Non-partisan: politicians... is this the real Obama? (I hope not!)?

Question

Being in the UK I have almost no confidence in either US Presidential candidate. So this is NOT a partisan political question.

I certainly believe McCain will be Bush-disaster Mk2... my concern is whether Obama will simply be a re-packaged McCain, full of empty rhetoric with a glossier finish.

Barack Obama seems to offer so much and inspires confidence with lofty aspirations, great rhetoric and gleaming smile - he's a political pop star.

Sadly I've seen this all before... and recently:

Tony Blair, slick, smiling, aspirational - a downright liar and a corrupt warmonger with absolutely no scruples whatsoever. (Let's not forget it was Blair who alone supported Bush and added legitimacy by sending in our troops alongside yours - otherwise possibly more and harsher questions would have been asked at the time if the US had gone in to Iraq alone. This when Blair KNEW false WMD intel was fixed around the oil / invasion agenda.)

Obama's pick of unreconstructed neo-colonialist Zbigniev Brezinski (Grand Chessboard author) for his foreign policy advisor is a major concern... someone who advocates a proactive war-making, colonialist foreign policy doesn't exactly fit with democratic moral values does it?

So my questions are:

Is Obama just another superficial smiling con man - hiding a truly treacherous unscrupulous b*****d with no morals whatsoever?

Is this the model for politicians of the future, very little REAL policy difference within a 2-party system, just smoother, loftier and more cynical than those of the past... a smiling jackal in a nice suit?

What is your view - and where are you from?

Answer 1

The fact that Obama backtracked on the FISA Bill (immunity for Telecoms to spy on U.S. Citizens), joined Bush in promoting "Faith-based" funding, changed his position on Oil Drilling, backtracked after critisizing NAFTA, has called for an increased Military & an escalation of the U.S. Military occupation of Afghanistan and chose Joe Biden as a running mate despite the fact that Biden was one of the biggest hawks on Invading Iraq; all are deeply troubling and support your statement that there is little difference in the two-party Corporate-funded system.

However the fact remains that on many issues there IS a Difference:

* Obama's plan on taxation would put more money into the hands of the bottom 80% of taxpayers while increasing Taxes on the Wealthiest and Corporations (actually a return to the more fair Clinton tax tables.)

* Obama would be much better on protecting a Woman' Right to Choose, on Labor Rights and would not stack Regulatory agencies with Corporate pushovers.

* Obama is more intelligent and informed on environmental and energy issues.

* Obama would not Privatize Social Security (a giveaway to Wall Street) like McCain has promoted.

* Obama would more likely use diplomacy as a first resort instead of military action.

* Infrastructure, Healthcare and Education would benefit more from an Obama administration.

"There has been a lot of criticism of the Bush administration as extremist, if not at the far extreme of radical nationalism, and McCain is probably in the same territory. Obama very likely would move back to the center right where the Clinton administration was."

Noam Chomsky

Answer 2

Yep! another fake and a "red herring" they chose him to get the black vote and bring back popularity.

Answer 3

The whole idea that Obama is radical change has never been based on anything substantial only beautiful but empty rhetoric. He's a mainstream Democrat who from his very first race played dirty and continued to do so ever since

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZnlKC5vp...

Belgium here. Your estimate is correct. Obama is not radical change and for those of us looking further than the headlines that much was clear from the beginning.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

(my answer there and the links provided show how Americans once again have no real choice) It was hard getting a word in between the anti intellectual, rascist and xenophobe attacks from the right though but of course that's also a subtantial part of the reason behind nonsensical critisism, snow in the real problems with an Obama Presidency.

Of course McCain is not a good alternative and much worse but compared to that, Bush three, anyone can look good and that's exactly what the real power holders in Washington always count on. I don't doubt or question the idealism and good intentions of most of the Obama supporters but it's their lack of insight and ideological weakness that's the problem. McCain is Bush three but so is Obama, he just puts a friendly face on the product sold wich is American Imperialism.

"Politically, Obama is meant to forestall as long as possible the eruption of mass opposition to the existing economic and political setup. He is being marketed to the public as a caring, thoughtful black man, with hints of Lincoln in the background. He has the constructed appearance, the outer form, of opposition. But only the outer form. He’s clever and adroit. He’s not Bush.

But, minus his carefully crafted identity, he’s not terribly different"

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/aug200...

Answer 4

You pick the best man, after that there are a million other factors that can go into making his presidency a success or not.

American elections are very shallow, a nice suit does makes a difference.

  

Canada

Ignore the A**hole above, if America wants to invade the world, we have the right to give our two cents worth.