Sunday, March 16, 2008

Indulge me... one more Obama video

I want you to view (it's only 2 minutes). Watch this and compare it to the rhetoric of Rev. Wright. Clearly, this man, this Barack Obama has a different outlook forged in a different time. It complements the stump speech he gave yesterday.

6 comments:

Cheryl said...

Great speech. And he's been giving great speeches all along.

At least for me, that's why the Rev. Wright videos were so shocking. It's almost like finding out that Mother Teresa or Gandhi had Pat Robertson as a spiritual advisor!! The dissonance between their messages was (at least in the soundbites) disturbing.

Unknown said...

Ha! Perfect analogy. I really appreciate it. It helps me "get" you!

kc bob said...

I have given Obama a lot of thought these past months and wonder why someone who says the things he does about unity votes in lock step with the far left. It seems that someone who says the things that he says would be a centrist seeking ways to partner with Republicans. Really, McCain crosses the aisle.. he seems to walk out what Obama says.

I am still waiting and watching. Maybe some of you all can point me to those times when Obama voted in the middle instead of on the left. Maybe there is a proven voting track record that is not left of center.

I love what he says but I am not sure that his politics of hope are hope for everyone.

SUSAN said...

Wow...he does inspire with his words!

Julie, I'd love to read your response to "kansas bob".

Thanks,
Susan

Unknown said...

Bob, your point is perfectly valid. I do think Obama's record shows a more liberal agenda (not a bi-partisan record). And yes, McCain is known for that kind of politicking.

Here's where it gets more interesting for me. What McCain does in "crossing the aisle" is often about political expediency and relationship building in the Senate (and rightly so). He is working to get things done in a highly charged, politically savvy environment and he does it by creating partnerships that include both Dems and Reps. That is his chief strength and a reason I have liked him as a senator (even when other Reps. didn't).

Yet even with this strength, I would not characterize McCain as a uniter. He lacks the quality of someone who can imagine a vision and then rally support from the people. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that his mouth has often been a loose cannon, that he has waffled on what he believes about torture, and he has chosen recently to align himself with Bush's policies related to Iraq. McCain strikes me as someone who has political muscle that is most suited to congress, not to leading a nation, not to being the "image bearer" of America as her Commander in Chief.

Obama is to the left in his points of view, in his policies, in his record. That will necessarily be of concern to many conservatives. It has been (and was) of concern to me initially when I read through his platform at his website.

What drew me to Obama, though, had to do with his vision casting (especially in The Audacity of Hope). I see him acknowledging the reasonableness of positions that would naturally be opposed to the typical Democratic platform. I see him as inviting the American people to participate in politics for the sake of their good.

I see him investing in America itself - interested in health care (but not in the kind of universal h.c. of a Hillary - rather one that recognizes the partnership role of big business in h.c.), in incentivizing American companies to keep jobs here, but not simply dismissing the value of globalization and out need to be a part of the global economy.

He also represents a different face to foreign politics - someone who is not a loose cannon, who thoughtfully reflects on his positions before speaking (one of the chief anxieties supporters seem to feel is that he doesn't "react" quickly enough to attacks). Yet rather than firing back defensiveness, he waits until he's clear on what his message is and then sticks to it until it is heard and understood.

For me, then, I see Obama not as a bi-partisan compromiser, but as a thoughtfully reflective politician who is seeking to express the next vision of what it means to be America - a more humble foreign policy, a health care plan that is accessible/affordable without being mandatory, tuition remittance for college in exchange for community service (how brilliant is that?), an attentiveness to the way economic downturns bring devastation to entire communities and a desire to turn some of that back, without ignoring our need to participate in the global community as well.

To me, the president needs to lead/inspire with a vision (we can debate whether or not we like the vision)... I see the capacity of an Obama to do that. I don't see it in McCain.

kc bob said...

He says in the video:

"There is not a liberal America and a conservative America."

It is to that point that I was commenting. In his speeches he tries to distance himself from his voting record with that kind of rhetoric. His "vision" is a liberal one.. better that we all recognize that and vote on his positions rather than his personality. It is an unfortunate bi-product of our technological times that charisma trumps everything when it comes to elections.

I agree that McCain is somewhat of a maverick pitbull ... it is why I like him ... I like that Limbaugh and Dobson choke over supporting him. I also like that he is a compromiser .... that word is truly one of my favorites. I wish that more of our elected officials had the ability to see the nuances of gray in issues and not have to see everything as black or white ... right or left ... I mean right or wrong ;)

Again ... I love what Obama says about America not being leberal or conservative ... just don't think that he or his voting record is representative of what he says.