did you read the same OP I did?

Bricker, quite honestly, I don’t see a dilemma for you. I think you have to vote for the candidate whose positions you support to a greater degree than you do the others. While I’d be delighted if every thinking Republican decided to vote for Obama, I don’t think his style marks a sea change. He’s rara avis, and - sadly - I doubt that his winning would be credited to his style, or that his winning would affect the way politicians run for office.

Be nice though, wouldn’t it?

17

I feel exactly the same about Richard Lugar. He’s one Republican I have no problem voting for.

18

I was about to say I was disappointed in you, because even though I’d prefer everybody vote for Obama over McCain, it’s a peeve of mine that people don’t vote based on issues like I feel they should. But obviously campaign methods are an issue, and an important one to you. I have to admit I hadn’t really considered that before, myself.

If I was having doubts about who to vote for, I’d maybe try to work it out on paper (or computer file), assign a weight to each issue I care about, and try get a good feel for the candidates’ positions.

19

Bricker, I think one of two things has happened, or perhaps a combination of the two things. Either the McCain of 2000 and before has completely sold out, because prior to that he was a man that dirty leftists like me could have lived with even though in most areas we disagreed with him totally, but now he seems to have given up any legimate claim to honesty whatsoever; or he has completely blown his temper and now is allowing his Rovian operatives free rein. I waffle from day to day as to which has happened. Either is kind of scary.

20

I’m largely in the same boat, so he’s not unique in that regard. All depends upon who he picks to run with him. As long as he doesn’t go with Hillary he’s got my vote in the bag, and I can’t think of a single thing that I genuinely, wholeheartedly agree with him on. What he has is charisma, that certain something that tells me that he’ll come through.

Of course, that all remains to be seen. Kennedy, the last President I can think of with this much charisma, didn’t do much of anything before he was killed, and there was little reason to believe that he would had he not been shot. I hope Obama does better than he did.