I'm leaning towards Obama... is that wrong

[theredpen]

Now that Edwards is out, I have to choose between Clinton and Obama. There are many positive things about both candidates — I wish I could just take those and combine them! Overall, though, I am a bit more impressed with Obama.

I know that there are a lot of negatives and I haven't had a chance to research. Why shouldn't I vote for Obama? (BTW, the Texas primary isn't until next month.)

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. Lean please

[neutron]

9. If your mind is OPEN read this:

Today the foremost economist stated that HRC's healthplan was
magnificent, and Obama's was INCOMPETENT.

I will provide the link below.

Yesterday, the NYT front page article told how Obama FAILED to
pass a bill to PROTECT HIS DISTRICT from the local Nuclear Power
Plant leaks.

They were getting RADIOACTIVITY in their water.

NEXT, Obama TOOK several hundred thousand dollars from the
Nuke honchos for his Senate Campaign.

He had the NERVE to go BRAGGING around Iowa that his bill
passed when it DID NOT.

He finally got a bill passed - it protected the NUCLEAR POWER PLANT.

Does that make you think at all?

Link 1:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/04/opinion/04krugman.html?em&ex=1202274000&en=15e3ef55ea8cce37&ei=5087

Link 2:

http://thefeldmanblog.com/2008/02/03/barack-obama-lies-about-legislative-recordbacked-nuclear-industry-but-claims-he-didnt/

[theredpen]

11. Gee, neutron

If I could think for myself, I wouldn't need advice from swell people like you.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

19. well if you start digging into HRC's past

we won't go there

[neutron]

25. She is one of the hardest working

people in the senate.
Take a look at her endorsements and look at how much she got for the
agencies and unions.

[BooScout]

2. Yes........

You need to lean the other way.

[MH1]

3. I can tell you why you SHOULD vote for Obama

(can't help you with why you shouldn't)

Actually, Bill McKibben says it better than me:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/3/9431/41821

Then there's Lawrence Lessig's endorsement, and Obama's great technology plan that Lessig raves about, and there's Obama's ethics and government transparency plan.

Just for starters. I hope you find that information helpful. :)

[lapfog_1]

4. Oh yes its wrong...

Don't just stick your toe in the water... jump on in! Waters fine... The Clinton supporters will tell you it's kool-aid, but you can safely ignore them.

I'm sure you've seen all the arguments here back and forth. So I won't bother with the recap.

I will leave you with this... More important than experience is good judgment. Obama has shown that he has good judgment. If experience was all that mattered, Cheney would make a great President!

[mdmc]

5. If you want to vote for the winner, then vote for HRC

I'll join you with a protest vote for Obama.:kick:

[theredpen]

21. I don't think that Hillary is the presumptive nominee anymore.

Of course, by the time we Texans vote, it may be a moot point, but the way things are going, we make be a factor.

[VolcanoJen]

29. Texans are definitely a factor.

I'm an Ohioan, we vote on the same day! I'm getting pretty excited about actually possibly just maybe having my vote count in this thing. Maybe Iowa and New Hampshire didn't decide for everyone, after all.

That being said, I was a fervent Edwards supporter in 2004, and from the beginning in 2008. But, I made my decision to get behind Obama before Iowa, and abandoning Edwards was something that still bugs me.

I'd lobby you more, but you and I really share a luxury of getting to wait a little bit longer. So much can happen between Wednesday and March 4th.

Come to your decision however, and whenever, you see fit.

Cheers from Ohio! :toast:

[Coexist]

6. what issues do you care about, and maybe I can help you find out if Obama is for you.

[theredpen]

Let's take it one at a time

Let's start with the Iraq war.

OK, so we all know that Hillary voted for the AUMF — but I defended her (and others) at the time for the same reasons she cites now.

Obama has a great story on the war, but then I read Joe Wilson's attack on Obama and he made some compelling points about Barack's apparent capitulation once he entered the Senate. I have a great deal of respect for Ambassador Wilson, so I put this criticism on a higher level than most of the sniping.

[Coexist]

15. In my opinion

once you are in a war, it is tough not to fund it. Not an excuse, the Dems broke my heart. Senate votes are tricky things, if you know you are running again, or aspire to higher office, and you see that a measure will/won't pass with a wide margin, you are free to vote for posterity, without it hurting you party.

