The Obama and Hilary Drama

[LouiseVargas]

 




The truth is that Hilary would have become the nominee if not for Obama. She absolutely cannot compete with him. I bet Hill and Bill are tearing their hair out because their plan is not working because of Obama. He was an unexpected candidate. I would have voted for Hilary if not for Obama.

After many years of not voting, I went back to vote for Bill Clinton for both terms. I also voted for Kerry/Edwards. Very glad they did not win.

Now we are engaged in the most important election of our lifetime.

I want to know where Obama came from. A year ago he was unknown. How is it possible that he could rise to the top so fast to become the nominee against Hilary. This is the question I ask over and over. There are other forces at work here for certain. No one can explain his rise.

I have noted several things about Obama. He does not put his hand over his heart during the national anthem. There is also a subliminal message here. His appearance and clothing look exactly like the Louis Farrakhan men who try to raise money. I can easily recognize a Farrakhan man a mile away. They all dress the same. And all of them are slender. A dark suit, a white shirt and a narrow tie. Very neat and meticulous to the max. But I don't believe Farrakhan has the power to put a potential candidate in office.

Again I ask the question: "Where did Obama come from?" I don't believe he is a one man sleeper terrorist cell but he comes from somewhere. Where? And what force is backing him?

[GreatOwl]

I have been aware of Obama for probably about 10 years.  Since he is from a neigboring state we did see news casts of him from time to time.  I have been impressed with his speaking ability.  It was not until his Keynote Speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention that most of the Nation began to think in terms of him as a viable candidate for President.

It was actually that speech that put him in the position to run if he so chose.  He bided his time in feeling things out.  I guess I am not particularily worried about some of the radical types of things you refer to Louise.  Right or wrong, I have witnessed huge crowds saying the pledge even after the controversy.  Many people just do not do it.  I don't feel this is a form of protest or disrespect.  Our National Anthem is another such event which has people displaying different postures.  Just watch as the camera pans at a sporting event.

As an example, when in front of a class I did have my hand over my heart.  I can't atest to that fact being true when I was out of the classroom.  I certainly have never meant any disrespect.  I know at athletic contests I many times folded my hand behind me.  This is just the way it was.

[LouiseVargas]

Hi GO,

Yes, I also became a big fan of Obama after his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention. Who picked him to be the speaker?

I'm sorry you think some of my thoughts are radical in relation to Obama. Maybe you can tell me where he came from.

People at a sporting event who do not salute the flag cannot compare to a Presidential candidate who does not salute the flag. It is definitely a form of disrespect.

[GreatOwl]

Hi GO,

Yes, I also became a big fan of Obama after his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention. Who picked him to be the speaker?

I'm sorry you think some of my thoughts are radical in relation to Obama. Maybe you can tell me where he came from.

People at a sporting event who do not salute the flag cannot compare to a Presidential candidate who does not salute the flag. It is definitely a form of disrespect.

First of all, I do not have any feelings that your thoughts are radical in relation to anything.  Rather it is the merely an interpretation that some behaviors of candidates may or may not be radical.  I guess I don't see the flag issue as being as bad as many would like to make it out.  We all tend to have certainly behaviors that if put under a microscope, as the media tends to do, could easily be blown up into a "story."  This is what makes them money.

I am aware that Obama was born in Hawaii, I believe, and did spend some time in SE Asia growing up.  He has a good educational background and like most students probably did some not too smart things as a youth.  Nothing I would consider a disqualifying factor.  He came up through the State Legislature in Illinois before running for National Office.  I is very intelligent and as I have said, very articulate.  I am sure someone will post more of his historical background as time passes.

I can easily support him as candidate should he win the Democratic nomination.  He is due to speak in Green Bay, however, my schedule does not allow me to get up there to see him.  I am sure there will be many speeches with our primary coming up.  I am also sure we will be pretty sick of the tv ads by the time the primary rolls around.

