Future Bush number 3 vs. a Leader for Reform

Before this debate even occured, I had my mind set on one candidate, and that was Barack Obama. But after watching this eye opening debate, my reasonings for Obama are even more true, now that I fully understand where McCain is coming from. On Friday night, I give Obama's overall performance an 8 out of 10. He did a very good job, but sometimes his performance wasnt too spectacular due to the fact that he didnt fully answer questions, or just ignored them entirely. On the other hand, I give McCain a 4 out of 10. Most of the debate he fumbled, and he seemed disheveled. Not to mention that Obama was very personable, and confident in his speech. There is something about him that draws the audience in, myself included; I think its because he is so captivating. Obama clearly defined what he is set out to accomplish. I totally agreed with his point that "We need to help Main Street, for theyhave been suffering far longer than Wall Street." I found that both clever, and generous, because it really shows that Obama wants to support the American people rather than the corporate America. I think his plan for no tax raises for familes making an income of 250 thousand and less is a great proposal. But his other proposition of 95% tax cuts for 95% percent of the population seemed ambiguous because he seemed to change his mind. McCain during the debate was very aggresive. Yet most of it wasnt beneficial because Obama seemed to handle his vicious attacks very well. McCain kept bringing up Obamas track record, and tried to convince the audience that Obama wasnt suitable enough for the job as President. He also interrupted Obama several times when he was speaking, and would go on tangents and totally interupt Obama. McCain also reverted to the surge in Iraq several times. I believe that he mentioned the surge so many times was because he was the candidate that originally supported it when most people were questioning it. So I'm guessing that he was using it as a strong foot hold. Another point I agreed with Obama was when it came to off shore drilling. His and my views are very similar because we both believe in the promotion of pursuing a greener America. Even though his plans are for the future, I think that they will better benefit America over the course of time, instead of falling into the demand to drill due to the gas prices. Obamas high point that evening was when it involved foreign policy. His plans to evacuate troops are excellent, adn they seem like that they will work well. Obama is also willing to work with other nations such as China and Russia to keep from Iraq gaining nuclear weopans because its a major threat. So Obama is willing to negotiate with everyone, while McCain refuses to speak to some leaders. which is a low point for him.

The First Presidential Debate

On Friday September 26th, at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi, the first presidential debate between Republican Senator John McCain and Democratic Senator Barack Obama took place. This debate really changed my opinion on who I wanted as president for many reasons. I gave my original candidate choice, John McCain, a 5, as well as a 7 for Barack Obama, the new candidate I want for president.

I believe that Charisma plays a big role in captivating the country as a president, as long as making others believe your beliefs better. There was a completely different vibe from each of the candidates. Yes, they were both wearing our countries patriotic colors, but they each carried themselves differently. From the very beginning of the debate, Barack Obama captivated me, and made me feel as though he was talking to me and only by looking into the camera. On the other hand McCain did the complete opposite. During a majority of the debate, he was either looking at the moderator or at Obama, and I felt very disconnected from what he was saying. Also, Barack had very high confidence in his speech, along with rarely stuttering unlike McCain who talked as though he was defeated and often used filers and stuttered. Overall, I believe that McCain’s lowest point of the debate was the way he carried himself. Even John’s tone of voice made me want to tune out. Furthermore, I believe that Obama’s highest point in the debate was his charisma because he really caught the audience’s attention and really made me want to listen to what he had to say.

Another very important part of being a president is actually knowing what you are talking about, not beating around the bush on everything, and sticking to your side. When it came to the topic of individual tax cuts, Obama said “What I’ve called for is a tax cut for 95 percent of working families, 95 percent.” It is true that Senator Obama has proposed a tax cut of $500 for workers and $1,000 for working couples. Notice that this tax cut is for “workers” and “working couples,” not 95% of the population. First, according to factcheck.org, Senator Obama’s tax plan would benefit only 81% of workers and working households, not 95%. Second, he neglected to point out that the plan generates less than $42 per month for workers and $84 per month for working couples. Tax cuts for “95% of working families” sounds a lot better, but it does not tell the whole story. Therefore, for Senator Obama, his lowest point of the debate was being a “flip-flopper”, and not telling all the truth along with beating around the bush.

One issue that I disagree with Obama about was healthcare. He said “We have to fix our health care system, which is putting an enormous burden on families. Just -- a report just came out that the average deductible went up 30 percent on American families.” We can’t just give universal health care. "Free" health care isn't really free since we must pay for it with taxes; expenses for health care would have to be paid for with higher taxes or spending cuts in other areas such as defense, education, etc. Our government is already in a giant debt problem. We should be working at eliminating that before we add more to it.

Overall, my first experience of watching a political debate on TV was very interesting. My views of both candidates absolutely changed and I am glad that I had to chance to become and even more informed citizen.

The First Presidential Debate

Overall, I believe Senator Obama did an excellent job during last nights first presidential debate. Continuously, Senator McCain tried to paint a picture of Sen. Obama being an inexperienced and naïve presidential candidate. However, I believe that on a scale of 1-10, Sen. Obama should receive an 8. During the entire debate, Sen. Obama spoke as though he was talking directly to the listeners at home. Sen. Obama did an outstanding job conveying his ideas and beliefs to the American people.

During the debate, I believe that Sen. Obama’s high point was the economy. Sen. Obama expressed a plan in which helps the middle class get back on track. Many times, during the debate, Sen. Obama stated that we need to help Main Street, for they have been suffering longer than Wall Street. Furthermore, Sen. Obama’s expressed that he plans to cut taxes for 95% of working families. He also stated that there will be no tax rise for families who are making less than 250,000. Additionally, Sen. Obama stated that he will make sure that the spending of money will be used for people on Main Street, rather than going to a CEO bank account. Sen. Obama even went on to say that he plans on helping home owners who are having trouble paying off mortgages. I believe that Sen. Obama had a strong position on the economy, for he has a plan to help the average working families of America.

Even though Sen. Obama had many high points during the debate, I believe there was one area in which Sen. Obama was not strong in: Iraq. Sen. Obama states that he will have withdrawal from Iraq in 16 months; however, he had previously stated that his plan would have withdrawal beginning. It seemed as though Sen. Obama’s plan for Iraq was only to remove troops. Even though I agree with the removal of troops from Iraq, I believe that Sen. Obama needs a stronger plan for the removal of troops. If we do not have a strong removal plan, the troops that are left behind, will be in great danger.

Throughout the evening, I found myself continuously agreeing with Sen. Obama’s views and ideas for this country. However, when it came to the subject of Pakistan, I was not pleased with Sen. Obama. He stated that if the United States has Al Qaeda in sights and Pakistan is unwilling to act that we should take them out. I believe that there is no reason for us to get involved with Pakistan. The war in Afghanistan does not need to expand to other countries, which will require more troops and more money. Therefore, I believe that if the United States wants to cut government spending to save our economy, we should not get involved with Pakistan.

Generally, I believe that Sen. Obama presented himself excellently, as well as portrayed his views brilliantly. This debate insured more confidence in me, that Sen. Obama is the right man to become the President of the United States of America.

