America is about to commit to a new president for the next four years. Will he be Obama or Mccain? Both candidates seem to get about half the votes in polls, with them alternating between who has more and who less on a weekly basis. How kind of them to take turns.
But while I can not predict the future, I would like to share a few thoughts - or rather, counter-points to the arguments people often give me when they find out I support Obama.
1. "Don't you mean Osama?" I don't know where to start - by correcting the misconception that Obama is a Muslim (He is in fact, a Christian - hence the reverend Wright scandal, hello!) or by pointing out that, since America has separation of Church and State, a candidate's religion should not matter. What matters is whether or not a candidate's religion will influence his presidential decisions - something that seems more likely in Mccain's case. The ultimate candidate should not allow their faith to dictate their politics, thus, their faith should be irrelevant.
2. His plans are fiscally unstable....Mccain wants to continue the Bush tax cuts and low corporate tax rates that contributed to (but are by no means the sole cause of) the current recession. Neither Obama's nor Mccain's plans are perfect, but: Obama's plans actually help the middle class, while Mccain's do not. Also, a bigger deficit - ie, keeping the Bush tax cuts, means the US is borrowing money from other countries. Right now, our dollar is worth what it is because China invests in it. Should China sell its shares in the dollar tomorrow, our green bills would become toilet paper. Will China sell its shares? No. Should the world's fastest-growing economic superpower as well as supporter of regimes that violate human rights, have the type of power where it can blackmail America? No. How can the US expect any country to take it seriously when it is in so much debt? Imagine you lent me a million dollars, and then I told you to stop cursing your wife or ELSE. You would laugh at me. Obama's plans won't solve all the problems, but neither will Mccain's. The difference between the two is that Obama's helps people who desperately need help, while Mccain's doesn't.
3. Obama's aiming too high....true. No politician accomplishes all of their goals. You aim for 100 bills, and between fillibusters and political pandering, 50 are passed. Mccain is aiming for less, so he will achieve less.
4. Obama is running on his personality...Given the reality of media coverage today, personality has come to play an important role in politics. Obama and Mccain are each doing what they think they have to do to get elected - but throughout the campaign, including at the DNC, Obama stressed respect for Mccain as a person, while Mccain has issued ads, such as the infamous celebrity ad, specifically aimed at attacking Obama as a person. So which candidate is trying to use personality as political weapon?
5. He's inexperienced...First of all, Obama has shown himself willing to listen to educated advisors of different opinions. This will give him an educated and multi-faceted view of the issues facing our country. Abraham Lincoln was inexperienced, but he was one of the greatest presidents. Second of all, Joe Biden.
6. Obama is anti-Israel. His voting record, his words, and his VP choice all disprove that.
7. But I supported Hillary...Supporting Hillary means doing what she said in her speech: Voting for Obama. Also, if you believe in Hillary's policies, Obama's resemble those much more than Mccain's.
8. What do you really know about him? 1. His voting record for the past 4 years 2. His biography, his political philosophy, and the policies he advocates - which is pretty much all I need to know 3. Between the unknown candidate and the candidate I know I disagree with, I'll take the unknown. The concept of a "dark-horse candidate" exists for a reason.
9. I'm usually a Democrat, but don't like Obama. If you're usually a Democrat, can you honestly tell me Obama's worse than Mccain? Policy-wise, no. So that leaves personality...but I thought what you hated about Obama was he buys in to the cult of personality that surrounds him...also, if you're white, are you sure this is not sub-conscious racism that's been socialized into you by society?
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