teenage politics

I’ve posted several blogs about political issues in the past, but I’ve never taken the time to lay out my position on the broader political spectrum. At some point I may write a blog explaining why I’m a conservative or lay out the planks that would make up my platform were I a candidate for something. For the moment, however, I’m going to spend a few days sharing my views on the candidates for president. Sure, it would have been more interesting to do this before the field was parsed down to three candidates, when there were Huckabees and Pauls and Kucinicheses to write about, but I’m lazy and this is free. Sue me.

Part 1 - Barack Obama

As we all know by now, Barack Obama is a fantastic orator. An African-American Clinton supporter recently claimed that, within the black tradition, Obama would only be considered a mediocre speaker. If that’s the case, every black preacher in the country must be Martin Luther King because whatever mojo Obama’s got going, it’s taken America by storm. He first burst onto the national scene with a speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention and since then he’s been gaining supporters and fans every time he’s opened his mouth. Obama almost never fails to present himself as intelligent, forthright, thoughtful, and trustworthy and on top of that he’s run a fabulous tactical campaign as well. Every time he’s been attacked, he’s responded almost perfectly. Obama’s done such a great job that he’s even won supporters among those that typically vote Republican, but are hungry for the change that the senator offers. The problem is, Obama simply does not have the credentials to back up his eloquent words. He says the right things, but there’s no proof that he has the wherewithal to implement the "change" he speaks out for or that he’ll even attempt to follow through on his commitments. Even if you consider his four years in the Senate (most of those spent campaigning) and his seven serving the state of Illinois to be more than enough experience, his actions during those tenures don’t seem to match up with many of the statements he’s making now. He says he’s all about ending partisan politics and reaching across the aisle, but he’s never worked with Republicans on any legislation or voted contrary to party lines and he refused to join the Senate’s "Gang of 14" that brokered a cross-party compromise on judicial nominees. He claims he knows how to get things done in Washington, but even his staunchest supporters can’t come up with one thing he’s ever accomplished other than "inspiring." He claims he’s a man of virtue and integrity, but he refuses to reaffirm the pledge he made to use public funding in the general election now that he’s amassed a fortune in donations. Don’t get me wrong: I think Obama is probably a good guy. I liked what he had to say in his speech about race. I agree with his opinions on gay marriage and No Child Left Behind. It doesn’t bother me that he bowls like a girl. Thing is, all of my opinions on him, and everyone else’s as well, are based solely on his words. Call me cynical, but in politics, actions very seldom mirror words. Voting for Obama is like getting excited about a Christmas present that’s still wrapped up. Under that crisp paper and shiny bow, there may be that Wii you’ve been asking for since August or it may be another sweater from Aunt Ruth.