Presidential Debate

The Debate that was highly anticipated finally came and went, and even stood up to the expectations. The entirety of the debate was interesting and informative while not lulling anyone to sleep. Overall, I believe that Barack Obama should receive a 7 out of ten for his performance during last nights debate. The reason for my grade is because i didn't think he was aggressive enough against John McCain. On several occasions, McCain interrupted or talked over Obama and Obama just let him go and talk. I think he was acting too polite and i believe McCain took advantage of that. He seemed like too nice of a guy instead of attacking McCain and being more assertive. Obama did lure people in like me to the debate because of his speaking skills and he way he was able to command the audience. When he was making his points he was much more convincing then McCain was on most of the issues. I believe that he came across as more intelligent then McCain and stood up for himself decent for the most part. Also, when McCain made attacks on Obama he stayed composed while i can't say the same for Senator McCain. He seemed to laugh a lot at Obama's criticisms of him and did not respond to all of them directly. I thought Obama had a more successful debate then John McCain but it was close.
As far as Obama's highest moments I thought that he looked very strong when talking about Foreign Policy, health care, and the tax cuts that he wants to propose. I believe that most Americans will be in favor of Obama's tax cut plan where 95% of Americans would get a tax cut. He did a good job attacking McCain and his idea of cutting the business tax that would give large tax cuts to the rich CEO's. McCain tried to respond saying that it was too keep jobs in the U.S. by giving them lower taxes but I think that Obama came out much better in that category. The war was a huge strong suit for Obama. He talked about he plan, how negative the war has been so far, and how we really should be focusing on Afghanistan where the terrorists are. It was sort of how bad McCain was during this portion then Obama excelling. McCain was extremely repetitive throughout it. In almost every sentence when talking about the war he mentioned the surge, the General in Iraq that for some reason McCain linked everything back to what he believes, and how he has visited places and knows what needs to be done. He came off as boring to me and this was the one part of the debate that was so. The last thing that i thought Obama was good at was Health Care. He had a plan while McCain did not so i believe he came across better to the American people.
One thing i question Obama on is offshore drilling. I disagree with not drilling offshore. I understand that he wants to find alternative energy sources, which i agree with him on, but the oil that can be produced is needed in this country. People are in constant need of oil based products and i believe that he would be in a better position had he approved offshore drilling but also use alternative energy to its maximum use. Overall, i liked the way Obama came off during the first presidential debate of the year.

A Strong Start to a Bright Future

A night we have been waiting for is now concluded. Finally, we were able to push the media aside and listen to straight politics. After listening to Barrack Obama and John McCain debate on Friday night, I believe that Obama's performance deserves a 9 out of 10. Not only did the democratic candidate speak with confidence like usual, but his answers to political questions and criticism towards McCain's ideas were fantastic. Even when McCain brought up his lack of political experience, Obama stood confident and refused to be taken lightly.


It really surprised me that Obama's strongest area of the debate surrounded foreign policy. Even though McCain had political experience with countries such as Bosnia and Somalia, I feel that Obama was a bit sharper when it came to these types of issues. First of all, I feel that Obama's plan in Iraq is brilliant. I completely agree with him that the government under George Bush has lost focus on the real task at hand. We first entered Iraq in 2003 in hopes of putting an end to Osama Bin Laden and the Al Qaeda. However, Obama explained how the Al Qaeda and Taliban are hiding out in Pakistan and Afghanistan while our troops remain on Iraqi soil. I strongly agree with Obama that would should withdraw our troops from Iraq in a period of 16 months and send an additional 2-3 brigades of soldiers to Afghanistan. Our government has wasted too much time and money trying to get their leadership under control while we are in a recession and their oil revenues are in a surplus! Iraq is not a direct threat to the safety of our citizens, the Al Qaeda and the Taliban are and Obama promises to focus on bringing them to justice.
In addition to Iraq, I feel that Obama did a solid job in explaining his ideas of the problem with Iran. Although both candidates feel that an Iran with nuclear weapons is a serious threat, Obama's solution to the threat is more likely to be successful. Both candidates feel that we need the support of other democracies to weaken the Iranian power, but only Obama wants to ask for assistance from non democracies such as China and Russia. We need all hands on deck if we are going to keep Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Also, Obama is willing to talk to any leaders, even if they are our enemies. McCain admits that he will only talk to certain leaders under his conditions while Obama is willing to speak with people under reasonable conditions. Even when the Iranians talk about the extermination of our Israeli allies, Obama says he will still converse with the Iranian government.


Although I believe Obama was the better debater on Friday night, there were a couple areas that I didn't agree with him on. One of these areas had to do with government spending. McCain is completely right with saying that government spending has spiraled out of control and that we need to cut down on it. In addition, I agree with McCain that we should eliminate some departments that are recieving unecessary funding. In order to bail ourselves out of this economic crisis, we need to put more money back into flow and Obama's $800 billion spending plan is way too much at this point in time.
Another topic that Obama needs to reconsider is off-shore drilling. Although Obama does not completely disagree with it, he feels that it should be very limited. On the other hand, McCain is in strong favor of it because it could temporarily end this gas crisis and give us time to stablize the economy. I do believe that we need to use renewable energy sources, but right now we need the extra oil to lower prices and fix our economic problems. We can focus on finding alternative energy solutions after we drastically lower the prices to fill up our automobiles.
However, this does not mean I completely disagree with Obama's economic plan. I strongly support him in giving tax cuts to 95% of Americans and taxing the wealthy more. Also, I believe that it is politically correct of him to single out the CEOs of large corportations for being greedy. Not to mention, Obama wants up to date regulatory systems to make sure no money is going to waste.

In the end, Obama was simply smarter and more direct than McCain in this first presidential debate. His ideas made much more sense and his confidence is something that could really help this country out of the hole it is already in. I truly look forward to the Biden-Palin debate and am confident that Obama's running mate will look much better than McCain's.

Political Sparring in the First Debate

Despite Senator McCain's continued attempts to paint Senator Obama as inexperienced (he said more than once, " Senator Obama doesn't seem to understand. . . ") when discussing several of the key issues, I believe Obama came off as well-informed and confident. It is my opinion that Barack Obama KO'd his opponent, although I would probably score him on a point scale at 9 out of ten. One thing that impressed me about his performance was his body language and forceful manner of speaking, that made what he said believable to the viewer. He did not let Sen McCain's verbal assaults rattle him, rather he met the clashes with gusto and with specific answers to the issues at hand. Sen. Obama's strategy in dealing with the Iraq War is a topic which I felt he has a solid game plan and an approach that I completely agree with. Specifically, he plans on moving troops from Iraq to Afghanistan to concentrate the efforts on finding Bin Laden and Al Quaida and destroying them, which was the essence of the original plan. The whole war in Iraq has gotten us off track or in Obama's own words, moving troops to Iraq was "taking our eyes off the ball." I believe our greatest concern should be the safety of our country and Sen Obama's initiatives are more likely to succeed in that. The story Sen. Obama told in response to Sen McCain's story, regarding the bracelet he wears in honor of a soldier from Green Bay who was killed in Iraq, was effective to me in further defining Obama's feelings about the war. Given to him by the soldier's mother, he agreed with her that no mother should have to go through what she had experienced ever again; contrasting McCain's take that the fighting should continue until there is peace in Iraq so that no soldiers die in vain. I agree with Obama that no soldiers dying for their country die in vain, but if we can prevent their deaths and save their families from suffering, that is the ultimate goal.
As far as his low points go and where I disagree with Obama's approach, is in the area of energy and the environment. Although I actually don't completely disagree with him, in this instance he handled the discussion poorly and gave the impression he either has not put in the time required to make progress or perhaps that it is not one of his top priorities, which I think it should be, in developing an energy strategy. I believe Sen Obama should have had more specific examples of his energy plan, particularly his alternate energy strategy. He was too vague in just saying that alternate energy needs to be funded. I feel it would have been much more effective in contrasting Sen McCain's weak but specific approach of just promoting offshore drilling as an interim answer (which he'll follow later with alternate energy research) if Obama had detailed specific options. I watched this segment closely as this subject happened to be one of my deciding factors in picking my candidate as I am very concerned about the state of our environment and the over-use of our natural resources. I was truly hoping that I would sense more action in this area and was disappointed. He needs to address this topic with more depth and possible answers. Why not start research and development of alternate energy right now?

The First Presidential Debate: Past vs. The Future

On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd have to say Senator Obama scored a 9.5, and senator McCain scored about a 4. On the topic of the econamy McCain and Obama didn't give much detail about what the congress is doing about the bail out crisis, having been in Washington D.C earlier that week for a photo op confrence. However, the senators did clash over the issue on how they would manage the econamy when they took office. Senator Obama restated a plan he has been proposing for a while now to heal the econamy; this plan is supposed to cut corperate loop holes that allow executives to make millions of dollars and have tax breaks to secure their profits while they ship jobs overseas, and give tax breaks to 95% of the middle class. He also said he'd help home owners be able to stay in their homes, and use oversight to secure the tax pays money, and even give it back if squandered.

