“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a Man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show you my faith and my works….” James 2 verses 17-18

Tuesday, the 12^th day of February, 2008, was dubbed the Chesapeake or Potomac Primary Election Day. It was the day that the State of Maryland , Commonwealth of Virginia and Washington , D.C. , the nation’s capital voted to nominate a democrat for the general election. It was the day that Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) roundly defeated his rival, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY).

On that day I voted for the latter against the former. Yes, I voted for Senator Hillary Clinton. I have no doubt that the two candidates are very good candidates and that democrats have cause to be proud of them. However, I am convinced that Ms Clinton is a better candidate to win the general election come November.

The decision to vote for Ms Clinton was not an easy one. It was the case of my heart fighting with my head. Definitely, my heart is with Obama while my head is with Hillary. It took me a while to make up my mind hoping that I will get a cogent reason to vote for our ‘brother’ Obama. I was hoping that he would move from his rhetoric to realism. I was hoping that he gets down to specifics. I wanted to see the ‘beef’ but to no avail.

Finally, I decided that this nomination process as far as Obama is concerned is not much about the bread and butter issue bordering ordinary people like me. For people supporting him, it is more about style and oratory. It is more about rhetoric and personality, as contrasted from any serious issue.

This is the most trying period of US history. The country is at war with fundamental religious fanatics and terrorists. President George W. Bush has basically destroyed this country due to his incompetence and penchant for cronyism. There are mortgage crisis, soaring oil prices/gasoline prices, huge budget deficit and monumental debt, environmental degradation, shredding the constitution and Geneva Convention by a very callous administration of Bush. The country is virtually under a dictator that trampled on all opposition using scare tactics, intimidation and labeling all opposition to his policies as aiding terrorist or soft on national security. We have Quantanamo mess, Abu Ghraib mess, water boarding mess; Firing of US attorney for political reasons, the lists of incompetence of George Bush are monumental. United States that used to be the bastion of democracy and rule of law has become a laughing stock to the international community.

So this is a time of grave challenges to this our adopted country. This country needs a person that has a real experience about governance. Some have argued that Hillary Clinton was only the first lady of Arkansas for 14 years and first lady of United States for 8 years and not actually a president during the 1990s and should not claim any credit for the success of the time. At the same time, critics were eager to lump her with the scandals and controversies of the 90s. We have to make up our mind whether the successes and scandals of Bill Clinton are mutually exclusive and whether Hillary contributed behind the scene to those successes.

At the time of Clinton presidency, people were buying housing in record numbers, now people are losing them, we had budget surplus, now we have deficit, US national debt was being paid; now we accumulate more. Apart from all that, United States equally saw relative peace, policies of that time worked for America . However, the country wanted to experiment with George Bush.

At this period of American history, we cannot afford to take chances or experiment with idealism. Senator Barack Obama, no doubt has ran a very competent and convincing campaign and have energized and tantalized Americans they way that no other candidate had ever done so since JFK. I am proud of what Obama has achieved in his short political career. I am happy that just like our kids born of Africans in foreign lands; they can aspire to be president in the future. But that’s not what the issue is. The main issue is who can demonstrate to us that in this time of uncertainties; he or she has the competence or experience to know what to do.

Make no mistake about that, Obama is no JFK. John F. Kennedy was a World War II hero. He became a war hero even before his more favored big brother, Joseph Kennedy, Jr. JFK was not only a war hero, but he was also in the United States congress for 14 years. Obama is no JFK. Both Obama and JFK can move people with their speeches and with their charisma, but JFK has both style and substance.

After listening to Obama speak, one cannot but be moved by his oratorical skills and his inspirational touch. To some, his speech has therapeutic effects. Even some people believe that he is the modern Messiah! In one of his speeches, he said:

“We are the hope of the future…we can remake this world as it should be…a hymn that will heal this nation, repair this world, and make this time different than all the rest”

He has his way with words that tend to uplift people. There is nothing wrong with that, we want that in our president. But again, speeches and hope for the future without any concrete plans for governance has left people like me wondering. It has left a lingering doubt as to what Obama’s presidency will entail. It would amount to voting for him and them hoping that he would be what we hope that he would be. It would amount to “let’s vote for him now and find out later”. That’s not how to choose a president.

