I find it fascinating that after almost 8 years of a President with barely a high-school grasp of the English language, so many members are now aghast at the possibility of a literate president.

BTW, I know that one of the arguments against Obama has been his apparent lack of experience to be president; but it's important to remember that there have been many presidents with little experience (for eg Wilson jumps immediately to mind, as he had only two years of political experience prior to his election); and there have also been a lot of presidents that had tremendous prior political experience (for eg Pierce [Gov of NH]; Carter [Gov of GA]; Harding [Lt Gov and Sen of OH - who was arguably the most incompetent, and certainly the most corrupt president ever] ). So I don't think Obama can be appropriately judged on his four years in the Senate alone.

So just because Obama is really smart, and well educated and articulate and has managed his campaign superbly, we shouldn't be fooled into thinking he'd make a good president.

And just because McCain is really old, and hasn't accomplished much in all those years, and has run a disaster of a campaign, we shouldn't be fooled into thinking that he'd be a disaster of a president.

Because knowing all that is just confusing us.

And just because the right wing agenda has been a disaster the last 7 1/2 years doesn't mean that it wouldn't work superbly in the future.

And just because the left took us from the depths of the Great Depression to being the greatest nation on earth with their agenda, we shouldn't be fooled into thinking it will work again.

What should we be fooled into thinking?

__________________
“The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine.”

Senator Thad Cochran, Mississippi (R)
on McCain

“I decided I didn’t want this guy anywhere near a trigger.”
Senator Pete Domenici, New Mexico (R)
on McCain

“My anger did not help my campaign ... People don’t like angry candidates very much.”

McCain on McCain

Idiot comments get you nowhere...

__________________
Obama's New "57 State Patriotic Pin":

I'm still waiting for the brain-trust of libs here to tell us what the fuck Obama has "accomplished" as a Senator...

__________________
Obama's New "57 State Patriotic Pin":

What has McCain accomplished in a career that goes back to the beginning of time?

__________________
“The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine.”

Senator Thad Cochran, Mississippi (R)
on McCain

“I decided I didn’t want this guy anywhere near a trigger.”
Senator Pete Domenici, New Mexico (R)
on McCain

“My anger did not help my campaign ... People don’t like angry candidates very much.”

McCain on McCain

Yes, you are right. Having sleeped a night over it, I recognize that I am a little dissapointed. But at least he briefly addressed all the big problems of the international community, and his general performance was very good. Also, he wasn't pussyfooting. He said some things most germans did not want to hear. The german media concludes that the speech was adressed at the american people. I think that, too. Obama is not some gal from west texas, but an elitist alpha male with a superb education and gifted with high grade of political awareness. He did choose his rethorics very carefully, and he knew that in the end, those kind of rethorics always fails in Europe.

Over all, all Obama did for the Europeans is that he silently and carefully pointed in the right direction, while what he did for the Americans was he showed them that he owns Europe. And indeed, he owns Europe. While this sure brings him only few votes directly, I think that all the talk about him not beeing able to handle foreign policy is over. He ultimatively proved that he both has the sympathy abroad and the skills to do it. Mission accomplished.

__________________
"I think that gay marriage should be allowed."
- John McCain on an episode of Hardball, 2006, before the commercial break

"I do not believe that gay marriage should be legal."
- John McCain on the same episode of Hardball, after the commercial break

"John McCain does not speak for the John McCain campaign."
- Tucker Bounds, Spokesman of the John McCain presidential campaign.

The straight talk express. You gotta love it.

I noticed the silence in portions of his speech that Obama expected cheers. Usually when Obama talks in front of adoring crowds here in the states most of the time it's hard to hear him over all of the background noise. Being interrupted 30 times isn't much to brag about. It seemed like every time he mentioned that the Germans were German they cheered for that. They also cheered for every mention about how America sucks. Wow.

200,000 people took off from work to listen to an American bad-mouth his country. If I was from Germany I think that would be worth listening to. Last time I checked not one of those 200,000 can vote in our elections.

I wonder what you feel the significance of this staged event is. I think Obama has the support of those who think we suck. Should we vote for him because of that?

__________________


"We're not going to be bullied, we're not going to be smeared, we're not going to be lied about.....

.....I don't believe in coming in second." - Barack Obama

Watched BO's speech in Germany yesterday. Now he introduces himself, not as a Presidential candidate of the U.S., not even as a citizen of the U.S., but a citizen of The World. So his campaign is now running for president of the world. He sees his abilities to stretch so far as to eliminate all racial, cultural and social divides. He claims to be able to tear down the "walls" between tribes, races, and religions, as well as the haves and have-nots (READ: redistribute the worlds' wealth). His assertion that all people of the world will have more demands placed upon them to save the world is socialistic and his statements regarding the environment are straight out of the playbook of the enviro-nazis.