McCain basically said cut government spending, suggested having a spending freeze on everything except military affairs and veterans. And also didn't mention anything about getting rid of the Bush tax cuts which are part of the problem. McCain also tried to lie and say Obama would raise everyone's taxes. McCain had just days earlier say the ecomamy's fundamentals are sound. Now all of a sudden he sees that there is a problem and is urging house republicans to bail out these federal banks after saying the government's involvment would only exaservate the problem.

On Foreign Policy and homeland security Obama stated his view that the war in Iraq was a mistake and the only way to stabalize our country and our econamy as well as mend wounds and rebuild bridges is to get out of Iraq. Obama noted that we should give Iraq back it's country and focus on Afganastan which we forgot about during the envasion of Iraq and as John McCain suggested we could just muddle through it. Obama said we need to focus on Al Queda in Afganastan and Pakistan where they are the most strong, and even use diplomacy and tactics to weed out the Taliban in North Africa, Asia, and in The Middle East where they have factions. Obama promised to meet with our friends and our advisaries without preconditions. He did say he would have preparations, but not preconditions. He wants to restore America's standing in the world.

McCain wants to continue in Iraq until we achive victory. However he never says exactly what that is. He brings up David Petreaus a lot, and says Obama never met with him, but Obama has agreed to meet with him when he is president and take his advice if he thinks it's necesary. McCain critisized Obama on his stance reguarding the Serge debating whether or not Obama knows the difference between tactics and strategy. It was the only compelling argument McCain had during the entire debate considering that now the Serge is working in bringing down sectarian violence, however McCain agreed to give Preisdent Bush authorization of this war, beccause he believed that we would be in and out of there quickly, and that we would be greated as liberators, and that there was no history of violence between sunni and shia and there had been. Obama wants us out of Iraq asap, and McCain doesn't know when we will be out, and even the President of Iraq wants us out now. McCain views the idea of meeting with our advisaries without preconditions as dangerous and naive.

McCain went out his way to try to paint Obama as inexperienced and naive, but it back fired. Obama had some nice explinations and come backs that McCain didn't see coming. For example bringing up the whole Spain blunder, and the fact that McCain sung songs about bombing Iran. McCain seemed angry the entire debate and didn't even look Obama in the eye. Obama was even very candid and generous in his answers not going out of his way to blast John McCain every chance he got. Obama looked confident and presidential and spoke elequently. My conclusion is that Obama won the debate, hands down.

I managed to make it through the whole thing!

I kid, i didnt mean to infere that it bored me, sure sometimes, but overall it wasnt terrible. All in all, i would give Senator Obama a 6.5 of 10. This is due to his somewhat lack of answering a question straitforwardly and avoiding the question in some cases, as well as a couple of his policies not entirely actually actually saying how he's going to accomplish them, for instance the housing crisis, instead of saying what he was going to do to stop foreclosures he basically stated, "im going to help them".

A high point of the debate for him was talking about communication with other nations, namely Iran and North Korea, while McCain basically didnt want to. He's absolutly right in saying that ignoring a country isn't going to accomplish anything, at least if we talk to them there's a chance improvements can be made. For instance when we and other countries finally decided to talk to North Korea about their Nuclear Program, a comprimise had been found and North Korea (at the time) decided to end its nuclear program in terms for decreased economic sanctions upon time.

As far as a low point is concerned I would have to say it was his dealings with Iraq. McCain had a much stronger arguing point in this area than did Obama. His arguing point is that since the surge the mission in Iraq has become a victory waiting to happen, but leaving now would be like "snatching defeat in the grips of victory" and all the time we spent on Iraq would be wasted, only to have it return to the way it was. Obama though only had speculation about what could have happened if they had gotten out, and didn't have as many facts to back his position.

One position I did not agree with Barack Obama on was how he wabnts to deal with Pakistan, which involves a sort of invasion upon them if they dont start either dealing with the problem or allowing us into Pakistan. While yes we have to deal with the terrorist who find a safe haven there, if we invade Pakistan theres a significant chance the Government would declare war and then the US would have even more enemies to deal with in the middle east.

The Presidential Debate

In last night's debate I was actually a little disappointed. A lot of what each candidate was saying was fluff and not backed up by much. Another problem I found was my lack of knowledge in some of the areas they were debating about. Before this class I never paid attention to news and politics, so some of what the candidates were talking about I didn't know what it meant or what was going on. However, both candidates seemed well organized and prepared. They answered the questions well and with overall poise. It got a little more interesting when tempers got up a little bit. I think that shows passion for their opinion and like they actually mean what they say. Looking at the debate in whole I think Barack Obama did a better job and he would get about a 7 out of 10 if I were to rate him. He seemed ready for every questions and he spoke with confidence.
Most of what Obama was saying I agreed with. That's why I chose him for the first blog question. If I had to pick out something I diagreed with though I think it'd have to be about is Iraq. I think this whole topic is very ambiguous. It's hard to tell really what's the right plan of action. We can add more troops and make sure Iraq really is won or we can start taking some troops out and force Iraq to stand on their own. Of course we bit off a little more than we can chew by starting this war and we have our own problems we should focus on before trying to help other countries. But if we start a war we shouldn't just be like oh crap let's stop before it gets worse. Anything in life I think you shouldn't start something unless your confident you can finish it. In a war, other countries might think we're really not that strong and we'll lose power by backing out and not finishing what we started. This kind of thing has happened before during Vietnam. History repeats itself and we should have learned from that experience how to handle future wars but I guess not. All of Obama's other ideas I agree with. His plans for the economy and other small issues I think are the stronger plan. Even though people may think he doesn't have enough experience I believe he can step up and lead a country especially during a particulary rough time like this.

The First Presidential Debate Analysis

Last nights presidential candidacy debate was highly important. It was replete with the various views from each candidate, Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain. But Obama I still believe did a better job with the speech than McCain. I would give his overall performance last night a 7 out of 10 and I would give McCain a 5 out of 10.
McCain, I noticed, constantly interrupted Obama throughout the debate and wouldn’t let him speak. I feel that Obama handle all of the interruptions very well and gave a smile to show that McCain’s emotional interruptions didn’t bother him. He waited until McCain was done speaking or even took a breath and would interject to counter the claims made by McCain by saying “let’s talk about this” or “let me clear this up first”. McCain seemed to just try to disagree with everything Obama said to make him look bad while Obama was smart by starting some of his answers to questions with “I do agree with Senator McCain that…” and “McCain is one hundred percent right about…”. He also didn’t just try to pad his answers to questions with irrelevant stories to make himself look good. He got down to business and when he was asked to answer a question he answered them, sometimes generally but he was able to look into the camera and address the American people.
I also thought it was smart of Obama to layout his plans to do things in steps. Although each of the steps wasn’t completely specific, it showed a little of what he would do when he became president to clear up certain problems. An example of this would be when they were talking about the national debt plan. Although both candidates didn’t really seem to talk specifically about what they are going to do about it, Obama, I feel addressed it better, laying out his general plan in four steps. He said first, he would “make sure we (the government) have oversight” over the whole plan. He then said he would then make sure that tax payers can get there money back. His third step was to make sure than none of the money used in the plan went completely to the big CEOs of companies so it wouldn’t be used irresponsibly. The fourth step was to make sure that homeowners were helped first and foremost. One of my favorite quotes from the debate made by Obama was that he wants to “grow the economy from the bottom, up”.
A few things I didn’t like that Obama did was that he brought most of the topics and questions discussed back to his plan for the economy by stating that he would help get jobs for the American people. Even the Iraq war and what we would do with Iran and Afghanistan was brought back to the economy with eliminating the dependence of oil in the Middle East and bringing in renewable resources such as wind power and solar power.
The thing that bothered me the most was a plan for the economy that McCain brought up that Obama hadn’t thought to create himself (mostly because he may not have had the same connections and his plan is solely for the working people of America). Obama says that McCain is just looking to cut taxes for the rich and big corporations which may be partially true. But as far as McCain is concerned he really wants to cut taxes on them so that it won’t be such a hassle for them to pay more money while juggling a business. This way, with a tax break on the big businesses, it will alleviate some of the pressure and open up more jobs so that they don’t go bankrupt and the Americans that need the jobs won’t go somewhere else or to another country where there is a bigger tax break (like Ireland, McCain brought up). Although I don’t trust the large corporations very much, I believe that McCain’s plan could have the potential to work. His plan seems a little easier to put into progress while Obama’s would take more time if he were to cut taxes on 95% percent of the people and raise taxes the people with salaries of about or over $250,000.
Overall I feel Obama did the best job out of the two when it comes to the first debate of the year. He spoke well and persuasively. By the end of the debate, they went to a room full of people that hadn’t decided who they would vote for. The commentator addressed the group and asked who they thought did better with the debate. A few raise their hand for McCain, but the majority of the previously undecided voters raised their hands for Obama. I believe this just goes to show and solidify who the American people, the people that really matter, want and should want as their next president of the United States.

