The Oregonian: Obama & McCain
T.A. Barnhart
The Oregonian decided, with our primary about a thousand years in the future but Washington holding their odd caucus on Super Tuesday, that it was time to identify their preferences for President. Their choice of John McCain is not surprising — Mittens is the kind of Republican the Big O, and most Oregon R's, tend not to be able to stomach. (Ron Paul does appeal to a sizeable number of voters in this state, but the O was going for candidates with a realistic chance, not to mention those who are not dedicated to tossing away 90% of the government services most Americans support).
The pick of Obama over Hillary is a bit more unexpected and speaks to the way his message of change is growing more meaningful by the day:
As for Obama, the case for his candidacy seems to grow stronger every day. It seems to us that his approach to politics and, especially, leadership offers the cleanest and clearest break from the direction that the Bush presidency took the United States.Obama's political gift is often described as charisma, but there is a better word for it: authenticity. Americans yearn for it in their leaders and rarely find it. Obama has it, and because of that, he displays the potential to restore Americans' faith in their own national ideals and perhaps even renew the belief that service to one's fellow citizens is a high calling, not a reward for political support.
The mere election of Obama would advance the crumbling credibility of and restore international respect for the United States in the wider world, where symbolism is a potent force.
Obama has not yet been tempered in the fires of world conflict or tested in the snares and traps of Washington insider politics. But as any number of former presidents tell us: Everyone's an amateur when they first set foot in the Oval Office.
What we see in Obama is strength and personal integrity to overcome these obstacles and others. What we see in him is not just the ability to lead a government, but the ability to lead a nation.
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6:18 p.m.
Feb 3, '08
Washington is holding its caucus on 2/9, not Super Tuesday.
6:43 p.m.
Feb 3, '08
thanks for the correction, Steve. that was my error, not the O's. supporters of the campaigns who are frustrated that Oregon's primary is held in a different century from the rest of the nation are requested to help out in Washington. i believe (i was told by someone who went in 2004) non-caucusing people (ie, Oregonians) are allowed in the caucus room, so supporters can actually do some arm-twisting | friendly persuasionizing. check the campaigns' websites to find out how you can play.
Feb 3, '08
not to mention those who are not dedicated to tossing away 90% of the government services most Americans support).
Which ones are they?? The IRS? The bloat in Washington. FEMA who confiscated guns of americans during Katrina and left them defenseless while others were robbing and looting?
Paul is attempting to save the system Americans have become dependent on. The rest are trying to bankrupt us without a safety net. Maybe you need to dig this deeper. The dollar is crashing, the housing market is crashing, and the Federal Debt has grown to the tune of 70 Trillion dollars with entitlement programs that the country can not pay for. David Walker Comptroller General is going State to state to try and educate people.
All your candidates are bought and paid for by the banking system (opensecrets.org) except Paul who represents the people.
Feb 3, '08
I'm not sure you're looking at the same America I am, talking about when you say most Americans are happy to let the Federal government confiscate nearly half the fruits of their labor to pay for government services. The fact is, our Federal income tax dollars do NOT pay for government services. 100% of our tax dollars is used to pay JUST THE INTEREST on the national debt. There are LOADS of other taxes that actually pay for infrastructure & the military - NONE of their budget actually comes from the federal income tax! Truth be told, the federal government, IRS and the FED have been breaking the law for well over 100 years, reason number one being the Constitution declares thare are only two types of taxes - direct and indirect. DIRECT taxes have to be equally apportioned amongst the states, and the Fed income tax is not following this law.
People need to educate themselves, if it isn't already too late it soon will be.
Feb 3, '08
So then, with its announced choices in mind, who will the Oregonian, alternately accused by some people, that it leans to conservative poles and other people to liberal poles, ultimately endorse for president? I read recently that conservatives don't particularly like McCain. I seem to remember that this position represents in-house Oregonian columnist David Reinhard's feelings too. According to the column where I read this, (forgot who the author was...not Reinhard) conservatives would rather lose with McCain and let the demo's take the heat for the next term.
Endorsing Obama on the demo side almost makes the O seem progressive. Maybe the O is just too realistic too hope the Hillary can be a good president while being married to the tag-a-long former president.
The O's endorsement statement for Obama is decent and optimistic, even though I'm suspicious of its sincerity. Whatever, the O's motives for giving Obama thumbs up, if it encourages more people to learn and consider how an Obama presidency might work into a better, brighter future for the country and the world, that would be very satisfying.
7:54 p.m.
Feb 3, '08
ok, it was weak to poke a stick at the Paulies. but i am weak at times. but i apologize cuz it's still jerky.
8:16 p.m.
Feb 3, '08
Ron Paul does appeal to a sizeable number of voters in this state, but the O was going for candidates with a realistic chance, not to mention those who are not dedicated to tossing away 90% of the government services most Americans support
Not an untrue statement in there, T.A.
Of course, I think you just put "Ron Paul" in the post to generate a bunch of comment traffic.
