Hrm. I don't often get to say this, and even when I think it, I rarely speak.
This was a bit offensive. Your "open letters" fail to take in anything but a very, very shallow view of the issues at hand.
And to say McCain has no charisma nor pulse... well, he's actually a republican who doesn't make me cringe (given my libertarian stance, that's saying a lot these days). But that might come from the advantage of having lived in Phoenix for a few years and having the time to develop insight into his history, views, and actions.
What bugs me isn't your support for Obama. That's all well and good. It's that this commentary is no different than the hundreds of comments you see on CNN after a Hillary/Obama article is posted. It's very immature, all "LESS QQ Hillary!" and "Obama rocks, and people who don't think so suck."
I've seen you present some pretty educated viewpoints before, stuff that's had a strong argument to it. Things that might have influenced my opinions. Saying stuff like this just makes it more realistic that those folks out there are going to hold their breath unless they get that pony.
You accuse them of voting for personality over policy, but isn't that the argument you just made (re: charisma & pulse)?
Aside from that, though, I'm sure you had some strong, educated reasons for supporting Obama. Wouldn't it be naive to think that the Hillary supporters didn't as well?
I guess my point is this: if you want to play the game (politics), then play by the same rules you want your candidates to observe. The battle's over; show some sportsmanship instead of gloating. Stop being divisive and start bringing your party together.
Unity starts with you. Isn't that a great catchphrasepun?
Good points, and lots for me to think about at work today...I'll try to respond tonight after I get home. I agree my post was less than nuanced, but I do wat to point out it wasn't directed at all those who fought for Hillary, just the ones threatening to "defect." I'm sorry if you took umbrage or felt I was painting all with the same brutent, and the failing was mine.
I've reworked that second part to be rather less belligerent and more reasoned...I totally agree that I was doing pretty much what I said I didn't like about the way people behaved in the primary...
My main complaint with McCain is that he seems to be guilty in the campaign of the worst sort of pandering, ignoring or "forgetting" what he's taken a stance on previously to tell his current audience what they want to hear, and while pretty much all politicians do this, he seems to be more egregious and blatant about it than most. And, from my theatre and public speaking background, his oratorical skills on the campaign trail leave a LOT to be desired.
First off, I'm really glad you took that the way it was intended, and not as a personal attack. That seems to be the norm these days; a friend's friend was telling me about how much she loved Obama. I was interested, and politely asked her how she felt about the weaknesses in his voting record. It was supposed to be a discussion, after all...
I'm not sure I'll ever be able to hear high frequency sounds again.
I can really agree about the turncoat, spiteful nature of the "I'll vote for McCain!" argument; mainly, that's what it is: spite.
However, there are a lot of independents and republicans who are (or were) interested in Hillary, and willing to vote for her in a general election, but not Obama. The experience argument, as well as some policy choices, weigh into the Clinton/McCain decision, and I can understand those.
As for me, I'm still not sure where I stand. I'll give you that Obama is a fantastic orator. If he's President, I'll be pulling every string and calling in every favor I have to manage to sit in at a State of the Union address during his term. But while a great speech can compel passion and motivation to action, it's not the only element of leadership. (can't believe I'm about to say this...) Just look at Bush. He really does have some strong leadership skills (skill, like electricity, being independent of what it's actually used for), even if he doesn't even know the words to jingle bells or have a basic understanding of syntax and grammar.
As for McCain's pandering... yeah, there's a good deal of that. Part of it, though, reminds me a bit of Al Gore in its social awkwardness, its quality of "there are hundreds of millions of people analyzing every word I say, and I'm not allowed to be a complete maverick anymore."
Why am I uncomfortable with Obama? He worries me. I'll take that a bit further - he almost scares me. He seems "squishy," lacking in strong opinion. He also leaves a lot to be desired on issues of liberty, privacy, and the value and rights of the individual in the modern age.
