Explain why I should vote for Obama.
October 30, 2008 5:00 PM Subscribe
Talk to me about Barack Obama. In particular, explain why I should vote for him.
I am a registered, genuinely undecided voter in a swing state. If you are an Obama supporter and want to have an effect on the election, this is the post for you to read and answer.
Generally, I consider the people I associate with to be very intelligent. I work in a nerdy profession and graduated from good university, and I do my best to hang out with the smartest people I know. So, if there is an overwhelming consensus among these people on any topic, I would like to think that I would agree with it.
Talking to these people, one would get the impression that it is so blatantly obvious that Barack Obama is the right man for the presidency that only a complete idiot would think otherwise. This is what disturbs me deeply: It's not that obvious to me!
My own approval rating for George W. Bush is very low, though perhaps not for all of the same reasons as a typical Obama voter. I don't think John McCain is a great candidate either (even putting aside his age and health issues), and I believe his running mate has shown herself to be dangerously inexperienced, unqualified, and perhaps downright slow.
But, I have some very serious concerns about an Obama presidency. Very briefly, I worry most about his openly stated support for the following:
1. Wealth redistribution and an extremely progressive income tax.
2. Massive new spending on health care and education (that I believe may be impossible to reverse in the future and even more problematic to pay for -- think today's problems with Social Security, only much worse).
3. A much more protectionist, regulated economy and financial system.
4. Judges who make decisions based on "empathy" instead of the law.
Furthermore, the record is unclear (or at least I can't figure it out) about his stance on:
1. Late term abortion.
A quick summary some of my views follows:
I think government should be small and unobtrusive. I think it should spend drastically less than it currently does on both social programs AND national defense (or fighting wars, as the case may be. I do believe a strong military is a necessity, I just don't think maintaining a fleet of B-2's at $3 billion a pop is the right way to achieve it). I believe our debt is out of control and that balancing the budget should be a top priority.
I also don't believe that the fact the wealthy can afford to pay more taxes is justification for the government to take their money. We all want education and healthcare, but I don't think it's right to ask (insist) that the rich foot the bill, just because they can. Additionally, I think high taxes on big corporations and profitable small businesses cause the economy to stagnate, innovation to slow, and jobs to move overseas. Much more importantly, however, I just don't think the government has a right to take certain people's money at a vastly higher rate than others. The problems with socialism and a "Europeanization" of America become very real to me when I imagine an Obama presidency.
[Aside: Clearly, the republican party at the moment doesn't comply with my views either. They've abandoned fiscal conservativism and the pay-as-you-go system, showing complete disregard for the nation's financial future. They have severely tarnished our reputation in the world with their stubbornness and partisanship. FWIW, I'm also anti-death penalty, pro drug legalization, pro choice excluding late-term abortion, and pro gay rights, all issues which I disagree with most conservatives on. But this post is about Obama.]
I could continue to rant and ramble, but instead I'll direct you to some articles that elaborate further:
The Europeanization of America:
What's ahead if Obama becomes president.
A Liberal Supermajority
Obama's 'Redistribution' Constitution
Will Obama Gut Defense?
And one in support of McCain's health plan:
Almost Everyone Would Do Better Under the McCain Health Plan
If you can demonstrate to me that these articles are unfounded, inaccurate right-wing propaganda, please by all means do so. If you can provide me any other reason why I should not be concerned about these things, again, I implore you to. This is your chance to actually sway an undecided voter who is willing to listen. I'm begging you to spend the time, read those articles, and help me figure this thing out.
The problem is, I have this sinking feeling that the overwhelming support for Obama among the "intelligent" masses (college students, college professors, Digg/MeFi/Other Internet Community members, people in the Northeast and West Coasts of the US, hipsters/starbucks patrons, people that care about the environment, intellectuals, artists, musicians, people who watch the Daily Show, the list goes on...) mainly stems from two factors:
1. Obama and the democratic party are the trendy party. In all of the above mentioned circles, it is socially unacceptable to be a republican. This is readily observable.
