Primaries and the Various Candidates

lauraclay · 06-10-2007, 08:32 AM

Ok, so seeing as the primaries are going to be earlier than ever this year, I figure I have to figure out who I want to be president earlier than ever. Right now, I really like Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. Anyone else?

**The An-Jel** · 06-10-2007, 01:34 PM

About the only candidates that make any sense to me who seem like they know what they are doing are:

Ron Paul, Libertarian

Dennis Kucinch, Democrat

Both are Congressional Representatives and both seem to actually read the files presented to them on the War, Poverty, and State of the World at large. I don't believe the other candidates live in reality except maybe Obama but his inexperience leaves me with a bad feeling. While I don't believe he would pull a George W Bush he is similiar in that he needs a few more years of political grooming before he takes the Presidency. Bush should have never been there in the first place. America needs someone with credibility, competance, experience, and knowledge to run this country. The next President is going to have a hell of a job recovering the country from the incalcuable damage done by the latest Administration.

lauraclay · 06-10-2007, 06:50 PM

Ok, I think it's easiest to talk about how candidates stand on one issue. As far as America abroad goes:
Obama:

Quote:

Originally Posted by http://www.barackobama.com/issues/strengtheningamerica/

Obama rejects the notion that the American moment has passed and believes that America must neither retreat from the world nor try to bully it into submission. Obama believes that America must lead the world, by deed and example, and that America cannot meet the threats of the century alone and that the world cannot meet them without America.

Under his leadership America will lead in five specific ways: First, we will bring a responsible end to the war in Iraq and refocus on the critical challenges in the broader region. Second, we will rebuild and transform the military to meet 21st-century threats. Third, we will marshal a global effort to secure, destroy, and stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction. Fourth, we will renew the alliances and partnerships necessary to meet common challenges, such as terrorism and climate change. And fifth, we will strengthen impoverished, weak and ungoverned countries that have become the most fertile breeding grounds for transnational threats like terror and pandemic disease and the smuggling of deadly weapons.

I like Barack because he has specific ways to deal with these problems, and he has hope and drive for us. Also, he works well with Republicans, which I think is important.
Clinton:

Quote:

Originally Posted by http://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/iraq/

In addition to capping troop levels, Hillary's Iraq Troop Protection and Reduction Act of 2007 would:

Require President Bush to begin removing the troops from Iraq within 90 days of passage, or Congress will revoke authorization for the war.
Put an end to the blank check to the Iraqi government and give them real benchmarks with real consequences if they fail to meet them.
Require the Secretary of Defense to certify that all troops sent to Iraq have the training and equipment they need.

I like her withdrawal plan, although she is very argumentative and outspokenly anti-Bush.

Quote:

Originally Posted by http://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/security/

As First Lady and U.S. senator, Hillary visited more than 80 countries and met countless world leaders as America's representative. In the Senate, Hillary has continued to promote America's interests through her work on international affairs.

Senator Clinton takes very seriously the threats we face from terrorism. She believes President Bush's singular focus on Iraq has distracted him from waging the war on terror effectively and emboldened our enemies. As president, she will be tough and smart in combating terrorism.

Hillary has steadfastly fought for Israel's right to exist peacefully and to defend its people against terrorism. She has condemned Hamas's rise to power. She has spoken out against the problem of anti-Semitism in Palestinian textbooks and condemned Iran's conference on the Holocaust. She also successfully helped Magen David Adom join the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement.

She has continued to advance peace in Northern Ireland by maintaining close ties with Irish leaders and promoting business partnerships between Northern Ireland and the United States.

Hillary has been a forceful and consistent advocate for a more robust response to the violence in Darfur since May 2004. She has raised the issue with the Bush administration and pushed for more resources for peacekeeping efforts.

I like all of her positions, but I think she has the same ones as Barack, but handles them a bit more forcefully. Right now, I think we need a tad more diplomacy. I think people are more willing to listen to Obama than Clinton.

Ron Paul: http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/wa...oreign-policy/
Paul seems gung-ho about reversing everything America has done for the past 30 years. But he doesn't have any exact plans. On his site, he just talks about how we've messed up and what we should focus on. But what is he going to do about it?

Dennis Kucinch: Kucinch knows a lot about individual foreign policy topics, and is very adamant and detailed. He reminds me of Hillary Clinton on foreign policy. I still like the diplomacy of Barack more than the anti-Bush and forcefulness of Clinton and Kucinch.

lauraclay · 06-10-2007, 06:56 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCviUxgIWB8
This doesn't make me want him to be my President. I think he's too divisive and angry. Anyone else?

**Jacob** · 06-11-2007, 08:23 AM

U.S. policies have a huge impact on Canada. Therefore, even though I'm Canadian, I'd like to add my opinion. I think that Hillary Clinton would be a refreshing change for president. I especially like her positive stance concerning health care. Everyone in Canada has free access to health care. President George W. Bush once actually quipped (about universal health care), " Well then everyone will want to get into accidents." Obviously, that is not true.

Jacob

**The An-Jel** · 06-11-2007, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lauraclay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCviUxgIWB8
This doesn't make me want him to be my President. I think he's too divisive and angry. Anyone else?

Looks like he wants to save lives and cut through the aristocratic red tape. Clinton and Obama are game players. Obama because he lacks experience, Clinton because it's a matter of course. I don't trust Clinton at all to be point blank. I trust her husband more than I trust her.

**Jacob** · 06-12-2007, 10:51 AM

As a Canadian, I probably shouldn't interfere and recommend U.S. political candidates. I regret writing my last post. I do, however, think that Americans should ask their politicians to consider universal medicare. I know that Canadians are fairly proud of their medicare system.

Jacob

pseudonous · 06-12-2007, 01:45 PM

Quote:

This doesn't make me want him to be my President. I think he's too divisive and angry. Anyone else?

That clip is full of excerpts. Usually, those kinds of advertisements are meant to be emotionally charged. I didn't perceive him as being angry, again they were only showing part of the debates. However, I don't think anyone can deny that he is dissenting.

As a Libertarian, this interests me allot. However, I must admit I haven't been keeping up with politics. Still, this is not the first time a republican has said things which would attract a libertarian, and they usually don't follow through with their promises.

I have to agree with An-Jel, Clinton can't be trusted. I suppose. to me, she is also guilty by association with Bill. I think everyone was so busy talking about Bill's bj that they neglected the policies his administration set, which in turn allowed china to steal a lot of technology (e.g. ICBM technology) from our aerospace programs.

I think whoever becomes president will have a hell of a job recovering the country from more than just the damage inflicted on us by the Bush administration. After all, Bush is not the only president we've had that has made bad decisions.

**George** · 06-13-2007, 10:34 AM

I'd only pull for Hillary if Barack is the vice candidate.

I would indeed trust what would amount to another Bill Clinton presidency. Hillary would get back in office working on health care while Bill toured the world fixing all the bad press and hard feelings the current administration has caused.

While Barack would be there to keep things in check and gain the experience he would need to run in 16. By that time the team I've described above should have things back to where they were in the Clinton era (remember when people actually liked the president?) and it should be an easy transition to take over the reigns for Barack.

He's likeable and all but when I watch him speak it's pretty clear he is too caught up in the movement that believes he's gonna change the world and save us all. In other words he's too caught up in his own hype. And he just doesn't have the experience that would let him know a lot of the things he talks about just won't work.

jaej · 06-13-2007, 11:25 AM

I agree he does seem a little full of himself. I can't really say he doesn't have enough experience though, since he's more than twice as old as I am. In a political sense though, I guess you could say he doesn't. He's been senator for what, like 6 years? If that?