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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ManyMoose who wrote (85199)	9/17/2008 9:51:09 PM
From: JohnM	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 541925

Respectfully, don't you think it is a little strange that Obama had a relationship with an avowed communist and didn't absorb any of that credo? Actually, I think, given Obama's smarts, that's a very good thing. He's very much his own person and learned how to be so by thinking through a great many perspectives. That's much better than someone who has never thought outside the box. MM, I would hate to list all the political convictions of my more interesting long term friends. They are all over the lot. The fact that one is a serious libertarian and another organizes annual dinners celebrating the birthday of Norman Thomas; one is a moderate Republican politician with serious statewide aspirations and another who grew up as a communist in the Bronx and loves to talk that stuff. None of that says anything about my actual convictions; only that I love talking the stuff and thinking different thoughts. Obama sounds like the sort of guy I would love to hang out with.

To: ManyMoose who wrote (85199)	9/17/2008 10:07:48 PM
From: Cogito	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 541925

>>Respectfully, don't you think it is a little strange that Obama had a relationship with an avowed communist and didn't absorb any of that credo?<< MM - I've known communists, and former communists who emigrated from the USSR and Poland. I also studied about Marxism in school. Having information about communism doesn't make a person a communist. Some people say Marxism is a great idea in theory, but that it doesn't work in practice. I say that Marxism is a crappy idea in the first place. You do realize, don't you, that Obama has also associated with non-communists during his lifetime? And in fact, he's associated with non-communists a whole lot more than he has with communists. So I don't see how you can reach the conclusion that he must have somehow absorbed communist ideology. Heck, the guy has even been known to associate with conservatives. He has even co-sponsored legislation with some of them. But I don't find him suspect for that reason. - Allen

To: ManyMoose who wrote (85199)	9/17/2008 11:57:55 PM
From: NAG1	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 541925

MM, <<My concern about Obama is that there are so many indicators that he is not who he says he is, which makes him unfit to be President on its face. >> I will disagree with you here. I have not been a big Obama fan. I still think he has a significant lack of experience. But watching some of the shows about how he grew up and how he was raised, I think he is who he says he is. He really has had a unique multicultural upbringing that I think makes him different from all the other candidates. He is the candidate in this race that has the best chance of bridging the gap we have in this country. He also is intelligent and seems to be willing to look at all angles of a problem and change his mind if he thinks there is a better way. Hopefully, that will make up for his lack of experience if he can get himself elected. I used to like McCain. Unfortunately, the more I see him and the type of campaign he is running, the less I like him. He has turned his campaign and his platform over to the corporate interests. It seems he will do anything to get elected. And I am not sure some of his lapses aren't related to age issues. I felt that Reagan showed his age in his second term and was not on his game there. McCain is going in older than Reagan if he can get himself elected. Honestly, in McCain I see an old man who will take too many risks because he is unable or unwilling to understand things in the depth that is needed. The thing that would have kept us out of Iraq was someone asking the right questions. And once in Iraq, if the right questions had been asked, maybe we would have had made the right adjustments to our strategy there that wouldn't have left us with the mess that is their now. Obama will at least listen. He has shown that. I am not sure if McCain will. The main issue, as I have said many times before, for me is the Supreme Court. I think if a conservative appoints the next several justices, the balance on the court will be out of kilter for at least another 10-20 years. I think if you want a Supreme Court who will look out for the right balance in todays world, we need a balanced court. One last thing related to the courts. One of the interesting things I have seen mentioned which is almost too funny are conservatives who get into trouble who have lambasted the ACLU but then use the rights fought for by the ACLU to help them with their defense. Again, balance is the key here. Sorry for the late night ramble. Hope it made some sense. Neal