2. People are overreacting to 8 years of George W. Bush. Admittedly, he was a terrible president. But it has gotten to a point where he is blamed for ALL of our country's problems, many of which are ridiculously exaggerated. This ties in with #1, but it is incredibly fashionable to hate Bush and anyone who calls themselves a republican. People want change, and for good reason. But I'm not certain that everyone fully understands what kind of change Obama would like to bring. I'm not sure I understand it either.
I'd happily vote for another Bill Clinton democrat. He made compromises and went against his party in the name of progress. He adjusted and adapted to the situation at hand, making intelligent, non-partisan decisions. He made balancing the budget a top priority. (Slightly off-topic, but why do we vote for a president based on HIS AGENDA anyway? Shouldn't the president be someone who can put aside his personal beliefs and make an informed, calculated decision? I'd like to think that when I vote for a candidate, I'm not voting for new legislation that enforces his personal values on everyone else.)
And yet, many of my friends will say "Clinton? Oh he was okay. Not nearly liberal enough though!" I am stunned.
Finally, if you support Obama, though I urge you to respond, please only do so if you will actually read through the articles I've linked to and respond to them -- not just what I've written here. I don't want canned responses to my brief 1-4 above. I know I am asking for a lot of your time, but I really think this might be the best way for me to make a good decision in the voting booth.
And please, don't just tell me that the WSJ is a conservative slanted paper and that I shouldn't be reading it's "Opinion" section - if the articles are misleading, you should be able to tell me why and how.
Thanks.
I am a registered, genuinely undecided voter in a swing state. If you are an Obama supporter and want to have an effect on the election, this is the post for you to read and answer.
Generally, I consider the people I associate with to be very intelligent. I work in a nerdy profession and graduated from good university, and I do my best to hang out with the smartest people I know. So, if there is an overwhelming consensus among these people on any topic, I would like to think that I would agree with it.
Talking to these people, one would get the impression that it is so blatantly obvious that Barack Obama is the right man for the presidency that only a complete idiot would think otherwise. This is what disturbs me deeply: It's not that obvious to me!
My own approval rating for George W. Bush is very low, though perhaps not for all of the same reasons as a typical Obama voter. I don't think John McCain is a great candidate either (even putting aside his age and health issues), and I believe his running mate has shown herself to be dangerously inexperienced, unqualified, and perhaps downright slow.
But, I have some very serious concerns about an Obama presidency. Very briefly, I worry most about his openly stated support for the following:
1. Wealth redistribution and an extremely progressive income tax.
2. Massive new spending on health care and education (that I believe may be impossible to reverse in the future and even more problematic to pay for -- think today's problems with Social Security, only much worse).
3. A much more protectionist, regulated economy and financial system.
4. Judges who make decisions based on "empathy" instead of the law.
Furthermore, the record is unclear (or at least I can't figure it out) about his stance on:
1. Late term abortion.
A quick summary some of my views follows:
I think government should be small and unobtrusive. I think it should spend drastically less than it currently does on both social programs AND national defense (or fighting wars, as the case may be. I do believe a strong military is a necessity, I just don't think maintaining a fleet of B-2's at $3 billion a pop is the right way to achieve it). I believe our debt is out of control and that balancing the budget should be a top priority.
I also don't believe that the fact the wealthy can afford to pay more taxes is justification for the government to take their money. We all want education and healthcare, but I don't think it's right to ask (insist) that the rich foot the bill, just because they can. Additionally, I think high taxes on big corporations and profitable small businesses cause the economy to stagnate, innovation to slow, and jobs to move overseas. Much more importantly, however, I just don't think the government has a right to take certain people's money at a vastly higher rate than others. The problems with socialism and a "Europeanization" of America become very real to me when I imagine an Obama presidency.
[Aside: Clearly, the republican party at the moment doesn't comply with my views either. They've abandoned fiscal conservativism and the pay-as-you-go system, showing complete disregard for the nation's financial future. They have severely tarnished our reputation in the world with their stubbornness and partisanship. FWIW, I'm also anti-death penalty, pro drug legalization, pro choice excluding late-term abortion, and pro gay rights, all issues which I disagree with most conservatives on. But this post is about Obama.]
I could continue to rant and ramble, but instead I'll direct you to some articles that elaborate further:
The Europeanization of America:
What's ahead if Obama becomes president.
