Barack Obama is a candidate for change. Perhaps this is why I have a problem with Barack Obama. Not only has he become the candidate for "change," but in the past he's chosen to shy away from change. Looking at his voting record,(small as it is,) you will find that he often voted "present" essentially abstaining from the vote on controversial issues. This record of voting "present" is even more apparent when he was during his glorious tenure in the state of Illinois state congress.
The word change... What do we associate with change? Generally I feel many people view change as a negative thing. However when presented in the right light, (which Obama's done very well) it can be become positive; this was also done, by a man many "liberals" hate. That man was Ronald Reagan. We can view Reagan and Obama's campaign tactics as nearly identical as they both are positive go get'em attitudes. However Reagan was more specific for the change he desired. The interest rate was at 21% when he took office and the feeling was that America's days of empire were over. Reagan said they were not.
How is Obama's quest for change any different I ask of you? How many times in the DNC have you heard of America's world image, NEEDING TO BE RESTORED? Apparently it does, because all of a sudden we care what other countries think of us. We didn't ten years ago. Obama's promise of change is really a promise to continue on the path of an ever greater imperialist America.
As for Biden, I ask of you to view his voting record on appropriations. You will notice that here he is not so "liberal," that he has continually voted with the Bush administration i the Iraq war, and furthermore is for ANWAR Drilling. His record further shows that for someone who is a "Humanitarian" he has repeatedly supported military action over aid. He in fact called Saddam Hussein a threat before the Bush Administration. As head of the foreign relations committee that's just what I'd want, a war-monger.
If all the above doesn't convince you that Obama, Biden, (hey alliteration!) are not the perfect candidates, than I would like to throw out there also that Biden is a known Plagiarist, and has even been caught lying on his resume. People wonder why this matters. I say it does, because if a man is cutthroat in his personal relations, than what is to keep his love of lying, cheating, and winning at all costs, inside the country once in power? These very qualities, are also backed up in Biden's war voting record, where he's consistently voted for the war, and he's always voted for U.S "intervention" in foreign affairs. Biden is just what we need, an ardent supporter of Real Politik, in his own life, and in foreign relations.
Realists of the world rejoice! Idealists, sadly now is the time to worry most. Will we ever resort to soft power in foreign affairs in lieu of military action? Obama and Biden seem to think not. In fact none of the candidates do. Note that I am not a McCain supporter. However I refuse to believe that Obama is all he's cracked up to be.
Both McCain and Obama have some decent Ideas, however neither truly defines change in the sense they wish to convey it. To me it seems, that were just doing more of the same old “stuff”, presented in a different light. In one way or another, we will either continue Reaganist internal policy, or go back to a quasi version of Johnson's great society. The question is not whether we want change or not, but rather which do you prefer? My fear is not that Americans will vote for one or the other. But rather that they will remain unaware of what they are voting for.
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