My Thoughts About Barack Obama
I like the idea of Barack Obama, it's just that I'm having a problem getting behind him because I'm not seeing any substance. Instead, I'm hearing a lot of pablum and benign phrases, but no specific ideas or tangible plans for the future.
There's still time for him to change and as he finds his footing, perhaps he can get some knowledgeable people in his corner, so that he can develop or endorse some concrete proposals, but all I'm hearing is just a bunch of empty rhetoric and because the media is so enamored, I hate to say it, but I'm beginning to resent his candidacy.
Just today, there were headlines every which way; "Obama calls for universal health care" and if you read the articles, they all quote him as saying; "I am absolutely determined that by the end of the first term of the next president, we should have universal health care in this country". Well that's fine and dandy Barry, but how do propose we get there?
Hillary has a lot of knowledge about health care and the idea of universal coverage. I can't say for certain that her '93 plan was right, but it is a foundation and reportedly, she's about to introduce a bill to expand current coverage for children. Bill Richardson has been busy setting up health insurance programs, here in New Mexico and though I don't know the ins and outs of the NM system, I do know that our problems are mostly with delivery because I'm not hearing any complaints about the programs.
Obama apparently thinks that universal coverage is a worthy goal, but he's not saying how he'd lead in that direction. Heck, I think flying cars are a good idea and just the other night, I watched a futurist predict them, but there's still not one parked in my garage.
For another example of Senator Obama's ability to dance around an issue, I suggest you go back to the Charlie Gibson interviews that I linked from a previous post. Once again, compare what Hillary says about Iraq to how Mr Obama responded to the same question. One candidate offered strategic options which could help us achieve our goal, while the other mouthed a bunch of words.
I'm not the only one who has noticed this tendency from the media darling. John Edwards has been quoted as saying; "Identifying the problem and talking about hope is waiting for tomorrow," which some bloggers have said was directed toward Senator Obama. While in a Washington Post piece which I'm about to link, Al Sharpton was quoted as saying about the Obama campaign; "Right now we're hearing a lot of media razzle-dazzle. I'm not hearing a lot of meat, or a lot of content".
The Sharpton quote comes from an article discussing the reluctance of established black leaders to give him more than tepid support. It's a similar situation, as was recently written-up in Salon. Though it should be said that in her op-ed, Debra J. Dickerson goes a lot further by declaring him not black, but instead, she describes him as being a child of an African immigrant.
The argument is rooted in similar territory to that of the WaPo, in that he wasn't really part of the civil rights movement and hasn't paid his dues, so to the leadership and the African-American community, he's mostly an unknown. Though, I do have to say in Barry's defense, he really is of the generation that came of age after the major battles were won and because he spent so much of his youth living in Hawaii and overseas, by the time he got to the mainland, things were remarkably different.
But, it also looks like he's going to need a Sister Souljah moment to reassure the black leadership. Perhaps, if he starts talking policy specifics, he'll be able to overcome their fears without being confrontational, but the easiest way would be for him to say something negative to indict an element of the white establishment and such an act, may or may not not help him in the long run.
I've said in a couple of my posts that I wasn't making an endorsement. Over the past several days, I realized that I've never publicly endorsed anyone during the primaries and I usually wait until after the convention to put up my yard signs. Sure, if you ask me what I think, I'd share my thoughts as I've been doing in this space, but I've never actually endorsed a non-nominated candidate.
While on the other hand, I have been more open with my opposition to certain candidates and because I like to play the game, I'll only actively oppose, those whom I don't think would be able to win or be competitive in the general election.
Thus far, Barack Obama hasn't gotten to that point and it is very early in the process, so he can still change.
Sometime, hopefully soon, the man is going to have to say something and risk alienating somebody. Right now, I feel there's a lot of people seeing their own reflection in his candidacy and perhaps if Mr Obama were to rediscover his spine or find his voice, the Democratic party will be able to avoid Narcissus' fate.
---This is the second in a series.( x-posted)
There's still time for him to change and as he finds his footing, perhaps he can get some knowledgeable people in his corner, so that he can develop or endorse some concrete proposals, but all I'm hearing is just a bunch of empty rhetoric and because the media is so enamored, I hate to say it, but I'm beginning to resent his candidacy.
Just today, there were headlines every which way; "Obama calls for universal health care" and if you read the articles, they all quote him as saying; "I am absolutely determined that by the end of the first term of the next president, we should have universal health care in this country". Well that's fine and dandy Barry, but how do propose we get there?
Hillary has a lot of knowledge about health care and the idea of universal coverage. I can't say for certain that her '93 plan was right, but it is a foundation and reportedly, she's about to introduce a bill to expand current coverage for children. Bill Richardson has been busy setting up health insurance programs, here in New Mexico and though I don't know the ins and outs of the NM system, I do know that our problems are mostly with delivery because I'm not hearing any complaints about the programs.
Obama apparently thinks that universal coverage is a worthy goal, but he's not saying how he'd lead in that direction. Heck, I think flying cars are a good idea and just the other night, I watched a futurist predict them, but there's still not one parked in my garage.
For another example of Senator Obama's ability to dance around an issue, I suggest you go back to the Charlie Gibson interviews that I linked from a previous post. Once again, compare what Hillary says about Iraq to how Mr Obama responded to the same question. One candidate offered strategic options which could help us achieve our goal, while the other mouthed a bunch of words.
I'm not the only one who has noticed this tendency from the media darling. John Edwards has been quoted as saying; "Identifying the problem and talking about hope is waiting for tomorrow," which some bloggers have said was directed toward Senator Obama. While in a Washington Post piece which I'm about to link, Al Sharpton was quoted as saying about the Obama campaign; "Right now we're hearing a lot of media razzle-dazzle. I'm not hearing a lot of meat, or a lot of content".
The Sharpton quote comes from an article discussing the reluctance of established black leaders to give him more than tepid support. It's a similar situation, as was recently written-up in Salon. Though it should be said that in her op-ed, Debra J. Dickerson goes a lot further by declaring him not black, but instead, she describes him as being a child of an African immigrant.
The argument is rooted in similar territory to that of the WaPo, in that he wasn't really part of the civil rights movement and hasn't paid his dues, so to the leadership and the African-American community, he's mostly an unknown. Though, I do have to say in Barry's defense, he really is of the generation that came of age after the major battles were won and because he spent so much of his youth living in Hawaii and overseas, by the time he got to the mainland, things were remarkably different.
But, it also looks like he's going to need a Sister Souljah moment to reassure the black leadership. Perhaps, if he starts talking policy specifics, he'll be able to overcome their fears without being confrontational, but the easiest way would be for him to say something negative to indict an element of the white establishment and such an act, may or may not not help him in the long run.
I've said in a couple of my posts that I wasn't making an endorsement. Over the past several days, I realized that I've never publicly endorsed anyone during the primaries and I usually wait until after the convention to put up my yard signs. Sure, if you ask me what I think, I'd share my thoughts as I've been doing in this space, but I've never actually endorsed a non-nominated candidate.
While on the other hand, I have been more open with my opposition to certain candidates and because I like to play the game, I'll only actively oppose, those whom I don't think would be able to win or be competitive in the general election.
Thus far, Barack Obama hasn't gotten to that point and it is very early in the process, so he can still change.
Sometime, hopefully soon, the man is going to have to say something and risk alienating somebody. Right now, I feel there's a lot of people seeing their own reflection in his candidacy and perhaps if Mr Obama were to rediscover his spine or find his voice, the Democratic party will be able to avoid Narcissus' fate.
---This is the second in a series.( x-posted)