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What do you think of Obama?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I didn't really know too much about him until he won over Hilary and now that distraction is over and it's him against McCain I've done a lot more research and quite impressed with him and his views.

I think he's a lot more worldly then most with such a mixed and varied background & upbringing - i.e. one Black Parent, One White, One Muslim, One Christian, growing up in various parts of the world, etc

I think he's far more in touch with the plight of average people.

Given the impact the USA has on the rest of the world I think him becoming president would be a good thing for the entire world not just the USA.

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yes, but since when have any of those things mattered?

    In the USA it seems the more pious, gung-ho and conservative you are, the more chance you have of getting it.

    I'm supplied Bush didn't just slay himself and offer McCain the job when it turned out he was a genuined war vet lol.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    1 of McCains largest backers is the army, i like his views and even before him going for president he was hauling in the oil companies and does act against climate change
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I find Barack Obama extremely vain and fickle. I know next to nothing about what he actually wants to do when he's president - he's long on flowery speeches about "change", but short on actual detail. All in all, I think electing him would be a mistake.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    stargalaxy wrote: »
    I find Barack Obama extremely vain and fickle. I know next to nothing about what he actually wants to do when he's president - he's long on flowery speeches about "change", but short on actual detail. All in all, I think electing him would be a mistake.
    Does that mean you think electing David Cameron would be a mistake too? :p
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    stargalaxy wrote: »
    I find Barack Obama extremely vain and fickle. I know next to nothing about what he actually wants to do when he's president - he's long on flowery speeches about "change", but short on actual detail. All in all, I think electing him would be a mistake.


    Well read about his policy rather than just watching/listening to his speeches then.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    stargalaxy wrote: »
    I find Barack Obama extremely vain and fickle. I know next to nothing about what he actually wants to do when he's president - he's long on flowery speeches about "change", but short on actual detail. All in all, I think electing him would be a mistake.

    You know, to an extent I agree. I can't see much change as such. He will still be a politician acting according to the rules of the game. And in terms of policies, everything will still be very traditional.
    However, at the moment the current Democratic team is a much better option than that posed by the Republicans. And I think McCain already knows that.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think McCain chose palin, because shes a bit of a fresh face to the national politics scene over there. Which i think the republicans needed to be fair.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    MrG wrote: »
    I think McCain chose palin, because shes a bit of a fresh face to the national politics scene over there. Which i think the republicans needed to be fair.

    Yes - he just didn't think of the consequences of having someone who is an absolutely nobody when it comes to politics.
    To be fair, every election, the people running are for most a "fresh face" - I mean, who here knew who Obama was before the race for the democratic candidate started?
    In my opinion, to choose someone like Palin is irresponsible.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    MrG wrote: »
    I think McCain chose palin, because shes a bit of a fresh face to the national politics scene over there. Which i think the republicans needed to be fair.

    I don't. I think he chose her because she appeals to the die-hard, God-squad wing of the Republican party supporters, who aren't exactly huge fans of McCain. No undecided voters in the middle ground of politics are going to be convinced to vote Republican by someone as right wing as Palin.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Aladdin wrote: »
    Does that mean you think electing David Cameron would be a mistake too? :p
    Yes. Whether you vote Labour or Tory at the next election, be prepared for another 4 years of failure.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't. I think he chose her because she appeals to the die-hard, God-squad wing of the Republican party supporters, who aren't exactly huge fans of McCain. No undecided voters in the middle ground of politics are going to be convinced to vote Republican by someone as right wing as Palin.

    I think you and Mr G are both right. He could after all have chosen someone much more experienced from the God Squad, but he went for her because she was fresh (and also because she was a woman, with some small chance of picking up a few disenchanted Clintonian ).

    That said Lieberman and Palin will probably only win or lose a couple of percentage points either way. Voters mainly go for the President, not the VP (and whilst they can guess, people don't know who the rest of the team will be)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    (and also because she was a woman, with some small chance of picking up a few disenchanted Clintonian ).

    That was my initial thought. Although bit of a shot in the foot given a lot of Clinton supporters are feminists ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    stargalaxy wrote: »
    Yes. Whether you vote Labour or Tory at the next election, be prepared for another 4 years of failure.

