Obama supporters- anything you don't like?

chipboy

I don't like that he is backing off his pledge to use public financing only. He made a promise and should stick with it. He loses credibility if he doesn't.

I don't like his withdraw the troops from Iraq position. I think McCain is right when he says "if you are only going to go back when al Qaeda forms a base there then why are you leaving in the first place when they already have a base there." I think Obama comes off weak when he says "they wouldn't have been there if you and Bush didn't put them there." Playing the blame game and saying "I told you so" doesn't do anything for me. We are there and we have to deal with the future not the past. Explain what you think will happen when you pull out the troops. Give me your vision.

I don't like his health care plan. If it isn't mandatory for everyone it is not going to be effective. I'm still not sold on the concept of universal health care. I'm looking for a safety net for everyone but not necesarily a free check up or strep culture everytime you get a sore throat. Maybe universal major medical coverage if medical bills are over $2500 a year. Something like that seems more practical to me.

I don't like his idea to auction off pollution credits. Just because we are making money from polluters doesn't help the ozone layer.

I don't like that I haven't heard a realistic solution to fixing social security. Rasing the age, lowering the benefits, somehow making it only cover those who need it instead of everyone who ever lived, I don't know anything that sounds resonable. Raising the taxes on the wealthy is fine but define how much and how that will pay for the program as it exists or give me more solutions than just that.

RolandTD20Kdrummer

He's all there is at this point... we must learn to like it, and not bother to question it now...

SpreadtheJAM

He's black....

ledvedderman

chipboy wrote:

I don't like that he is backing off his pledge to use public financing only. He made a promise and should stick with it. He loses credibility if he doesn't.

I agree with the campaign financing. I wish he would stick to it. Maybe he will, but who knows right now.

I actually like his health care plan. I don't like the idea of FORCING people to buy it like Hillary Clinton wants to. I don't agree with people who don't buy insurance, but it seems a little too socialist for me to garnish someones wages if they don't buy into the program. I think that every child should be covered without question, and if people can't afford it do things to help them, and for the middle class just make it cheaper.

SpreadtheJAM

Not an Obama supporter, but I think the pollution credits is a good idea, if its anything like emission rights.

ideally we would want industry to create no pollution, but that is not likely.. So why not set an acceptable and "safe" amount of emissions. Once a price is set, exceeding that amount would become very costly to the polluter...This is their incentive not to pollute more. if the company then is under their cap than they will receive money back.

it seems as if taking the free market approach to this problem could be a solution.

chipboy

SpreadtheJAM wrote:

Not an Obama supporter, but I think the pollution credits is a good idea, if its anything like emission rights.

ideally we would want industry to create no pollution, but that is not likely.. So why not set an acceptable and "safe" amount of emissions. Once a price is set, exceeding that amount would become very costly to the polluter...This is their incentive not to pollute more. if the company then is under their cap than they will receive money back.

it seems as if taking the free market approach to this problem could be a solution.

I hadn't thought about it that way. Thank you. This is why I started the thread. I'm still not certain about it because it is possible for the polluter to continue polluting and just raise the prices to cover the cost and that doesn't help the environment.

anotherclone

chipboy wrote:

I don't like his withdraw the troops from Iraq position. I think McCain is right when he says "if you are only going to go back when al Qaeda forms a base there then why are you leaving in the first place when they already have a base there." I think Obama comes off weak when he says "they wouldn't have been there if you and Bush didn't put them there." Playing the blame game and saying "I told you so" doesn't do anything for me. We are there and we have to deal with the future not the past. Explain what you think will happen when you pull out the troops. Give me your vision.

You should read his position on his website on this. On his website, on 60 Minutes a couple weeks ago, and in a debate, he is clear that it not an arbitrary, haphazard withdrawal. He also said that as President, he reserves the right to have troops remain and/or amend his plans for withdrawal. So, if there are issues (and I think we all know there will be to some degree), troops will remain beyond his estimated end date.

