Obama & Me (Part II): The "Changer" Comes to My Town
Nobody told me to cover Barack Obama.
Indeed, it might seem strange for a conservative commentator to cover a speech given by a Democrat, but the man was speaking less than four miles from my doorstep in Lancaster County, Pa. I figured the least I could do was hear what he had come so far to say.
So I listened. I didn't listen to undermine his speech. I didn't listen to pick it apart. No. I just listened, and I really heard what he said. I wanted to. I've done that already for John McCain and Hillary Clinton (they've been around longer for me to do so). I've heard them both first-hand before, but never Barack.
And, you know what? I liked some of the things Obama said. He's got good ideas.
The problem is, good ideas are a dime a dozen. The devil, as they say, is in the details. It's one thing, for example, to talk about investing in infrastructure to rebuild our economy, but what kind of infrastructure? Who do you embrace, and -- more importantly -- who do you alienate? And at what cost?
The trouble with Obama is that he doesn't offer much in the way of elucidating his good ideas. Reducing health insurance premiums by $2,500 a year for families is a great idea. What's not great is the rise in coverage denials that result from those lowered insurance premiums. Obama says he's going to change the culture in Washington, and yet, the players (besides himself, of course) will all be the same.
I liked what Obama said about education. My wife's a teacher and the No Child Left Behind Act is not working. He's right about everything he said. My wife, a Democrat, will probably vote for him on that issue alone. But again, my concern is in the details. We're going to pay teachers more money? OK. Great. How? In Pennsylvania, education is funded by a state property tax system. Our state Legislature has been trying to unravel this unfair mechanism for more than 30 years. Nothing has worked. Why? Because it's not in the politicians' best interests to find a real solution. If these same politicians' paychecks were somehow contingent upon finding an equitable alternative revenue stream for education, the problem would have been solved eons ago.
And Washington has the exact same problem. That's the culture you would have to change, Mr. Obama. Just saying "Change" won't suddenly make it change. Change starts within the system.
The thing that frightened me the most about Obama's speech was his plan to bring the troops home from Iraq one brigade at a time. As tempting as it sounds, there's a real problem with that plan if you really stop and think about it. Not only will this sort of withdrawal encourage our enemies to flock to Iraq to subvert the fragile democracy that's been kindled there, the final brigades will be the ones most vulnerable to these new threats. At best this young nation will be left to fend for itself. At worst, another dictator will come and all the accomplishments our troops have faught for all these years will have been for naught.
It's good that Barack Obama is green. He's a bright young man with a long future ahead of him. Now, however, is not his time. The clear difference between him and McCain is that McCain has been around long enough to know how to get things accomplished within the system. He's willing to work with Democrats. He's proven it, and as a result, his name has become synonymous with actual legislation. He doesn't just debate with his opponents. He reaches out to them. He works with them. He's proven it before, and he'll prove it again ... if he's given the chance to lead this country.
For now, we are left to digest Obama's words. This was his day to be heard.
And I really listened.
Photo: Stan Honda/Getty Images
Comments
Wow, that was a great article. As a conservative myself, it’s great to see others who are willing to listen and make a judgment about a politician based on what he says and not just what party he belongs to.
Obama definitely has his finger on what people (including myself) want to hear, but you’re right that it’s easy to say what’s wrong, and hard to fix it.
You hit the nail on the head! What a concept, really listening to what these politicians are saying. I am so tired of hearing people say they want change, but when I press them on what and how to change, it’s like, that’s all they have – like dear in the headlights. A bunch of sheep saying the same thing to sound like they are in the “know” when they are not.
And, in a great line from a Few Good Men. “You can’t handle the truth!” The truth is change takes sacrifice and the majority of the American public will start to revolt when the sacrifice interferes with their lifestyle.
And while I’m on a roll, Obama, in trying to relate to the little guy, says he’s going to pounce on big business. Well that’s a road to disaster. The more the government squeezes big business, the less they will grow and less people are employed. Look what the government has done to manufacturing over the years.