I was overjoyed that finally a black man has a chance to be president, but this is not about filling the black quota. It is about making sure that after he wins that all of us blacks will beat our chests and say, “he is one of us, see what blacks can do”. I don’t want him to end up like Clarence Thomas, the only black Supreme Court Justice. We cannot just vote for him for no other reason than that he is a black man and we owe it to ourselves to vote for him. Or that we are voting for him just to make history. Obama could still win the nomination and could still win the presidency and go ahead to make an outstanding president, but I find it difficult to see how he can do it with no specifics.

I have been waiting to get concrete details as to how Obama would solve kitchen table issues affecting common people, but I cannot lay my hands on any. Some of my enthusiastic and over-zealous Nigerians supporting Obama were sad that I did not join the bandwagon of what is known as “Obamagerians”. But I told them that I have to know what I can predict from his Presidency. All the people asking me to join them has not been able to answer a single question about what Obama will do to end the war in Iraq, and all the problems enumerated above. They were left speechless whenever I ask them to convince me of what Obama’s record is that make them think that he is qualified to be president. I was met with blank stare when a question of what his records are. I will only get “well, if you go to his website you will find out”

After all the oratory and inspirational speeches, if I still find it difficult to pay my mortgage or to be able to provide quality health care, education, jobs etc, then am afraid, there is nothing to hope for. I am full of hope that tomorrow would be better than today. But hope can only be built on solid foundation to make it hopeful. We cannot be blinded by oratory and charisma. We cannot be satisfied by empty rhetoric short of specifics. As James Wolcott, “Idealistic zeal divorced from any particular policy or cause is a chariot driven by pure euphoria”

According Charles Krauthammer in his op-ed in the Washington Post on February 14, 2008 , “Obama has astonishingly empty paper trail. He is going around issuing promissory notes on the future that he can’t possibly redeem. Promises to fund his list of promises by rapid withdrawal from the unpopular war…..”

My question is what happens after the camera is gone, in the moment of truth, can he deliver? This is not a game or who can deliver a powerful speech or who is the most glamorous. This is about the life of millions of people including the rest of the world. What happens when he has exhausted his oratory? What happens when people get tired of his powerful lines or when his lines become repetitious and monotonous to the ear, what else can we hang on to? I have noticed that his speech has become a repetition of previous speeches. That will spell disaster when push comes to shove. He was accused of borrowing lines from Governor Devall Patrick, the first black governor of the state of Massachussetts. His speech is beginning to get monotonous as was also observed by E. J. Dionne, a political analyst, when he said:

“Obama is inspirational, but in a particular way: his message has been constant since his November 10 speech at Iowa Democratic Dinner. He is less specific about policies than he is in describing the frustrations voters feel-with Bush, with Washington , with divisiveness, with partisanship. His consistent promise is not to pass a detailed program but to change the mood and style of politics….”

That to me is the sign that he is running out of his oratory in February when the general election is in November. If he wins the nomination against Hillary and go to face the republican attack machine of Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Bill O’Reilly and the rest of the Fox News attack dogs; what happens when the republicans start to poke hole at his record or lack of it? They have already started collecting a dossier on Obama. The other time, Ann Coulter referred to him as B. Hussien Obama, trying to remind people that “Hussein” is a Moslem name and that in this time of American history, it is an abomination to have a Moslem as a president. They stress that name “Hussein” reminding people of the brutal dictator, Saddam Hussein. They have started to link his last name, Obama, with “Osama Bin Laden” which equals terrorism. Some intentionally mispronounce his name, pretending to mistake him for “Osama”.

All these are not by accident. It is well-designed by the conservatives to discredit him and tier him apart methodically. Remember what happened to John Kerry, Al Gore, John Mccain, Mark Cleland etc. Dirty politics still works! The conservations know that they cannot try that with Hillary Clinton. That is why you hear people call themselves “Obama republican”. They want to vote for Obama to win the nomination and they return to their true colors. The Hillary Clinton is not afraid of the republicans, she have beaten them before. They know that she is a tough customer.

What happened in 2000 between Al Gore and George Bush is about to repeat itself in Hillary Vs Obama. During the 2000 Election, even though former Vice-President Al Gore was a better candidate, people said that then Governor Bush is more warm and fuzzy and is someone you can chill out and have a bottle of beer or cup of coffee with. People said that Al Gore was stiff and always serious and wanted a president that they have a personal connection with. They took for granted the peace and prosperity of Clinton/Gore presidency. They thought that it was an accident of history that 1990s has lots of economic milestone for America . Now we have seen what Bush has to offer.

