Taliesin

I had actually thought that lobbyists were universally despised. Lobbyists in theory is not a bad idea. You have representatives of certain groups try to promulgate their goals to the legislators. The problem comes when you see that the lobbyists derive their strength not from popular support but from money. So if a lobbyist for, let's say, American steelworkers wants higher wages for the millions of people he represents and a lobbyist for their boss wants to keep the wages the same, the lobbyist for the boss will win because the boss can offer the legislators more money. How is that fair? I say if the lobbyists aren't controlling the government, the people are. The Obama campaign is already on its way to doing this. The vast majority of his campaign contributions come from average americans. Forgive me as I've forgotten the exact figure, but something like 50% of Obama donations have been less than $20 per person.

I was using poetic license. By time in Washington, I meant time in politics. All politicians who have spent some length of time trying to gain voters have been corrupted. They've learned to sacrifice what is right for what is popular.
As Margaret Chase Smith said, "The right way is not always the popular and easy way." Obama has not been in politics long enough to lose sight of this idea.

I don't know who you're talking about, but that's not Obama. Obama is the man who wants to meet with all world leaders unconditionally. If he is willing to meet with everyone and discuss policies, how is he being unilateral? You seem to be describing Bush. Bush is the moron currently in office. Obama is the agent of change running for the presidency right now. Ok?

That's the sad truth. However, our presence is hardly lessening the bloodshed. I would say that Iraq is in a civil war right now and we don't have any business being there, but Iraq is not in a civil war, it is in anarchcy. There are no clearly defined sides in which one may place their loyalties. All our troops are doing there is offering the insurgents more targets. Look at these Awakening Councils; they are switching from allies to enemies and back again. So what if we kill some enemy combatants? They will be our allies again in a few weeks. Just what goal do we have in mind for American troops in Iraq? As I see it, we must allow the civil war to run its course before Iraq can begin the healing process. We are extending the civil war by bringing forign terrorist groups into the country who want to kill everyone. If we leave, these terrorists will be kicked out into the sand. Look at Nationalist China and Communist China during the Second Sino-Japanese War; they called a cease fire to drive out the outsiders invading their country from a neighboring state. The same will happen in Iraq.

Well this isn't the same thing. Obama's plan requires, by law, that each parent purchases health insurance for their children. He isn't trying to create a government sponsored health care system.

First, those policies don't exist to help his friends, those groups became his friends because they agree with his policies. There is a monumental difference. Second, try reading his full platform: Barack Obama | Change We Can Believe In | Energy. You've focused on a single piece which could actually be highly successful and ignored the rest.

I can't give you a source to prove this, but you are dead wrong. I am a member of the youth and I can assure you that we are not a selfish as you believe we are. My campus is up in arms for Obama because we are not as cynical as the average American. If we need to sacrifice a small percentage of our paychecks to repair all the damage that Bush has done to America, we are more than willing.

You said it yourself, stem cell research is potentially lucrative. It needs government help to get it off the ground. Once stem cell research is stable, we can withdraw government funding. I don't see a problem with the government aiding a a cause that could potentially save millions of lives. The majority of Congress doesn't either as Bush has had to veto Stem Cell bills on two separate occasions.

I never said that gay issues had to be a high priority. In September 2007 McCain said that he did not support gay civil unions. What part of that is "fairly liberal"? Obama supports full civil unions which would be legally equal with marriages, but suggests that the individual states should be allowed to choose whether to allow the term "marriage" or not. I don't know about you, but I see a slight difference in their viewpoints.

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"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors."
~Plato