Weapon of Change
I'll either update this post or post fresh the video I have in the making of clips from yesterday's Obama rally from Nissan Pavilion. My mother and I attended (no one else was free, come on guys, get involved! Even if you don't like him at least go to hear what he has to say...) and were very impressed by what he talked about. There are some things I like about what Obama has to say, there are some things I don't but most of those are not very significant. To celebrate his finally winning the democratic bid here are some places where you can compare his position to John McCain's.
Commitment 2008
Select Smart
They both clearly outline the topics that are most popularly discussed. I thought some of the information between the two of them varied but in general both reflect the candidates properly. I enjoyed how Commitment 2008 had policy topics listed first and political topics listed last, but overall I was surprised how much more information was provided on Obama's position that McCain's. Perhaps it was just that there was little information provided on McCain's opinions or that there is not enough clear and plain information on his positions available, but on both sites Obama's column is longer. Also, in looking at statistics on Select Smart Obama is not on the fence nearly as much as McCain, I like that he is so obvious about what he thinks. There were only one or two cases they discussed where Obama had voted for and against the same thing at different times, one of which was the Patriot Act but he voted against the original and for the revision so I think that was a generally intelligent flip-flop. McCain, as far as I saw, flipped between different opinions at least twice as much.
These sites are specifically designed for those not very politically inclined, but I urge you to glance them over, especially if you are considering voting (and you really should! if you need help getting registered I'd be more than willing to point to to the office you need to get your forms from) and not simply follow your local news stations who are often biased to one side or sensationalizing stories for higher ratings. these sites lay out the facts in a very simple fashion that makes it easy to compare candidates (commitment is a little easier to read for those who are not willing to look up terms and organizations smart select mentions). Even if you feel you already know who you want to vote for in November, I urge to you consider the positions of both candidates objectively, there are some things about McCain I like as well when I consider him and Obama from a purely objective standpoint. Our next president will be faced with a failing economy, a war in a foreign country, deteriorating international relationships, falling education standards and a generally dissatisfied population. Our next president must be chosen carefully and through educated consideration on everyone's part. Before you vote, please get familiar with the facts.
I like Barack Obama more than John McCain for several reasons. First being his strategy for the war on terror. He wants to start leaving Iraq and wants to continue pursuing terrorists in Afghanistan. I wholeheartedly agree, it's time to get out of Iraq but there is still more to be done to protect our country in Afghanistan. I'm a fan of Obama's ideas on how to deal with the terrorist problem from seeing how he supported the same tactics that took out Abu Laith al-Libi even when the Bush administration criticized his stance at the time. Obama advocates strategies that involve more information gathering, planning and less invasive missions. I think this is the only way to deal with terrorists, fight them using the same methods they use. You don't see Al-Qaeda sending in hundreds of thousands of troops. It's a couple of guys after months of planning and gathering information. Obama's the only one standing up for tactics that are proven effective.
I also like him for his stand on education, especially making colleges more affordable by redirecting funds to federal grants for students to go to school. Money would also go towards teachers with a good record to increase their salary which is badly needed. Our country is unbelievably far behind many other countries when it comes to education, Obama's got his priorities in the right order, with education reform at the top of his list of things to change if he's elected.
I also like what he has to say about better health care in the country, making medications more affordable and better hospital standards. I like how big of an advocate he is of alternative energy sources (I dunno about clean coal, but he's going in the right direction) and giving companies incentive to switch over to other fuel sources and reduce emissions. I like what he has to say about providing better health care for veterans and political issues like abortion and gun control.
I also like Obama for more personal issues (he's never called his wife a cunt in front of a team of reporters or called his fellow senators fuckers shitheads and assholes or raised a fist to anyone on capital hill). I also think his amazing public speaking ability is a real asset. He is amazing to listen to, even more so in person, I think that will take him far in rebuilding international relationships and bringing many leaders; within the nation and outside of it, together.
Commitment 2008
Select Smart
They both clearly outline the topics that are most popularly discussed. I thought some of the information between the two of them varied but in general both reflect the candidates properly. I enjoyed how Commitment 2008 had policy topics listed first and political topics listed last, but overall I was surprised how much more information was provided on Obama's position that McCain's. Perhaps it was just that there was little information provided on McCain's opinions or that there is not enough clear and plain information on his positions available, but on both sites Obama's column is longer. Also, in looking at statistics on Select Smart Obama is not on the fence nearly as much as McCain, I like that he is so obvious about what he thinks. There were only one or two cases they discussed where Obama had voted for and against the same thing at different times, one of which was the Patriot Act but he voted against the original and for the revision so I think that was a generally intelligent flip-flop. McCain, as far as I saw, flipped between different opinions at least twice as much.
These sites are specifically designed for those not very politically inclined, but I urge you to glance them over, especially if you are considering voting (and you really should! if you need help getting registered I'd be more than willing to point to to the office you need to get your forms from) and not simply follow your local news stations who are often biased to one side or sensationalizing stories for higher ratings. these sites lay out the facts in a very simple fashion that makes it easy to compare candidates (commitment is a little easier to read for those who are not willing to look up terms and organizations smart select mentions). Even if you feel you already know who you want to vote for in November, I urge to you consider the positions of both candidates objectively, there are some things about McCain I like as well when I consider him and Obama from a purely objective standpoint. Our next president will be faced with a failing economy, a war in a foreign country, deteriorating international relationships, falling education standards and a generally dissatisfied population. Our next president must be chosen carefully and through educated consideration on everyone's part. Before you vote, please get familiar with the facts.
I like Barack Obama more than John McCain for several reasons. First being his strategy for the war on terror. He wants to start leaving Iraq and wants to continue pursuing terrorists in Afghanistan. I wholeheartedly agree, it's time to get out of Iraq but there is still more to be done to protect our country in Afghanistan. I'm a fan of Obama's ideas on how to deal with the terrorist problem from seeing how he supported the same tactics that took out Abu Laith al-Libi even when the Bush administration criticized his stance at the time. Obama advocates strategies that involve more information gathering, planning and less invasive missions. I think this is the only way to deal with terrorists, fight them using the same methods they use. You don't see Al-Qaeda sending in hundreds of thousands of troops. It's a couple of guys after months of planning and gathering information. Obama's the only one standing up for tactics that are proven effective.
I also like him for his stand on education, especially making colleges more affordable by redirecting funds to federal grants for students to go to school. Money would also go towards teachers with a good record to increase their salary which is badly needed. Our country is unbelievably far behind many other countries when it comes to education, Obama's got his priorities in the right order, with education reform at the top of his list of things to change if he's elected.
I also like what he has to say about better health care in the country, making medications more affordable and better hospital standards. I like how big of an advocate he is of alternative energy sources (I dunno about clean coal, but he's going in the right direction) and giving companies incentive to switch over to other fuel sources and reduce emissions. I like what he has to say about providing better health care for veterans and political issues like abortion and gun control.
I also like Obama for more personal issues (he's never called his wife a cunt in front of a team of reporters or called his fellow senators fuckers shitheads and assholes or raised a fist to anyone on capital hill). I also think his amazing public speaking ability is a real asset. He is amazing to listen to, even more so in person, I think that will take him far in rebuilding international relationships and bringing many leaders; within the nation and outside of it, together.