Why this ex-Republican is voting for Obama....

[gorfle]

...and why "words" are good enough for me.

I came to the Democratic Party not so much out of love for it, but rather for absolute disgust with the Republican Party. I have become disillusioned with the idea of corporation-friendly government that is supposed to make jobs for Americans, because I feel that the biggest corporations with the biggest pull in Washington are multi-national corporations no longer beholden to the interests and welfare of the United States. I am against the "War on Terror" as it is a huge waste of U.S. lives and taxpayer money, but also because it has become an excuse for the largest erosion of our civil liberties since the "War on Drugs". I'm sick of the fear-mongering used to convince the masses that it is necessary to give up their freedoms in the name of this "terror" bogeyman. Honestly I'm not so enamored with welfare programs but I'm willing to give the Democrats a shot because it can't be any worse of a waste of money than what the Republicans are doing with it, and at least the money is more likely to benefit Americans.

So I came to the Democratic Party expecting and planning to vote for whoever they nominated to run for President.

But I really like Obama's message - even if it is lacking in specifics. And here is why: it is a message of change. Even though he has not provided much in the way of specifics in how it will be different, I believe the man that he wants things to be different. So do I. I'm so fed up with what we've had for the last 8 years that I am ready to try darn near anything different. In fact, the more different, the better. While I wouldn't have a problem with Hillary being the nominee, I do think it would be in many ways a re-run of Bill Clinton's presidency and more of this "dynastic politics". I'm hoping for something more different than that. I want a clean sheet. Total change. I'm so desperate for it that I'll go with just about anyone who promises that - even if they are short on specifics. My hope is that they will honestly apply that vision to the specific situations they encounter once they are actually in office. Even if the man were totally clueless of what to do when he took office, I believe that if he holds to his ideal of breaking with the status-quo we would still be light-years ahead of where we are.

And so that is why I am with Obama. His "words" are a message of breaking from the past. I'm willing to give the man a shot to see if he can do it.

[K Gardner]

1. Welcome gorfle.. and thanks for posting !

[babylonsister]

2. Did you watch his speech last night? It's been argued he got too

specific. But either way, he's also got my vote! :hi:


http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2008/02/19/obama-discovers-his-inner-wonk.aspx


Obama Discovers His Inner Wonk

Those of you who have followed my primary night entries know that I've consistently urged Barack Obama to focus on substance in his speeches.

The early speeches, particularly the one he gave after Iowa, seemed to be all about building a movement. He said very little about what he'd do with that movement -- i.e., what kinds of changes he hoped the movement would help push into law. His rivals, meanwhile, pounded the issues and, for the most part, benefitted from that.

More recently, I thought, he got the balance just right. He kept the soaring oratory but managed to put a spotlight on policy, as well. You came away knowing that Obama was an inspiring candidate, somebody who believed that rallying people to his side -- including unlikely allies from across the aisle -- was the best way to enact an agenda. But you also knew what that agenda entailed: making health care and college affordable, ending the war in Iraq, fighting climate change, and so on. Obama's speech last week, after the Potomac primary, was nearly perfect to my ears.

Tonight -- and he's not quite done talking as I write this, so I reserve the right to revise my remarks -- I think he may be getting a little too wonky, even by my standards. For the first time I can remember, his victory speech has included lengthy policy explanations. He went into great detail about his health care plan -- the kind of coverage it would provide, how much it would cost, the way it would improve medical care. He did the same for college tuition assistance, trade policy, and national security.

[gorfle]

4. Linky no worky... please fix

I'd like to see the speech. Thanks.

[babylonsister]

8. Link is fixed, thanks. The speech isn't at the link.

You can go here if you want to watch it:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/gGCPxX

[Cha]

9. Thanks babylonsister!

Obama's inner wonk!

[ORDem]

3. You want specifics? See Obama's Blueprint for Change (link below)

64 pages of specificity:

http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/ObamaBlueprintForChange.pdf

:dem:

[gorfle]

5. Wow, thanks for the link!

I will read later...busy now.

