Much has been made this election about a "lack of experience" on Barack Obama's part. Experience comes in many forms. This has basically become a 3 person race between Clinton, Obama, and McCain. What we have is a presidential campaign between 3 senators. Three senators, all with vastly different life EXPERIENCES. They all have accomplishments they can point to in their records, and they all have fluff.

Many folks are simply regurgitating the same lines that others are feeding them via radio talk, family, one news network or another, without doing the research for themselves. I encourage, if you are one who is hung up on senate experience, to visit THOMAS (Library of Congress) and compare the amount of fluff between Clinton and Obama. Personally, when I get beyond all the "honors" and "commemorations" , I find that Obama has the more substantive bills/laws passed. I didn't say MORE, I said more SUBSTANTIVE. And with the administration we have lived with for the past 7 years, I'm looking for someone to fight for substantial change, such as the Ethics Reforms that Barack fought for.

Something that also grabs me about the fact that we have 3 senators running this year is that senators rarely become presidents. Anyone who knows anything about our government would know that it is ridiculously hard to get anything accomplished through the senate. I have an idea that this is what has hampered many former senators in the past from having successful runs at the presidency. A senator's "record" does not always reflect the vast amount of leadership experience that person may have. That's why it's so important to look at the full picture.

The office of President of the United States requires unflappable leadership. Yet it also requires being able to bridge people's differences in order to bring about positive change in this country and the world. We must put a person in office who is patient yet determined at the same time. We need a person with a clear understanding and respect of the Constitution of the United States. We need someone with a real understanding of foreign cultures that will allow us to better communicate and compete in a global economy.

We have all these things in Barack Obama. A community organizer in south-side Chicago...that takes patience and determination. A student and teacher of the Constitution...someone who truly respects and understands our government. A man who has LIVED in various parts of this country and the world...not simply made appearances as First Lady or as part of a "job." There is a marked difference in the understanding you gain through LIVING in an area rather than only VISITING. This is a man who has proven his ability time and time again to be able to communicate and unite folks from all walks of life. This is such an important trait in a world that needs real dialogue and not childish, back and forth threats that lead to misunderstandings, lies, and loss of so many lives.

It's true that I'm encouraging you to vote for Barack Obama. But more than that, Im asking you to vote with an educated, not a closed, mind. Do your research. Don't just cruise the blogs and post things that others have put out to rally the ignorant and fearful. We all have experience with an administration who has retained power through fear. Let's not continue that trend. Let's just be real about this thing.


Another interesting link regarding how history hasn't been kind to senators running for president...
http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/summ...99-1552584_ITM

Barack Obama refuses to wear an American flag pin because he thinks its phony patriotism.

Barack Obama's wife said recently that she is proud of her country for the first time in her adult life.

Barack Obama has promised to meet personally with dictators and tyrants who are America's worst enemies and want to do us harm.

Barack Obama has promised to invade Pakistan, an allied nation, without the permission of Pakistan's government. Barack hasn't explained why invading a pro-American democratic country is a good thing, but invading Iraq, run by an anti-American genocidal dictator, was a bad thing.

Barack Obama said he will withdraw all troops from Iraq but will re-invade Iraq if he finds out that al-Quada is in Iraq. Guess what Barack, al-Quada is in Iraq NOW, so yes you WILL have to re-invade Iraq.

Barack Obama has blasted the NAFTA agreement at political rallies in Ohio but then sent secret messages to the Canadian government that he doesn't really mean what he says, it's "just politics."

Barack Obama's followers worship him as a Christ-like figure who want to touch his robes to be healed of blindness and leporcy.

Barack Obama wants to "change" America, but doesn't explain why he thinks America is such a bad place to live that it needs to change.

Barack Obama hasn't openly declared he's a Communist, but that's only because the Communists had to go underground after the McCarthy era.

On the last debate none of the Republican presidental candidates wore the american flag.

His wife is not going to be president.

I suppose bombing them and becoming dictators is better

Al Quada will always be in Iraq now thanks to GWB.

He did not send anything a staffer supposedly did and the person who got the "secret message" has denied it all

America is not bad and he has not said america is bad he has said he can make america better.