Manufacturing is the backbone of every community. It pays higher than any industry for students coming out of college, and for every dollar it costs to provide its infrastructure, it returns $1.50 back to the community. Retail, housing and hospitality cost its communities $1.50 for every dollar it pays. In Obama’s economic plan, he is only supporting education and companies of the manufacturing of green products.
I live in a community that focused on hospitality and retail and now our taxes are outrageous. And guess what, now the big campaign is to entice manufacturing to the area, but oops, there are too many high end homes for sale and not enough mid to low cost housing here.
Telling folks that he, Obama, understands their plight and he’s going to change Washington to help them just shows he doesn’t understand economics. “It’s the economy, stupid” It’s a domino effect. Taking money away from the economy by raising taxes and protecting the people (the right to form a union is one of his ideas) more than the company that gives them employment hurts everybody. Let’s be equal here. Giving more money will create growth and in return, the government gets more tax money.
In Obama’s economic plan, all I read is protecting people from their employers and financial institutions. How about educating people how to live within their income. The outlandish interest rates that Obama is talking about controlling, keeps me from using my credit cards. And I know that part of that interest rate is due to folks that want it now and then don’t have the money to pay their bills later rather than the need it now folks.
When I read Obama’s blueprint for America it showed me that he is telling folks they don’t have to smarten up and listen to everything and question the truth. That’s a change that would take a sacrifice. Healthcare, lobbyist, government, baloney TV ads, companies trying to compete; he is going to make sure these bad guys don’t exist so we can work hard and good things will come our way.
Bad guys follow money, and if the America public keeps giving them the money they will find a way to exist.
What are McCain’s ideas to give health care to the 46 million Americans who have none? What are McCain’s ideas to improve the No Child Left Behind Act, or to otherwise improve the horribly sagging U.S. public education system?
Oh wait… does he even offer any ideas at all on these and so many other subjects???
Tell me… do you feel hypocritical imposing tough tests on Barack Obama, yet asking nothing of John McCain on the very same subjects?
My friend, good ideas and creative thinking are a far better start than no ideas at all.
Or the same old recycled ideas from the Bush-Cheney era… such as John McCain’s idea to keep spending $12 billion a month in Iraq for the next 10, 25, maybe even 100 years, rather than on education and health care for Americans.
The moral here is: what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Where are John McCain’s ideas???
Hi Deborah,
I realize that this blog doesn’t address Hillary Clinton’s ideas or policies, just as it doesn’t address John McCain’s. There’s a very good reason for this: THEY DIDN’T GIVE A SPEECH IN LANCASTER COUNTY ON MONDAY.
Read the bottom of the blog post for crying out loud: “For now, we are left to digest Obama’s words. This was his day to be heard.”
Don’t worry, though, I’ll be addressing your concerns in future posts, but McCain’s ideas and REAL SOLUTIONS are out there. Remember 2007? All you had to do was open up your ears and LISTEN to what McCain was saying in all those debates. He’s got plenty of ideas. And when the general election gets rolling, you’ll hear them all. His concrete ideas and real solutions are going to cast Obama’s (or Hillary’s) pie-in-the-sky platitudes into considerable relief.
JQ
When you devote space on the conservatives site to criticizing a liberal rather than analyzing the attributes of a conservative, please expect a response from me.
My site is chock full of specific details of Obama’s plans and proposals. They, too, are there for everyone who has ears and a desire to hear it.
From what I’ve heard, thus far, of John McCain, he proudly boasts of continuing the disastrous Bush-Cheney agenda in the Middle East. And also continuing the equally disastrous tax cuts for the very richest among us… tax cuts paid for by borrowing from China.
Frankly, I’m not sure Americans need to understand more than that to evaluate John MCain’s fitness to be President.
But still, it would be fascinating to know specifics of his plans on health care, on helping middle-class and poverty-level Americans during this historic fiscal crisis, on bolstering public education, on making college affordable for all but the very wealthy.
