Positive discussion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of two PP here. The OP asked for a serious and positive discussion and I think we were just inviting serious and positive support for the feelings asserted. There were no slams, no snarky comments. I think it's fair and appropriate for both sides to examine records as much as people's feelings about a candidate.

I posted the comment you refer to, and apologize for saying you attacked Obama, when you just questioned some assertions made in his favor. But my main point was that I would like to see the positives about McCain. I have been tempted to post some myself, as one who does not plan to vote for him but admires much about him. However, I think it would be better coming from real supporters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't see any explicit concrete exmples of all of these "feelings" people have for Obama. This is my problem, I can't find any other than warm fuzzies.

Legislation, please?

9:40 here. I don't actually think that legislative accomplishments are the best indicators of presidential ability. That Obama is a leader no one can question. He's inspired people all over the country. That he is sane and rational has been demonstrated time and again throughout his campaign, in the debates, on the stump etc, as well as through his work in the Senate. Friends who work with him are uniformly impressed at his ability to see both sides of an issue and work towards resolution. This seems to have been a defining quality as far back as Harvard Law. And he is obviously smart. Having witnessed the absurdities of the Kerry campaign, I am also really impressed with how Obama has managed his own campaign.

[Anonymous]

I am not very articulate in explaining what I appreciate about Obama and why I am voting for him.

But here is a quote from someone else that explains my feelings: (dated October 24, 2006)

"...a lot of people are going on about how Obama has not sponsored legislation on any of the Vital Issues Of The Day. Personally, I think that he'd have to be delusional to introduce, say, his own solution to the health insurance crisis: no bill on such a topic introduced by a freshman senator from the minority party would have a snowball's chance in hell of succeeding, and the only reason to introduce one would be to grandstand. For that reason, I think that his failure to do so tends to speak well of him.

(Besides, consider how many Senators must have been watching for any hint of self-importance when Obama arrived in the Senate, given the press he had coming in; how many of them would have had to have been waiting for any sign that he was thinking: here am I, the wondrous Barack Obama, ready to set the Senate straight! The fact that he seems to have disarmed most of them is, I think, an achievement in its own right; it would have been impossible had he introduced his own comprehensive anti-poverty program, or something.)

But I do follow legislation, at least on some issues, and I have been surprised by how often Senator Obama turns up, sponsoring or co-sponsoring really good legislation on some topic that isn't wildly sexy, but does matter. His bills tend to have the following features: they are good and thoughtful bills that try to solve real problems; they are in general not terribly flashy; and they tend to focus on achieving solutions acceptable to all concerned, not by compromising on principle, but by genuinely trying to craft a solution that everyone can get behind."

http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2006/10/barack_obama.html

and from the same blog, a very detailed discussion, with links, of a lot of the legilation Obama has introduced.

http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2008/02/obama-actually.html

[Anonymous]

I feel both men, Obama and McCain, really want to make a difference and believe they have something important to offer the American people. I respect them for putting themselves out there, knowing that there are going to be plenty of knocks, nastiness, and rough days along the way, for ideals they believe are bigger than themselves.

What they believe and how they would execute the plans they have are fairly far apart - that is what we should be focusing on as we make our decisions to vote.

[Anonymous]

It's hard to put my thoughts into words but I will try. I think the first thing that caught my attention was the ability to inspire people. Over the past few years, especially after 9/11 I thought to myself how I really wished we had that FDR, that JFK, that person that could bring the country together and have us work towards a common goal. The more I heard the personal story, the more I could relate. I have the name that draws attention - "how do you pronounce that" - or people just get it wrong. It sounds like a little thing but when you wish your name blended in you have to first learn to stand up for yourself and say with a smile "it's X". Being an outsider - it could be going to a private school on a scholarship, being a different race than most of your classmates or co-workers, moving to another part of the country or another part of the world, to succeed but not lose what makes you unique in the process is very difficult. It's hard to strike that balance between moving to new circles but not forgetting where you are from. I think it gives you an awareness some people may not have and an ability to find the things you have in common with other people because to be honest it is basic social survival skill. So before I never understood why people were focused on leadership, character, and the feeling the person is "like them", but now I understand. You don't know what life will throw out you. There could be issues tomorrow that aren't issues today so you want to feel like the person will be able to correctly assess the situation and get everyone (or most people) on the same page on what needs to be done.