Then.........the little shit doesn't even have the balls to visit the wounded soldiers that have fought to protect his rights to go around the world bashing his own country, claiming he didn't want to politicize the soldiers during his world campaign speech. Last I knew, they don't vote for President in Europe. He's pandering for global acceptance to prove to the American people that he can be accepted in the "world" community,thus being able to settle all disputes globally. There is a clinical term for this kind of behavior, but it escapes me at the moment.

He's not really a President, but he did stay in a Holiday Inn.


"He's playing President again"

I will give him this. Yes, he is bright, campaigned well and can give a good speech.

........But, those qualities are not enough to convince us that he will make a good President. He is lacking in depth, and political expedience, and flip-flops on just about every single issue.

So you see to us, he comes off as nothing but an opportunist.

Obama reads well...........but when speaking without a script he sucks big-time.

He stutters and stammers so much is is maddening.

__________________


"We're not going to be bullied, we're not going to be smeared, we're not going to be lied about.....

.....I don't believe in coming in second." - Barack Obama

I agree. For people who think Bush cant speak well, Obama makes him look like Shakespeare. Imagine how people would think of him if the media only showed his unscripted answers?

__________________
http://www.fairtax.org

Elminate all taxes on income and replace with a national sales tax.

First, a speech, no matter how elequent it comes across, is just talk. At the end of the day he's still a junior senator with a radical "left wing" record to run on.

Second, how many of those "tens of thousands" that showed do you think were there to listen to Obama's speech or the free concert that followed thereafter? I don't like nor trust Obama, but should he be speaking before a free Van Halen concert, you bet your ass I'm gonna get there early to get good seats!

Finally, what it's say to you about Obama and his character when by your own mouth you say: "convinces me that Obama will make it, unless he hasn't some other skeletons in the closet or some freak-terror-attack levels an american city."?

__________________
This is who we were. . .
"A republic, if you can keep it." ~ Benjamin Franklin, upon leaving the Constitutional Convention, in answer to "What have we got?"

232 years later, this is what we have become. . .
http://www.uspoliticsonline.com/war-...a-we-rule.html

First of all, talking is a part of the job Obama attends for. And there's no doubt that he totally outperformes McCain in this. Second: Raemonn is popular in Germany, but they don't gather 200.000 people. Plus: Many, if not most people were still outside the area, because it took so much time to get through the security measures. Few of them came when the concert began. Most of them came about six o'clock, at which the concert hardly was over. There can be no doubt that these hundred thousands of (not only) germans wanted to hear this junior-senator.
Third: Everyone has skeletons in his closet. The question is just how good the closet is locked and how scary it looks. This counts for McCain, too. If there IS a major terrorist attack before the election, it will be carried out to strenghen McCains position, because he's no threat to terrorism. And it will be again the GOP who will have been responsible for America's security when it happens. But for some reason, this will just convince your citizens that the GOP is doing a good job in not beeing able to defend your homeland. We have seen it once and we would see it again.

__________________
"I think that gay marriage should be allowed."
- John McCain on an episode of Hardball, 2006, before the commercial break

"I do not believe that gay marriage should be legal."
- John McCain on the same episode of Hardball, after the commercial break

"John McCain does not speak for the John McCain campaign."
- Tucker Bounds, Spokesman of the John McCain presidential campaign.

The straight talk express. You gotta love it.

So McCain, who isn't all that bright, has run a less than stellar campaign, couldn't talk himself out of a paper bag, flip-flops on major issues more than John Kerry, and has profound problems with situational awareness, is your choice for President?

McCain's "experience" hasn't manifested itself to me. He has time, and time, again shown that he is so out of touch with the present day, I'm afraid he'll be trying to create treaties with countries that don't exist, and appointing dead people to his cabinet. For God's sake McCain needs handlers standing beside him, just in case poor ol' John goes off the reservation--Joe Lieberman: John McCain's conduit to reality.

Obama comes off as a politician? How is McCain any different in that regard? Next to none, I say. So we're left with two politicians/opportunists, on one hand a washed up politician who no longer supports their own hallmark legislation, who lost a Presidential nomination to a cheerleader, and left his crippled wife to become a gold digger; on the other hand we have a young, once married, accomplished scholar, and successful Jr. Senator, who has inspired millions around the world to be excited about his candidacy. Hmm ... tough choice.

__________________
"Shake off all the fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear."

"An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens."

-Thomas Jefferson

That hit the nail.

__________________
"I think that gay marriage should be allowed."
- John McCain on an episode of Hardball, 2006, before the commercial break

"I do not believe that gay marriage should be legal."
- John McCain on the same episode of Hardball, after the commercial break

"John McCain does not speak for the John McCain campaign."
- Tucker Bounds, Spokesman of the John McCain presidential campaign.

The straight talk express. You gotta love it.