I reject the idea that age confers some mystical power onto leaders. Indeed it may even make some more prone to making errors. When they relate some past issue to the current state of affairs resulting in them failing to view the situation at hand in its fullness.

Abba Eban points to two examples of the US in Vietnam and Athony Eden in the case of the Suez Canal both pointing to this invasion being tantamount to Hitlers conquests. Both were ridiculous yet both were deadly serious because in order to simplify things they were both drawing analogies from experience rather then looking honestly at the subject at hand.

Now this isn't to say that proper experience is a negative quality, but while simply being old may confer knowledge of potential analogies, but does not suddenly confer wisdom to see things for what they are.

I really hope baraka runs for president.This is not about winning for me.It's time for a woman or person of color to be president.

What utterly ridiculous logic. And highly insulting to Obama to. Is that all you think his qualifications are that he's black? If he wins it should be on his own merits, not on some societal decision that he was the right color.

Curly’s comments here most closely echo my own views.

Reading through the Letters to the Editor page of the Seattle Times online two years ago, I happened to read a letter from a self-proclaimed Republican reader, headed “Words to coexist by”, lavishly praising this Chicago Senator named Barack Obama, who had addressed the Democratic National Convention.

His letter sparked my interest, and I logged on to the DNC website and listened to his speech. It really spoke to my heart. Next day, I saw a news report on TV here, showing him delivering the speech.

What most grabbed me in his speech are the following things:

I liked his passage about the “audacity of hope.”

It is clear that he is speaking about a vision (“the belief in things not seen; the belief that there are better days ahead”).

He doesn’t just speak of the racial divide; he comes from the perspective of an American dutifully bond to all his fellow-Americans (“I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper”).

As a peace advocate, Barack Obama’s reflections about his encounter with Shamus, the young Marine, really struck a chord with me. But, as Barack Obama points out, “there are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it”.

Indeed, perhaps the most notable point of his message is when he says, “There’s not a liberal America and a conservative America”.

This polarity I see today in politics is false reality. To me, Obama’s vision of America has global scope: we live in one world and we are global citizens.

I believe this is the essence of the “E pluribus unum” (Out of many, one) maxim Barack Obama quotes in his speech.

In Australia, this concept is celebrated in a wonderful song titled “We are one, but we are many”.

It reminds me of a very poignant and beautiful poem I read written by a woman named Cheryl Sawyer as a tribute to September 11, simply entitled “One”. I also remember the immediate aftermath of America’s tragedy when the sentiment “We are all Americans” echoed in many parts of the world. It is an appeal to embrace this sense of oneness of spirit in the microcosmos of American society I heard in Barack Obama’s speech. I hope Mr Obama goes to Washington, and I too see in him a future U.S. President - and a true world leader.

Tethys

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-- Harry S. Truman

:LOL:

Tethys

__________________
-- Harry S. Truman

Maybe it's just me and I'm lost in a haze of post-election idealism, but it seems to me that Barack Obama has all the makings of a great American president: he's smart and charismatic, even-tempered, and he's got that light that so many regular people really want to see in those who lead them. I don't think that there's any candidate out there right now who could really get the entire nation behind the kinds of issues that deserve attention right now like the environment, health insurance for kids, and completely overhauling the way lobbyists affect politics in Washington.

Personally, I believe the best qualified person to be president is Al Gore. He knows how the government works, knows how he'd like to change it, really cares about the environment and actually understands the issue, isn't afraid to use the army but won't use it foolishly(as he was for the first Gulf War but dead-set against this one), and has a legacy in power of actually balancing the books. Nobody could have predicted where the country is now with Bush in the White House, and there's no way that Gore would have made this kind of mess. With that said however, Obama's got the magic right now and it doesn't look like he's going to make any kind of huge missteps. He's so "untouchable" right now that he doesn't even need the kind of money Hillary Clinton or John Kerry have.

Nice to see you have a sense of humor.

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"My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. I hope you'll join with me as we try to
change it." -- Barack Obama

You don't know Illinois very well, do you, Danny?

Media darling Barack Obama bought a piece of property for 300k below market value thanks to his relationship with indicted scumbag Tony Rezco.

Actions speak louder than words as far as I'm concerned and Obama's actions say he'll get into bed with people if the price is right.

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Who does vote for these dishonest shitheads? Who among us can be happy and proud of having all this innocent blood on our hands? Who are these swine? These flag-sucking half-wits who get fleeced and fooled by stupid little rich kids like George Bush?

--Hunter S. Thompson

Barak Obama is a far left extremist from the North. He cannot win a general election. He would lose for the same reasons Kerry lost, Dukakis lost, Mondale lost, etc. etc. Their ideas do not represent mainstream Americans. He also has an extra whammie. He's black and that will hurt him with a small amount of the population.

Obama is a media creation. Nothing more. End of story.

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"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."

President George W. Bush, 8-5-2004

Carolina Politics Online

THIS IS REAL HOPE AND CHANGE!

Jesus would probably be arrested and imprisoned in Guantanamo if he tried to enter the US today. After all, he would be regarded as some kind of Palestinian insurgent today.

Color od skin or gender is not a very good reason to vote for someone. Whether they have the prerequesite brain power is much more important.

Now I'm confused. I was right with you up to the beginning of your second paragraph and frankly, I don't see how you can appreciate Obama, and then turn 180 degrees, and support that absolutely Nonthingless "Gore". The fact that he was indeed "such" is how we ended up with Bush.

Oh Well, we all have opinions

I absolutely agree.

As a woman, I would not vote for a candidate just because she's a woman. Yes, people can bring different perspectives to government based on their gender or race, but this should not be the primary consideration in voting for a candidate.

I like Barack Obama precisely because he invokes the idea of one people. He doesn't discount the fact that there are inequities in society, but he has an inclusive vision for the future. And I don’t think it’s fair to say that he is a media creation. He doesn’t get much publicity here. Yet, the other day, when I was sitting in a doctor’s waiting room, a news bulletin came on and it featured an interview with him. People in the waiting room sat up and took notice of him and what he was saying. He has a quality that shines through. Perhaps it is jumping the gun a little to believe that he is President Material, but this is partly due to the fact that a lot of us are looking for the kind of hope he voices.

Tethys

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-- Harry S. Truman

I'm an african amercian female and it's about time a woman or person of color runs for president. Hey Bush didn't get into office over merit.

I'm white.....Am I not a person of color ?

Sorry but to vote someone in solely based on race and/or gender is not the way to do it.

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Anyone who thinks freedom comes cheap, please put the blindfold on and stand against the wall.

Many times I believe Americans will have to take back the country and start a new government.