Dear Fellow Campaigners,
I have been reading some editorial letters that accuse Obama of being a Socialist. These misguided individuals believe they must warn others about the dangers of Obama’s socialistic views. They write that we must fight against the possibility of becoming a socialistic nation. What I find astonishing is that these same people seem to be ignoring the fact that our government, with George Bush at the helm, just redistributed billions of tax dollars to bail out mismanaged banks and overpaid C.E.O.’s. Was this not an act of socialism? I would rather my tax dollars be redistributed to a universal healthcare plan, a fair and equitable education system, and a plan that creates good paying jobs to replace the ones that were shipped overseas. I do not think socialism is evil if the programs go to helping the average citizen have a better life. The problem with socialism under George Bush is that the money is going to prop up people who already have many more advantages than the rest of us. If applied to the betterment of the average citizen, socialistic programs are not evil and in fact help to level the playing field for all citizens. What’s wrong with that concept?
Sincerely,
Claudine Clarke
Dare I feel hope?
I talked to a woman in Indiana recently. She’s voting for Obama and she told me why. She said eight years ago she had two homes and two cars. She lost her job three years ago. She can’t find work and had to give up her vacation home and one of her cars. Her husband needs the other car to get to his job so that leaves her without transportation. We talked about how so many people in Indiana and in this country are experiencing hard times. We both acknowledged that something needed to be done.
I talked to a man in Indiana a few days ago and he told me he was undecided. We talked for a few minutes and he mentioned that times are tough for people. I don’t know if I swayed him, but he thanked me for calling. I thought that was a good sign.
I dare say I am starting to feel hopeful that Obama can win this race. These last eight years under Bush had me second-guessing my fellow Americans’ sanity. I’d been thinking about leaving this country for good. Now, I am starting to feel hopeful that people in this country are capable of understanding the complex issues we’re facing. I’m not ready to call the race or stop campaigning for Obama, but I am feeling just a bit more hopeful than before. I think other people are too.
Well, golly, gosh darn it! I guess I feel that a candidate who is a heartbeat away from the presidency should be educated and experienced. Sorry Sarah, I can call you Sarah, can’t I? My vote is with Joe. I think he possesses these qualifications in abundance not just good-old-girl charm school perkiness. I agree with you. You are an outsider and ya’ need to stay there, doggone it!
People often ask why I support Mr. Obama for president. Usually, I recite the same responses regarding his position on issues of healthcare, education, regulation, jobs, and trade. Still, I felt like my response was somewhat canned. I felt like I was missing something. I did a little thinking, and realized that I do not support him just for his views on the issues. I support him because I think he is a gentleman. So, what do I mean by gentleman? I think a gentleman is a man of honor. A gentleman does not engage in lying, stealing, or cheating. A gentleman keeps his word even though it may cost him. A gentleman is kind and considerate of other people. A gentleman helps little, old ladies cross the road. A gentleman sticks with his family no matter how bad things become. A gentleman thinks before speaking, and a gentleman never reproaches another person even when he may disagree with his or her opinions. A gentleman is polite and respectful of other people, especially his elders. A gentleman tries to make other people feel comfortable and acknowledged. A gentleman is civilized, thoughtful, and courteous of others. A gentleman looks to find common ground with others of differing beliefs. A gentleman listens to the other side of a debate. A gentleman is honest and caring. I believe Mr. Obama is a true gentleman, and I believe America needs a gentleman to lead this country.
Hi,
I sent this to the Chicago Tribune today because I was pissed at their coverage!
Dear Chicago Tribune,
I take issue with Jonah Goldberg’s assessment of Barack Obama’s campaign in today’s editorial section. He contends that the campaign is in “disarray.” According to Gallup’s Daily Poll, Barack Obama and John McCain are statistically tied with Obama having a slight lead over McCain. I think this shows that Obama’s campaign is hardly in “disarray.” I think registered voters are waking up in light of the recent banking failures that we need change now. I support Barack Obama because I think our country is on the verge of a depression partly caused by unregulated banks and insurance companies. If sub prime loans had been regulated in the first place and were required to be backed by capitol reserves, we may not have so many banks and insurance companies failing. Now, we’re socializing our banking system to prevent a wide scale panic by the American public, and we’re going to pay for it through taxes or selling off pieces of our country to China or other foreign countries creating more debt. I don’t see anything new in John McCain’s campaign to address these issues. All I see is someone who’s jumped on Obama’s bandwagon and is now echoing Obama’s sentiments. John McCain has been known as an avid free market capitalist. Now, he’s flip-flopping and saying we need to regulate the banking industry. Which is it? Is he for a free market or for regulation?
I think this country is in crisis. Millions of good paying manufacturing jobs have been shipped overseas. Our manufacturers can’t compete with countries that don’t have product safety standards, worker safety standards, and fail to pay living wages. Americans are paying more for health insurance if they’re lucky enough to afford it, they’re paying more for gasoline, they’re paying more for food while good paying jobs leave the country at an alarming rate. The middle class is dying out. We’re becoming a country of extremely wealthy people and extremely poor people. Alan Greenspan thought this was the biggest issue facing America today. I agree with him. If we keep voting for the same old politicians, we can expect the gap to keep widening. At the very least, I think Obama has some ideas on how to level the field so that more people can stay in the middle class. I don’t see McCain addressing the rich and poor problem at all. All I see is a pale imitation of Barack Obama.
I think we need to do more to tell people why we support Barack Obama! I also think we need to hammer on the idea that John McCain is a flip-flopper and Obama Copycat. Any thoughts????