Not since the days when websites would insert the text "Pamela Anderson" into totally unrelated content has there been a better traffic magnet.
Feb 3, '08
Anyone ever see Bettlejuice?
RON PAUL! RON PAUL!! RON PAUL!!!
Feb 3, '08
Libertarianism in short, I got mine - screw you. They play the Constitution pretty hard, until it comes to prohibitting things they don't like - Constitution or otherwise.
Now I'm not buying the Civil Liberties credentials of either Democratic candidate. You do not get to pick which parts of the Constitution and BOR you want to whack and call yourself a defender of the Constitution. As obnoxious as it may be, I'll have to depend on the BushCo Supremes to yank the 2nd out of their grubby paws. That sucks completely and if you don't get it, see GWB as your grubby pal in depredations.
yeah, I'll vote Democratic in the fall, don't expect me to like it. I'll vote against any more of what the Republicans have done, not with enthusiasm for what either of these two stand for. In a year like this...
You can look at my vote for Obama in the same frame, a vote against. In a year like this...
What do you say one of these days we run a populist progressive who respects the entire document that is our basic law? Just for a little change...
Feb 3, '08
Now I'm not buying the Civil Liberties credentials of either Democratic candidate. You do not get to pick which parts of the Constitution and BOR you want to whack and call yourself a defender of the Constitution. As obnoxious as it may be, I'll have to depend on the BushCo Supremes to yank the 2nd out of their grubby paws.
Some sort of modest gun control (like banning military assault weapons) is "whacking" the Constitution and Bill of Rights? Geez Louise.
As for Ron Paul, the name always reminds me of the erstwhile Ron Paul Charcuterie on NE Broadway in Portland. Way too French for the Texan Ron Paul.
8:59 p.m.
Feb 3, '08
The O: On the nonissue part of the campaign, we happen to think that Sen. Clinton gets a great deal of undeserved criticism over the fact that she stood by her husband during his self-inflicted travails.
This line sort of threw me. I've been following this race closely for over a year, and I haven't heard anyone level this criticism at all (and most of my following of the race has been in pretty anti-Hillary circles). That's either a pathetic straw man or, more likely, just a personal hangup of someone on the editorial board.
9:17 p.m.
Feb 3, '08
"except Paul who represents [a lot of racist] people."
The guy's history is pretty slimy.
9:19 p.m.
Feb 3, '08
As for Ron Paul, the name always reminds me of the erstwhile Ron Paul Charcuterie on NE Broadway in Portland. Way too French for the Texan Ron Paul.
Yup, and that's the guy that has RonPaul.com.
Feb 3, '08
VOTE RON PAUL, THE ONLY TRUE CONSERVATIVE IN THE RACE!
10:27 p.m.
Feb 3, '08
and Andy demonstrates why Ron Paul has been so successful: trolling for conservative votes at a progressive website.
Feb 3, '08
The Oregonial Editorial Board never makes an endorsement without opening all the windows in the room.
Not only does that action let the self righteous smell out, it allows the political wind to blow in.
Don't worry - they will eventually back Clinton. And they won't hold their noses. And, as usual, pretend that Obama never really had a chance anyway. It was all discussed done in a moment of hopeful inspiration. Or perhaps the latest CNN poll.
Blah, blah, blah.....
Feb 4, '08
I'm not so convinced the O will eventually endorse Hillary. They'll probably go the safe route and endorse McCain. I'm sure that a lot more people than are saying, don't like Obama because he's black and too young for their tastes, and Hillary because she's a woman. Both of them pose risky uncertainties for the road ahead if one or the other is president. For those reasons, the conservative crowd will not vote for them. Then there's McCain, the war hero moderate(supposedly moderate) republican. He's far more predictable. Easy choice for the O's editorial board. I'll be surprised if it makes an endorsement that risks overly upsetting conservative readers and stockholders.
Feb 4, '08
Good news! This time the "O" picked a winner in Obama. As for McCain... his big platform: "100 years in Iraq", "There will be more wars." and "The jobs are not coming back." A real optimistic and promising future from McCain.
Feb 4, '08
What do you say one of these days we run a populist progressive who respects the entire document that is our basic law? Just for a little change...
The Democrats offered two real progressives - Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel - who received little support partly because the first things that came to people's minds was that they couldn't be elected instead of saying, "Let's get the message out that we want a progressive president who will live up to the Constitution and really believes in that last phrase of the Pledge of Allegiance - liberty and justice for all."
Feb 4, '08
It is amazing how ignorant people are about libertarians here. Please go to lporegon.org and click on the "Are you a libertarian" quiz at the top of the screen. Just like there are Centrist Dems, Progressive Dems, Conserva-Dems, and many viewpoints, so to is the libertarian party. The basic premise is that personal liberty and Constitutional Rights must be protected. Yes, there are the no-taxes-period types of wingnuts who identify with libertarian principals, but I'd say the Dems have their share of wingnuts, too.