Barack Obama was vocally opposed to the war - everyone knew it was a vote to go to war, and this list of Senators saw the same intel and weren't scared enough to vote to go to war:


Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Robert Byrd (D-WV)
Lincoln Chafee (R-RI)
Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Jon Corzine (D-NJ)
Mark Dayton (D-MN)
Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Russell Feingold (D-WI)
Robert Graham (D-FL)
Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
James Jeffords (I-VT)
Edward Kennedy (D-MA)
Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Carl Levin (D-MI)
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Patty Murray (D-WA)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Paul Sarbanes (D-MD)
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Paul Wellstone (D-MN)
Ron Wyden (D-OR)



Watch the Q&A on the war with Barack Obama and Howard Dean here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxwsdREgohY

[Politicub]

7. You have to follow your heart

I'm for Clinton, as I believe she has the better policy proposal for universal health coverage, and I like her position on LGBT issues. And, she's able to keep fighting no matter what the GOP (and now sadly, dems) throw at her. I think she would make a fantastic president.

Good luck with your choice!

[propol]

8. feel the power of the force

YES WE CAN!

[Justice Is Comin]

10. The single most important thing you should

be considering bar none, is that you will be casting your vote for the person that will have more power than anyone on this earth !!

The second thing that should make you think, is that this person will have influence over all leaders of practically every foreign government. Are you willing to put this law teacher (with a fraction of the exposure to foreign leaders that Clinton already has) in the position where they will have much more experience than he has? They will look at him like a kid and give him the same deference.

I heard somewhere already and I can't remember where that the vast majority of foreign nation leaders are hoping that Clinton is the nominee.

We're dealing with serious stuff here and so is your vote.

[theredpen]

20. I'm not so sure that the foreign leaders will dismiss Obama

I was reading http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0%2c2144%2c3091671%2c00.html">this article in Duetsche Welle, and while it is pretty balanced, there is a clear tone of satisfaction in Obama's win in S.C. At this time in the 2000 (and more so in the 2004) election, the foreign papers revealed a palpable anxiety over the prospects of a Bush presidency.

Bottom line is that the world leaders will treat whoever wins the presidency with the respect due an American President, and if he or she manages to act like a distinguished world leader, then that respect will be maintained.

[ErnestoG]

28. They will embrace him. He is a huge improvement over Bushhole.

[Raine]

12. That's TERRIFIC

lean a bit further and go all the way and vote for him! :-)

[Windy]

13. Go with your gut. Make up your own mind. Proudly vote for the person YOU think is best to lead.

Be true to yourself and your own values.

You can sleep easily then.

[Orangepeel]

14. I think you should vote for Obama

I'm going to vote for the best candidate running, so I had to choose between Clinton and Obama, too, after Edwards dropped out. I picked Obama.

He's not perfect -- neither is Clinton and neither was Edwards. But I think that he will govern in a relatively progressive way (for what it's worth, the National Review ranked him as the most liberal Senator in 2006 although the differences between his record and Clinton's were minor). And, he brings excitement and energy to people who haven't been interested in politics in the past.

I supported Howard Dean in 2004 (until he dropped out when I went to Edwards). I liked a lot of things about Dean -- that he was against the war, wanted universal health coverage, supported gay rights, wanted a balanced budget -- but one of the things I liked most about him was what seemed to be the energy of his supporters. I was really hoping that he could be a "people powered" candidate and break through media barriers. But, he couldn't. Thousands of kids in orange hats were no match for the established democratic machine and he crashed and burned in Iowa (crashed and burned before the "scream" incidentally, which is why he gave such a bad performance to begin with).

I expected Obama to do the same in Iowa. I predicted he'd come in third. But for once, all the people (new voters, never voters) who never vote actually voted. The same happened in NH (although the polls overestimated) and SC.

So, we have a candidate who brings new people to the party, is as much in sync with me politically as any viable candidate ever is, and seems to have a chance to win. Those are good things.

