Wednesday, May 07, 2008

President Obama?

A very small part of me wanted Hillary Clinton to get the nomination. What?

If she were the nominee, it would simplify my decision. I could never vote for her, so I'd be left with deciding between McCain and whoever runs as a Libertarian, probably the latter.

Now I have to look at what I like about Obama and what I fear.

Likes:

1. He will get us out of Iraq "sooner," though not fast enough.

2. He won't have people like Cheney and Gonzales around him.

3. He won't blatantly violate the protections afforded us by of the Bill of Rights.

4. He may appoint two or three Supreme Court justices so as to move the Court back to the middle.

5. He'll probably close Guantanamo and make the Justice Department try the detainees in Federal Court, or let them go.

6. With Congress, he might devise a rational immigration policy.

7. I won't cringe when I hear him talk as I do when I hear Bush talk.

Fears:

1. He'll try to spend us further down the road to national bankruptcy.

2. He'll try to tax the country into "economic and social health."

3. He'll try to make the country an economic isolationist and a social globalist.

4. He'll try to move the regulatory pendulum too far.

5. It will turn out that he really is a smooth-talking lightweight.

What will really happen? Of course, I don't know. But all of my "likes" items, except the fifth, can be done without Congress. That's good. The first two of the "fears" items, require the cooperation of Congress. That's good.

I guess I have to ponder that fifth fear.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

looks to me like your fears outweigh your likes.
I will take Cheney over Wright, Resko and Ayers any day. Seems like over regulating and deminishing rights is much the same thing. Although I would challenge you on what rights have been removed lately.

By the way. What role will Michelle play. Notice she is front and center while McCains wife stands demurely in the background. Is Michelle another Hillary?

Hedy said...

Yikes.

Minnesotablue said...

At least Michelle can speak. Cindy McCain looks and acts like a Barbie Doll!
Think about the supreme court judges. Do we want another Clarence Thomas?

dr sardonicus said...

I can hold my nose and vote for Obama. I'm not thrilled with his effort to remake the Democratic Party, but at least he doesn't see war as the only answer to America's problems.

Hedy said...

BTW, I yikes'd because I can't imagine anyone choosing Cheney over, well, anyone. Yikes. :)

Anonymous said...

enuf said when liberals choose bigots,terrorists and crooks over a dedicated public servant.

Hedy said...

Ha. Cheney voted against the MLK holiday, so he's a bigot. He believes in water boarding, so he's a terrorist. And don't even get me started on the war-profiteering that's gone on with Haliburton. Anything Obama's so-called acquaintances might have done are small potatoes compared with Cheney's record.

Dave said...

Point and advantage, Hedy.

Dave said...

Oh, and as to first spouses, Hillary in the Nineties, and Cindy, Bill or Cindy starting next year should have no substantive role in government unless their spouse appoints them and they are confirmed. Kitchen Cabinet, OK. Real power, not without the process.

Anonymous said...

Dave - I agree with you. Exactly my point about Michelle. She almost pushes Barack aside to get to the front of the stage. Unless the spouse is running for office they should keep quiet, especially after the election.

As for Hedy - it must be sad to wake up every day with such venomus hate surging through your soul that you see evil in all the wrong places.

Dave said...

Now Anon, Hedy's not venomous. I really think her rejoinder to your Cheney stance wryly made her point.

That said, Hedy's not shy. She's opinionated.

That said, she stretched the Halliburton connection, I don't know of any evidence that the Evil V.P. (my attempt at humor) broke any laws with respect to Halliburton.

Finally, since I and most of my readers skew to the "left," I like that you are reading and commenting. Keep us honest; but, Anon, you've got to pick a name. Until then, I'm going to call you Rich.

Lifehiker said...

I've been pondering that, too, but I'm OK with him. When I've heard him speak I've consistently heard well-reasoned truth and references to tough choices. Nobody else is talking about this stuff. Either he's smart and savvy or he's chosen people who are to advise him. Either way, I like what I hear.

Anonymous said...

I would suggest that Hedy stretched the terrorist label as well. The guys that beheaded Danny Pearl are terrorists. To compare our Vice President to them goes beyond reason.

dr sardonicus said...

The guys that beheaded Danny Pearl are terrorists. To compare our Vice President to them goes beyond reason.

Why? Because we have more sophisticated methods at our disposal than just lopping off heads?

Hedy said...

Rich - I tend to reserve most of my 'venomus' hate for people who can't spell. Still, it's good having you here to keep us bleeding hearts in line. ;)