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Kennett, Missouri ~ Saturday, May 17, 2008
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Off the Beaton Path -- The Obama Factor
Posted Monday, February 4, 2008, at 8:28 AM<< Previous | Read comments | Respond | Email link
Howdy Blogging Buddies!
President Barack Hussein Obama, is it possible? Perhaps I have the "audacity to hope" so. In a presidential race filled with history making, record-breaking excitement, Obama might be the paramount figure to those terms describing this election year.
He has raised oodles and oodles of mullah ($32 million in January alone) and he could be the first African-American to get a party's nomination for president. But why do I like him? I like him because of how well he has done at energizing, inspiring and encouraging my age group.
Some of you folks out there probably remember what JFK and brother Bobby meant to the young voters during his time. Obama has been able to do the same thing with young voters today.
In South Carolina, exit polls showed Obama getting a whopping 70 --yes SEVEN-ZERO --percent of the young vote; moreover, they turned out in record numbers.
Suddenly I have found myself on a college campus, once swamped with apathy, now engaging in politics and taking an active role in trying to name the next commander and chief.
I have always enjoyed taking part in government. I enjoy the political process. You can imagine how excited I have become to see my academic cohorts being enthusiastic about enjoying the rights guaranteed to them in our great democracy's constitution.
Students are not only excited about his bid for president but are rallying around causes with passion: speaking out against war, promoting environmental accountability, ensuring that health care is made affordable to everyone and fighting poverty.
Obama has inspired the 20's age group, something that has not been done by a politician in a long time. This inspiration should not be lost on Election Day. That is why I proudly support Obama, because I want my generation to be passionate about making the world a better place.
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Obama and Hillary guarantee a Republican victory in November. Hillary is not to be trusted, and Obama has no experience that would justify him being our president.
I feel like such a failure. I thought our long talks about "issues" had made a dent in your world view. But, I guess I was wrong.
I do admit that Obama is an articulate and persuasive communicator. But so is his former pastor. I think its important to look and examine who Obama is and what he really believes. I am not for sure we want a president that may hold the same racist views as Pastor Wright.
IMO, Obama is a charlatan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xtNr5-up0U&eurl=ht... ....
Dream ticket? It sounds more like a nightmare. Its funny that you start off your response boasting about Hillary and Obama's "morals", but then dismiss "moral issues" as "NON issues". It sounds like you still need to make up your mind.
I do not care if he is a christian. What difference does it make? Reverend Fred Phelps is a christian. Reverend Ted Haggard is a christian.
George W Bush is a christian.
Both Hillary and Obama have "morals". One does not have to have a religious affiliation to have morals.
George Bush, however, seems to be lacking in morals.
I voted for Hillary in my primary but will support Obama, if he gets the nomination.
I did this because I believe that Hillary is read to govern, has the proper experience in the proper committee and in her Senate representation of the people in NY state. She has also been in the White House and understands all that it entails.
I think that Obama will make a fine president as well.
The dream ticket would be Hillary/Obama for 8 years, followed by 8 years of President Obama.
Lets hope that people will vote with their intellects, and educations, and not their religions, or their prejudices, this time. Look what it got us last time around.
Please ignore the devisive, "moral" issues, that are really NON issues, and vote to bring sanity back to the government of the United States of America, with freedom and rights for ALL Americans.
Ron,
You better stay clear of Amway Representatives, because they can be awfully "energizing, inspiring and encouraging" too, but you'll just end up wondering where all you money went. The price either way is too high. If someone really has to go out there and sell themselves, and not their policies, plans, and beliefs, that hard, normally what they sell isn't worth buying. I think with Obama or Hillary, you are just going to end up at the wrong end of a pyramid scheme. McCain just comes out and tells what he believes; he's earned my vote with his straightforwardness, hasn't picked my pocket for it with all the hype of the chance to have the "first woman" or "first African American" president. Race or Sex shouldn't have anything to do with it, but sadly, even in this day and age, some will be influenced not to vote for Hillary or Obama just because of these things just as some will be swayed to vote for them for the same reasons.