    You cant please every one all the time.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    go_away wrote: »
    That was my initial thought. Although bit of a shot in the foot given a lot of Clinton supporters are feminists ;)

    She won't get many - but she may get a few and in a close race that may count.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Personally I like Obama and his views, however, he tends to not state stuff he wants to achieve out in the clear, but relies on hinting and more "rounded" means of communication, which is something that might cost him the presidency. The problem is that he dosen't seem to be a "strong" and clear leader, which is what many of the inhabitants of the US actually want.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think if you listen to Obama speak he talks a lot of sense - especially about the opportunities that lay in going green, building solar cells, wind turbines, new zero emission cars, etc

    http://www.youtube.com/user/barackobamadotcom?ob=4

    I saw something on the news the other day that the biggest manufacturer of wind turbine has something like $2 Billion worth of back orders because it can't keep up with demand.

    I also like the way he wants to get rid of the lobbyists and turned away financial support from them in his campaign
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I know about as much as you really learn about any candidate in the US presidential races, the questioning of MP's and PM's here is far far tougher here than it is there.

    I hope he wins, not specifically for his policies which are broadly Democrat and therefore not all that exciting, but because of the message it would send out.

    That and Palin scares the crap out of me.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    budda wrote: »
    I know about as much as you really learn about any candidate in the US presidential races, the questioning of MP's and PM's here is far far tougher here than it is there.

    Not sure that's true. There's plenty of digging into US Presidential candidates by the media - look at the stuff dug up on Kerry and the reports the media got on Bush's flying record.

    US political questioning is much less adversarial - but that's not a bad thing. They get to the truth, as much as the UK, which often seems to be about trying to trip up Ministers than find out what's going on.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Not sure that's true. There's plenty of digging into US Presidential candidates by the media - look at the stuff dug up on Kerry and the reports the media got on Bush's flying record.

    US political questioning is much less adversarial - but that's not a bad thing. They get to the truth, as much as the UK, which often seems to be about trying to trip up Ministers than find out what's going on.

    Possibly - I can see your point, there are some good investigating journalists in the US, but most people get their coverage from TV news which is shockingly biased* and doesnt question candidates toughly enough. I do think it matters that it is less adversarial, the candidates arent pushed on issues - like Palin and her daughters 'choice' for example, or the fact that McCain has drastically changed his position on virtually every issue over the last 5 years.

    *Not that our newspapers and TV stations are all that much better.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    budda wrote: »

    *Not that our newspapers and TV stations are all that much better.


    Whilst you might be right about the papers, in this country I think we're extremely fortunate to have a service like the BBC/ITV news, plus access to hundreds of other news channels on Sky and the Internet.

    When you compare the BBC's news broadcasts to Fox's, you'll realise how lucky we actually are.
    I like the BBC because they report the news with very little in the way of opinion.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whowhere wrote: »
    Whilst you might be right about the papers, in this country I think we're extremely fortunate to have a service like the BBC/ITV news, plus access to hundreds of other news channels on Sky and the Internet.

    When you compare the BBC's news broadcasts to Fox's, you'll realise how lucky we actually are.
    I like the BBC because they report the news with very little in the way of opinion.

    Yes and no. It depends entirely what part of the BBC, most of their Radio 4 news output is far superior to what is on the TV, which is in the main dumbed down to an alarming level.

    I think you are right though, the market here for news is generally better than in the US.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    MrG wrote: »
    I think McCain chose palin, because shes a bit of a fresh face to the national politics scene over there. Which i think the republicans needed to be fair.

    I think he chose her to win back some headlines and advertise a bit to be honest. I am hoping Obama gets it, I think he'd be a much safer choice for the world.

    Without being mean but McCain is really old and I would seriously worry about his vice president stepping in if he dies. :nervous:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It would appear that Barack Obama does not have enough experience to become president. However, any non republican candidate is better than the elitists who seek to enslave the entire American working class and drive and keep all in poverty for eternity.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I would love to see a mixed race president in the USA...

    He's the lesser of two evils... But the US economy is too tied down with multinationals to see any real change... Unless he is that radical.

    Haven't read a great deal on his policies, but the fact that he believes in the human contributions to climate change is a start.
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