With eight years of Bush running roughshod over civil liberties, the last thing we need is four to eight years of a democrat-cum-socialist (though his health care plans smack less of that than HRC's, at least).
We'll see. There's a lot more to find out about these folks, and I don't think the decision is going to be as easy as we all thought it would be even a year ago.
This was a bit offensive. Your "open letters" fail to take in anything but a very, very shallow view of the issues at hand.
And to say McCain has no charisma nor pulse... well, he's actually a republican who doesn't make me cringe (given my libertarian stance, that's saying a lot these days). But that might come from the advantage of having lived in Phoenix for a few years and having the time to develop insight into his history, views, and actions.
What bugs me isn't your support for Obama. That's all well and good. It's that this commentary is no different than the hundreds of comments you see on CNN after a Hillary/Obama article is posted. It's very immature, all "LESS QQ Hillary!" and "Obama rocks, and people who don't think so suck."
I've seen you present some pretty educated viewpoints before, stuff that's had a strong argument to it. Things that might have influenced my opinions. Saying stuff like this just makes it more realistic that those folks out there are going to hold their breath unless they get that pony.
You accuse them of voting for personality over policy, but isn't that the argument you just made (re: charisma & pulse)?
Aside from that, though, I'm sure you had some strong, educated reasons for supporting Obama. Wouldn't it be naive to think that the Hillary supporters didn't as well?
I guess my point is this: if you want to play the game (politics), then play by the same rules you want your candidates to observe. The battle's over; show some sportsmanship instead of gloating. Stop being divisive and start bringing your party together.
Unity starts with you. Isn't that a great catchphrasepun?
And lastly: FOR THE HORDE.
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More later.
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My main complaint with McCain is that he seems to be guilty in the campaign of the worst sort of pandering, ignoring or "forgetting" what he's taken a stance on previously to tell his current audience what they want to hear, and while pretty much all politicians do this, he seems to be more egregious and blatant about it than most. And, from my theatre and public speaking background, his oratorical skills on the campaign trail leave a LOT to be desired.
Reply
First off, I'm really glad you took that the way it was intended, and not as a personal attack. That seems to be the norm these days; a friend's friend was telling me about how much she loved Obama. I was interested, and politely asked her how she felt about the weaknesses in his voting record. It was supposed to be a discussion, after all...
I'm not sure I'll ever be able to hear high frequency sounds again.
I can really agree about the turncoat, spiteful nature of the "I'll vote for McCain!" argument; mainly, that's what it is: spite.
However, there are a lot of independents and republicans who are (or were) interested in Hillary, and willing to vote for her in a general election, but not Obama. The experience argument, as well as some policy choices, weigh into the Clinton/McCain decision, and I can understand those.
As for me, I'm still not sure where I stand. I'll give you that Obama is a fantastic orator. If he's President, I'll be pulling every string and calling in every favor I have to manage to sit in at a State of the Union address during his term. But while a great speech can compel passion and motivation to action, it's not the only element of leadership. (can't believe I'm about to say this...) Just look at Bush. He really does have some strong leadership skills (skill, like electricity, being independent of what it's actually used for), even if he doesn't even know the words to jingle bells or have a basic understanding of syntax and grammar.
As for McCain's pandering... yeah, there's a good deal of that. Part of it, though, reminds me a bit of Al Gore in its social awkwardness, its quality of "there are hundreds of millions of people analyzing every word I say, and I'm not allowed to be a complete maverick anymore."
Why am I uncomfortable with Obama? He worries me. I'll take that a bit further - he almost scares me. He seems "squishy," lacking in strong opinion. He also leaves a lot to be desired on issues of liberty, privacy, and the value and rights of the individual in the modern age.
With eight years of Bush running roughshod over civil liberties, the last thing we need is four to eight years of a democrat-cum-socialist (though his health care plans smack less of that than HRC's, at least).
We'll see. There's a lot more to find out about these folks, and I don't think the decision is going to be as easy as we all thought it would be even a year ago.
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