I think it was Winston Churchill who said something along the lines of, "If you're 18 and not a liberal you don't have a heart. If you're 30 and not a conservative you don't have a brain."
Churchill changed political affiliations, too.
I haven't had a chance to read it all, so I can't say for sure what the context was, but did Obama's wife recently say that she was proud of her country for the 1st time in her adult life??? Doesn't seem like the smartest thing to say and if she really meant that, that's really sad.
gertrude09, glad to see you are on the Obama bandwagon! I think you have got an excellent idea for an upcoming blog. P.S. It's always good to have a blog that starts out Hello RJ.
mskelton, Preach it brother!
Doc,
You are a genious!!!! "Obama-rama!" Why didn't I think of it before? It just makes sense.
Anyone else reading this… If you wanted to read an extremely entertaining blog that is also most informative go to www.yourpetsbestfriend.com. It is there you will see what a blog is supposed to be like!
Cardsfan, I'm not going to disagree that Regan was inspiring. He was, after all, the great communicator. However, I'm with Obama when he said he had some great inspiring ideas, they just weren't good ones.
rddogoli, I'm glad you have so much faith in the young generation of Americans (sarcasim).
I also wanted to thank the few Obama supporters in Kennett who helped propel Obama to a Missouri victory!!! YES WE CAN!
I'll assure you of one thing: Mr. Obama being black has nothing to do with why I would choose him over your "best" Republican...I have heard of people that would, but I'll assure you, he's not gotten the number of votes that he has based on voter ignorance...
Morals...Right...You show me a presidential candidate in this race with true "morals" and I'll give you a cookie...Democratic or Republican...Talk is cheap...I'm from Missouri baby, you've gotta SHOW ME...
As far as taxes...It seems like to me that our government is full of checks and balances...So how is it that one person is going to control our taxes? The major problem that BOTH parties have is that they have too many EXTREMISTS...Like Hillary...Like Romney...
My thought is, I would rather have a young, energetic, hard-charger like Obama in there than an older man who really doesn't even want to be labeled as a "Republican!" HA! Just joking there...I think Mr. McCain's a wonderful candidate as well...And I'll promise you this, I would vote for McCain over Clinton any day and twice on Sunday...
I'm hoping for a Obama/Edwards Democratic ticket...If that's the case, I'm a Democrat all day...If it's an Obama/Clinton ticket, you're going to REALLY have to convince me to vote Democrat...If it's a Clinton/Obama ticket, you're going to see me jump the fence like a runaway felon...
It has always been easy to con the young voters into submission. That is what this guy is gambling on but he isn't going far if that is all he has and I don't see much else he is good for. This guy is dangerous and Hillary is just as bad. It is a shame that when I ask women why they are voting for her their usual answer is "she is a woman" shame shame, poor reason for choosing a president, and notice the main reason Obama has gone so hi, not because of his skills but because he is black. shame shame again. Morals are not even in their vocabulary, wait and see what you as working folks will have after one of them start taxing you more so their voters can live high on the Government Hog. You all think taxes are high now, lol you haven't seen anything yet. May the best con artist win.
I Know you will not like this but Ronald Reagan is the most inspiring. He was a great leader and smart leader. In fact Obama-rama has even mentioned that. He seems to get the fact that Reagon was a great leader.
Ron,
If you really wanted to support Obama, you would take up the rallying cry "Obama-rama!". This campaign slogan languishes unused, and it would be the difference between victory and defeat. Why does no-one understand this?
Doc
The first thing I'd like to comment on is the "change, but what change" comment: I think that you hear that just about every election you have with a lame duck official in the office...Politics are politics...Every person up there has been yelling "change" and will continue to do so...You've just got to have faith in the system (which I do not) that change will actually occur with someone new...I like our chances with Obama more than I do with anyone else, however.