[pdh3]

It's my personal belief that Barack Obama does not have enough experience to be the Leader of the Free World. I am not afraid of him as far as who his backers are......Oprah has lots of cash and power, and she has given a lot of her enormous resources to him. She will own him, but all candidates are owned by somebody. It might as well be Oprah.
I'm afraid that he has no clue what the job entails. He speaks in generalities, and in an idealistic way. The way things work in Washington....he could end up like Jimmy Carter. Chewed up and spit out with no support. If he wins, Oprah won't be able to help him then.
He may have a time to be President, but is surely isn't now. I truly do not think he's ready.
We need someone who can rescue this country. Obama is right about parents turning off the TV, but that's not really the problem with the economy right now, and it tells me nothing about foreign policy. I want to hear him get down to the heart of the problem, and he seems to stay on the surface a lot.

[GreatOwl]

Well we are down to four possible candidates right now.  You have an opinion that Obama is not experienced enough.  That may be the case.  We will find out as we move into the coming months.  Clinton has the experience, but many question her commitment to the average American.  McCain has made it clear that he will support the Bush administration policies and continue as we are right now.  This certainly is no way to rescue the County and promote change.  Jeb Bush is even being "floated" as a possible running mate for him.  Huckabee is the wild card.  I honestly do not know enough about him to say if he has the experience or not.  Like Obama, we will need to watch and observe as the months pass.

If I had to guess right now I would say we are going to have to chose between an experienced Politician who is a "hawk" and seeks to continue the mistakes of the past seven years and an inexperienced Politician who seeks to change the way things are done in Washington.

For many, I am sure that will not be an easy choice.

[LouiseVargas]

It will be an easy choice for me.
 
I created two 8" x 10" signs for my car windows which say in big letters "OBAMA" "HOPE FOR AMERICA" Wherever I drive, people honk at me. I drive all over Los Angeles. I see a younger generation calling attention to themselves to give me a thumbs up on Obama. It warms my heart.

[LouiseVargas]

pdh3,

A long time ago (maybe 43 years) when I became of age to vote, I had reservations about a certain candidate. My mother and my husband told me the president doesn't have to be a know it all. He is surrounded by the best advisors.  He will not be making important decisions by himself.  That's why we have all the departments and secretaries. Think Condi ... a specialist in Russian affairs who taught GW what he didn't know.  No president writes their own speeches, although they may edit.  No president can order up the military to bomb another country just because he is feeling like doing it that day.

I understand about the speechwriters. I'm sad that someone other than JFK wrote, "Ich bin ein Berliner." And how about Reagan being so famous for saying, "Mr. Gorbachov, tear down this wall."

Even though we don't agree on everything, I still love you very much.

[pdh3]

