Obama & Iraq: What Exactly Does He Mean?

Posted on July 5, 2008
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Barack Obama is saying that he was totally misunderstood by the media for remarks he made earlier this week that made it look as if he might be flip-flopping on his promise to yank combat forces out of Iraq within 16 months of his taking office as president, should he win the election, of course.

Yet, even his current explanations seem fuzzy at best.

According to an Associated Press report, Obama says that if he refines his position on Iraq it relates only to the number of troops left to fight al-Qaida and train the Iraqi army.

But exactly how many troops does Obama think would be needed to remain in Iraq to accomplish this?

And, what would be the measuring stick used to determine when the Iraqi army is trained to the point it no longer needs U.S. help, and how do we know when there has been victory over al-Qaida?

In other words, his “promises” may sound good on the campaign trial, but need lots more explanation  before the November elections.

“I was surprised by how finely calibrated every single word was measured,” Obama told reporters,according to the A.P.  “I wasn’t saying anything that I hadn’t said before.”

Maybe not. But maybe that is the point: Maybe people–and the press–are only now actually listening to what he has said and thinking about what it really might mean?

Is Barack Obama A “Normal” Politico? Backtracking On Iraq Withdrawal?

Posted on July 4, 2008
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Despite denials from his campaign staff, it would appear as if Barack Obama is moving to the right on the issue of troop withdrawals from Iraq.

by jurvetsonDuring the primaries, and while he was running hard against Hillary Clinton, Obama certainly encouraged the impression that, if elected, he would move to begin a troop withdrawal right away.

But while in Fargo, North Dakota Thursday, he first said he may have to “refine” his stance, according to a Reuters dispatch, only to say later in the day that what he is saying now is what he has been saying for well over a year!  Really????

Sounds almost Bush like

At first, Obama apparently made it sound that he might reconsider his famed 16 month withdrawal time table after he takes “facts on the ground into account.”

Well, that was all a spokesman for the Republican National Committee needed to spring into action saying, ” There appears to be no issue that Barack Obama is not willing to reverse himself on for the sake of political expedience.”

Obama responded just as quickly that his position has not changed…that he always said he would “listen to commanders on the ground” in deciding when and how to pull combat troops out of Iraq.

Perhaps. But he certainly did a good impression of someone who had made up his mind to end America’s tragic involvement in Iraq pronto. Now, he sounds more like George Bush.  Or, John McCain?

Economy Worsens: Why Neither Obama Nor McCain Can Help Much

Posted on July 3, 2008
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The truth of the matter is–the world’s economy is so interconnected now, there is little any occupant of the White House can do to bring up significant change in such things as employment, the price of oil and the escalating cost of food.

Both John McCain and Barack Obama have their “plans” for so-called economic stimulation, but many economists and other experts will tell you that these plans offer little real help. Here’s why:

The rising price of oil is largely due to the increase in demand for oil by growing giants such as China and India. Yes, there may be some speculation at play here,too. But even that can’t really be addressed by the President of the United States.

The escalating costs of various food products, again, has more to do with increased demand worldwide as well as climate changes that have wrought destruction to farms in various parts of the world, causing some nations to stockpile such things as rice and wheat, driving up prices.  Not much a president can do about the weather!

As for the loss of jobs in this country–six months in a row now–a lot of those losses have to do with the outsourcing of many blue-collar type jobs–as well as a growing number of white collar ones. The uncertain world economy is driving the stock market down which means companies are losing trillions of dollars. Not a lot a president can do about that,either.

A grain of salt

So, one must listen with a grain of salt (price of salt up,too???) to all the speeches and economic plans being offered up by both the Democrats and Republicans.

The truth of the matter is–what the president of China does may actually have a bigger impact on the world’s economy–and ours–than what the president of the United States may do!

God, Democrats and Obama

Posted on July 1, 2008
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It didn’t very long at all for Barack Obama to play the religion card-as he actively courts evangelicals.