[usregimechange]

16. You should and here are my reasons

I have a number of difficulties in supporting Hillary Clinton. The
two primary issues have to do with her vote to support the Iraq war
resolution, including the Levin Amendment, and her plan to make the
purchasing of health insurance for individuals mandatory. I think the
first was poor judgment and the last authoritarian and paternalistic.
I subscribe to the following philosophy: "The only part of conduct of
any one, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns
others. In the part, which merely concerns himself, his independence
is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the
individual is sovereign." -John Stuart Mill's On Liberty. Am I am wrong?

I think Obama is the best choice for progressive democrats because he
is more progressive as indicated by the following: League of
Conservation Voters Scorecard: Obama 100%, Hillary 71%.
Children's Defense Fund Scorecard: Obama 100%, Hillary 90%. ACLU
Congressional Scorecard: Obama 80%, Hillary 67%. Lifetime scores:
Obama: 82% (better than Edward Kennedy's and John Kerry's) Hillary:
75%. A recent study by the study National Journal indicates that
Obama was the most liberal senator in 2007.

New Zogby internal numbers show Obama has strong support among the
very liberal, moderates & independents in battle ground states
(implications for the general election!): "On the Democratic side,
California, Missouri and New Jersey are so close. Obama's lead in
California is by virtue of solid support in the Bay Area and among
Independents (by 20 points), men (20 points), 18-29 year olds (31
points), very liberal voters (22 points), and African Americans
(75%-14%). Clinton does well among women (11 points) and among
Hispanics (64%-29%).

In Missouri, Obama has solid leads in the St. Louis region (16
points), with Independents (7 points), young voters (16 points), and
African Americans (62%-26%). He also leads among moderates and men.
Clinton leads in Kansas City (7 points), in the Southwest (16 points),
and among liberals (8 points), women (5 points), and among voters over
65 (25 points). http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1444

Other polling data from Rassmussen and others has consistently shown
Obama to be more competitive than Hillary v. GOP candidates:
http://abcnews.go.com/images/PollingUnit/1058a1SuperTuesday.pdf

Obama opposed the Iraq war from before the very beginning and only
voted to fund it after Bush had vetoed the war-funding bill that
contained a specific withdrawal timetable. He recently stated: "I
don't want to just end the war, I want to end the mind-set that got us
into war in the first place."

Obama is smart, inspiring, and authentic. I wholeheartedly
support him and ask you to consider doing the same on Tues in
Missouri's primary election.

[blues90]

17. I would do the research and not listen to anyone else

If people can direct you to info that will help that's one thing . I offer no opinion on who to vote for . Go to Obama's site and Hillary's site . There is some site on voting records but I can't recall the site right now . Perhaps you can google voting records and start there .

[Thrill]

18. If you want to win the Presidency and a big majority in Congress...

You're doing the right thing by going to Obama.

Dem Candidates running for Congress are praying Obama Wins

[woolldog]

22. Yes.

It means that you're a sexist.

[theredpen]

31. I'm sexy? Thanks!

Oh.... sexIST.

It's such a thin line between clever... and stupid.

[thevoiceofreason]

23. Your instincts are affecting your "lean"

Trust your instincts.

[Kittycat]

24. Lean Away

You mentioned that your primary is still a month away. This will give you some time to really research Obama, and fall in love with the prospect of what this country can be. Being from IL, we have a leg up here (also noticeable by his sizable lead). But I'm a firm believer that each person has to find their own connection with the candidate of their choice. It's really hard to believe in or support someone if you have fundamental differences or visions for the future. For some - that difference is Obama, others Clinton. But regardless where you land, just make sure your vote counts :)

[Laurab]

26. Well, you shouldn't vote for Obama

if you want a repug president. That's the only reason I can think of. I think HRC will have a difficult time winning the general, with her negatives as high as they are, and lack of appeal to Independents and dissatisfied republicans.

I could also give you some reasons why you should, but you didn't ask for those!

[ErnestoG]

27. Wise move.

Whether he wins the nom or not, his campaign has proven that there is a big thirst out there for change from all this bullshit. And that cannot be a bad thing in any way.

[Andromeda]

30. Yes.

Well, you asked.

[Colobo]

32. Vote for Obama- America will be thankful.

[meow mix]

33. lean, cousin red!!

suprised edwards didnt have better run!!!... was really expecting a comeback the whole time.
would be happy with edwards or obama =)

not to comfortable with hillary ill vote for her if i have to though heh.