I really have to get this off my chest. I don't write about my opinions of national politics much because well, the enormity of it all makes me feel that there is no point to having an opinion. Presidential campaigns bother me. every campaign I can remember (that would be all the way back to Reagan.....I am only 37 after all)
They talk about changing things, changing the tone in Washington, changing tax laws, changing welfare, yada yada, change blah blah d blah blah. So, far from my perspective things have gotten better for those who were already well off and those of us on the bottom still have to walk a tight rope over poverty. (Wealth seems to me to be more of a birth right than a good work ethic) (who am I to complain, I mean I swore that I would always be poor and now I eat every day and I don't have a paying job) It is a difficult balance regardless.
I like to consider my self Independent, In reality the Dems have always had my vote, except for that year that Nader ran......sigh...... Socially I am not conservative I am all for abortion, drugs, wild sex, and atheists. ( I am much more consverative than that) What turned me off of Republican candidates is their distance from reality, they speak in platitudes that don't stand up to scrutiny. I mean Reagan, known as the great communicate was just a pitchman and was totally void of substance.
They talk about "family values" but then get caught in airport bathrooms trying to get lucky, and who can forget Bob Packwood.
I am more irked with the Republicans now than I ever thought was possible; I mean we have McCain who I viewed as being somewhat honest, shooting for the platitudes that will get the yokel vote. Not so long ago McCain was pro-choice now he is talking about banning abortion out right.
One would hope that if he gets into office he will stick to those wacky right wingers.
I am voting for Obama, but honestly I have only heard one of his inspiring speeches; that was all for me. why? Well it is that platitude thing again; he is a much better speaker than Gore or Kerry were. Gore and Kerry appealed to me because they did not use flowery speech, I just don't trust any one who seems to be trying to sell me something.
If Obama were not so slick I might feel really good about voting for him.
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I've read both of Obama's books, and I'm very impressed with his intelligence and his take on the issues. I disagree that just because someone is a good speaker it necessarily means that it's all style and no substance.
The last "great communicator" people remember is Reagan, so people naturally see the parallel: they're both good at uniting people around a coherent vision and strategy. But the main problem with Reagan was that the vision/strategy itself was rotten: borrow and spend, the assumption that we can have cheap oil forever (with no thought for the future) as long as we back it up with military might, bringing God-talk back into the White House to give the president's actions (however criminal they may be, see Iran-Contra affair) the veneer of righteousness. Those roosters have come home to roost, and we're paying for it today.
Now Obama is offering a set of good goals and strategies to replace the bad, and he knows how to explain them to get people on his side. It's about time! :D
You have a good point Chanson. You have to have good speaking skills in order to rally the public.
I guess the real trick, for the listener, is to learn to discern between empty platitudes and a real message.
I want to believe Obama; which is what makes me uncomfortable.
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