Much has been made about Mr. Obama's message of hope and change. I like the message. What I don't like is the answer. I think most Americans can agree that we have a lot of problems right now. The war in Iraq, the increasing burden of social security, and the increasing lack of health care. It took me about a minute to think about the problems. I can find the problems myself: what I wrestle with are the solutions.
Don't get me wrong, Mr. Obama has the potential to become a great presidential candidate. He is a great speaker and seems to energize people with his words. However, I wonder how effective words are when the country continues the steady decline.
Much of Mr. Obama's record has been overlooked during the primary season. He is relatively new to the senate. My colleague on this blog has suggested that Mr. Obama favors a technocratic solution to the energy crisis. All I've heard him say is we need to regulate emissions. This is not a technocratic solution, it actually preserves the status quo on technology.
There is also Obama's stance on crime. He is against guns and the Chicago Defender, Dec. 13, 1999 reported: Obama is proposing to make it a felony for a gun owner whose firearm was stolen from his residence which causes harm to another person if that weapon was not securely stored in that home. However, he also voted against making gang members eligible for the death penalty if they kill someone to help their gang. (2001).
The last time I checked gang violence was more serious than stolen firearms. Why take the death penalty off the table? Who knows?
How does Obama plan to fix social security? He plans to invest more money in the program via taxes. I seem to remember in high school history class that social security was enacted and not many people were expected to get it. Why not just raise the age on social security. Who knows?
Mr. Obama could ultimately be a great candiate. I just need to hear more. I know where we need to go, but I need the president to tell me how we're going to get there.
In a President, I want a mechanic who can fix the problem, not a salesman who sold me the lemon I brought to the mechanic. I guess we'll have to wait to see which one Mr. Obama becomes.
1 comment:
His same plan that he unveiled at a automakers plant? The one that will cost them their jobs?
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