And if McCain actually does have specific plans for these vital areas, how will he pay for them while continuing the U.S. occupation of Iraq and maintaining combat tropos there, and also while maintaining tax cuts for the rich .
By cutting Social Security and Medicare for the rest of us? Americans deserve to know all of this.
Deborah-
When we’re left to determine the best person to run out country and it’s already been whittled down to three, I think it’s a good idea to know where each of those canidates stand.
I don’t think Justin mentioned Obama just so he could kick all of his ideas to the curb. He simply evaluated Obama based on conservative ideals. Of course he wasn’t going to measure up to the ‘perfect conservative,’ but I think it’s a good idea to consider all canidates based on the issues one values most.
As a slightly right independent voter, I consider, and sometimes DO vote for democratic canidates over republicans based on the issues. I think this was a very good run down of considering Obama’s views with a conservative perspective. You can’t expect to visit a CONSERVATIVE website to hear nothing but praises being sung about liberal canidates. It just doesn’t happen.
Courtney,
Thank you. Very eloquently stated, and much appreciated.
Deborah,
First of all, the name of this site is “US Conservative Politics & PERSPECTIVES,” which means, I believe, that I AM within my bounds to offer perspectives on liberal issues, ideas and, most importantly candidates.
Your brutal attack on John McCain in response to a blog post about a speech given by Barack Obama is not only unwarranted, it’s childish in my opinion.
Frankly, I believe I was more than charitable in my commentary regarding Obama’s oration. In fact, I said there were some things I liked about what he had to say (education, being the main one, although even on this issue I find him speaking in platitudes). I listened to what he said, digested it, and gave my opinion. At least I’m willing to listen to the other side. If You were GENUINELY interested in John McCain’s stance on the issues, all you’d have to do is go here to read his VERY in-depth platform. You are certainly entitled to disagree with what he says, but if you accuse him of not offering specifics, you’re going to appear disingenuous and downright foolish.
Not only have I heard Obama speak, I heard Hillary speak two weeks ago when she also was in Lancaster. I was going to post a response the day after, but I unfortunately was encumbered by a number of non-About.com-related obstacles and wasn’t able to post my commentary in an appropriate time-frame. I’ve also heard McCain speak in person, which means I’ve heard all three of our presidential candidates unabridged, unedited and uncompromised.
How about you? Do you only go to liberal events, Deborah? I’m sure you’ve probably heard Hillary and Obama speak, but have you been to any of McCain’s speeches? If so, where are your equally civil posts regarding John McCain? Do you just dislike John McCain because he’s a Republican, or do you dislike John McCain because he’s not a liberal? Do you dislike everything about him or just a few things? If the answer to the last question is “No,” then I think my readers will have a very good insight into your mind-set.
Remember, if you debase and devalue John McCain’s accomplishments, you’re debasing and devaluing the accomplishments of some of the most important liberal leaders in this country. After all, what’s good for the gander is also good for the goose.
My liberal friends often complain that conservatives won’t “open their minds” to external ideas, when in fact, they’re the ones who are consistently closed-minded. Anything not of a liberal ideology, they’re not interested in hearing. I understand Stalin was the same way.
Before you respond, please consider what Barack Obama had to say in his parting remarks to the Lancaster crowd, “I believe we can disagree without being disagreeable.” On this point he and I DO agree.
If you truly admire the man and his ideology, I suggest you adopt his point of view in your discourse.
You wrote, “It’s good that Barack Obama is green. He’s a bright young man with a long future ahead of him. Now, however, is not his time. The clear difference between him and McCain is that McCain has been around long enough to know how to get things accomplished within the system. ”
You compared Obama and McCain, and concluded that it is “not his time.” You then wrote that McCain knows “how to get things done.”
(I guess this is the “experience” argument for a candidate.)
