I'm late, I'm sorry.

BTW, I will most likely support Obama (Libertarian party, but NCIH for him to get elected), but just one thing... What's with his new support of the faith based initiative, and show me one wiccan group that has/will benefit from it.

I'm just saying, are we robbing Peter to pay Paul, or what? Not that things have not been bad, but I **still** have my doubts about anyone who would spend so much money to get the toughest job on the planet, when it pays less than someone in congress (last I checked).

I tend to vote 3rd party, but convince me otherwise, I may change my mind.
 

I am a political cynic, and I don't think Obama is a true statesman anymore than any other politician in the last 50 years. I think his support of faith-based initiatives are trying to drive a wedge between the religious right and McCain-- since they really do not trust him to begin with.

What I see is the lesser of two evils. I'd far rather see Obama-- whose political views are more similar to mine-- than McCain in office.
 

Just want to hear what you now think of Obama? Please be honest John.

 

To start with, I was never a big fan of Obama.  However, it would take a whole lot for me to vote for a Republican Candidate, i.e, a horrible Democrat running against a very exceptional Republican of Independent-- think McCain in 2000 or Colin Powell prior to his UN speech.

That said, my impression of Obama has not changed-- he is a lot of big talk and empty promises.  However, I do agree with his approach to stimulating the economy.  Without the measures taken by the Government, we would have faced an economic crisis akin to the Great Depression.  Rising unemployment is NOT the Obama administration's fault; it is the fallout from the idiocy of the previous administration's policies.

I agree with the need to overhaul health care and introduce some form of a Public Option as well as some of the good ideas from the Right; at the same time, Obama should have waited until the economy balanced out so that he could win the confidence of the average American.  Think about it, the current plan in the Senate will cost less of 10 years than the Iraq War did over 4 years.  Health care is far more important than starting a strategically meaningless war in Iraq.

That said, if the Presidential election were held today, I would still vote for Obama.

 

How is it ever meaningless to bring freedom to a nation?  It is having a good attitude as you listen to a cry for help from a nation that was tormented by Saddam which we put there before he allowed absolute power to corrupt him.  More people have been slaughtered during peacetime my friend.  There really are people who have enough hate to see us all dead.  the only way to stop that type of mentality is to show them strength.  The bully on the playground how do you stop him or her from bulling someone?  Does the bully go for the biggest guy?  No, he goes for the weakest to create fear.
I guess you can see why I would rather fight for freedom at any cost and you think peace on earth is possible by force?  Am I wrong?   
The health care reform which O said would not raise the cost of care or add taxes.  The cost will over a period of time be over one trillion dollars plus it will include cut back for people who are old and getting old like me.
My family in Cuba receive the socialist government run health care, not good.  You do not want that for us here.  I am not attacking you I do care enough to try to communicate in order to understand how logically one comes to a conclusion.  The dangerous thing is for people to just believe something without good reason.  The evidence supports that socialized medicine is poor quality and waiting lines of sometimes years.  We not shouting from the mountain tops for our good looks!  There is real concern.  To tell the truth I think the truth will prevail I just hope it sooner rather than later.  I am going to crash I couldn't sleep tonight, got a broken heart, first one in 8 years.  I will be alright just when you think someone cares about you, you find out they dont.  goodnight John.  I write you again lets keep this dialog alive, I have this semester off so I have a bit more time.  I am going to see 6 bands play Sat, that should get my mind off some of my sadness.  take care.  This is a link to one of my favorite bands: One Family One World Free

 

I hope your broken heart heals, and that you can get some sleep.

As to your comments, I do not agree with many of your comments.  First, Saddam was no saint when we propped him up in the first place.  To think that we placed some benevolent leader in place is very naive.  Secondly, many Iraqis still think life was better under Saddam-- even though it was a dictatorship, at least their was safety.  There was no cry for help, it was unilateral action by our country to invade another on false premises.  It is meaningless if it doesn't work and strains ones own national resources.  Thirdly, I hate to break it to you, but most countries in the world look at us as the Bully.  That is why they cheer when we have failed in the use of our military might.  This is why the hate us.

Fourthly, if you fight for freedom at all cost, then you are wasting your life.  There are many cultures in this world that are not ready for Western-style Democracy.  And even within our democracy, how many people are truly free?

Fifthly, you can't compare care in Cuba, a third-world country, to the care in the Western World, regardless of the health care system they use.

Sixthly, "Socialized Medicine" is a tag word that all the people shouting from the mountaintops have clung on to.  However, there are a lot of ways of including the government in healthcare:  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/17/opinion/17krugman.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1255177055-pj38liorr3ioMCO70b00qw.  I blame it on the administration for the timing of their proposal, and also allowing the other side to frame the argument.  They really should have created their own proposal with clear bullet points so that the American people would understand what they are trying to do.  You would see that it is not what most people view as "Socialized Medicine."