This nomination fight between Obama and Hilary is a fight between the two factions in the Democratic Party: idealism as represented by the Kennedys and realism represented by the Clintons . I am of the school of thought that realism gets things done. No democrat can successfully rule this country from the far left. Senator Barack Obama is ranked number one liberal, even before Senator Ted Kennedy or even Senator John F. Kerry. Hilary Clinton is number 22. No democrat can be successful from the far left and no republican can be successful from the far right. The republicans have already started using the “L” word (liberal). We need a blue-dog democrat, (a moderate democrat). Former President Clinton succeeded because he was moderate.

Obama is phenomenal, but if he continues to dodge giving out specific, his stock will go down as fast as it rose. If he defeats Hilary Clinton, he would not go far without facing the scrutiny of the press. Obama is getting a free press before but now he is the front-runner, let him not think that the honeymoon will continue. The republicans don’t play by the rules; they would go after him in a way that no one has gone after him before. They will use all kinds of racist code words as they used against Harold Ford Jr. of Tennessee .

On the 5^th day of February, 2008, about a week prior to the Potomac Primary Election Day of which Obama swept Hillary, as I was playing with my wife and two little daughters, Chiamaka and Chioma; I asked them: “girls who are you going to vote for, Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton”? Chiamaka is 5 years old and her little sister, Chioma, is 3 years old. Chiamaka, the older daughter said “Barack Obama”! I said “great”. Then turning to the younger one, Chioma, I said: “And how about you, Chomy, who are you going to vote for? She said, “Bayak Ubama”. Finally, I asked my wife, “Honey, who are you rooting for”? She said, “Hillary is my girl, how about you?” I said, “I am also for Hillary” Then I told the girls: “You see, the game is tied, 50-50. But guess what girls? Both of you cannot vote! So Team Hillary has won” My elder daughter said, “You are so funny, daddy, but Obama will win, my teacher said so”

After the interchange with my girls, as I looked into their innocent eyes, I began to wonder what the future holds for them in this our adopted country. Obviously, they have caught the Obama fever.

As I was pondering all evening, what this country holds for them, I read what Rudolph Ogoo Okonkwo said in an article on that same day, the 5^th day of February, 2008 in Nigeria Village Square titled: “Why Obama Is My Man”. In that article he said:

“If America takes care of Obama, I can then relax knowing that America will take care of Ijeamaka and Ogonna.”

I agree with Mr. Okonkwo and share his views on why Obama is his man. However, I agree with him for a different reason. I want an America where my little girls would not only be able to dream dreams and make them realities, I also want America where my girls will see no more barriers or glass ceilings. I want America where people will judge them, by the content of their character; and not by the color of their skins or by their gender. I want my little girls to aspire to the greatest heights and not be hindered by the fact that they are females. I want them to believe that with hard work, perseverance and faith in their God, there is nothing on earth that is not achievable irrespective of where their parents come from or what their names sound like.

I will always train my girls to study hard; I will continue to push them to explore their God-given potentials and to believe that they can do anything they set their sights on. I want people to first of all look at my girls as individuals. I want people to look at their competence and not at their gender, or their names or their color.

I want my kids to know that the fact that they are girls should not discourage them from aspiring to reach for greater heights and compete with their male counter-parts in any field of human endeavors including the highest office of the land, here in America ! That's what Hillary's candidacy and election will also entail.

I dream of days when America will open its eyes to the fact that women are not inferior to men as regards the highest office in the land. American prides itself and the bastion of democracy and rule of law but cannot even think of a competent woman occupying the oval office. They shudder at the thought of a woman calling the shot. Some, even females fear that she would be able to pilot the affairs of the country especially in a time of war. It makes me wonder why many countries have been able to produce female presidents that had really touched on the life of their people in a positive way. Great Britain , Germany , India , Pakistan , and even Liberia have produced a female presidents/prime ministers.

This election should not be about race or about gender. It should be about competence and about who is more qualified. I voted for Hillary Clinton, not because she is the prettiest woman on earth or because she has the best smiles on earth, but because in my view, she is better qualified to turn the Bush economy around, because she would be able to end the war in Iraq, because she has a better plan for global warming, on education, on health care, on national security and or immigration.

I am hoping that Hillary Clinton would still pull it out regardless of the fact that she is currently struggling and seems like the game is over. But people have under-estimated her in the past to their peril. Ask the republicans.

