I agree with everything you just said, except for this:
"Item Number 2: One of the major criticisms leveled at Senator Obama over the last several months is that he lacks the kind of tenure and experience - especially in foreign policy matters - that Senators Clinton and McCain have. I agree with that criticism, which is one of the reasons why in my state's primary, I voted for Hillary. If it was a bad thing for Obama not to have foreign policy experience, why, oh why, was the newish governor of Alaska nominated as the VP? WTF???"
There's a difference between the roles. The Obama-Biden ticket is like putting a fresh-faced, 17 year old person with no experience in the position of store manager with a 40 year old, very experienced assistant manager. It makes little to no sense to me, at least.
I can see why you'd look at it that way, and to a certain point I agree with you. I think my thinking has shifted at some point over the last few years from looking at the candidates as Manager-Assistant Manager (which they really are) to Manager-Co-Manager
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Why? Sen. Obama has got someone else's experience backing up his idealism, and that's just fine. He's got advisors for a reason. Sen. McCain has experience for sure, but I don't see much idealism there, and he's certainly not backing it up with more experience.
Lizrayan - Hi, I was reading through the writer's block responses and yours had grammar and punctuation, so I read the rest of it. Very nicely laid out, thank you. Hope you don't mind my comment.
Hi there! Another "stranger" who was browsing through the WB responses. You said exactly what I'm thinking.
I'd only add that, while Obama doesn't have the most experience out there, his convention speech proved he's got *inteligence* and actually understands what's going on. I feel like I can trust him to consider his decisions thoroughly and (especially with the help of a good advisor like Biden) to be able to do make good choices. Palin is not only unexperienced, but *naive*--a dangerous combination that I do not trust one bit.
Wandering grad student to wandering grad student, I confess I had a few doubts about Senator Obama until his convention speech. It was more than good rhetoric to me, it convinced me that he really is ready. I also believe, as you mention above, that he's a cautious person who will *think* before shooting from the hip and 'living with the consequences.' And wouldn't that be a refreshing change after the last eight years? :)
Would love to read more of your thoughts on your blog! :)
Re: Here here!ray_wingSeptember 3 2008, 15:43:07 UTC
I certainly hope that the speech reached a lot of people teh way it reached you. Having someone with brains in the White House would *definitey* be a step up.
I'd be happy to add you to my friends-list if you'd like. Shall the wandering grad students join forces? ;-)
Bravo from yet another stranger whose eye your WB response managed to catch. What a brilliant response. It addressed everything this decision has got me so worked up about, and I will add this (in effect I'm just rephrasing things that you and ray_wing have mostly said already but indulge me):
Obama vs. Palin in terms of experience.
Obama does have four years of experience in dealing with issues of a national importance (and, preceding it, seven or so years of experience on a solidly state-wide level). Palin has no national experience whatsoever and only twenty or so months of experience on a state-wide level (preceded by several years as mayor of a town of only about five thousand).
Obama has a clear plan and is thoroughly aware of what he would have to do as president and what would be expected of him and has thought everything out extremely thoroughly. Palin has in the past stated extremely bluntly that she has no idea what the fuck the vice president does. In fact, she really only knew little more than a week in advance that she was
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Aronlu, I was so caught up in my BabyGate rant yesterday afternoon that I honestly hadn't gotten around to pondering the implications for the Supreme Court, which is normally a bit of a pet topic. You are SO right! Crap, but we're in trouble if we manage to screw up and put another couple of cowboys (or cowboy/cowgirl) in the Oval for another four or eight years
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Comments 15
"Item Number 2: One of the major criticisms leveled at Senator Obama over the last several months is that he lacks the kind of tenure and experience - especially in foreign policy matters - that Senators Clinton and McCain have. I agree with that criticism, which is one of the reasons why in my state's primary, I voted for Hillary. If it was a bad thing for Obama not to have foreign policy experience, why, oh why, was the newish governor of Alaska nominated as the VP? WTF???"
There's a difference between the roles. The Obama-Biden ticket is like putting a fresh-faced, 17 year old person with no experience in the position of store manager with a 40 year old, very experienced assistant manager. It makes little to no sense to me, at least.
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And yes, politics math confuses me too... =D
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Lizrayan - Hi, I was reading through the writer's block responses and yours had grammar and punctuation, so I read the rest of it. Very nicely laid out, thank you. Hope you don't mind my comment.
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I'd only add that, while Obama doesn't have the most experience out there, his convention speech proved he's got *inteligence* and actually understands what's going on. I feel like I can trust him to consider his decisions thoroughly and (especially with the help of a good advisor like Biden) to be able to do make good choices. Palin is not only unexperienced, but *naive*--a dangerous combination that I do not trust one bit.
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Would love to read more of your thoughts on your blog! :)
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I'd be happy to add you to my friends-list if you'd like. Shall the wandering grad students join forces? ;-)
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Obama vs. Palin in terms of experience.
Obama does have four years of experience in dealing with issues of a national importance (and, preceding it, seven or so years of experience on a solidly state-wide level). Palin has no national experience whatsoever and only twenty or so months of experience on a state-wide level (preceded by several years as mayor of a town of only about five thousand).
Obama has a clear plan and is thoroughly aware of what he would have to do as president and what would be expected of him and has thought everything out extremely thoroughly. Palin has in the past stated extremely bluntly that she has no idea what the fuck the vice president does. In fact, she really only knew little more than a week in advance that she was ( ... )
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That will tip it to the evangelical right, which will have an impact for decades.
Please, please, PLEASE, America, make a sane choice this election. Please.
For the next 20 years.
For the rest of the world, too. We can't take much more of this doublethink.
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