Presidential Debate

After last nights debate, I would have to say that I believe that Obama did better than McCain. On a scale of one through ten, I would probably give him an eight while McCain would recieve a six. Obama looked not only at the moderator, but also at the cameras as well as McCain. He also from time to time would begin his next statement with "Well I agree with John here" which made him seem a little bit more human. MacCain on the other hand, never did something like that and he constantly stared at the moderator instead of Obama. He also sounded rather feeble at times while Obama sounded confident.
I would say that Obama's highest point during the debate was foreign policy. He talked about judgement, how he would not have had such bad judgement. Also, he focused on how Afghanistan was the root of the terrorist problem. McCain just repeatedly talked about Iraq and how we must win there with honor.
Obama's lowest point was probably on the issue of economics. He skirted the questions and didn't give real answers, even when the moderator brought it up several times.
One issue that I disagree with Obama on is Al Queda and Osama Bin Ladin. He feels strongly that Bin Ladin should be killed. I don' t agree that we should devote extra resources to hunting him down and making sure he is dead. To me, it is more important to take care of the Taliban than just one man hiding out in Pakistan. Al Queda has already been crippled, so there is not as much need to make sure that the man is dead.

Obama in Mississippi: The First Presidential Debate

To be honest, I have not seen or heard much of the preliminary debates and therefore am not familiar with Obama's great speaking skills or with McCain's 'note cards.' However, I believe that this debate tonight was enough for me to figure out who's performance I favor more. This first impression, without a doubt, is important because once you become President, that one chance of presentation might be all that you get before foreign countries choose to become your allies or your enemies.
In terms of Senator Obama's performance tonight at the debate, I would give him a rating of a 6 compared to McCain's 4. Barack Obama, in his first two minutes looked straight at the camera as if addressing whoever was watching while McCain generally looked to Jim throughout the debate. Obama, for the rest of the 88 minutes was constantly changing his direction of view from Jim to McCain and to the camera as if to let everyone know that this debate was for the audience, not for the candidates to work out issues. Barack had a stern expression and confident voice showing much seriousness while at the same time throwing in a couple of smiles and chuckles. McCain on the other hand was constantly blinking with a weak voice and only looked down at his notes or at Jim. That shows vulnerability.
A negative aspect of Obama's performance tonight was that he laid out general steps of what he was going to do once he became President. There were no specifics involved. Also, with McCain, I was annoyed by the number of times he used the words fundamental and "Ms. Congeniality" and the number of stories he told. All his stories, though they were different situations, had the same concept and basic point to them and most of the time, he was talking about himself. In one with the mother of the soldier who gave him the bracelet, I felt as if he was trying to throw emotion and get Reagan Democrats to have empathy towards this and swing over to his party. Overall however, based on what I had heard before, I had higher expectations of Obama's speaking skills which he did not meet and I had lower expectations of McCain's speaking skills which he surpassed.
I believe that Obama's lowest point was in the subject of Economics while his highest point in this debate was in the subject of Foreign Policy and Homeland Security. During the topic of economics, it felt as if that was McCain's base and strong point although I don't agree with his viewpoints. I feel as if he was in control because whenever it was time for McCain to speak, he was too busy disproving Obama's domain of statements that he did not have time to state issues of his own. This was also the case in Homeland Security. I agree with Obama's view that we need to refocus our attention on Afghanistan and Iran, where the center of most terrorist groups are. I also agree with his idea that preconditions are not necessarily needed but that preparation is important.
The one point I don't agree on with Senator Obama is that he wants to be more strict with trade from countries such as China and South Korea. I understand that he is trying to make the United States more independent. However, I feel as if the way imports and exports are currently, is fine. Obama believes that the countries such as China and South Korea have advanced so much technologically that he feels that the United States is considered inferior, comparatively. Therefore he wants to change that and he thinks that a good way to accomplish it is to cut down on the list of things exported from Asia into the U.S. Doing this could better the economy and teach our country to be more independent but this could also hurt our foreign relationships. McCain believes that trade with these Asian countries should stay the way they are and I agree with him. Just because China is Communist does not mean that we should hate them and have minimal interactions with them. The U.S. has the potential to outdo China and South Korea in manufacturing 'futuristic' things but minimizing trade is not the path to go down on. Keeping things the same can actually help us go further as we receive these new mechanics and learn about them, speeding up our process of going through much trial and error.
Overall, I felt as if this debate was not boring and was actually interesting. It may have been a bit somber and they might have somewhat avoided talking about the bailout issue and a lot about regulations in the economy but it was very informing; mostly for a 'first-timer.'

To Be, or Not to Be-Presidential Race 08-9

As an informed voter ,you wrote of your presidential choice in the last blog. Using critical eyes and ears rate your candidate in terms of his performance in the debate this Friday, (#1=lowest, 10 = highest). Note his highest and lowest moments during the debate. What is one issue that you disagree with your candidate on, and explain why you are at the antithesis of your candidate's view ?
Due Date- (no procrastination) Sunday 12:01 am
Remember-no piggybacking
PS- a great debate was had by all at the Constitutional Convention-Thank you!

Obama; the Confident One

It is truly amazing to observe how some individuals can take control of an audience with nothing but words. It is even more incredible to see someone do that in front of a live audience of over 50,000 and a national audience of millions! Never have I ever seen a more impressive and confident speaker as Barrack Obama at the Democratic National Convention. Its about time that this great and powerful country had a leader whose mere presence can shape an entire audience. Obama radiates a feeling of confidence, pride and dignity that can inject itself into the minds of the American people. No longer should this country be looked down upon as the ignorant and selfish nation of the world! Barrack Obama with his aura of confidence can lead this country out of sewer it has been rotting in and return us to the once great nation we used to be!