Chukwudi Nwokoye, an attorney, is a former United States Marine and a disabled veteran.

nwokoyeac@hotmail.com

Robot  Villager

# 1 “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a Man may say, Thou hast f...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 19.02.2008 20:51

N.A.R.  Villager

# 2 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. This article has made me take the time to write a quick response. If I had the time I would write a full rejoinder and detailed rebuttal, I hope someone with a bit more time than me and supports Obama for the right reasons (That means not because he is black like us…lol. Auspi are you still out there? :D:D) can write a full rebuttal. This is a partial one. Now let me try to open this my guys eyes… Lets start with what bugs me the most. So this is a time of grave challenges to this our adopted country. This country needs a person that has a real experience about governance. Some have argued that Hillary Clinton was only the first lady of Arkansas for 14 years and first lady of United States for 8 years and not actually a president during the 1990s and should not claim any credit for the success of the time. At the same time, critics were eager to lump her with the scandals and controversies of the 90s. We have to make up our mind whether the successes and scandals of Bill Clinton are mutually exclusive and whether Hillary contributed behind the scene to those successes. Well some of us have made up our minds that her contributions were not that phenominal. Now, my friend I think you are missing the point, the fact that Hillary was privy to the thoughts and processes of Bill Clinton after a day in the Oval Office can NEVER be the same as having the experience that Bill Clinton has. Despite being his wife, I am 100% sure that when Bill was given the daily security briefing Hillary was not there and was probably not allowed to be there. You may have forgotten that the ONLY person that swore the oath to the presidency was Bill Clinton, meaning that there are certain affairs of the state that are for the eyes are ears of the president only and NOT his wife. Now let us consider the main crux of what this experience is hinged on: Her “experience” Is supposed to be based on the huge successes of the The POLICIES of the Bill Clinton administration. Now please remember that Hilary was not part of Bill Clintons policy making or implementation team. DO remember that the one thing that she was actually allowed to handle the Universal Health care issue she speaks so much about, she could not get that policy enacted, or lets say it as we should she FAILED to give the country a universal health plan. Also there is something bugging me about Bill Clinton. His is no doubt a phenom, and a master at what he does. But in Arkansas, he took over from a Republican and then immediately lost, and the ran again and won and led the state for 10 years, but when he left to become president, his deputy could not hold on to the governorship for the Democrats and that how we have Mike Huckabee today. Now look at the presidency. While Clinton won re-election, the Republicans took over both the Houses in the National Asembly, and when he ended his presidency, despite the brilliance of Al Gore, he also could not hold onto the presidency for the Democrats, one can argue largely due to Bill Clinton's actions as president. My conclusion, it seems that Bill and possibly by extension Hiliary and not able to look after anyone but themselves. They are very polairizing, and I feel now that the country needs UNITY, She is NOT the answer. I think this is why old and notable Democratic members of the National Assembly back Obama: Ted Kennedy, Tom Daschle, John Kerry and ex Virginia governor Warner. Here is the Bottom Line on Hiliary: Hilary Clinton is NO Bill Clinton, that’s what many Americans are waking up every day and changing their minds. After listening to Obama speak, one cannot but be moved by his oratorical skills and his inspirational touch. To some, his speech has therapeutic effects. Even some people believe that he is the modern Messiah! And you are grossly underestimating the power of speech. I see this power work in my job daily in construction as I deal with various types of people daily. Let me tell a quick story. I recall a contractor that I had to pay, as he said he must be paid a day before he supplied my materials as we had never done business before. I asked my purchasing officer to call the fellow after he picked up his check to make sure the materials were supplied. This was a check for a couple of thousand dollars. To my surprise, she gives me a very bad feedback, OMG! The man is very very angry, his bank told him that the check willnot clear till 3 days! He cannot supply materials tomorrow! Our bank refused to confirm if there was money in our account…He cannot put his small company on the line!!!!...We should have wire transferred the money to his account…!!!! How is he sure that he will ever get paid as the materials are leaving the country….an on and on... So I told her to give me the man's name and number and I proceeded to place a call to the man: Hello John, I understand that you will not be able to supply my materials as agreed tomorrow….to cut a long story short, He supplied the materials on time and as planned. I did not do anything but talk to the man and explain why it was important to have those materials as planned, and by the way he did not get his money any faster than was to get it originally. At the risk of sounding boastful, it was the manner in which I spoke to him that did the trick, nothing else. Imagine that 10 times better being used to negotiate the Middle East crisis. Finally, what substance did Martin Luther King have, apart from his being a preacher and having the power of gifted speech? And yet he led the nation changing and MOST SUCESSFUL civil rights campaign. Had he ever had "16 years of experience" leading such a campaign? Never underestimate the power of words. And since you like quoting biblical references, let me remind you of one of the MOST important uses of speech in the bible: See the chapter posted below: Genesis 1 (New International Version) New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society Genesis 1 The Beginning 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. 6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. 9 And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day. 14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. 20 And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day. 24 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." 29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. As you can see, God SPOKE before he acted. Ever wonder why God bothered to "SAY" before he acted and created? I guess he knows the power of inspired words...And by the way God did not have any prior experience in earth creation now did he? And by the way, Oh course Obama is NOT God...:D I think that’s enough for now. I can I may come back later. Posted by N.A.R.| 20.02.2008 00:36