Louise - What I really feel is that we don't have an ideal candidate for President, or even a really good one. All of our choices have serious flaws. In the last election, more people voted against John Kerry than for Bush Jr, who misunderstood and thought he had a consensus. With that false belief, he led us further into a war we cannot win nor afford, a recession that he refuses to acknowledge which was caused by his inability to understand economics, and as a result, people are truly suffering. He was unable to even manage the Katrina disaster. He had little experience, but people thought a lot of his Dad, who is a finer man than his son. He has had plenty of guidance in his disastrous Presidency, but he wasn't smart enough, or experienced enough to understand the ramifications of his policies. He has been a puppet of his "advisors" and we have paid the price.
When you have a President who is somewhat naive, and has no experience on an international scale, then you have someone who can be steered off course and manipulated due to the inability to understand the issues. Nothing replaces personal experience. I think Obama is a nice man, and he is clearly more intelligent and better educated than Bush Jr. But he has no idea what he's facing, just like Bill Clinton had no idea how rough Washington really is.The Democrats that saved Bill are mostly gone now, and the power has shifted back to the old money/ big business men. He may not be successful because of that, and those lobbyists who stand to lose ground and their place at the table of power will chew him up and spit him out. War is good for business, and they have made billions from the war. The oil companies are racking up record profits because their people are in power. They will not give up easily, or nicely. Obama is an outsider, just like Bill and Jimmy Carter, and he is also biracial. As distasteful as it is, there is still plenty of secret prejudice in our nation's capital. He ha more to overcome than most candidates, as unfair as it is.
I think Obama has come into national prominence too soon, and I think he is too young, both chronologically, and politically. Both Hillary and John McCain know the game, and they know how to get around. It's an ugly truth, but there it is. McCain is an old war horse, and he will take the military path and the Republican Way to the White House, and more people will suffer. Hillary brings Bill's policies, and some of her own, but she is divisive. I do think it would be interesting to see how a woman would do, and I believe a woman would make a great leader of The Free World but I don't know if she's that woman.
My choice for President will not ever run, because he's smart enough, and experienced enough to know how dirty politics really are, and he wants no part of them, for the sake of his family. I would vote for Colin Powell in a heartbeat, because he is really what a great choice would be. Smart, wise, experienced in all areas, respected, and not necessarily a war monger. He did not want the war in Iraq, and he was right after all. Bush should have listened to him instead of Dick Cheney, who will come away from the VP position with millions in his pocket.
We need to ask ourselves what we can really, truly live with, and without, for the next four years, because we are facing the most important Presidential election since the Viet Nam era, and the political hype needs to be left out of the equation when we reach our total. I personally believe that we need to focus within our borders, and heal ourselves, before we can help the rest of the world at this point. We have been too busy taking care of everyone else, and we have let America become our lowest priority. We are weaker than we have been in two hundred years, and we need someone to lead us back to the prominence our fathers and grandfathers fought so hard to protect, because apparently we can' seem to find the way ourselves, or we have lost the will to do so. Hard times can inspire great things, and I'm hopeful that something good will come out of what we are about to face.

[LouiseVargas]

Dear pdh3,
 
Thank you for your insightful post. You put into words a lot of things I didn't know how to say.
 
You wrote that a President can be a puppet of his advisors. It struck me as totally logical until I remembered the President picks his advisors. He probably has advisors to help him pick the advisors. But even then, Bush did not listen to Colin Powell who was against a second war with Iraq.
 
And speaking of Colin Powell (who served under GHW Bush), after his "victory" as a five star General in the first gulf war circa 1991 (Desert Shield and Desert Storm) he did not run for President because his wife Alma suffered from depression and he didn't want her subjected to all manner of personal questions.
 
I would think than anyone entering politics on the Washington level would know how dirty politics are before they even choose to enter the race. Fred Thompson is an example of someone who had no clue. Mike Huckabee is an example of someone who knows dirty politics and stands strong. It's so interesting that he is being pressured to close down his campaign already but he won't.
 
The main reason I like Obama is because he is AN OUTSIDER. Good Lord. That's why I won't be voting for the insiders ... McCain or Hilary. I want someone new. I've been alive from Harry Truman (the 3rd president) to the present day. Obama is electric and magic. I'll take a chance on him.Regarding age, JFK was elected to the presidency when he was 43. Obama will be 47 this coming August. I don't think he is too young.

Thanks again for your post. 

[LouiseVargas]

Dear pdh3,
 
Thank you for your insightful post. You put into words a lot of things I didn't know how to say.
 
You wrote that a President can be a puppet of his advisors. It struck me as totally logical until I remembered the President picks his advisors. He probably has advisors to help him pick the advisors. But even then, Bush did not listen to Colin Powell who was against a second war with Iraq.
 
And speaking of Colin Powell (who served under GHW Bush), after his "victory" as a five star General in the first gulf war circa 1991 (Desert Shield and Desert Storm) he did not run for President because his wife Alma suffered from depression and he didn't want her subjected to all manner of personal questions.
 
I would think than anyone entering politics on the Washington level would know how dirty politics are before they even choose to enter the race. Fred Thompson is an example of someone who had no clue. Mike Huckabee is an example of someone who knows dirty politics and stands strong. It's so interesting that he is being pressured to close down his campaign already but he won't.
 
