Now lets look at reality.
In November we will choose a sitting Senator as our next President. I don't think that's been done since John F. Kennedy and it had been a while before that. In the next election we will either elect a Black man as President or an old Senator with a youngish white woman as Vice President.
Usually we don't like to elect Congress to the Presidency. We choose people with real verifiable experience, because in our national collective judgment we think that past performance and proof of experience will dictate the future result.
Myself, I could care less what the party is. I'll vote for whatever party if I like the candidate.
Personally I have voted Democratic 3 out of the last 8 Presidential elections.
Here's the history- (Real brief)
- Ike (R)- Military man ,Supreme Allied Commander WWII
- Kennedy (D)- Military man (PT109), Pulitzer Prize winner ("Profiles in Courage"),Author ("While England Slept") Senator (Political family)
- Johnson (D)- VP, then Presidency (was in the senate before)
- Nixon (R)-former VP in '52, then failed as a Presidential candidate in '60 and failed as Governor of Cali. in '62
- Ford (R)-Appointed to replace Spiro Agnew as VP, succeeded as President when Nixon resigned, never elected as Pres.
- Carter (D)-State Senator, Former Gov of GA, Navy man -(Sub Commander?), peanut farmer, Nobel peace prize winner
- Reagan X2(R)- Former Gov -
- Bush1 (R)-Bush held a multitude of political positions prior to his presidency, including VP for Reagan and director of the CIA
- Clinton X2 (D) - former Governor-Arkansas
- Bush2 X2 (R)- former Governor-Texas
John McCain , Republican, chose Sarah Palin as his running mate. Was this a Masterstroke of political theatre or obvious pandering to the female vote? Depends upon your point of view, I suppose. I think it was what he had to do to shake up the race. I mean, if you have ever heard him speak, he wasn't going to get the press coverage with his speaking ability. His speeches suck. He can be a bit dry (to say the least). he gets on my nerves a bit with the "My Friends" bit too. Sarah Palin gives him what no other choice could have. She gives him (among other things) a clean break from
Barack Obama, Democrat, chose Joe Biden as his VP. I like Biden. If he were the Democratic candidate, I'd probably vote for him over McCain and over Obama. Why not? I voted for
Here is what I don't get and don't understand why he is thought of as the answer to our problems.
What has Obama ever accomplished besides writing books getting married and having children? He was (is) a lawyer? What legislation has he ever sponsored? What has he ever done to indicate he has ever taken a stand for me or you (before he announced his run for the Presidency?) His whole entire substance of work is based on one vote against the war? I'm sorry, what ?
Google Obama and you will find reporters stories, his web sites, and a plethora of copies of his speeches and the like. Google "Obama accomplishments" and it is about as light as a recent college graduate's would be if he were applying for the Top Job in any industry.
The guy from the mail room is qualified to be the CEO ?
That is my dilemma in a nutshell. I'd love to vote for a positive candidate like Obama. I like the way Obama carries himself. So far he has run a pretty decent (no mudslinging BS) campaign. He makes a good speech. I have heard basically everything he has said.
I am still waiting for him to actually say something (anything) specific besides "Change", "Yes we can" or "Make it better". Change may be the answer but his brand of change may not be, because he still hasn't told us what it is made of. Being the first black man is not enough, just as being the first woman was not enough. It is just not a good enough reason to give them the job. If it was I could start a catchy chant phrase and get elected and trust me I'd never make it either.
I have no idea how he can make a negative claim on anyone else's history or accomplishments though when he doesn't have any himself , nor how he can judge anyone else's qualifications for the job when his resume is so light in reality and substance. Who gave him the high ground? He is a lightweight running for a heavyweight's job in a fog of words and video. This is why 35+ and older male and female voters will have a hard time voting for him. This is why Undecided voters will have a tough time seeing him as the answer. This is why middle of the road democrats (like my wife) won't trust him. Black big city support will not get him elected.
Just what exactly are his qualifications for the job? The fact that he is running a political campaign? Are you serious? "(Insert Lewis Black quote here)"
Can anybody answer that question or give me concrete examples that I can compare to anything anyone else has ever done who has held the office? If this were a contest between Bill Clinton and Obama would you think Obama is qualified? I'm having a very tough time thinking this guy has the prerequisite skill sets necessary to be given the responsibility. Start up dotcom firms in
Just take a look at his history and his resume and ask yourself these kinds of questions before you actually decide on election day.
Could this guy run a medium sized company with this much experience?
Would you hire a guy with this experience to run things for you if you absolutely had to make money or go broke?
Here is a novel non-racist question I have heard no one ask. What if McCain was Black and Obama was white. What if Obama was a republican and McCain was the democrat?
Would you vote for this guy if he was a white republican based solely on his experience?
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot of what you're saying, but disagree with a few key points.
1) Obama is not that young (except as far as presidential candidates go.
2) A lot of times, young people have a very good idea of how the world (and world politics) work. In fact, I would say that a lot of older people are very ignorant to some basic realities. The key difference is that the older, ignorant people still vote. 75% of the young people who show up at Obama's rallies are unlikely to vote (whether because of age or race).
3) A lot of companies are looking for younger, more motivated people based on personality rather than experience for management roles.
4) A young, fresh perspective can bring a lot of positive change.
BUT, I really don't see the last two applying to Obama. Companies aren't, and American's shouldn't be, looking for someone who can chant "Change, change, change." They should be looking for people who will look objectively at the status quo and be willing to change it in specific, identifiable ways. Obama is not that person. In fact, reading any history of his early political career will show this. I'm from Chicago, and proud of it, but let's face it. When a person gets elected because he makes friends with all the right people in Chicago politics, betrays/overthrows another powerful and successful minority politician, how much can we say they're really for change?
I think Chicago politics work in Chicago. I don't think it's a good idea for our whole country. And I certainly don't think that nepotism and token minorities is the kind of change that Americans are looking for right now.
Barack ObamaAge: 47 years (born 4 August 1961).
ReplyDeleteZach has a good point. He is middle aged and I intimated that he was a young man. In retrospect (with hindsight being 20-20), I should have noticed that and framed it differently. I think what I was trying to say, is that he has been elected to two main positions and at his age , hasn't really accomplished all that much which shows how his accomplishments will be applied to the presidency.
I also agree with Zachs comments about voters in general, and wish our futures were not decided by so slim a number of voters in the first place. If a majority of Americans voted, the issues would actually get discussed.