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As some of you already know, I'm a big fan of John McCain. Not just his personal story of heroism (which is tremendous), but the courage he's exhibited throughout his entire political career. He's stood up to the party establishment time after time, and has a remarkable track record of reaching across the aisle to forge compromises.
Most importantly, however, is that of all the candidates in the race, he has the most sterling credentials on foreign policy. He has been consistent (and consistently right) on the most important international issues. You can find, for example, a YouTube clip from 2000 in which he expresses concern about Putin, and where his administration might be headed. He supported the Iraq war, but was among the first to criticize the strategy employed and support the troop surge (and accompanying shift in strategy) which has helped to dramatically reduce violence there.
I have my problems with him, to be sure, but his personal integrity, and his repeated willingness to make independent choices, has completely won me over.
On the Democratic side, I, too, am quite impressed with Obama. I disagree with him on many, many issues, but there's no denying that he is a wonderful orator, and has more personal integrity, than some of his opponents. His steadfast refusal to play the "race card" is politically shrewd, but also the right thing to do. He's taken the high road at almost every turn, and he deserves to be commended for it.
The prospect of a McCain-Obama matchup in the general election has me very excited. I think both men would go to great lenghts to highlight their differences, but I think the campaign would be far more civilized and substantive than we've head in quite awhile.
Of course, as a conservative, the prospect of a McCain-Clinton matchup is exciting as well, but for vastly different reasons. Namely, because it could produce a double-digit margin for the former.
Nice post.
I guess I agree with you but in reverse. I, of course, feel more at home in the Obama camp than in the McCain camp, as I'm sure you would have guessed. But of the republican candidates McCain is probably the one I like the most. Up until just now I thought it was Rudy but his strategy so far has been surprisingly clumsy. He's just given away the ball to the other candidates. And I did think he would be a more left wing republican, or a liberal republican if you will, but I saw a speech he made the other day and he's clearly moved to the right, possibly to steal votes from the other more conservative candidates. It's ok to be all over the place as mayor of liberal NY, but when it comes to republican primaries you can't be vague about what party you represent. But McCain's kind of old, isn't he?
Obviously I haven't watched as many debates and political TV shows as you Americans but from what I've seen it appears as Obama kind of floats on top of the other candidates' somewhat aggressive style. He doesn't seem to be bothered in the same way. And I think what some of his critics view as a lack of political substance is actually a sign of his brilliance. While the other candidates are busy convincing the voters with various political arguments Obama is promoting himself as the next president just as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He's focusing on being a uniting force. "I AM the next president of the USA and you just have to look at me and listen to my voice to understand why". What people view as political inexperience I see as someone who hasn't yet been corrupted or cynical and I think it will be an advantage for him.
I think it's unfair to say that black people support Obama just because he's black. The way he manage to mobilize both young voters as well as both white and non-white voters shows that he has universal qualities that attract voters from all kinds of categories. And even if some people vote for him just because he's black I'm sure there are others who don't vote for him because of the same reason.
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The novelist does not long to see the lion eat grass. He realizes that one and the same God created the wolf and the lamb, then smiled, "seeing that his work was good".
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They had temporarily escaped the factories, the warehouses, the slaughterhouses, the car washes - they'd be back in captivity the next day but now they were out - they were wild with freedom. They weren't thinking about the slavery of poverty. Or the slavery of welfare and food stamps. The rest of us would be all right until the poor learned how to make atom bombs in their basements.
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Nevermind Colin Powell, who's had to endure countless people in the party trying to persuade him to run over the years.
If it makes you feel better, a black man will sooner become the president of the U.S. than of Croatia, which speaks how highly I think of my own compatriots...
