<p>whats so fresh and new about obama? His age thats it? Its weird to think that a guy who is only a few years older than my parents might rule the most powerful nation in the world.</p>
<p>Obama is 46 years old. That's a year younger than my mom. Yeah, really "fresh and new."</p>
<p>Obama is a cool guy. In terms of likeability, friendliness, and funnyness, he is definitely the winner. I just don't agree with his policies. I've known about Obama since 2004, when he spoke at the DNC. I cried at his speech. I knew right then, that I wanted him as a president. But 4 years later, my ideology has shifted from socialist/communist to individualist/libertarian. And so, I don't see Obama as much of a change from Washington as it is now. His policies are pretty similar to Clinton's, and Clinton's policies are similar to McCains.</p>
<p>If I end up voting for Obama, it will be because of his rhetoric and impressive speaking skills. Not for his policies. I might vote third party or independent.</p>
<p>I essentially just posted the same post in the Parents Forum, so if anyone reads both, I'm sorry for making you read basically the same post twice.</p>
<p>There's been a recent controversy over whether or not Hillary Clinton will release her 2006 tax records. Obama has already done so, though McCain has not. The media is putting pretty heavy pressure on her to release them, though she's not really obligated to. A lot of people think that this looks bad for her because it makes her look dishonest. However, who released his tax records in the first place and thus put emphasis on her lack of doing so?</p>
<p>That's right. Obama. Obama likes to tell us that he's the candidate for change (despite having similar policies to Clinton) and that he's going to be different from the scheming, lying politicians of old. But in my opinion, he's not different: just smarter (or has smarter advisers). It seems to me that, knowing his opponent has a reputation for sketchy business dealings, Obama would benefit from releasing his early, thereby forcing to media to ask Hillary why she hasn't released hers. It makes her look untrustworthy and it makes people assume the worst. Obama is not the candidate who refuses to play the political game. Obama is the candidate who's playing that game the best: he's making his opponent look like a liar while he looks like an angel, and he's not doing it directly. Maybe it's because I'm a cynic, but it looks to me that he's the one playing her off easily-anticipated responses for his own benefit.</p>
<p>Slightly off-topic: I was working on an essay about nationalism earlier today, and I wrote two pages about how Otto von Bismarck unified Germany by making the targets of his "little wars" look like aggressors by doing things that made him look good while prompting his opponents to attack, thereby making him look like a victim. It just made me think.</p>
<p>I don't think Obama is 'that' much of a good speaker, the reason I like him is COMPLETELY because of his policies, not about the change stuff or hope or whatever. If you want the best public speaker in the country, it's Huckabee hands down. I seriously am amazed at what a brilliant public speaker he is - he has never used a teleprompter or stuttered or mispoke in his life, and he still dominates with the best speeches! Obama still needs a script.</p>
<p>Obama went to Harvard Law ... no one else did.
Obama knows what hes doing, even though Hillary knows how to fix the economy.
Obama - Wants to bring awareness to the people. The only way to fix our debt. is if the people stop spending 125% of their income through credit cards.
Hillary - Against free market. Has a $1.3 billion budget to fix the economy. Wants gov. to intervene which is the right action to take when we are in a reccesion.</p>
<p>The republicans brought us in a reccesion ... the democrats will bring us out.</p>
<p>^ Demonstrates absolute ignorance of economics. But that's perfectly okay, nothing new for most people.</p>
<p>Do you realize the Fed has spent close to 100 billion in trying to mobilize the markets already? It's laughable to think that 1.3 billion would "fix" the economy. 1.3 billion is less than a tenth of a percent of GDP. Obviously you have no idea what's going on, but that's okay because most people don't and vote like blind sheep. And yes, that applies to both parties. The Democrats don't have any viable quick fix solutions, nor do the Republicans. The market is going to take time to heal itself.</p>
<p>And Hillary graduated from Yale Law school so I don't see what the point of mentioning that Obama graduated from Harvard Law.</p>
<p>McCain has been rated the lowest in terms of intelligence among all the major candidates...I seriously don't trust that unintelligent bigot to lead this great country</p>
<p>Interesting article on Obama's time in the Senate</p>
<p>Obama in Senate: Star Power, Minor Role:
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/us/politics/09obama.html?_r=2&ref=politics&oref=slogin&oref=slogin%5B/url%5D">http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/us/politics/09obama.html?_r=2&ref=politics&oref=slogin&oref=slogin</a></p>
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[quote]
McCain has been rated the lowest in terms of intelligence among all the major candidates...I seriously don't trust that unintelligent bigot to lead this great country
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</p>
<p>LMFAO, and who exactly produced these "ratings" if you don't mind my asking?</p>
<p>i like Obama more than Hillary, but I'm voting McCain, either way... Romney '12!</p>