I would also like to comment on the "gas prices" post as well: Nomatter who's in office, don't look for gas prices to EVER go down...The consumers world-wide have guaranteed that they will never go down. When you have millions upon millions of people driving SUV's and more and more "third world" countries showing the same trend, you can guarantee that the days of $1 a gallon are LONG GONE...Countries that were NEVER dependent upon gasoline, who are now dependent upon gasoline, are popping up every day...With an ever-dwindling oil reserve, combined with these things, you better believe that our good buddies in the Middle East are going to get tighter and tighter about how much they're going to want to send over...Because who has the most oil in the end (when it's almost completely gone) is going to have ALL the power...And thanks to your government officials (for about the past 10 years) nothing has been done to combat our dependence upon gasoline...God forbid that the government mandates higher fuel efficiencies on vehicles or do the unheard of and FIND AN ALTERNATIVE...Something that is GROWN here by US FARMERS (like corn - ethonol)...But who would that piss off? Oh, that's right, all of those BIG WIG oil companies who paid for your campaign...
The government's problem is the same as many local communities' problem; let's do "what's right" for the few instead of the many...because that's where our votes/money comes from...And, nomatter who is elected, you're still faced with that same problem...ONE person will NEVER be able to make a change...It's got to be a collective effort...So, if you want to focus on "change" you better vote for someone different in every race that you can...Remember, we have checks and balances on everything...
Hello RJ. Just read your blog and "yes" Obama does possess the ability to inspire and inspiration is certainly what we all need more of. In a world that is disheartened and in deep need of "enlightened" leadership, I am certain. that of all of our candidates, he is the one who would most likely be able to give us back the"audacity of hope". May I suggest a blog in the future that is written by you and explains what specific plans Obama has for our future are? Perhaps that will help convince the skeptics and the persons who will never visit his website that he is ,indeed, NOT a Muslim extremest and that he does, indeed, have the highest possible aspirations for our country. Gertrude09
I might consider him if he would promise to bring gas prices down under $1.50 a gallon. Harvard Law Review President doesn't mean he is qualified. Just makes him book smart!!
grizz1, Change is right! He is promoting change. Not suprising considering our current president has a 27% approval rating (CBS) and we have had a Clinton or Bush in the White House for a quarter of a century! I can assure you if you were to take a visit to his website or watch the debates you will see he has plans and ideas that substantiate his promotion of change. Moreover, the older Democrats have had been leaning towards Clinton in exit polls, but I feel they will rally around the Democrat whomever it may be. I'm not sure the same can be said about the
young people. I hope we as a nation don't forget to pass the torch to a new generation. I think it might be time to do just that.
Jo-Co-Worker, You are amazing, just glad you are a Dem!
silly, silly, silly!, The presidential polls will surely prove you wrong. Also, yes he is a Christ loving Christian. You should be skeptical of forwards that you get via email. I also think that the president of the Harvard Law Review is certainly intelligent enough to run this country, I just wish you would give him a chance.
He is getting the vote/attention of young Americans because he can't win over people who have been around for a while, who have seen this crap before, and who have values. What about his religious background? Is he a Christian? I agree with grizzi he talks a big game, but does he really know what he wants to do when he gets into the white house, other than try to look like Mr. G.Q.
Oh, Ron, you're killin' me! I thought I had been a better influence on you than that! H-I-L-L-A-R-Y! :-) I am glad to hear that young people are getting involved in what's going on in our country, because it's not going to be long before they are the ones making those decisions. Are we ready for an African American or Woman? As Democrats, we'd better be, if we want a winner AND WE DO!
Change! Change! Change! That's what I hear from him, but what exactly is he going to change??? That is the question that seems to go unanswered. There seems to be a lot of energy with the young democrat voters when it comes to Obama, but I wouldn't say the same thing from the older democrats or the republicans, from they way I hear people talk.