After visiting with a client (wealthy, self-made, bright, Jewish) about the election last Thursday, then reading Will's September post on his political thoughts on the candidates, I have come to a better understanding of the Audacity of Hope. My client assured me that President Obama will include strong leaders in his cabinet/advisory group that will reassure conservatives like me. He will be a uniter and a centrist, will address the current economic problems prudently, and will in all other respects be a great president.
Will also appears to have concluded he will vote for Obama based upon who he will be. Both have based their hopes not on who Obama has been, but on who he says he will be. Both have rejected McCain not based upon who he has been, but on who they think he has now become. Assuming Obama wins on Tuesday, I sincerely hope they are both right!
London 2024 Day Six
2 days ago
7 comments:
I think that is what gets me, the great hope people have in Obama. I really don't think I'm that passionate about politics and everything, but watching what is happening gets me worked up and I can't sit still.
Because he is a new figure and speaks well, people are almost willing to sell their souls to Obama. The degree of their trust and respect for him is astounding when you look at what it is based off of.
And now, because of the hope that so many disgruntled Americans have, they hear Obama say, 'I'll tax you rich people making over $250,000...I mean $200,000...I mean $150,000...I mean I'll just go ahead and tax everyone.' and the believers nod with blank stares and say in unison 'Yes President Obama, you can have our money'.
Obama says, 'The constitution is flawed, I will add in some more stuff about redistribution of wealth and fairness to correct it.'
and the believers say 'Yes President Obama, the country must be fundamentally changed, do what you will with it'.
that's scary.
The fact that we still know so little about who Obama is and what we do know isn't very comforting, yet the believers have such high hopes for 'change': for the world's respect and approval, for peace, love and streets paved with gold when this guy is elected. That is what gets me talking passionately, because I think it's all so ridiculous.
Don't worry, they are both right.
The best predictor of what a person will do in the future is what he has done in the past and Obama's past is very shady. Hope needs to be rooted in something. I'm just hoping we survive the damage the extreme liberals are about to do.
Love it, Bernie - "streets paved with gold." Yeah, I don't understand how the records are unimportant.
Faith and hope in him is nice. Danielle actually lives AMONG these people though...I think she knows what's going on here.
I did my part this morning...voted no to proposition Obama.
I think its scary to "hope" someone will be who they say they want to become. Theres a lot I "hope" to become... and I "hope to change" but what is that worth? It drives me crazy everytime I hear "we need change". Change isn't always a good thing, especially when it starts to effect those of us who are capitalists. I'm nervous for my parents, for my own family, and all those who struggle day to day to build their own businesses.
I agree that we need to look at their pasts. McCain wins that debate hands down, in my book.
We early voted this year, and they are thinking Nevada will be going to Obama... guess we at least did our part.
There's some crazy irony in this for me. McCain is the one who has done something very significant to bring about real "change" and success to a very serious issue - the war in Iraq. And because the surge that he pushed so hard for has worked, we can now practically claim victory in Iraq and be on our way to solving other problems. He essentially took that issue off the table for voters and they haven't been focused on how he would be the best CIC. Then, we have the housing market meltdown, which turned the conversation to the economy. The Dems (Frank, Dodd, etc) are mostly responsible for the mess, and their candidate, Obama, is benefiting from it. So, you have a candidate who is punished for doing something truly heroic for this nation (I say heroic because it was political suicide at the time, in the final tally will prove to have saved many lives and money, and the conflict will go down in the history books as a war won and not lost or unfinished), and a candidate who is rewarded for the bad behavior of his own party. Now, that's irony... and it's politics.
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