In fact, most Libs are for government programs and regulations ON THE FRONT SIDE. Key distinction. A strong, independent SEC and reporting standards for businesses, with a keen eye to anti-trust laws. The Republicans, with a lot of help from Dems, are the ones who don't have jack to say about big mergers and acquisitions or deregulation. In that sense, Edwards was the most Lib of the Dem candidates. You can't have free markets if you don't have a fair system. You can't have a strong labor market if you give absolute advantages to foreign labor.
You could say I'm a Dem who's gone independent. Now that Edwards is out, I'd rather have Ron Paul. We're approaching a $10 TRILLION national debt, which is closer to $200 trillion if you use real accounting. Meanwhile Russia, China, and India have turned into a financial powerhouse like the US was 30 years ago. I hope all you Boomers enjoy your 90% of government programs that you're charging up on credit. You might as well just raid your kids' college funds and take a trip to Vegas while you're at it. We're about to have our worst recession since the early 80s and as far as I'm concerned the current Dems are as responsible as the Repugs. Now they're trying to out compete the Repugs with... tax breaks for business!! Laughable.
"Pamela Anderson" into totally unrelated content has there been a better traffic magnet
Not really. TA's lead to his commentary is 103 words long, prefaces the subject of endorsements and political coverage in Portland's biggest paper, and he dedicates 43 words (42%) of his lead paragraph to slagging Ron Paul. ...And there's no rock star sex video floating around on the internet of Ron Paul right now that is making people tune into his campaign (or give record funds to it). That should tell you something. People like me believe in the same Democratic principals as you do, but we're sick of DNC politics as usual and see enough in Ron Paul's message to support him.
Feb 4, '08
Ron Paul?
Pleeeze!
Global Warning? His jury is out? Abortion? A woman's right to . Education? Health care? Poverty? Take care of your own kids. The market will provide. Social problems? They'll all disappear just as long as the government cuts taxes. Hey don't worry. Just get stoned, play with your assault rifle and forget all about it.
Feb 4, '08
Ron Paul?
Pleeeze!
Global Warning? His jury is out? Abortion? A woman's right to lose. Education? Health care? Poverty? Take care of your own kids. The market will provide. Social problems? They'll all disappear just as long as the government cuts taxes. Hey don't worry. Just get stoned, play with your assault rifle and forget all about it.
Feb 11, '08
This video I made re Obama (also info posted on my profile on MySpace), this is SCARY information!!!
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=28091167
Feb 11, '08
OBAMA GETTING ELECTED COULD BE DEADLY!!!
Osama bin Laden said, "America would fall from the inside, out"
How did Stalin and Hitler get into power? It was their dynamic way in which they communicated a better future for their countries. Soon Gun Rights were taken from the people and then the slaughtering of millions began…
Barack Hussein Obama is one of those dynamic communicators. He was born a Muslim according to Islam, he is a Muslim.
What if Obama is engaged in Pious Fraud? This is a Muslim practice of pretending not to be Muslim to further the cause of Islam or to "defend the faith". Hudaibiyah treaty: "kiss the hand of your enemy until you can cut it off" http://freerepublic.com/focus/news/708295/posts
OR DID OBAMA EVER DENOUNCE HIS ISLAM FAITH AND BECOME A CHRISTIAN? IF HE TRULY DID THAN HE WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN APOSTATE MUSLIM AND AS SUCH IT IS THE DUTY OF ANY MUSLIM HE MEETS TO BEHEAD HIM. THERE IS NO DISPUTE AMONG EITHER ANCIENT OR MODERN MUSLIM SCHOLARS THAT UNDER ISLAMIC LAW, A MURTADD, "ONE WHO TURNS HIS BACK ON ISLAM," AN APOSTATE, MUST BE PUT TO DEATH. THAT MEANS THAT 25% OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION WOULD WANT TO DESTROY HIM. WOULD HE BE ABLE TO TRAVEL TO THE MIDDLE EAST OR WORK WITH MUSLIMS WHO LIVE IN THE US. BY QU'RAN TEACHINGS, HE IS AN APOSTATE (HIS FATHER WAS A MUSLIM HIS MOTHER WAS A MUSLIM HIS BROTHERS, SISTERS AND GRANDPARENTS WERE/ARE MUSLIMS).
Obama's Family; ALL Muslims
Hussein Onyango Obama - Grandfather
Sarah Hussein Obama--Step Grandmother
Barack Hussein Obama Sr.-Father
Shirley Ann (Anna) Dunham Ndesandjo-Mother *Atheist/Muslim
Lolo Soetoro Mangunharjo-Step-Father
Kezia Obama-Step-Mother
Maya Soetoro-Ng.-Step-Sister
Auma-Half Sister
Roy-Half Brother
Bernard-Step-Brother
Abo-Step-Brother
Raila Odinga-Cousin/Friend-Islam Radical
Some of the Muslims' basic beliefs include a belief in the One True God, Allah; belief in Allah's angels, His books (Torah and Bible), His prophets (Adam, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Joseph, Jesus, and Muhammad). So knowing and believing in Jesus is different then believing that Christ is our true salvation, our Savior, our Lord.
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