Have any of the candidates explained what they think will happen when the troops get pulled out or given you their vision? I haven't heard any of them say anything like that.

chipboy

I've read it extensively and the clauses that keep me supporting Obama are the ones you mention. McCain has a clear vision of what he thinks will happen if we pull out the troops. Civil war, al Qaeda takes over the country and goes about the business of planning terrorist attacks in the US. It's not a very positive vision but it is a vision. I want Obama to give me some idea of what he sees happening as we leave. Something along the lines of "I expect al qaeda to attempt to take advantage of our withdrawal so we will not allow that to happen and continue targeted strikes long as necessary but we don't need as many troops to do that as we have there now." Or "when we leave I think the target is removed and the violence will naturally be reduced to a point where the people of Iraq can handle it themselves." Just a hint at what he sees happening. He was right about forseeing what would happen after we invaded I'm curious about his vision after withdrawl that's all.

anotherclone

chipboy wrote:

I've read it extensively and the clauses that keep me supporting Obama are the ones you mention. McCain has a clear vision of what he thinks will happen if we pull out the troops. Civil war, al Qaeda takes over the country and goes about the business of planning terrorist attacks in the US. It's not a very positive vision but it is a vision. I want Obama to give me some idea of what he sees happening as we leave. Something along the lines of "I expect al qaeda to attempt to take advantage of our withdrawal so we will not allow that to happen and continue targeted strikes long as necessary but we don't need as many troops to do that as we have there now." Or "when we leave I think the target is removed and the violence will naturally be reduced to a point where the people of Iraq can handle it themselves." Just a hint at what he sees happening. He was right about forseeing what would happen after we invaded I'm curious about his vision after withdrawl that's all.

I know what you mean.

I'm not a tin-foil hat conspiracy theory type of person, but I think about the politics of fear. While it is true that chaos would reign there if we left too quickly or without thought, some of the hypotheticals of what GWB and perhaps McCain are talking about are the things that they might be throwing out there to keep us just a bit fearful and look to them to "keep us safe". As if the Democrats do not want to keep us safe. I'm not saying I'm right about this theory, but it is an idea I'm kind of tinkering with in the back of my mind as I read a book called "The Assault on Reason" by Al Gore.

Its interesting that McCain has recently (today?) amended his usual schpeel about the war. He now says that his whole "we'll be in Iraq for 100 years" quote was taken out of context and he is now talking more about potential withdrawal. Which is good to hear, because I'd like to think if he becomes president he would actually think that way.

Dustin51

The campaign finance thing is very interesting. I think most dems would be very forgiving if he decided to renige on this commitment. Winning becomes more important then sticking to your guns and doing what's right at this point.

I understand why he wouldnt without some assurances that McCain will call off the dogs though. The last thing you want is to run a clean campaign and get swiftboated to death.

The other side of the issue too is he could easily be critized for not going back on this. He will have a clear advantage in fundraising. In fact it is not just clear it is monumental and McCain's old crusty butt will have a hard enough time keeping up with Barrack anyway so why give him an advantage? Is that smart leadership?

Lot's to consider. The Obama campaign figured that they would cross this bridge when they got there. Now they're there. They've locked up the nomination and they're going to run against McCain. This series of events seemed unlike when Obama made those statements.

I think he will get out of that somehow, if he can make it seem to be McCains fault that would be ideal as far as I'm concerned.

brain of c

i don't like veggies.

anotherclone

brain of c wrote:

i don't like veggies.

I can't stop giggling...

azwyldcats

his wife

ledvedderman

azwyldcats wrote:

his wife

What is there not to like about Michelle Obama? Don't like a straight talking, powerful, and smart first lady.

Perhaps you would prefer prefer a head in the clouds first lady like Laura Bush or plastic first lady like Cindy McCain.

There's always the ones you would rather beat the meat to. I'm looking at Elizabeth Kucinich and Jeri Thompson.

Hollyweird

Obama! Thats what I dont like about Obama! Long live Gaydolf Titler!

flywallyfly

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/02/11/politics/horserace/entry3819016.shtml

With the Republican nomination now all but his, John McCain is opting out of the public financing program that – back when his campaign was running on fumes – seemed to be the only way for him to maintain any sort of viability.

According to the Associated Press, McCain informed the Federal Election Commission and the Treasury Department that he was withdrawing from the public financing system, which would have infused his campaign with $5.8 million in matching funds but also required him to abide by spending restrictions that would likely prove fatal in a general election against either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. Both Democrats long ago said they would forgo the public financing system.

McCain raised just shy of $10 million in the last quarter of 2007, but actually had more debt than cash on hand. However, the campaign reported raising $7 million in the first three weeks of January – a pace that has almost certainly accelerated now that the Arizona senator is his party's presumed nominee. Now, McCain will be able to spend that money however, and wherever, he wants.