On top of his incredible ability to inspire and lead a group of people, Obama's political plans for this country are nothing short of genius. As for foreign policy, the first issue that comes to mind is the war in Iraq. If Obama is elected as President of the United States of America, he plans to carefully withdrawal our troops from Iraq by the summer of 2010; completed about 16 months after being elected. Also, he plans to leave a small contingent of troops in the desert to continue the fight against al Qaeda, protect American diplomats and train Iraqi security forces to the point of where they can be independent. As for moderating the Iraqi government, withdrawing our troops will force the Iraqis to compromise and come up with a new system in about the 16 months it takes for us to leave. This will fairly apply pressure on the Iraqi diplomats instead of using Bush's blank check method which has failed for the leaders to take responsibility. In addition to to resolving the war in Iraq, Obama plans on reviving American diplomacy. Bush and Cheney were too caught up in trying to look tough that they just ended up looking arrogant instead. Barrack Obama is ready to speak with any nation; whether they are a friend or enemy doesn't make a difference. Also, if Obama is elected, he plans on improving relations with nations in NATO in order to invest more troops in security operations. Lastly, Obama plans on keeping a close relation with Israel. At this moment, America is not looked upon highly in the Middle East. Israel is our only true ally at the moment but if Obama's plan to secure Iraq works well, then relations in the middle east could improve and Israel's ability to defend itself could improve as well.
As for matters pertaining the economy, Obama intends to jumpstart it with several different plans. In order to help middle class families pay for rising energy bills, our hopeful future leader will tax the immense profits of oil companies and provide $1000 relief to the families in need. In addition, he plans on cutting the income tax of the working family by another $1000 to assist with the payroll tax the pay. This assistance will eliminate income taxes for an estimated 10 million people! I lived in a typical middle class family. My parents are divorced and are living off of seperate payrolls. I understand how frustrated my mother and father can get about bills, so when I hear Obama plans to give thousands of dollars in relief to working families, I am nothing short of thrilled. As for jumpstarting the economy, Barrack plans to provide $25 billion for a state growth fund that will limit cuts on health, education and much more. Also, he will provide another $25 billion dollars for a jobs and growth fund to limit cutbacks on road, bridge and school maintenance. This will save more than 1 million jobs that could possibly be cut. Lastly, Obama will create at least 5 million green jobs by promoting bio fuels, plug-in hybrids and renewable energy. This will create many jobs because following through with this will require a highly skilled workforce.
When it comes to a wide variety of domestic issues, Obama's plans for energy efficiency are sure to work. In order to cut back on our reliance for foreign oil, Obama plans to no longer need the oil in the middle east and Venezuela in about 10 years. In order to reach this goal he plans to have about one million hybrid plug-in cars on the road by 2015. Also, Obama vows to make sure that 10% of America's electricity comes from renewable sources such as solar, tidal and wind by the year 2012 and possibly 25% by 2025. As a soon to be driver, I don't want to be paying over $10 per gallon of gas by the time I am 25! I support Obama in wanting to transition to renewable sources and will gladly drive a plug-in car if it means ending the energy crisis. Another huge domestic issue needing to be solved in America is health care. If elected president, Obama will create an affordable, national health care system that will cover all Americans. He will supply a cheaper health care plan to small businesses and the self-employed, a plan that is much like the health care given to the members of Congress. It is truly genuine of Obama to support the everyday citizen just as much as some of the members of the highest positions in our government! Above all, Obama's health care plan will not turn down anyone who applies, regardless of prior illness. In my belief, these are the two biggest domestic issues at hand and Barrack Obama has a legitimate and beneficial plan for each one of them. Barrack Obama has a legitimate and beneficial plan for every matter he plans to take on! This is excactly why he would recieve my vote; Obama is confident enough to take on any matter regardless of how difficult it may be to resolve. A confidence I have not seen in any other man or woman.

Barack Obama: Coaxing Us From the Darkness

Eight years ago, we elected Governor George W. Bush as the president of the United States of America. As the years progressed, President Bush the nation through rough times and events such as September 11th and the terrorist attacks against America. President Bush took up the challenge of keeping America ultimately safe. He led us into war and sent the patriotic spirit of the people to the sky. The American eagle soared again. However, he continued to push forward and his violent actions gathered velocity. He forcibly made his way into Iraq despite the cries of the United Nations, who deeply opposed his invasion. President Bush deceived the nation and congress by claiming the invasion was to hunt for nuclear and chemical weapons, even though the Bush Administration had been planning the invasion since before Sept. 11. Also, Bush's war is costing the nation $5.8 million a month to maintain. Now, President Bush has led the nation past a point in which return is very difficult. We need a president who will help us heal our war torn nation and weary people.

Senator Barack Obama is the man who will lead the American people back from the darkness of war and hate. Obama stated in a speech on Mar. 19 in North Carolina, "Here is the truth: fighting a war without end will not force the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future. And fighting in a war without end will not make the American people safer. So when I am Commander-in-Chief, I will set a new goal on day one: I will end this war. Not because politics compels it. Not because our troops cannot bear the burden- as heavy as it is. But because it is the right thing to do for our national security, and it will ultimately make us safer.” Obama has stated his reasons for exiting Iraq, and has discussed different strategies to do so. He is the right person to help us mend our broken country and come together under the star spangled banner. At the end of Bush's term, he leaves a divided and hurt nation that struggles daily with the pains of war and its consequences. Sen. Obama will help America to build its economy, and eliminate the horrible expenses of war and break the chains of the cycle we, as a country have gone through for the last seven years. Obama says we can change this country. We can revive the old ways and the Old America before Bush. I say, yes we can.

A New Direction-Barack Obama

I fully support Barack Obama as the next president of the United States. He has made drastic changes in his home state, Illinois, and will continue to make changes if he moves on to the presidency. His outlook on domestic issues will not only end some of the policies of the Bush administration, but reverse them, allowing them to benefit the United States. One such change would be the end of tax cuts for businesses which outsource to other countries, with the tax cuts instead going to businesses which hire US workers and keep all production local. Obama will also reduce the tax cuts given to the rich and increase those given to the middle class. He wants to ensure at least $1,000 each year in tax relief for the middle class.

Barack Obama's foreign policy is one of the most promising in years. He will end the War in Iraq, devote more resources to fighting our true threats, and open diplomacya again. Obama is willing to meet face-to-face with the leaders of countries which pose a threat to us, and those which the Bush administration has so casually thrown aside. Obama recognizes the threat posed by Al Quehda, Iran, North Korea, and other nations throughout the world. He still believes that open diplomacy, with no prerequisites, will allow the United States to come to a peaceful agreement with Iran and North Korea. Obama supports the removal of weapons of mass destruction from the terrist cells and the security of allnuclear arsenals, as well as the reduction of those nuclear arsenals.

For the change and restoration of the United States of America to her former glory, to protect our blessings of liberty for oursleves and our posterity, Barack Obama is the clear choice for the next President.

McCain For President

When I sat down and weighed the pros and cons of each of the presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, the choice became very obvious to me. My views and positions on problems with the economy, foreign policies, and domestic affairs all seemed to line up with those of John McCain. Due to that, if I could vote in the 2008 election I would vote for John McCain.

In a 2007 statement, McCain said, “In health care, we believe in enhancing the freedom of individuals to receive necessary and desired care. We do not believe in coercion and the use of state power to mandate care, coverage or costs.” I completely agree with that and basically how McCain is against publicly funded health care. His plan focuses on enhancing competition in the health care industry as a way to lower costs which I think is a better way to keep the taxes down in order to have health care work. That way everyone can have access to health care without it being publicly provided. Then there are tax credits, $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families who do not have access to health care through their employer. He says the money could be used to purchase insurance and force insurance companies to be competitive with their costs in order to attract consumers. Another aspect of the economy that I agree with McCain in is with tax cuts. While McCain has historically opposed tax cuts in favor of deficit reduction, he now favors tax cuts. He says that he would reduce government spending to make up for the tax cuts. I believe that that is a good idea so that there is more money within the people to make wiser decisions to help out our economy by exporting more than we import. That means sacrifice and I think that with tax cuts it will help make the sacrifice much easier. Lastly, in regards to the economy I agree with his views on Social Security. As of May 2008, McCain's web site says, “John McCain will fight to save the future of Social Security and believes that we may meet our obligations to the retirees of today and the future without raising taxes. John McCain supports supplementing the current Social Security system with personal accounts -- but not as a substitute for addressing benefit promises that cannot be kept.” I agree with this because I think in order for the younger generation to reap the benefits of social security it needs to be preserved and that is what he is working on. So I agree with many of McCain’s economic views.

In addition, many of McCain’s beliefs dealing with foreign policy are the same as mine. To begin with I believe that we should stay in Iraq and McCain thinks the same. On January 3, 2008 when a questioner said, "President Bush has talked about our staying in Iraq for 50 years," McCain responded, “Make it a hundred. We've been in Japan for 60 years; we've been in South Korea for 50 years or so. That'd be fine with me as long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed. That's fine with me. I hope it will be fine with you if we maintain a presence in a very volatile part of the world where Al Quaeda is training, recruiting, equipping, and motivating people every single day." I totally agree with that. If we have already been in there for so long we might as well stay and finish what we began or all the lives and all those who were injured there would have gone to waste. Lastly, I agree with his view on how we should "strengthen our global alliances as the core of a new global compact -- a League of Democracies -- that can harness the vast influence of the more than one hundred democratic nations around the world to advance our values and defend our shared interests." I believe that the United States would be no where, and will go no farther if we do not have alliances with other countries. So overall, I agree with McCain on key issues of foreign policy.

