I was listening to a speech by Michelle Obama yesterday afternoon and had a couple of thoughts. I hadn’t really thought much about this until yesterday, but I think Barrack is what this country needs in this era because of the fact that he probably has the best perspective of how economic policies affect the world as his grandmother still lives in Africa. Maybe, this isn’t “american” (maybe also read “isolationist”) enough for the average American who perhaps believes in something other than America, a part of the global system. I think this brings us to an interesting crossroads in history, a chance to go on without much regard to how our politics affect others in the world, an arrogance and ignorance, or a chance to choose a new, different path that would recognize that this big, spinning rock has moved forward into a new reality.
Unique perspective?
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I hope you are right, Peters, now that Obama is more or less the presumptive Democratic nominee. I think Obama does have a more global view, whether that comes from his grandmother living in Africa or from a devotion to economic equality. As the election begins shifting toward McCain vs. Obama, I think the question will be whether Obama can convince a lot of Americans that global economic aid should be a significant (read: at least one percent of the US annual budget) part of where our tax dollars go. McCain will do a lot to convince people that Obama will be a “tax and spend” president, and that will, unfortunately, be persuasive to a lot of Americans who are, understandably, strapped under the current economic downturn (recession?). It will be interesting to see what ideology prevails there with American voters.
I will vote for Obama, certainly, in the scenario that is unfolding. Eight years ago, McCain was an interesting figure from the Republican side, but has inexplicably thrown in with Bush about the war and about the economy and that makes him extremely problematic for someone who believes in peace and economic justice. Obama’s running mate will be a major issue, in terms of his ticket reaching white and economically struggling, middle class voters. My advice to him: John Edwards.
Yes, I leaned toward HIllary Clinton through the primaries, though she disappointed me in some of her rhetoric during the campaign (so did Obama). I still think of her as probably the better candidate against McCain. But now, I’m ready to put this drawn-out nomination process behind us: it brought out ugly things, I think, about America, and it has strikingly exposed the divisions in this country. But even that said, I think the Democratic party will get behind Obama and support him fully against McCain.