[napi21]

6. Welcome! I suspect you're not alone in those feelings either.

I've met several Pubs who were terribly disgusted with what has happened in our Country over the last 8 years. None of them were quite ready to vote for a Dem, but they have decided to just stay home!

[predfan]

7. it's going to take someone with incredible skills of inspiration

to turn this ship around. Whether it's energy independence, global warming, the war, the economy, (all of which are, to some degree, intertwined)............someone has to use the bully pulpit to get Americans to understand the world we're leaving our grandchildren isn't livable, thanks to the fossil fuel industry. Let's face it, no one can do worse than what we've had.

[aasleka]

11. The country is broke

and we are mortgaged to our ears in bonds, the dollar is about to crash and we have to rebuild the whole defense department not to mention pay off all the contracts we had to scramble to get the last few years up armoring Rumsfeld's "lighter faster" military.

What's that quotwe by Einstein about opportunity in adversity? It will be an incredibly tough job but if we can all just take a break from hating each other and work to make this place better we can and will change the world.

[predfan]

13. if we'd had any kind of leadership the last few years

we'd be a lot better off. I thin historians will see the time right after the 9-11 attacks as a golden opportunity missed to challenge the country to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. What were we challenged to do? go shopping, go to the mall. American's donated so much blood they couldn't use it all, and would have responded to any sincere request by a trusted leader. The world was on our side....the first foreign leader to come here was French.......and Bush/Cheney drives the bus so far off the road we can't get out of the ditch.

[gorfle]

17. You are so right.

But instead we allowed ourselves (people like me that is) to be blinded by a sense of "let's go kill the bastards that did this to us".

And Bushco saw that as a prime opportunity to use the sense of nationalism to further his agendas rather than an agenda for the good of the nation.

I'm ashamed.

[grantcart]

10. I agree still working on my brother a republican office holder 50-50

Nice post and I know that lack of specificity was not your commment but couldn't resist this.

Re: lack of specificity. I know that it seems like five years ago but when he first started out people were wondering if he was too 'wonkish' and wouldn't be inspirational enough to fire people up

That was after they wondered if he wasn't black enough

Which came after they didn't think he would raise enough money

Which was after the fact that people would never get his name right

Which was after well you get the idea

Not enough specficity . . . people better watch out what they ask for. If you have read anything from his former students you will understand that he can lecture the details out of you. Does Hillary realy want to match detail for detail with Obama be my guest. And after that canard is finished will we finally settle on the one flaw that you really got him on? He is left handed.

[Egnever]

15. What?????

Thats why I like him!

If left-handers are the only ones in their right minds then ......

http://www.twistedknotwoodshop.com/rightmind.htm

[Cha]

12. Welcome to the Obama

Revolution, gorfie! My son voted for the first time in his life on Kauai yesterday and is so excited about a new kinda politics Obama is bringing to the party. :party:

[Laelth]

14. When my Republican friends ...

... complain about welfare programs, I usually reply that the rich receive a lot more welfare from the government than the poor ever will. Corporate welfare is the #1 budget-buster in our country. And Corporations don't care about the people. They care about making money. Corporations see their own employees as a necessary evil. If they could just hire a machine to do all their work (and cut the costs of labor), they'd do it in a heartbeat. Besides, and this is the best part, government handouts to the poor get pumped right back into the economy. The poor spend it. The rich, on the other hand, horde it, and invest it in corporations that are trying to outsource American jobs. It just makes good sense to give to the poor ... generously. It makes no sense to give to the rich.

In any event, welcome to DU! We welcome all sane ex-Republicans, and you sound positively enlightened--a champion of our Constitution and our civil liberties. Glad to have you aboard!

:patriot:

-Laelth

[thoughtcrime1984]

16. Nicely said, thank you for posting. nt