The main reason I like Obama is because he is AN OUTSIDER. Good Lord. That's why I won't be voting for the insiders ... McCain or Hilary. I want someone new. I've been alive from Harry Truman (the 3rd president) to the present day. Obama is electric and magic. I'll take a chance on him.Regarding age, JFK was elected to the presidency when he was 43. Obama will be 47 this coming August. I don't think he is too young.

Thanks again for your post. 

[pdh3]

A President usually picks as his advisers people who agree with him. If an adviser becomes a dissenter, the Oval Office can be very unwelcoming. Just ask Colin Powell.

John Kennedy was only President for 3 years. And if he were President today, he would be vilified for having sex in the White House with someone other than his wife, for buying votes and consorting with the Mafia, and for hiding serious health issues, just to name a few things. He was a President in a different age, and he would not have fared well in today's political climate. And Jackie wouldn't have been a popular First Lady either.
Jimmy Carter was an outsider, and as a result, his Presidency was a disaster. No one is going to go to Washington and make real, significant changes in the way things are done because no one person has that kind of money and political power. Change can only come about in small ways, and it's done by playing the game. And then those changes can be gone with the wind when a different political party comes into power.
The only way to ever really make things better is for the American people to do it themselves, and to stop reelecting people to office when our will is not carried out, and our best interests are subjugated. We let politicians get by with way too much, and we have gotten so used to settling that it's become our way of life. We accept less, and we get the government we deserve.
Gas prices are just one way we have settled. I wonder how far we'll allow them to go, and how many billions of dollars in profits, and tax breaks we'll allow the gas companies to enjoy before we finally reach our limit. We accepted each unjustified price hike with a few feeble complaints, and reelected a President who did nothing to stop it because he's owned by big business. Now that we've accepted $3.00 a gallon as the norm, if they ever do fall again, it won't be back to where it was when Dubya was elected 8 years ago.
That's the same reason the  immigration issue is still unresolved...cheap labor with no benefits for workers is good for big business. And since big business owns the Bush Administration....nothing was done about it, even though it threatened our national security. And now it's too late. But we tolerated that as well.
The American people just need to stand up and start improving our country ourselves, instead of looking for a savior in the White House, because it isn't going to happen like that. We have to start paying attention, and start making some noise. Washington doesn't hear us right now, because we are whispering and the power brokers are talking over us.

Obama may be a good man. But he is definitely untested, and that is a very real concern to me. I am also bothered by the church he attends. You have to assume that he feels comfortable there because he is a member, and he takes his children there to worship. If he is concerned about the atmosphere there, and doesn't agree with the doctrine, then why would he and his family attend church with a congregtion that was not in line with his own thinking? The only other reason would be that it is politically advantageous, and that would mean he is a hypocrite. Either way, it is a disturbing element, and I don't feel comfortable about it.

[GreatOwl]

You are most correct in saying we live in different times.  I look back on all the President's and their terms.  The climate today is so different that I am not sure many of them would be successful.  Of course, it is what they have done in their terms and the progress of technology that has created this political climate.

Advisors are indeed yes people for the most part.  If they are not, they get replaced.  I don't like to bash candidates or people for that matter.  I will engage in some banter about the issues.  Right now we need politicians who will stand up to the lobby contingent.  They all take something away from that element.  Some take money and others just take beliefs and philosophy.  It is just the way it is.

We do not need a President who is strong on winning wars.  This will not benefit the majority of those in this nation.  I thought we had learned that lesson after the Viet Nam conflict.  We obviously haven't.  If we wish to help other nations then it needs to be in the manner of forming alliances which will support rather than taking our troops and putting them at the apex of the conflict.  I have always supported our troops.  Like most every American, I have several relatives and friends who have now served in these conflicts of the past two decades.  Still, I believe we need to get out of Iraq and every other nation with a conflict and support them by having other nations join us and doing their fair share.  It is no different than being a parent in a family.  If you do not let your kids fail and you try to fix every little mistake then you will have them living with you for the rest of your life.  It does not mean you abandon anyone.  You just do a better job of picking and choosing where you spend your resources.

