Does Senator Barack Obama Inspire You? Yes or no?

I don't know if "inspire" is the right word, but he appeals to me, and he is my current choice. He is smart, and a standout among the rather tired-seeming other Democrats. Can I use the dreaded "A" word -- articulate -- because he is? He just has a way of expressing himself that is very witty and concise that doesn't sound "canned."

In the beginning I was concerned about his experience level, but my husband pointed out the being a good president was really all about choosing good advisors, and he also seems to have a knack for that, so I was sold at that point.


Please feel free to blog away with my comments.

Hey Don! How ya doin'? You in your lex luther suit today?

I am hopeful about him. Lord, we need a man with some integrity in office.

He inspires nothing in me. He's a marionette who hopes to parlay his African looks with his law-school education into the White House, where he will do nothing but pay bills to the people who got him there for 4-8 years.

He & Hillary are inter-changeable; he has color, and she has gender. Other than those inborn qualities, they're just as useless as the rest of the announced candidates.

Thank you for the input. I wish I had gotten permission for more than just one person to use their comment, but of course, ALL opinions are valued! That is what America stands for. John, what makes you see him and Hillary as marionettes? Who's pulling the strings?

Lex, are you saying, Obama is conservative? Yeah, in many ways he is. But is that what you are saying? And if not, what does he inspire you to vote conservatively?

Tamara:
Hmmmm, pretty name, don't laugh, when I ask, based on your comments -- you sound young (mentioning young voters) Old Cynical already? You speaking figuratively? What do you expect of your leaders? I am very serious. That is a question that isn't asked enough -- what should we be expecting from our leaders?

Janice:
Babe, not only am I in my Lex Luther suit, but I've got a ton of Krytonite for that Supercrap super-case (lol). No, I really like him! Integrity -- okay. Do you think Hillary has integrity? Should she be penalized for Bill's sins?

You sound okay -- salt of the earth. Pretty cool statement about the accordion, and thank you about using the statement. This evening, PST www.obama--america--generation.com/blog.html is where we'll post your statement.

Feel free to invite your buddies over there for more dialogue

I think it is going to be Hillary running for president and Obama as vice, So this would keep me from voting for him. I do not care for her, or her husband, I think anyone who has put up with a cheating husband all of this time,is insecure, not strong enough to run a country. Her name has been linked to scandals as well as anyone else's . She seems to have an excuse as to why, she voted for a war that she does not believe in. If she didnt know what her husband was doing( cheating on her) while she was in the White House and in her own marriage, I dont think she can run this country. She has to much of her husbands opinions in her, I dont like war either but to many times in the past, we should of (instead of just talking) of taken a stand against people who have bombed, killed and maimed our interests. Under the Clinton administration nothing was done. I want a president who has morals, values, and doesnt let DC pull their strings, one who has character and integrity, who doesnt tell the American public one thing, then goes back to DC and votes another way. I am tired of paying all these tax dollars and the Dems in COngress want to raise them more, I am tired of the illegals getting all kinds of benefits, while the working class, cant afford to have insurance, has to struggle and save to make a decent living. This is American and Congress needs to take care of us first, not all of these foreigners who come to this country to mooch off of good people. We are lead to believe that we need these immigrants to do work that lazy americans wont do. Hows this for an idea? Send the immigrants back and let those who can work laying around on welfare, and let them work for that government check? It would save the taxpayers alot of money, then return some of the money saved back to the people who are breaking their backs to support everyone else, in the form of a refund. I am very disgruntled about politics at this time. If Mr Obama doesnt hook up with Hillary, he might stand a chance, but I have always felt that someone who is not rich should be in the White House, when you are rich, you cant possbibly be realistic about how the working class survives, rich people dont have to worry about health care, house and car payments, food, education etc. So how can someone rich relate to the middle class, who foots the bills for all.

Prolific in speech, Vickey, at the least. May I quote you? And you definitely are the voice of many Americans who either won't speak up, or have not. Thank you!

Nalita,

It is rumored that Lex Luthor up there is that famous Gather conservative Don H. He doesn't exactly have kryptonite, but he's hoot none the less. lol

I wanted to incite him, but he didn't take the bait :-(

Hey! You're one of my heroes. I didn't know you were one of the troops! May I take a moment to thank you for your service. I can't really say enough, except that your sacrifice is appreciated by me.

Does Barack Obama inspire me? I'm unsure. He talks a good game. He's certainly a refreshing change from many in the current crop.

I agree with his comment that instead of being Republicans or Democrats, we should simply be Americans.

