Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Obama on the Rise

I'm mainly posting this for the benefit of my sister-in-law Lynn, who I know is a huge Obama supporter. This is a remarkably positive article about Barack Obama by Matt Taibbi, who is usually incredibly cynical regarding both sides. Yes, he throws in a healthy dose of skepticism in describing the "well-oiled political machine" that Obama actually has at his command. But the ending is pretty upbeat, at least for Taibbi:

"So maybe it's OK to let the grandiose things that an Obama presidency could represent overwhelm the less-stirring reality -- i.e., Obama as more or less a typical middle-of-the-road Democrat with a lot of money and a well-run campaign. Maybe it's OK because it's not always about the candidates; sometimes it's about us, what we want and what we want to believe. And if Barack Obama can carry that burden for us, why not let him? Seriously, why not? The happy ending doesn't always have to ring false."

Disclosure: My ranking is Edwards, Obama, Clinton. Maybe stick Chris Dodd in before Clinton due to his recent filibuster stunt, which I thought was pretty awesome. One the whole, I'd rather have Edwards in office due to the fact that he's selling himself more on his positions on the issues than on his personality; I feel that he has stronger positions on economics and the environment than Obama does.

But that doesn't mean I'd have any qualms about voting for Obama; I think he's a solid and charismatic candidate, and that may matter more in this race. For that matter, based on the current front runners, I feel pretty confident that whichever Republican wins is going to be a complete train wreck in one way or another. Hillary Clinton may not be my ideal candidate, but compared to Huckabee, Romney, or Giuliani? No contest.

3 comments:

  1. Thanks Russell! Yes, I agree that Obama offers us an entirely different type of politics. Mom is very cynical that he will become corrupt just like every other politician that had bright ideas has. I disagree. I think that America is really becoming tired of the typical "Republican" attitude and wants more for our country. At least I hope so! I also encouraged her and anyone to read Obama's second book, "The Audacity of Hope". He writes very well in my opinion, and is very well versed on what politics is like in Washington, past, present, and what the future could hold. He doesn't see through rose colored glasses, like I think some people may think, and has a good respect for what precedes him. Mom also touched on his inexperience factor. I don't agree with the argument purely because I believe we have had much less experienced politicians in office to bungle things up, AND we have had way more experienced leaders in office that have taken us down the toilet. So that is really a non-issue for me. What matters is this man's judgment. Can he stand tall in the face of adversity? I believe he can, and already has to a great degree. I think he would mean so much to the black male demographic that needs a hero. They need someone to look up to and help them come up out of the shadows and take responsibility for their lives. That could mean so much for poverty, crime, etc. As for religion, I appreciate his moderate attitude towards that. He has his beliefs, but doesn't throw that into the whole mix like Huckabee does. That man is scary! Yes, Obama is more middle of the road, but he is also very strong in one major thing that people need to embrace...he has an incredible knack for diplomacy, a very strong knowledge of history and foreign politics, and he has consistently shown good judgment while in office. So, I could go on for hours I am sure. But yes, thank you for posting about such an important topic. I don't know if he will win or not. I hope he does, but mostly I hope that he shows the nation that we have to stop tolerating the corrupt liars in office. That has got to change, and it won't by just sitting back and being cynical about it and throwing our hands up in the air in defeat.

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  2. I agree with you. Nobody the Republicans can run isn't tainted in some way and though I'm leaning towards Obama I think Clinton is going to take it all.

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  3. Lynn I couldn't agree with you more. I think Obama would help this country a great deal. Every reason you gave why you think so, I think so too. Especially the diplomacy part. If you can't get people to listen, and can't communicate well, then you are pretty much going to be fruitless in your efforts.

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