You are right in saying we, as Americans, have let the oil companies run amuck for far too long.  This is true of many companies.  Our economy is suffering and it doesn't matter if we are in a recession or not.  The fact that we are talking about it so often is indicative of the fact that we are suffering badly and need to turn things around.  We need to pay more attention to our own issues here at home.  We can not afford to pump more and more money down into a black hole that is called "war."

I have one pet peeve that never seems to get mentioned and that is the banking and credit industry.  I know this industry is affecting people's buying habits.  Credit is far too easy to obtain these days and there is no longer a cap on interests rates that can be charged.  While I don't have much of a problem with it personally, I do work as a volunteer now for the courts and other financial advisory organizations.  Interest rates can be as high as 400% apr.  I remember the times when the cap was set at 18.9%.  We get credit card offers for deferred money at an alarming rate.  Those that do not have a decent wage are constantly running to money stores or buying products at places where they is no interest paid or payments collected for two years.  You have all seen the ads.  Well when the two years are up the payment is so large that it is impossible to pay off.  I heard of a woman who needed a PS3 for her kids so she went to a rent to buy store and paid $ 190.00 a month to rent one for a year.  She is paying four to five times the amount of the product.  It never occurs to people to save these days.  The banking and credit industry needs to have the hammer come down on them.

I rambled a bit on that one.  The point is that as consumers we all end up paying the price on defaulted loans.  It is built into the cost of the product.  Companies know up front that a significant number of consumers will never be able to pay.  We pay more because others do not or can not pay.  I have worked to get thousands of dollars written off for others and to settle their accounts so that they can dig themselves out of a hole.  Yet, we all pay the price.  This bothers me every time I have to do it.

Health care is an issue that we all know about.  As a senior citizen I know the cost of becoming more mature.  (notice I never say older!  )  I look back and wonder how I would have raised my family in today's climate.  I see my own children struggle with having to make their own children choose what is important to spend money on.  My children all are professional yet have a very difficult time keeping up with medical costs of raising a family.  The average American has that same difficulty and as a result we have more and more tax supported programs to supplement medical cost.  I am not sure where it will end.

I am not sure how much money the "stimulus" package will be sending me.  I haven't paid much attention to it.  I live comfortably and doubt I will be frivolous if I do get anything.  However, now that the package has been signed there are already places our there offering to delay payment on products until the money comes in the mail.  People will do one of two things.  Either sign over the rights to the check in advance for a reduced amount or spend it now and spend it later.  Either way the money is going to result in less product for the average American and more profit for the big corporations who will in turn invest it overseas.

Sorry, but I refuse to get into a discussion about the religious beliefs of any candidate.  We are all influenced in our own lives by religion or lack of it.  It is just how it is.

[mrs. red]

One question - how is Obama better educated than Bush?

Bush went to Yale and then to Harvard
Obama went to Harvard as well...

same school....

[justinsmama]

On Sunday, I donated to Obama's campaign.

[LouiseVargas]

Mrs. Red,

All you have to do is open your ears and listen to how each one speaks. Use your intuitive skills.

Justins ... I will donate something online tomorrow.

[justinsmama]

Justins ... I will donate something online tomorrow.

Yes, but to who's campaign? 

[LouiseVargas]

 
          Barack Obama

[Dihannah1]

          Barack Obama

I'm sorry, but I've yet to hear him say anything but the words "Change"  "New",  etc....   what does he truly stand for and what are his objectives and how to accomplish them?  I want to HEAR specifics!

[mrs. red]

          Barack Obama

I'm sorry, but I've yet to hear him say anything but the words "Change"  "New",  etc....   what does he truly stand for and what are his objectives and how to accomplish them?  I want to HEAR specifics!

LV - I did open my ears and I agree with DiHannah... all I hear are words without substance.  And I COMPLETELY have an issue with Michelle Obama just NOW finding a reason to be proud of this country - INSULTING in the extreme IMO -