A Liberal Supermajority
Obama's 'Redistribution' Constitution
Will Obama Gut Defense?
And one in support of McCain's health plan:
Almost Everyone Would Do Better Under the McCain Health Plan
If you can demonstrate to me that these articles are unfounded, inaccurate right-wing propaganda, please by all means do so. If you can provide me any other reason why I should not be concerned about these things, again, I implore you to. This is your chance to actually sway an undecided voter who is willing to listen. I'm begging you to spend the time, read those articles, and help me figure this thing out.
The problem is, I have this sinking feeling that the overwhelming support for Obama among the "intelligent" masses (college students, college professors, Digg/MeFi/Other Internet Community members, people in the Northeast and West Coasts of the US, hipsters/starbucks patrons, people that care about the environment, intellectuals, artists, musicians, people who watch the Daily Show, the list goes on...) mainly stems from two factors:
1. Obama and the democratic party are the trendy party. In all of the above mentioned circles, it is socially unacceptable to be a republican. This is readily observable.
2. People are overreacting to 8 years of George W. Bush. Admittedly, he was a terrible president. But it has gotten to a point where he is blamed for ALL of our country's problems, many of which are ridiculously exaggerated. This ties in with #1, but it is incredibly fashionable to hate Bush and anyone who calls themselves a republican. People want change, and for good reason. But I'm not certain that everyone fully understands what kind of change Obama would like to bring. I'm not sure I understand it either.
I'd happily vote for another Bill Clinton democrat. He made compromises and went against his party in the name of progress. He adjusted and adapted to the situation at hand, making intelligent, non-partisan decisions. He made balancing the budget a top priority. (Slightly off-topic, but why do we vote for a president based on HIS AGENDA anyway? Shouldn't the president be someone who can put aside his personal beliefs and make an informed, calculated decision? I'd like to think that when I vote for a candidate, I'm not voting for new legislation that enforces his personal values on everyone else.)
And yet, many of my friends will say "Clinton? Oh he was okay. Not nearly liberal enough though!" I am stunned.
Finally, if you support Obama, though I urge you to respond, please only do so if you will actually read through the articles I've linked to and respond to them -- not just what I've written here. I don't want canned responses to my brief 1-4 above. I know I am asking for a lot of your time, but I really think this might be the best way for me to make a good decision in the voting booth.
And please, don't just tell me that the WSJ is a conservative slanted paper and that I shouldn't be reading it's "Opinion" section - if the articles are misleading, you should be able to tell me why and how.
Thanks.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Honestly, this is pushing pretty far into "I defy you to prove me wrong" book-length territory and is a bit of a nightmare in the offing. There might be a core question in here that could reasonably work, but this is not I think a good idea as is. -- cortex
Please ignore. I decided at the last minute to flag instead of snark, and fucked it up.
posted by mr_roboto at 5:09 PM on October 30, 2008
posted by mr_roboto at 5:09 PM on October 30, 2008
Give me a break. The internet has never been so saturated with information about a single topic. If you haven't made up your mind yet, what on earth are people here going to be able to say that would change your mind?
Your post is going to be deleted, because it is unanswerable. It is guaranteed to spin out of control into an argument. This isn't what Askme is for.
posted by PercussivePaul at 5:09 PM on October 30, 2008
Your post is going to be deleted, because it is unanswerable. It is guaranteed to spin out of control into an argument. This isn't what Askme is for.
posted by PercussivePaul at 5:09 PM on October 30, 2008
I think I clicked TrollMe instead of AskMe. My mistake.
posted by rokusan at 5:11 PM on October 30, 2008
posted by rokusan at 5:11 PM on October 30, 2008
I'm on the fence about voting at all (and if I did, it would be Obama) but your concerns about 'wealth redistribution', healthcare, 'protectionism' and 'empathy' are exactly why I would vote for him.
even though I doubt we're going to see real public programs around here anytime soon...
posted by dunkadunc at 5:11 PM on October 30, 2008
even though I doubt we're going to see real public programs around here anytime soon...
posted by dunkadunc at 5:11 PM on October 30, 2008
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This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mr_roboto at 5:07 PM on October 30, 2008