Bob, re: "What legislative record can you cite to support this claim? [that Obama is the brighter candidate with the better ideas] Aside from speeches - he is an empty suit!"
The man's been giving his opinions, sharing his domestic and foreign policy views, demonstrating mental agility and exhibiting the ability to inspire and lead a nation ... and you ask what legislative record I can cite?
The reality is that most of us make important judgements based on our views of the abilities of others; views that we form based on listening to others SPEAK. The words that we utter do, after all, reveal not only the quality of our thinking but also the broad outlines of our character and personalities.
Hell, we even do that here; forming opinions of people based on written words that magically appear on our computer screens. I bet most of us have some pretty firm opinions regarding which posters are the brightest, most informed, kindest (Hi Suma), and most ill tempered.
But you evidently think Obama, a man who has been in the brightest of spotlights for more than a year and whose life story is an open book, is somehow an enigma. You're apparently dumbfounded, thinking, "No one can know the man, he doesn't have much of a "legislative record' and we'd just be guessing about his 'brightness' and his 'ideas.'"
Surely you don't live your real life that way; refusing to use independent judgment to assess ability and talent, discounting those who exhibit tremendous upsides and instead going with those possessing more pedestrian minds with a longer, proven history.
And that "pedestrian mind" label applies to John McCain. He has a dubious record of stumbling over issues, changing his mind on critical policies, fawning (awkwardly) to get the endorsements of those he clearly despises and showing little or no interest in domestic issues.
And with regard to "now turn[ing] to real issues ..[which was].. not possible during the primaries as they both agreed on the issues," that's a difficult proposition to accept.
We've been discussing the real issues of Iraq, health care, global warming, the energy crisis, etc. on this thread for months. I think we have earned the right to hold an opinion regarding who has the best and brightest ideas without any help from the coming debate between John McCain and Barrack Obama.
The only question now is how long it will take a majority of Americans to get up to speed on some of these issues and get behind the best thinking candidate, the candidate with the best ability to communicate the basis for his opinions and the candidate whose platform will do the most good for the most Americans.
And surely you know who that candidate is, don't you?
Let's face facts, your only chance of having your guy win is if the election DOESN'T TURN on real issues. If it becomes about the "black guy" who's too different, or the "black guy's" name, or pastor, or wife, or something else, then your guy has a chance. Otherwise....Ed |