Furthermore, when it comes to domestic affairs McCain supports my views on many subjects. I am completely, with no question about it, pro-life except in certain cases. McCain supports those beliefs. McCain has stated that he believes human life begins at the moment of conception and that embryos should be afforded full human rights. In June 1984, McCain voted for "An amendment to define "person" as including unborn children from the moment of conception." McCain has said he supports amending the U.S. Constitution to ban abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, or risk to the mother's life. McCain has voted 119 times on pro-life measures, so I believe he will continue to vote on the same side in the future. Lastly, he believes and has promoted the legislation and eventually the granting of citizenship of an estimated 12–20 million illegal aliens in the United States. I believe that we have a good life and we should share it with people who are less fortunate and whose governments oppress them. John McCain’s domestic positions agree with mine which is another reason why I would vote for him.

So in conclusion, due to the fact that John McCain shares the same positions and idealology when it comes to economics, foreign policies and domestic issues, I would vote for him. He represents many aspects in politics that I would want to be represented. I know he would fight for my beliefs since we have those in common. McCain for President.

Presidential Candidate

As the campaigning continues for the position as the President of the United States of America, I find myself swaying towards one particular candidate for the job: Barack Obama. Obama continues to show the American public on how he is ready to change our country for the better. He has created plans with will help our countries economy, foreign policy and domestic affairs. Obama continues to show how by the end of his term, our country will be on the track of success.

To being with, Obama hopes to create a favorable trade in the United States. Rather than giving tax breaks to large businesses that send jobs overseas, Obama promises to give tax cuts to those smaller businesses that plan on using American support. These tax cuts would go to those companies who maintain or increase the number of full time American workers. Furthermore, Obama plans to fight for a trade policy that will open more foreign markets as well as provide more American jobs. Obama plans that with more products produced in the United States, and hopefully a more favorable trade, our country’s economy will improve greatly.

Subsequently, Obama hopes to renew the American Diplomacy around the world. During the presidency of Bush-Cheney, our country refused to speak with leaders in which we were not in agreement with. Even though Bush-Cheney hoped to make the U.S look tough, it just portrayed America as arrogant. This simply made it harder for the U.S to gain international support. If our country wants to stop world problems, such as terrorism and nuclear weapons, we need to gain international support. Obama is willing to change what Bush-Cheney has done by meeting with leaders from all the nations. He believes that if the United States is willing to “come to the table” and meet with all international leaders, that other countries would be will to support us in the stop against Worldwide Issues. Obama plans on finding a way to rebuild our American Diplomacy and create new ties between other world leaders.

Moreover, Obama plans to create more jobs that are green. Not only is Obama creating new jobs, however he is creating a more green country. First off, he plans to ensure that 10% of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012 and 25% by 2025. Obama plans to deploy the cheapest, cleanest and fastest energy source to create and energy efficiency. In addition, Obama wants to develop and deploy clean coal technology. Obama hopes to produce five coal-fired plants that will hopefully be able to capture the carbon. Finally, Obama wants to prioritize the Construction of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline. Not only will all of this promises Obama has create 5 million jobs, however it will also help to create more energy in the U.S rather than depending on other countries so much. Obviously, Obama has promised to make great changes for the U.S which in return create a better country. I believe that Obama is the right man to change America for the better.

Even though i now feel like im copying everyone...

Well maybe that is just because im in a democratic state... but anyways... I support Barack Obama for the presidency. I like how whenever i hear John McCain speak, he always tells us about his foreign policy experience... But the thing is the entire world (ok most of the world...) views McCain as another Bush-like figure, and we all know just how much they all love him. Im pretty sure (i hope so) that most people realize that when people like you, its much easier to get things done. And just like John McCain's attack add states, "is the worlds biggest celebrity ready to lead this country?" Wow, you stated the world loves him, thats an awful thing for foreign policy...

John McCain also says he's completely for clean and renewable sources of energy, and yet his plan falls way shorter from barack obamas plan. Most of John McCain's plan involves the use of fossil fuels, this includes natural gas, oil and coal. His plan consists of finding more of it, drilling it, and using it for our energy purposes. I dont find too much wrong with this, but this is MOST of his plan, for his great "energy independance". The problem being if we do this we wont and cant be energy independant for long after we drill of it, and instead of finding new renewable sources of energy, we spent all our money getting "clean" coal and natural gas plants, and not on researching energies like fusion, solar, wind and others. And not to mention his lack of knowing much about energy after he made fun at Barack for saying we should all inflate our tires, even when its a proven way to save gas, between 2-4% (assuming your tires aren't already inflated). I much favor Obama's plan, which, my favorite part being, having 10% of our energy being from renewable sources in 2012, and 25% in 2025, yes he set his goals really high for this, but from a young age aren't we told to set our goals high? Doesn't, by doing that, make him and his future cabinet and advisors, want to work harder at completing it? At least this way we're looking past just 10 years like McCain's plan, and into decades (notice the s) like Obama's

Obama

For me the decision for president is easy and it has to be Barack Obama. There are too many reasons that I agree with him on not to choose him. One of those reasons is Health Care. Health Care is something that every American should have and Barack Obama is willing to give that to us while making it affordable. He believes that health care is a necessary thing for every person to have and I agree. I don't see how people can survive without it to tell you the truth. When people get sick they are supposed to go to the doctor but without health care they can't do that. That is something that just shouldn't happen so when Obama says that he will make health care affordable for everyone I am right behind him. Another major reason why Barack Obama is qualified for president is because of what he wants to do with the economy. He opposes many of the tax cuts made by President Bush because the are focused on the higher class as opposed to the middle class. He is willing to cut taxes by about a thousand dollars for the working families that need the extra money. He doesn't care as much about the rich getting tax cuts and spending that money saved on another car or something else that they don't need. He also wants to make paying your taxes extremely easy. He plans to make it so you can be done with them in less than five minutes. But most importantly he sees the problem of jobs being shipped overseas. His plan to try and limit that is to get rid of all the tax cuts for those companies and give them to companies that hire people right here in the U.S. That will increase jobs and decrease poverty just by giving tax cuts to companies that are true to their country.

The Foreign Policy of Barack Obama might be the most important reason why I think he should be the next President of the United States. He sees absolutely no reason at all for us to be in Iraq. Also, unlike many other political candidates, he has never wavered for that opinion. He has been against the war from the start and continues to be. He doesn't believe that our troops aren't strong enough for the job but he just doesn't see any reason for the War at all. He sees no reason that 1,000 Americans had to die in Iraq for a cause that has to be taken up by the Iraqis themselves. His plan is to have a phased withdrawal that has all the troops out of Iraq by the middle of 2010. He believes that taking them all out right away would be a big mistake but having a withdrawal would be the most responsible and successful of ideas. Another point in which I agree with Obama is how the Iraq war has distracted us from the most important war that we should be concentrating on. The War in Afghanistan is still going on and Al Qaeda is even getting stronger. Bush talks about 9/11 so much but he isn't even concentrating on getting the rest of the people behind it in Afghanistan any more. For all we know they could be planning an attack on us again and we would not know it because we are too tied up with Iraq. The sooner we concentrate on Afghanistan the safer and better off we will be. Overall, I agree with most of the stances that Barack Obama takes on the issues. If I were of age to vote he would be hands down my selection for President of the United States starting in 2008.

Presidential Canidate

My parents are both Democrats and have a negative outlook on President Bush and most of the Republican Party thus far, so it seems that reasonable I would support the democratic nominee for the presidency. I do, I support Barack Obama. He has plans to help stimulate the economy. This issue is important as many Americans are now unemployed and Obama will create new jobs to help jobless Americans get back on their feet. These jobs will also help the environment by looking into new energy resources. The issue of economy is extremely important to me because a close family member of mine recently became unemployed. He also promises to help stimulate the economy by, “enacting a windfall profits tax” on oil company profits to help give families $1000 to help them pay taxes among other things.
As well as the issue of the economy, I agree with Obama on the issues of education and foreign policy. He plans to do more for teachers, such as giving them higher pay and giving them time to share effective practices. He also feels that teachers should not spend all their time with their students preparing them for standardized tests. He would improve the required assessments that watch students progress. I feel strongly about this issue because my mother is a teacher and I know that she worries about the No Child Left Behind and that the test scores of her students will be sufficiently high. We need a president that will do more for the nation’s teachers. With the war in Iraq, he does not support it and he plans to end the war and pull out the troops. To do so, he will do it in phases instead of all at once and he will consult the Iraq government about it. He is also in favor of a more diplomatic approach with issues in the Middle East, which I agree with over more militant action. I believe that Obama’s stands on the issues would make him the overall best candidate to lead the United States into a brighter future.