EezeeBee  Villager

# 3 Being wife of a President does NOT automatically or necessarily confer you with the skills to be a President. If you doubt that, schedule surgery from the wife of your favorite surgeon who is NOT a surgeon herself. Similarly, on a lighter note, being the husband of a wife who is an excellent cook does NOT confer many men with the skills to cook excellently! :D :D Posted by EezeeBee| 20.02.2008 04:26

ocnus  Villager

# 4 Chukwudi Nwokoye makes some very important points. Popularity and making inspirational speeches are a vital part of political campaigns. They can get you elected but they do not assist much in facing the monumental tasks facing you after your election. The American political system is very complex and made up of competing interests and influences on your own side, not to mention those of your opponents. That is why, in order for the system to function, there has to be an antecedent relationship with power structures on the national and state-level to build a program of action. In brief, there has to be a party machine which can integrate the competing desires of vested interests with the new goals and ambitions of the newly-elected candidate. I spent six years in Washington, writing speeches for congressional, gubernatorial and presidential candidates and lobbying for their interests. To achieve anything one needs the ability to demand allegience from and to offer assistance to a wide group of people. Popularity among the voters is one thing. Popularity with politicians is a different matter. You ony face the voters every four years. You face politicians daily While Obama is an inspiring man and certainly worthy of being President he is missing the currency of political interchange which is vital for success. He owes nobody anything and they owe him less. Jack Kennedy found out on becoming President that he, too, lacked this currency, despite years in the House. His programs faltered; his initiatives were blunted; and the White House was continuously frustrated in achieving his bold ambitions. The Kennedy legacy only came with the presidency of Lyndon Johnson (viz Civil Rights Act 1964), a less attractive person but a consumate politician who knew what was in everybody's closet and wsn't afraid to use that information. Obama is equally lacking in the requirements of 'nitty-gritty' politics. He is a great candidate but will be less great if he wins. Hillary, too, knows where the bodies are buried. If she doesn't, Bill does. She knows whose arm to twist and what debts to call in. This is missing from Obama. He is a wonderful inspiration to bring new people into political activism, and we all marvel at the thought of a black person as President. However, it is not his time. The country needs action quickly. We need someone knows who can be coerced into doing the right thing or punished for not falling in line. I'd love to be writing speeches for him because the blue sky beckons tales of high rhetoric but politics is a pretty nasty and dirty business. We need to deal with reality as well as our hopes. Posted by ocnus| 20.02.2008 07:58

Sapele Man  Villager

# 5 =N.A.R.;4294990160> 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. This article has made me take the time to write a quick response. If I had the time I would write a full rejoinder and detailed rebuttal, I hope someone with a bit more time than me and supports Obama for the right reasons (That means not because he is black like us…lol. Auspi are you still out there? :D:D) can write a full rebuttal. This is a partial one. Now let me try to open this my guys eyes… Lets start with what bugs me the most. As you can see, God SPOKE before he acted. Ever wonder why God bothered to "SAY" before he acted and created? I guess he knows the power of inspired words...And by the way God did not have any prior experience in earth creation now did he? And by the way, Oh course Obama is NOT God...:D I think that’s enough for now. I can I may come back later. N.A.R. I think I can say what bugs me most is a meaningless and lengthy post that attempt to substitute itself for the original article. I think I can say you have said enough and please don't come later!!! Don't do it again!! I will let you off only on this occasion and only because it is you Posted by Sapele Man| 20.02.2008 08:08

denker  Villager

# 6 Hillary, too, knows where the bodies are buried. If she doesn't, Bill does. She knows whose arm to twist and what debts to call in. This is missing from Obama. ocnus, how do you know dis is missing from obama...? facts!..facts!!...facts!!!...my friend....,i abhor speculative statements! Posted by denker| 20.02.2008 08:21