Obama, reports Reuters, dropped in on a community ministry in a very conservative corner of Ohio where he said he would take a more active approach to faith-based social programs.

“The fact is, the challenges we face today,” Obama is quoted as saying, “from saving our planet to ending poverty, are simply too big for government to solve alone. We need an all-hands- on- deck approach.”

Perhaps, but haven’t we had enough already of politicians who say and think they are doing God’s work? Why not let God do his or her thing and everyone else can just get on with it?

“I came to see my faith as being both a personal commitment to Christ and a commitment to my community, ” Obama said, talking about his days as a Chicago community organizer. ”

To be perfectly fair, John McCain is playing the same game –trying to get the backing of various evangelical groups.

According to Reuters, “most polls show McCain beating Obama by 3-1 or more among evangelicals.

 

Obama & McCain Vice-President Choices: Isn’t It Time?

Posted on June 30, 2008
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If there is one thing we have all seen during the Bush administration it is just how important the job of Vice-President has become. Even during the Clinton years, Al Gore was more of a partner than a veep, whose only constitutional job is to break ties in the Senate and nothing more.

by adamconner7That is why it is about time that voters know who Barack Obama and John McCain plan on being their number two.

There was a time when the selection of a vice-presidential candidate was made more as a means of strategy–how to win the South or the West or the Industrial states, etc.  But the position is clearly much more than that now and the public has a right to know as early as possible who is going to complete the two tickets.

Judgment

For one thing, the person selected to run for the number two spot is a pretty good indication of how the presidential candidate thinks and what his values are. Voters need their own time to think it through and not have someone rammed down their throats at the last possible minute.

Also, the sooner the selection is made by both candidates, the less likely voters will believe some backroom deal had been made.

Sure, you can make the argument, and the candidates do, that rushing to judgment is not good–that they want to make their decision carefully and methodically.

But there is no evidence that such a long drawn out decision making process actually results in a better candidate. Mr. Bush’s vice-president, after all, was actually supposed to be the one helping pick the right person to run with Bush, but, after a long process, concluded that he was that person.  And we all know what a good choice that turned out to be!

The conventions for both parties are fast upon us. Let’s get on with it, then.

Time for the candidates to actually make an important decision and lets us all in on it.

Democratic Dis-Unity: Obama & Clinton Camps Still Not Merged

Posted on June 28, 2008
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They may have campaigned together in a town called Unity, but “unity” is not exactly the word that best describes the Democratic Party right now.

True, Hillary Clinton has been out there urging her supporters to vote for and give money to Barack Obama.

True, Barack Obama seems to be Clinton’s new press secretary–hardly a day goes by when he doesn’t utter some glowing remarks about his former rival for the nomination.

And, true, there they both were yesterday, campaigning together like the best of friends.

BUT….

But, the fact is, it is proving much more difficult convincing Clinton and Obama supporters to make nice with one another than it seems to be to get the candidate and ex-candidate to do so?

Mixed in that crowd the other day in Unity, were Hillary supporters who say they will not vote for Obama no matter what Hillary tells them to do. In fact, they say they might vote for John McCain.

Clearly, much repair work needs to be done. There are many–mostly Hillary supporters–who feel strongly that Obama can only really bring his party together if he selects Clinton as his running mate. I think they are correct.

Yet, the most recent polls show Obama now with a commanding lead over McCain, which means he may feel even less of a need to have Hillary’s help winning in November.

That would be a mistake. Obama does need Clinton and the ticket needs both of them on it to assure a win in the general election.

Any other choice would be seen clearly as a runner-up–someone selected because he or she poseses less a threat to Obama’s healthy ego than Hillary Clinton represents.

Time is running out before the Denver convention the end of August. It’s just about that time when Obama needs to let voters know exactly what and who they are voting for.

Meantime, Obama plans on visiting the Middle East and Europe before the convention—to try and get the very experience in foreign affairs Clinton has and he does not.

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