But while you didn’t write about the specific things McCain wants to get done, you DID object that Obama was not specific.
I merely pointed out McCain’s agenda on what he wants to accomplish as president. Nothing brutal about that. Stay in Iraq, keep combat troops there, keep 100% of the Bush tax cuts. Those are facts that Sen. McCain himself has reiterated over and over on the campaign trail.
And when you compared Obama and McCain, and draw the conclusion that McCain is preferable, then it’s not childish to defend my choice of Obama.
Justin, this is normal poltical discourse. And I am neither angry nor even upset. Just responding in the normal give-and-take of the political blogosphere.
I could understand most of your comments here had you not compared the two candidates, and had you not drawn conclusions.
But you compared, and drew a clear conclusion. I respectfully disagree with your conclusion.
Justin, I am absolutely thrilled that the conservatives guide is taking on the presidential race and issues! Way to go… keep it up! HOORAY!
Give-and-take at last.
That is healthy political dialog.
Deborah,
Again you say that I didn’t state anything about McCain’s specifics, but AGAIN you fail to mention that the blog post wasn’t about McCain!!! It had a passing reference to him. It was about OBAMA’S SPEECH IN LANCASTER COUNTY. It was based on what Obama SAID in Lancaster County. If I’m upset, it’s because you are deliberately overlooking the point of the blog post and obfuscating the fact that I didn’t go into great depth about McCain in a post ABOUT OBAMA!
Grrr.
I’m also irritated because you keep asking where McCain’s specifics are, and you keep failing to look!!! There is NO WAY you could have read even ONE of McCain’s issue planks in the link I provided you in the short time it took you to read and respond to the comment I just previously posted. Since that’s the case, and you CONTINUE to misstate facts about McCain’s platform I’ll correct you.
This is directly from his site (it’s only a very small portion, but it DIRECTLY refutes what you say about his tax cuts “for the very richest among us”):
Cut Taxes For Middle Class Families: Hard-working American families need lower taxes. John McCain will permanently repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) — a tax that will be paid nearly exclusively by 25 million middle class families. John McCain will repeal this onerous tax, saving middle class families nearly $60 billion in a single year. Under McCain’s plan, a middle class family with children set to pay the AMT will save an average of over $2,700 — a real tax cut for working families.
Now then, you want to know how he feels about Healthcare:
John McCain has proposed comprehensive, pro-market health care and Medicare reforms to reduce health care costs and control increases in premiums — while delivering high-quality health care.
Bringing costs under control is the only way to stop the erosion of affordable health insurance, save Medicare and Medicaid, protect private health benefits for retirees, and allow our companies to effectively compete around the world.
Families should be in charge of their health care dollars and have more control over their care. We can improve health and spend less, while promoting competition on the cost and quality of care, taking better care of our citizens with chronic illness, and promoting prevention that will keep millions of others from ever developing deadly and debilitating disease.
While we reform the system and maintain quality, we can and must provide access to health care for all our citizens - whether temporarily or chronically uninsured, whether living in rural areas with limited services, or whether residing in inner cities where access to physicians is often limited.
America’s veterans have fought for our freedom. We should give them freedom to choose to carry their VA dollars to a provider that gives them the timely care at high quality and in the best location.
Controlling health care costs will take fundamental change - nothing short of a complete reform of the culture of our health system and the way we pay for it will suffice. Reforms to federal policy and programs should focus on enhancing quality while controlling costs:
John McCain believes that insurance reforms should increase the variety and affordability of insurance coverage available to American families by fostering competition and innovation.
Insurance should be innovative, moving from job to home, job to job, and providing multi-year coverage.
John McCain Believes in Personal Responsibility
John McCain on Combating Autism in America
You didn’t answer my question about whether you’ve seen McCain’s speeches and heard what he has to say FROM HIS LIPS. You can’t really judge a person based on excerpts media outlets choose to use. If you do, you’re not doing the hard work it takes to look at a candidate’s entire platform, instead, you’re relying on those media outlets to choose your candidate for you.