datuouwadaberechi  Villager

# 7 i guess d author was a bit nervous about trusting his heart even though the "head" candidate hasnt given us much grounds for trusting her either. d truth is that one is not able to predict neither what kind of president obama would make, nor hilary. i c no evidence of her much vaunted antecedents save having d widely prevalent (and self-preservative) instinct of choosing a winner as a husband (well!!! thats also debatable!!). well i dont wanna reduce my contributions to knocking any candidate, and truly truly truly, i have observed obama's penchant for some rhetoric which might appear to fall short of specifics. but, where are the specifics in hilary's rhetorics??? whats all this about experience? is it about age? is it about having lived in washington a bit longer? is it about having met with, and being on first-name basis with some movers and shakers? i think the tongue is a powerful tool, and if obama wins in the speech and audience mobilisation arena, then hilary should find her own niche cos the case is going to be won by the candidate who can best convince voters to come out and choose him/her. my heart is with obama, yep. however my head isnt with hillary. my head is with me (while i wait for events to unfold after an obama victory)!!! in which case i'd have no choice but to vote with my heart. Posted by datuouwadaberechi| 20.02.2008 09:51

GemuhDesayinah  Villager

# 8 For those looking for "substance", try Barack Obama's official website... http://www.barackobama.com/... Posted by GemuhDesayinah| 20.02.2008 10:35

Ebe2  Villager

# 9 Politics is really a strange art--or science. McCain and Hillary's charge that Obama lacks specific policy plans doesn't excuse the laziness of folks who would not bother to do their own research on Obama's policy proposals. I blame the Obama campaign for not fighting hard against this myth before it spread. In politics myths and misinformation travel farther and faster than truth, so much so that a myth can acquire its own life and spread itself if not debunked. Obama has detailed proposals on education, healthcare, the looming recession, global warming, national security, wages, energy, and other challenges facing America. Not only are these proposals on his website, he has laid them out in some of his stup speeches. His comprehensive economic plan is 43 pages long and was distributed to reporters just a few days ago! But you wouldn't know this going by the repetitious carnard that he lacks specifics. His victory speech yesterday covered all his campaign policy proposals on all the major issues confronting America. I would even say he was too specific on some issues. Yet, this nonsense about lack of specifics persists. The Clinton camp has been pushing the talking point that Obama's candidacy is all about inspirational speeches without specific policy proposals. They claim that he has no plans to deal with the major problems of America. Yet, they routinely attack his healthcare plan for supposedly not covering everybody. It is one thing to disagree with Obama's plans; it is quite another to claim that he doesn't have a plan. You can't make both claims and have it both ways. You can't attack a specific plan that you claim does not exist. They claim that Obama doesn't have specific policy plans, but they criticize his foreign policy plan to negotiate with America's friends and foes as a way (in a Marchiavellian, Don Corleon strategy of keeping your friends close and your enemy even closer) of ending the mentality of endless war. It is fair to criticize Obama's plans and policy proposals--that is what politics is all about. But having done that, you cannot then claim that he has no plans. That's silly and self-indicting. Speaking of plans that are not workable or naive, how does Hillary think that a healthcare plan that forces everyone to purchase healthcare (whether they can afford it or not) and would even garnish people's wages to do so would pass legislative muster or be accepted in a country founded on the notion of choice and the right of people to be free of government impositions? How is such a plan superior to Obama's plan, which aims at making healthcare afffordable, so that everyone who desires and want to to buy can afford it? Posted by Ebe2| 20.02.2008 10:36

WayoGuy  Villager

# 10 For the record, I voted for Obama. I voted for him because he is bright, intelligent, articulate, real, he objected to going to war when it was unpopular to do so, he wants health care for poor people, and he speaks his mind. Those are enough for me. As for the clamor about his alleged lack of experience, Article II, Sect.1 of the U.S. Constitution lists the qualification for president as (a) being at least 35 years old and (b) being a natural born citizen of the U.S. and (c) residing in the U.S. for at least fourteen years. To me, the constitutional requirements are all that Obama needs as qualification and experience. The constitution does not require a person running for president to have the experience of knowing Tom, Dick, and Harry or to have swam the Atlantic or the Pacific oceans. You can be a Cowboy, an Actor, a Peanut Farmer, ... you get my drift. Posted by WayoGuy| 20.02.2008 10:43

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