Obama: A leader for Reform

In regards to the election process at this point in time, I highly support Barack Obama.
He is a man that is ready to take on the troubles of America, in all aspects. He has promised to undertake the problems in our society and with his election will guarantee that they will be eventually solved. Even though he has a lot of goals for this country, he has clearly defined how he will go about doing them.
Obama has made a point that if elected; he will be rid of the lobbyists who drown out the voices of the American people. So far he has proved that by not accepting any campaign contributions from Washington lobbyists, and PAC’s. Some of his goals are to end dependence on Middle Eastern oil reserves, and to save the planet from the ever increasing crisis of climate change. Since Obama has opposed the war since the start, he plans to end the war, and also bring the troops home within 16 months after doing so. To officially end the war, he will press for a political solution between America, and Iraq’s civil war, and will also press for the leaders of Iraq to reconcile by ensuring that the US is leaving, and is not intending to stay any longer. Obama wants to fight for the American Worker. His resolutions for the economy are clear cut, and will improve the American economy. Some of his plans include reducing income taxes for working families, and also providing low class families with a refundable tax credit to help with child care expenses, and encourage flexible schedules. Obama believes that trade with foreign nations should expand and strengthen the American economy, thus more American jobs will be created. He also plans to fight for a trade policy that opens doors to foreign markets to create new high wage jobs. Obama plans to invest 1.5 billion dollars over a 10 year period that will be dedicated to clean energy, and having the ability to covert companies into clean technology leaders. That fits into another plan for America to gain energy independence, and a climate change plan that will make America part of the new green technologies that will eventually be in high demand after the world will be less reliant on fossil fuels.
For the education of the children in America, Obama plans on revising, and improving the No Child Left Behind Act. With this in mind, he wants to lessen the high school drop out rate, improving the over all education for the K-12. Also, he wants to make both community college, and other colleges more affordable after the 35% increase over the past five years. Obama also wants to create a more affordable National Health Care plan for the nation. So no citizen will be turned down because of pre- existing medical conditions. So that will help out the 47 million Americans who are not covered, including the 9 million children that fall under the same category.
Our country is desperate for drastic change, and I think that Barack Obama is the certified candidate to do so.

Barack Obama for the future.

Four thousand one hundred and fifty-five U.S. service men and women dead.
Thirty thousand five hundred and sixty-eight U.S. service men and women injured.
In 2002, months before war was declared on Iraq, only one of the major candidates from both parties had the courage and conviction to stand up to the ignorance of the many from the very beginning. He said, "I don't oppose all wars. I know that in this crowd today, there is no shortage of patriots, or of patriotism. What I am opposed to is a dumb war." Obviously, not many heeded his words because in the U.S. senate only days later 77 senators and more than 2/3's of Congress vote Yea to authorize this misguided, costly, mundane, and dangerous war. Among these senators were Christopher John Dodd (D-CT), John Edwards (D-NC), John Kerry (D-MA), Fred Thompson (R-TN), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Joe Biden (D-DE), Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), John McCain (R-AZ), and last but not least (former Democrat) presently "Independent" Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. Though at the time Barack Obama was not yet in the U.S. Senate I am certain he'd have voted against the war. It was not only because of what Obama said at the time, but also because a majority of the junior senators voted with their state's senior senator at that time they both were of the same party and Senior Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) voted against the War. There have been many times when Obama has stated he looks to Durbin for advice and guidance on how to vote on many issues. So the argument that "Who knows how Obama would have voted had he been in the senate at the time." is somewhat weak judgment and barack voting yea was less likely to have happened from what we already know.

It's no doubt that a big factor in the plummet of President George W. Bush's historically high approval rating (which was once at 89% in September 2001, and now barely maintains 28%) is the war in Iraq. The war in Iraq which was declared mission accomplished 5 years ago. The war in Iraq which costs our country $343 million a day to fund. The war in Iraq which was conceived on a notion that Saddam Hussien had weapons of mass destruction that were never found. The war in Iraq which took away our time, money, and attention off of a war in Afghanistan that we were already engaged in. A war that John McCain says we're close to victory in, but then says he doesn't mind if we are there in some manner or form for a 100 years. And to quote Barack Obama on the issue, "[It's] A war that should have never been authorized, and should have never been waged." Barack Obama wants to get us out of there and has repeatedly mentioned a time table to withdraw troops from Iraq. John McCain and the republicans oppose a time table because to them it would mean we surrendered the War on Terror. What John McCain and his supporters don't realize is that the Iraq war was more of an illegal invasion than anything else. Even the President of Iraq Al Maleki said he wants us out soon.

John McCain likes to portray himself as a foreign policy and national security buff based off of his prisoner of war experience and his 26 years in the senate. However, based on the last 8 years under George W. Bush's sanction John McCain never talked foreign policy which onlyresulted in irritating our advisories further and helping to diminish our standing in the world. It would be unwise not to meet with our advisories right away if John McCain became president. By meeting with themwe can atleast start to mend broken fences and show them that the United States as a nation is at least be willing to listen to what they have to say even if we don't agree with it. That is what Obama at least pledged to do.

Unlike John McCain, Barack Obama can speak Arabic because he spent a period of his life living in Indonesia where the majority of the people additionally are Muslim, which helped him understand the concepts behind their religious views and the beleif of most of the Middle East . With that he can see from a similar perspective of people in that region as well as what they're values are. He can relate to people from those areas and they like him a lot. Many people from countries around the world pray that we elect Barack Obama. Not John McCain. The reason why that is important is because we have no choice but to deal in depth with the Middle East since President Bush has declared this war on terror. We are in two of their countries already and will probably be invading a third one if John McCain is elected. I say this because the American Government refuses to let Iran have nucelar weapons and Iran has the desire for them. Obama knows that diplomacy should be our most important weapon, not our capacity to fight in wars. This brings us back to why it's so important for our next president to meet and sit down with our enemies as well as with our friends right away.

I'm not saying Obama is perfect. He's not. Nobody is. Although, when it comes down to the two choices we have it shouldn't be this difficult for people to see who the better choice is. Now that isn't to say John McCain is incompetent or evil or anything like that. I'm sure beneath it all he is a good person at heart (and maybe a few years ago he was sharp as a tack) but let's be real here. He's old. Seventy-two years old in fact. Old not just physically, but mentally as well. When McCain was addressing the press in Iraq a few months ago he couldn't even identify the Sunnis from the Shiites and needed assistance from Joe Lieberman (who was standing next to him at the time) in making the distinguishments between them for McCain . John McCain's increasing mental decline can also be distinguished by the fact that he keeps saying he will follow Osama Bin Laden to the gates of Hell and bring him to justice. What he does not realize is by doing that it would just make Osama Bin Laden a martyr for his cause because that is what it means to die for Islam in their religion as a result of killing non-muslims in the name of Alla. The U.S. would not want to give him that glory after all the distruction that he already has committed towards us. Another reason why McCain shouldn't be president is because he lives in the past. Through out his campaign he has never been hesitant to mention that he had once been a prisoner of war back in Vietnam. What relevance that has with the presidency I don't know. Regardless, that was 40 years ago. His p.o.w status should further emphasize why he shouldn't be president. The beating he took back then for 5 and a half years probably will resurface in numerous ways. Examples of these involve horrible aches and pains as well as psyciatric illness percipitated as a result of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This disease is most prominant in Vietnam Veterans who went through such ordeals as McCain experienced. These effects can only progessively dibilitate McCain and make him less likely to fulfill his potentialpositions responsiblities to their fullest.

