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The problem with Sen. Obama is that he is too good, at speaking that is. Of course, compared to President Bush who speaks in public like a fifth grader standing in front of the class for the first time that is not a major accomplishment.

The Obama message plays well to people who are being hit hard by the current economic conditions in the US, who perceive they have been harmed by global trade, who resent corporate profits and greedy executives, big business in general or who are simply looking for reassurance that their current situation is not really their fault alone.

Cynical views, perhaps, but Americans tend to take a short term perspective and to seek short term answers with little consideration for the longer term consequences. Maybe it is not only Americans but all of us human beings.

Unions are not a bad thing, they can be very good, but some items on big union agendas will limit America’s competitiveness in the world market, corporate profits while easy targets in the political arena are not bad, they fund growth, innovations and the success of America’s corporations on the world scene. Corporate profits make up the financial security of hundreds of millions of Americans who are either relying on dividends as part of their income or on pensions whose trust funds are invested in the stock market. Taxes are necessary, but the solution to our national debt problems is found both in the expense and revenue areas, not simply raising taxes. And, taxes are forever it seems. So a “good idea in today’s environment may not be so good in the years ahead, think AMT, think estate taxes, think gasoline taxes not devoted solely to roads.

Affordable health care for all Americans, every one is for that, but what is it? Ask those espousing the concept to give you an idea of what is affordable? Many Americans probably already have it and don’t know it. If you work for a large corporation and pay $200 - $300 a month for family coverage (not uncommon), is that affordable? If you pay far less but have a $3,000 annual deductible, is that affordable, maybe if you don’t have any claims? Don’t buy a concept unless you understand what is behind it. :-3



What’s the point? Simply this, when a politician, any politician, throws out a grand sounding plan to stick it to one group or spend a great deal of money for another, ask how and why and what are the tradeoffs for all Americans. It is not hard to hit the hot buttons of an audience by telling them what they believe or want to hear, it is quite another to confront the hard facts and to make things come together with overall benefits for all Americans.

I'm going to agree Quinn, but knowing me I'm agreeing to the wrong thing...:wah:

We tend to appreciate Obama because he speaks to our hearts. He speaks to our dreams. He speaks to our ambitions for ourselves and our children. He speaks to our wish to make history in our time. Hillary wasn't able to make that same connection with most of us although she certainly tried. Hillary spoke bricks and mortar.

Is there substance to what he says, or will we find that once we have licked away the frosting all that remains is a cardboard cutout?

I can't wait for the platforms to emerge. I hope there are some good constructive floor fights on ideas and solutions, not just gimmicks and catch phrases. I want substance. I want meat and potato healthy solutions -not just good tasting but ultimately bad for you fast food answers..

And I want it from both candidates, Quinn. I want the McCain I saw before south carolina in 2000. I want that guy that talks straight and isn't trying to placate the masses.. but can that guy win?

There may be a cost to plain speaking that politicians like McCain and Obama understand better then most. That may be why they are positioned where they are today.

[QUOTE]Thats a good post, Quinn, but I'm curious, were you preaching the same thing 4 and 8 years ago? Of course you were, right?[QUOTE]

I wasn't as wise 8 years ago as I hope to be know, my view of all politicians has soured considerably, my criticism is not only one party or one candidate, they are all the same, but you have to admit that Obama is better than most at painting a picture that people want to hear, he knows how to talk to the crowds better than most and on the surface it is clearly hard to disagree with the concepts of something better for all, but the devil is in the details as they say and more important it is in the halls of Congress where there is a long tradition of doing what gets one re-elected and not doing much else...but I guess that's our fault afterall.

rjwould;886269 wrote: That tells me Obama will be a better ambassador for the U.S., which is one of the more vital characteristics of a qualified president. If any politician such as Bush for example is good at communicating his message via surrogates such as TV and radio commercials and through A M talk radio mouth pieces, I see that as more deceptive, as Bush has proven. First time around, he sounded good until he was elected and got behind a microphone. Remember his ratings before 9/11, they were low then. Bush needed this war to remain in office.

I know one of the strategies of the right will be to try and paint Obama as another slick Willy, which is the thought you are attempting to advance in this thread, but I think Obama will run a campaign that rises above that sort of thing. The republicans are a go no where party right now and thats where they put themselves for revealing their (and your) true agenda.

Government is not a business and therefore cannot operate as such. Taxes are necessary in a free society for the good of the majority. But like I've said to you before, lets start with cutting the budget where its most bloated, which is defense. I've still not heard a peep from you on that idea. Cutting defense by two thirds would save at least 249 billion dollars in the first year alone.


I have to agree with you in that I suspect that Obama would be very well received outside of the US and would be able to charm them as well as he does Americans and in some ways that would be a good thing. We need a lot of help around the world, Bush and his cronies have screwed up the perception of America in the world royally. Obama for Secretary of State.

Frankly, I also agree on cutting the budget, but I don't know enough to agree or disagree with your view on the defense portion, but I suspect like all other areas there are many opportunities to save money.

I am not trying to paint Obama as slick or anyhting other than a very good politician at pandering to people. My point was and continues to be that there are consequences, some unintended, to all these promises (by any politician) and people need to think about that rather than merely being caught up in the very attractive rhetoric.