__________________
Half of the American people never read a newspaper. Half never voted for President. One hopes it is the same half. - Gore Vidal

Get the facts straight prior to posting please and that goes for any candidate in this presidental race.

__________________
Half of the American people never read a newspaper. Half never voted for President. One hopes it is the same half. - Gore Vidal

Ok, well I will post just a few facts then. First, does the following name ring a bell: al-Zarqawi?

This guy has had ties to Bin Laden since the late 80s. He formed his group in the mid 90s and fought alongside the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan after the US invaded. After supposedly being wounded he fled to Northern Iraq in mid 2002 to re-organize his militant group there.

According to Perspectives on World History and Current Events (PWHCE), a not-for-profit project based in Melbourne, Australia, "Zarqawi was well positioned to lead the Islamic wing of the insurgency when the March 2003 invasion took place.

Zarqawi had been working with Bin Laden for a long time, and then he formally swore loyalty to Bin Laden in 2004, in which he changed the name of his group to "al-Qaeda in Iraq."

Although there has never been any direct ties from Saddam and him, there is substantial evidence that he had organized his group in Iraq well before we were ever there.

Now, back to the thread starter. I agree with the assessment that with all being Senators, that there is no real leadership advantage for any of them. I just flat out disagree with most of Obama's policies and think he will tank the economy, govt, and future even worse than what things are now. He seems like a great person with great aspirations, but thats about all I can say. I think most of what he says he wants to do is unnattainable. Only time will tell for sure I guess.

In response to Grez, that's what I'm talking about...you sound like someone who has put thought into this election and though we agree to disagree, I appreciate someone who can express their opinion WITHOUT using stereotypical insults and false rumors and trying to pull things out of context in order to perpetuate fear.

I found it funny that Hillary Clinton cites experience as being overwhelmingly important considering that she has only been in the Senate for two terms. If she were nominated John McCain could easily turn this into a campaign issue using her statements against her.

Of course a person doesn't need "experience" to lead the nation. What they need is a good agenda and experienced advisers something that all of the candidates seem to lack.

Zarqawi was reported to have settled in northern Iraq in the summer of 2002, joining the Ansar al-Islam group which operated there. No links between Ansar al-Islam & Saddam have ever been proven; the group operated in the northern Kurdish area of Iraq, which Saddam hadn't had any controp over since the 1991 uprising. We knew exactly where the al-Islam camps were, we could've just bombed them instead of waging war against the entire Iraqi government - which had nothing to do with al-Islam and was too weak to even control the Kurds anymore.

Not very good at following rules I guess (you would think I might be a fan of Hillary for that reason)My apologies to the forum.

I will remove myself from the conversation and wish you all the best.

Please don't take your right to vote for granted

This is my first post becuase I just found the forum. Although I saw some typically idiotic subjects and posts I found this string of comments to be civil and mostly on topic. Congratulations.
Now. please don't stop reading this even if we are on opposite sides, but I support Sen Obama. He is the first candidate for whom I wanted to cast my vote since Kennedy (who was also a Senator and very young). Kennedy is arguably a candidate as our best President since FDR.
Also, no one has enough experience to be President! It is a job that you move into with respect for the exigencies in circumstances that may confront you. You cannot be 'ready'. Only after a few years will we be able to assess that whomever is elected was or was not the right choice. Here are some of the reasons I believe Obama is a better choice.
1. At a time when we must negotiate with Arab nations it is better to have a man as President, because the Arabs unilaterally dinigrate women. A woman cannot negotiate with them successfuly.
2. Hillary Clinton and Bill did not accomplish any of the 'good ideas' she has (which in many cases are almost exactly like Obamas) during their 8 years in office. The major piece of legislation, NAFTA, that was inacted during his administration and which he wholeheartedly supported has cost the USA hundreds of thousands of jobs. Also, Bill did nothing to strengthen our armed forces or treat veterans better. He was all mouth and old time politics. That is what Hillary and McCain will give us also.
3. Invade Pakistan? We have troops there already at the request of their president. And in context we have already one exactly what Obama said. When intelligence indicated a strike might kill an important terrorists, the strike was made. That is what he said.
These are just three of the good reasons to support Obama, not the other old politics guys, even if one is a woman.