I notice many skeptics of Obama always say he speaks in generalities and never explains what he plans to do as president, but the same can be said for McCain. Besides Vietnam he mentions almost nothing in his speeches and at town hall meetings. McCain will stand up in front of a crowd and tell his war stories that his congress spends too much time ranting on, which he memorized completely so every time you hear his statements they sounds exactly the same as the last time. Then he will tell a joke or too, and seem real humble, but he never gets into the specifics either, instead he will be blunt and use tough talk to get the crowd on his side. The crowd will buy it every time because at some point he mentioned he was a p.o.w, and they feel sorry for him or based on their age and/or whether or not they themselves are veterans, comradery with him. It is funny how that is, because in 2004 the Republican party did nothing but slash and burn a Vietnam veteran who had actually served his country a.k.a John Kerry who may not have been a p.o.w but he at least did not try to run his whole campaign based on something that happened 40 years ago and is irrelevant to what is happening now.
Another thing Obama has that McCain doesn't is judgement. The best possible example to use is his running mate Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) whom he chose at the very last possible minute because the person whom he most wanted by his side was Joe Liberman and he knew that would be political suicide. He would lose too many supporters. Many will argue that McCain picked her simply because she is a woman, but I disagree. It's obvious he picked her because he wants to win at any cost and her candidacy will do three important things. First picking her will galvanize his base, based on the issues like God, guns, and abortion. He needed someone conservative to back him up or else many Republicans who are leery of him would have stayed home on November 4th. Second he needed someone new. Someone nobody including the media knew about. Thus, the media and press could spend their time talking about her and not Obama. The republicans know the less attention Obama gets, the better it is for the Republicans. Lastly, he wanted someone young and what better choice than picking someone three years younger than Obama. McCain wanted the attention taken away from his age. The bad judgement in this selection however lies in many things average people can pick up on right away. Until just a week ago McCain's campaign hammered on Obama's "lack of experience." They worked tirelessly to convince the American public that because of Obama's lack of scars and grey hair, and years in the senate proved that he was unfit for the presidency. Now that argument is dead because McCain has chosen a woman who was mayor of a town with a lower population than South Windsor's and the governor of a state where there are more moose than people. To top that off she's only been Governor for about 20 months. In that time it has been reported that she has not had to veto or approve much legislation due to the factthat not much has come to her desk in that short amount of time. Compared to Obama's eight years in the Illinois state Senate and the four years he's been a U.S. senator she has even less experience than he does. God forbid she is literally only a heartbeat away from being the president if McCain is elected. Obama at least thought carefully about who he wanted to step into the presidency should he become incapacitated. Regardless of Biden's flaws, you have to admit it's a good choice. Biden has 36 years of foreign policy experience from being a six term senator on the foreign relations committee. Obama knows many people out there are uncomfortable with the prospect of someone like himself becoming president, so he better prepared our country for the future if the worst happens.

As a nation of people ruled by the media, money, ignorance, and nostalgia we never really get the kind of leaders we need, which is why you'll always hear someone say "I'm not voting." or "I don't like either candidate." We use wedge issues, and other nonsense to turn our own leaders into puppets. They can never say all the things they really want to say because they know we will react negatively to it and vote against them. In the year 2000 when John McCain was running for president for the first time he championed himself as the maverick statesmen. Someone who reached across party lines and ideas. He was middle of the road on all the issues that mattered. He was honest and was heralded for taking on the radical left (speaking out against people like Al Sharpton and Luis Farrahan) and the religious right (people Pat Robertson and Jerry Fallwell who are all know well are discriminators of people who are different and share different views based on religion). In 2000 during the Republican primaries he was up against former Governor George W. Bush (R-TX) who used wedge issues, religion, and ignorance to beat out John McCain for the nomination. John McCain was furious with George Bush at first, but now votes with him 90% of the time. One of the big issues he sided with Bush on is the Iraq war. Not just the invasion, but the funding, the serge, and not leaving the Middle East even now when their leaders want us to. In short: He's not a Maverick anymore.

As I stated earlier it should not be this hard of a choice for people to make. Obama has the judgement, the international experience, the health, the ideas, and combined with Biden the leadership experience to make our country better. John McCain really only has a p.o.w status, naval service, and 26 years in the senate with no major accomplishments that are widely known. Now with our country in jeopardy from our issues on oil dependency to the national debt which is now at approximately $9,500,000,000,000 and rising rapidly resulting from the Iraq War. This debt is slowely bringing our economy to a hault. If we stop progression in war like Obama wants we can then work on giving people jobs, get the real estate market flowing aagain and work for renewable sources of fuel such as increasing it by 10% by 2012 and progressing from there. Picking John McCain is without a doubt insane because he is one of the people who helped get America into the mess we are in and will allow it to progress. The debt would continue to grow and McCain will still lean to the use more fossil fuels over renewable resources. Thus increasing dependence on other nations which will increase the debt further because of importing expenses. Instead voting for Obama will help to ensure that the mess will be dealt with instead of being carried out (with a great chance of failure) and at the same time imporve our nation by aiding the economy.

Obama for President

If the elections were today and I was old enough to vote, I would vote for democratic candidate Barack Obama. He may be young but he is also very gifted. Going through Harvard, earning a degree in law and becoming the first African-American President of the Harvard Law Review is nothing to just wave by as useless information. It just shows how educated he is in the threads of government and that he is willing to stand up for justice. Also, his speaking abilities always have had people at the edge of their seats and unlike McCain, he doesn't use note cards. This portrays a more confident and strong image rather than being shown as weak and unsure by having to constantly look down at your cards for what to say next. That's just what we need in order to show the rest of the world that, just because our economy has been suffering and that men and women who serve this country are dying in Iraq, the U.S. is still strong and powerful and not a minor country.
Right now, most, if not everyone, knows that the economy is at its all-time low since the Great Depression and that directly affects me too. Wages have not risen while consumer products have which means that the money will be staying longer in the piggy bank in order to buy what I want. While in office, Bush gave those that earned over $1 million a tax cut that was nearly 160 times greater than that received by the middle-class. In my opinion, that act is not justifiable. Obama plans on first providing $50 billion to stimulate and jumpstart the economy and prevent many Americans from losing their homes. He also plans on raising the minimum wage, protecting striking workers, creating a universal mortgage credit and closing bankruptcy loopholes for mortgage companies. These and more protect our natural rights. For families, he would like to reform the No Child Left Behind policy by giving schools more resources and to help schools rather than punishing them when they don't meet the standards. Also Obama wants to lower college admissions which is a big problem right now with the new arriving freshmen classes growing bigger and bigger every year. He plans on doing that by ensuring that the first $4000 of a college tuition is free. Family is important to Obama and therefore he plans on removing "some of the government penalties on married families, crack down on men avoiding child support payments, ensure that support payments go to families instead of state bureaucracies, fund support services for fathers and their families, and support domestic violence prevention efforts." With the economy and domestic affairs being a big concern, he also has great concerns for foreign policy.
What I favor in Obama's plans for foreign policy is that he does not want to resort to violence. His preference is to just increase the pressure on countries. For example, he states that it is "time to pressure Iran directly to change their troubling behavior." To add on, he does not just plan on making them submit to our pressure and then leaving them bitter. His moves are to "offer incentives like membership in the World Trade Organization, economic investments, and a move toward normal diplomatic relations." However, if that does not work, Obama still does not want to resort right to violence and instead wants to "step up our economic pressure and political isolation." The men and women overseas right now who volunteered their lives to protect our country have suffered enough. Also relating to foreign policy, the U.S. have made so many enemies that many people don't feel safe anymore. Obama would like to create change and create more positive relationships with foreign countries. In order to reach these goals, the U.S. would need to come together in unity and work as a whole and that's what Obama wants. He plans on creating a bipartisan Consultative Group of leading members of Congress.
If elected, Obama promises to reverse Bush's policiy of secrecy and to make declassification secure but routine. With hidden truths and white lies not being a proglem, I believe that candidate Barack Obama has much more in store for us as Americans have high expectations for the next president. I strongly do believe that he is the right one for this job for his solutions to issues concerning the economy, domestic affairs, foreign policy and more are what this country needs. His skin may be black but even McCain talks about change. Obama being president would bring one of the biggest changes in history.