But, unless he changed his stance on immigration, I quite simply couldn't vote for him. I believe many of the people, he professes to want to help, are some of the main ones who are hurt by this policy.

Also, more and more he's beginning to sound like, "just every other politician".

Personally, I don't believe he's done enough to distinguish himself from others in the democratic heap. Policy wise - how does he really differ from Hilary. The battle cry, "We want out of Iraq" worked well in the past. But, now even Senator Lugar acknowledges that the Iraq strategy hasn't been working.

So, eventually (this fall) even Republican candidates will be able to gather the courage to say, okay maybe we should consider leaving ...

So, maybe that's it - his speeches inspire me. But, so far - his policies don't. I would rather be inspired by what he actually plans on doing once gets in office.

He inspires me in that he's siphoning energy from the Hillary machine. It should serve to strengthen the Dem party. He seems to be a galvanizing figure that stands for new ideas among dems who rightly recognize Hillary as part of the establishment. They need a good shaking up.

I am registered as a republican but don't know what I am anymore. I'm probably a Libertarian. We'll see.

Bret and Vicki -- question: If not Obama, then who? Who are you going to vote for? Will you be a vote of conscience, to make a statement -- to stand up and be counted? Or one to elect the next President of the United States?

Too soon for me to tell. I am pragmatic but there are lines I cannot cross. I'll have to see how things progress. Whether or not O-dog gets the nomination, he's already having an impact. He's forcing the Clinton operation to adopt new strategies. That can't be bad.

"Tanx, Bret."

Pulling the strings -- the usual: PACs, unions, religious interests, etc. I see Obama rubbing shoulders one day with a bunch of Teamsters, and trying to fake a holy dance with some Southern Church group the next. It makes me sick. Hillary does the same, except it's some womens' union instead of the Teamsters.

Only Bloomberg catches my eye, and that's because he has the financial wherewithal to end up beholden to no one. Plus, he might actually run this Country for what it is -- a giant business, whose leaders actually answer to the shareholders.

At this point, I don't know. It will probably be a "protest" vote. LOL. I like Obama. But, I can't vote for him. So, I have to like him from a distance. He's the only democrat that I would consider offering a vote.

I'll probably end up voting for a Republican, though. My preference would be an independent. Not Bloomberg, though. He's gotten to be downright confusing.

Democrat --> Republican --> Independent or is it Republican --> Democrat --> Independent

I would really prefer a 3rd party candidate that I can believe in ... And, yes, I know the chances of that candidate would be slim.

Thanks for the frankness -- wow. Senator Obama has his work ahead of him. I don't know about Bloomberg, though. Doesn't seem like he knows what his political philosophical values are -- or, to give him credit, maybe he's evolving.

Nope not me Nalita. My husband just sent the photo for the kids, so I threw it up on here. He's there now, maybe till FEB. He's been gone since St patricks of LAST year if you can believe it. He's lost so much weight over there I hardly knew him in this pic.

I like Sen Obama very much in todays world he sends a message to people of all races and ethnicity of what's possible. All young people need to understand the concept of what's possible and never set limits or have anyone set limits on you.

What's possible- I love the concept.

BTW: Ali's my icon because he understood "what's possible" and never let anyone set limits on him.

Nothing is impossible to us, Brian; do you believe that? WE limit ourselves. Sometimes have found myself going over into the realm of "impossibilities" and when it begins to work, I pull back thinking, "Hey, I am not supposed to be able to do this." Lack of faith is what Jesus called it. Our mouth and what we speak doesn't help. Yes, anything is possible when you follow the spiritual laws surrounding it.

Amen to that. You have a great thougt pattern.

I see Barack had a vey successful quarter fund raising. It's possible. He can go all the way he has a shot.

I work with a lot of tech on the job, and I always think what can be done?, what's possible can we establish a newer faster way of doing things? I studied digital video, networking, biometrics, fibre optics, electronics and I love the concept of what's possible and creating new ways of doing things and learning more.

Good, thoughtful answer.

ALTER ALERT! ALTER ALTER!

It's another one people -- miked42.gather.com

I'll have no alters on my threads.

Did you know when I first signed up on Gather back in June 2007, before I knew anything about blogging, I was told to watch out, that

"THE FREAKS COME OUT AT NIGHT."

It is an expression meaning that around Election time all kinds of alters would surface and resurface with a bunch of foolishness.

Not on my threads.

Bye bye.

Actually, the people who first spoke out against Bush inspire me most, as do the people Obama inspires.