The reason I don’t believe you’ve seen a McCain speech, is because once you’ve seen these folks in person, it’s very difficult to completely dismiss everything they say. As I’ve said in my blog post, I don’t dismiss Obama completely. I even say he’s got a bright future ahead of him. I honestly believe — BASED ON WHAT I’VE HEARD DIRECTLY FROM HIM — that once he gets a fuller understanding of how things work in Washington, he’ll be able to put forth a more complete agenda. When that happens, he’ll stop speaking in platitudes and be able to talk realistically about the issues.
Of course, if and when that happens, he’ll probably be a conservative!
;)
Very cool stances and views, Justin!
Thank you for posting these. I appreciate it.
I promise to study these in more detail as the campaign moves forward.
I do admire John McCain over all other Republican candidates who ran in 2008 for the presidential nomination. He has the exemplary stance of a true activist on global warming and the environment, for example.
But please know that for me, for most liberals, and for millions of other Americans, the Iraq War and the Bush tax cuts for the rich are, by far, the two top issues… both inextricably affecting the economics, and therefore the viability, of just about every other political issue and program proposal in this country.
Most voters this fall will vote for a president based mainly on the Iraq War and on the economy. As of now, I prefer both Obama and Clinton over McCain on these two urgent issues.
Again, I’m thrilled to have a conservatives guide here with whom I can engage in duscussions. THANK YOU for all your excellent materials and spot-on work here!
Deborah,
Thank you for thanking me! And thank you for allowing me the opportunity to deliniate and dispell some of the misconceptions many people (not just liberals) have about John McCain.
I get that because you’re a liberal and because you operate the US Liberals site, you may feel tied to the Democratic candidates (Obama and Clinton). I don’t envy you that. As a conservative, I don’t feel a particular obligation to tie myself to any particular party or candidate. For example, I can proudly and with full rancor say that I can’t stand this rotten president. Most true conservatives will agree with this statement because most true conservatives will feel as though Bush betrayed us with his “compassionate conservative” rhetoric and sold us a false bill of goods with his “tax cuts”. I’ve always liked McCain (even in 2000) because he was willing to stand up to that *@#%^& of a $%^&*. As a conservative, I’m lucky that I’m not tied to a particular party or ideology. There are many different types of conservative ideologies and, frankly, Obama has a few conservative notions that, while not yet fully developed, will one day serve him well. I’m speaking specifically here of his ideas about reigning in spending returning the country to its Constitutional roots. Those are both conservative tenets.
I think you’re right, also, when you say that this election will be decided in part on the war in Iraq. But I think you, just like many other liberals, have been sucked into the “soundbyte mentality” propagated by cable news networks when it comes to McCain’s comments on the war. McCain has repeatedly said he has a great distates for not only this war, but all wars (what POW wouldn’t?), and that he wants to bring this one to an end. When he said that thing about “100 years” in Iraq, he was referring to post-war Iraq. As an example of what he’s talking about, think of Germany. We still have troops there and it’s been decades since World War II. No one’s screaming to have the troops come home from Germany because about the only thing they’re doing there these days is drinking warm beer and messing with freuleins (Just kidding. I know our military men and women are doing more than that over there).
My point here, and I can see I’m digressing, is that you can’t believe everything you hear on CNN or MSNBC. You can believe a lot of it, but some hings have to be seen to be believed (that’s not me, that’s an old proverb).
Anyhow, good discussion. Thanks for keeping things lively. I hope I haven’t offended you in any way. My “blood gets up” as my grandfather used to say, when I feel that people are purposely or deliberately misstating facts to further their own ends. I can see now that’s not what you were trying to do.
And so much for all that…
I have enjoyed the back n’ forth discourse between Justin and Deb. Justin - thanks for at least listening to Obama. I’m of the mind that most conservatives w/o a partisan bent are more than willing to vote for change after these disasterous seven years…