For most of my life I have felt that politics was a waste of time. I could not see much difference between one candidate calling for change and the one that they replaced. I have sometimes not even cared enough to vote. However these last 8 years have shown me that I was wrong. This time I care enough not only to vote, but also to share my thoughts via this blog in an effort to engage in meaningful discussion of this election.
I also am writing this blog because I have grown incredibly sick and tired of politicians on both sides of the fence using fear as their tactic. We should select our President based upon rational choices, based upon solid information; not on impressions or heresy which are so often a tool of fear-driven politics. For that reason, I wanted to go through the various differences in issues for each candidate. For the sake of those reading this blog and for a lack of time on my part, I have limited that discussion to two key issues and then concluded with some general candidate observations.
ECONOMICS & FOREIGN POLICY
Economics
The current global economic situation now makes this perhaps the most pressing issue.
I tend to favor McCain’s more adamant support of Free Trade and am not a fan of fear driven protectionist economics sometimes advocated by Obama. I don’t support McCain’s stance in making Bush’s tax cuts permanent because I believe we need to work towards a balanced budget rather than away from it, and because McCain was a firm opponent of the tax cuts when proposed by Bush. Also, McCain’s idea of eliminating the gas taxes is a ridiculous notion focused on winning votes which would drive our budget towards a greater deficit.
However, the biggest impact on this issue to me has been how each candidate has responded to the economic global crisis. This has led me to a firm support for Obama in this area. Colin Powell summarized it very well when he announced his support of Obama:
Powell felt that Obama “displayed a steadiness, an intellectual curiosity, a depth of knowledge and an approach to looking at problems … . I think that he has a definitive way of doing business that would serve us well.”
Whereas Powell observed about McCain, “I found that he was a little unsure as to how to deal with the economic problems that we were having,” Powell said. “Almost every day there was a different approach to the problem and that concerned me, sensing that he doesn’t have a complete grasp of the economic problems that we have.”
Foreign Policy
The last 8 years have been perhaps the worst years in our foreign policy history. We have lost friends and the moral high ground.
On Sept 11, the world stood with the United States. However, our tendency towards a bully-like actions has made it easier for enemies of the US to hate us, and harder for our friends to like us. Importantly, starting the Iraq war has cost us the moral high ground we so fervently work to stand on. We set a terrible precedence for preemptive war based upon false information (dare I say propaganda).
Though I see neither candidate as weak, I see McCain as being far more eager to use military force when other means might instead be the better choice. We have had enough quick-trigger type behavior.
I have now lived outside the US for over a year and traveled internationally extensively, and I can attest to the fact that the world does not admire the US like it once did. It is time that we rebuild our relationships with the world and work to repair the high ground from which we can make a positive impact on this world.
Though both McCain and Obama would do better than Bush, Obama is by far the winner in this category. Selecting him will help us heal wounds that we have opened up in this world.
THE CANDIDATES
I believe Obama to be a very unique opportunity. He seems to be intelligent, grounded, internationally respected, and a solid decisionmaker. However I do not want to vote for Obama based upon any star power or attraction that he might hold. So sadly, in some ways, I am not only voting for Obama but against McCain.
Negative Campaigning & Fear
As usual, this campaign has been filled with negative attacks both candidates pledged to avoid. In general I am most disappointed with the negative, personal attacks from the McCain camp and the ultra-conservative right. The goal of these tactics is to spread fear, uncertainty and doubt about the other candidate, a strategy known as spreading FUD in sales tactics. This inhibits us from making our own informed rational judgments based upon facts rather than impressions and group-think.
We cannot let fear determine our vote but knowledge. Please stand with me on this. If you know the issues, then vote for either candidate, but please do not vote based upon impressions and fear. I cannot stress how important this is.
Decision Making
When John McCain was selected, I initially felt he was a very good choice on the part of the Republicans given his history in the Senate. However like The Economist, I feel that John McCain has strayed from what has made him a solid Senator over the years and has shown poor decision making.
I believe McCain’s biggest decision of his candidacy (his choice of his VP candidate) shows his poorest judgment. John McCain selected Gov. Palin as his running mate after only meeting her twice. I interview people more when I hire them to do sales at my company. McCain made this decision solely as an attempt to win votes, not as a decision on who could make the best Vice President (or potential President) of the United States.
Dynamic as she may be, Governer Palin is not ready to be 2nd in command in the biggest job in the world. Being able to see Russia does not in any way qualify someone from Alaska on foreign policy. If you are interested in some uncomfortable interviews, watch Katie Couric’s interviews with Palin and ask yourself if you could envision her being President.
Colin Powell’s stated it this way, “She’s a very distinguished woman, and she’s to be admired. But at the same time, now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don’t believe she’s ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president,” he said. “And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Sen. McCain made.”
INFORM YOURSELF
My biggest concern is we all place an educated vote not based upon fears or impressions. Here are some resources to do some reading on your own in the next 2 days.
I generally find that its good to balance feedback from a rather impartial source such as The Economist magazine or NPR along with what the candidates are telling you themselves from their websites. Avoid so-called non-partisan groups and focus on a few select media outlets that you believe are as balanced as possible. For me, this means The Economist and NPR.
I would also recommend Obama’s acceptance speech of his nomination. It is one of the best speeches I have ever heard and helped cement in me the idea that Obama could be a strong, intelligent leader and not just a great orator.
SUMMARY
I do not agree with Obama on every issue. However I do feel that Obama will be a stronger, more intelligent leader who will make better decisions when faced with the international and domestic crises of tomorrow’s world (economics, AIDS, Iraq, Iran, Korea, education, health care, etc.). Perhaps the best summary of why I am voting for Obama can be read in The Economist’s recent endorsement of Obama.
I am proudly voting for Obama and have enjoyed working through the issues on both sides of this election. I would encourage you to review the resources listed above and make an informed decision that you also can be proud to stand by. It is a good feeling.
Thanks for reading, I hope that I have given you some food for thought.
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wold 