Candidate choice 2008
Here's an example of bias in our media. A few weeks before election day I contacted one of our national newspapers requesting the article below be published. I was told a response might take from 3 to 10 days. No reply after 10 days so I contacted them again reminding the editor of the time limitation involved. No response. But the day AFTER the election I received a reply telling me my request was denied, but I was free again to contact others. Neither a professional nor a civil response, just very political. So much for some of our high class media.
This is what I wrote:
10/21/2008
How to judge Presidential Candidates?
A year and a half ago I wrote a memo about what we should look for in a Presidential candidate's make-up, a) character, b) experience, c) personality and d) political philosophy. To date there is still no basic Presidential candidate profile the average voter might use as an aid to making a reasoned choice, something like a critical roster of fundamental parameters of competence and suitability.
I raise this issue primarily again because our world is becoming more difficult to deal with, our allies fewer, our economy more fragile and the political focus of the media very much on partisan contrasts rather than on the merits of the really fundamental problems the USA is faced with today. Our basic problems are all major in scope and potential risks to the country's security and economic well-being. In order to deal with these challenges we do need to probe into a candidate's real persona much more than we have in the past.
a) Character.
Senator Barack Obama, a relatively young enthusiastic politician, a relative newcomer to national politics with a fresh face and a matching approach. One who loves to talk and speaks well. What's more, what he talks about appears to resonate with many millions of people, thus building enormous public awareness of his candidacy and its aims.
His unwavering, unabashed and seemingly fresh and appealing behavior in often tough, competitive candidate selection performances, helped to make a great impression on the public, carrying him to the top of the ticket. It showed him to be resilient, persistent, even tempered and good at functioning in the national spotlight. All essential characteristics.
On the other hand, Senator Obama's earlier associations with people not known for their support of American values, cast a serious shadow over his ability to judge people critically, since good people judgment becomes ever more critical as one's range of responsibility grows.
His opponent, on the other hand, is a well known Senator with the reputation of being a "maverick" politician. An experienced individual though with a great and courageous personal record of service in the Navy and the Congress. He clearly has shown what his character is made of under the most trying circumstances. We know he's not afraid to stand up for what he believes is good and right for America. In this day and age that's a very valuable aspect to know about a candidate.
b) Experience.
Senator McCain has travelled a lot during his career and seen the trouble-spots our country has been dealing with several times, first hand. Senator Obama on the other hand, just recently visited the Middle East for the first time and cannot claim the personal connections or experience his opponent has with foreign leaders, our military leadership, our armed forces as well as the "government system" at large.
While Senator Obama so far has had little relevant experience in the national political arena it might be argued that organizing and funding a 2 year national political campaign qualifies as executive experience, which may be true. Although its focus is on self-promotion under the guise of eventual service to the nation makes it somewhat questionable. The President of the USA is its Chief Executive so it would seem highly desirable for a candidate to have some real sense of what executive experience is all about.
Senator McCain has had executive experience by virtue of his long Congressional career.
Neither candidate has a thorough grounding in economics although Senator McCain certainly has been through a lot of it during his Senate days.
c) Personality.
Senator Obama has an engaging personality, he appeals more readily to younger people, is closer to them and understands how to deal with them. His enormous popularity shows wherever he goes.
John McCain is a more staid and older individual. No glad-hander, a serious, courageous and experienced individual with a proven record in terms of character and objectives.
Also someone who is no orator but states what he thinks, why he thinks it and leaves the clear impression that he really means what he says.
d) Political philosophy.
Senator McCain's whole intellectual and moral world is anchored in the fundamentals of the American political experiment, our constitutional base and our Christian heritage.
He has studied our history intensively and seen enough of the abroad to realize that America is capable of representing Western civilization at its best and that no other country in the world has done more to try to get our fundamental ideas of individual freedom and economic success adopted by any other country. And really with stunning success to date, we might say. Unfortunately, with this kind of success also come unforeseen problems, national as well as international.
Senator McCain is thoroughly familiar with these events and has dealt with them for years. He knows what needs to be done and is on familiar terrain. A comforting aspect for the electorate. Since humanity has not changed in many thousands of years it is likely to respond to political and economic pressures and challenges the same way as it has in the past. Only experience can be a good guide here. Rash changes could be dangerous.
Mr. Obama on the other hand is an educational product of the post-WW II world, the politically correct and multicultural world. A world where one talks and makes allowances for whatever the other fellow may demand or propose. Everything is negotiable, even honor and reputation it seems. Nothing seems valuable enough to become nasty about, better to give in. Not quite the attitude of the terrorists who deeply believe in their own murderous cause and practice their beliefs at our expense. All in all, a philosophical concept that makes a lot of people very worried about our future as a nation. As one example of this concern, here's what Senator Obama said in Fayetteville, NC on 3/19/08: " I will end the Iraq war because it is the right thing to do for our national security, and it will ultimately make us safer". No one who has studied mankind and its history would make such a statement because it flies in the face of The President's foremost responsibility namely, to guard the nation's security. One can only walk away from a fight by surrendering and committing national disgrace once again and this time the self-proclaimed enemy will be on our doorstep sooner rather than later and the fight, to the end, will get bloodier than anything we have seen before.
Together with the Senator's penchant for bigger government it should make us pause and think before voting.
May be some of these thoughts will help others to reach a decision on the merits rather than on the basis of emotion and popular and media driven appeals for support of one or the other candidate.
.
This is what I wrote:
10/21/2008
How to judge Presidential Candidates?
A year and a half ago I wrote a memo about what we should look for in a Presidential candidate's make-up, a) character, b) experience, c) personality and d) political philosophy. To date there is still no basic Presidential candidate profile the average voter might use as an aid to making a reasoned choice, something like a critical roster of fundamental parameters of competence and suitability.
I raise this issue primarily again because our world is becoming more difficult to deal with, our allies fewer, our economy more fragile and the political focus of the media very much on partisan contrasts rather than on the merits of the really fundamental problems the USA is faced with today. Our basic problems are all major in scope and potential risks to the country's security and economic well-being. In order to deal with these challenges we do need to probe into a candidate's real persona much more than we have in the past.
a) Character.
Senator Barack Obama, a relatively young enthusiastic politician, a relative newcomer to national politics with a fresh face and a matching approach. One who loves to talk and speaks well. What's more, what he talks about appears to resonate with many millions of people, thus building enormous public awareness of his candidacy and its aims.
His unwavering, unabashed and seemingly fresh and appealing behavior in often tough, competitive candidate selection performances, helped to make a great impression on the public, carrying him to the top of the ticket. It showed him to be resilient, persistent, even tempered and good at functioning in the national spotlight. All essential characteristics.
On the other hand, Senator Obama's earlier associations with people not known for their support of American values, cast a serious shadow over his ability to judge people critically, since good people judgment becomes ever more critical as one's range of responsibility grows.
His opponent, on the other hand, is a well known Senator with the reputation of being a "maverick" politician. An experienced individual though with a great and courageous personal record of service in the Navy and the Congress. He clearly has shown what his character is made of under the most trying circumstances. We know he's not afraid to stand up for what he believes is good and right for America. In this day and age that's a very valuable aspect to know about a candidate.
b) Experience.
Senator McCain has travelled a lot during his career and seen the trouble-spots our country has been dealing with several times, first hand. Senator Obama on the other hand, just recently visited the Middle East for the first time and cannot claim the personal connections or experience his opponent has with foreign leaders, our military leadership, our armed forces as well as the "government system" at large.
While Senator Obama so far has had little relevant experience in the national political arena it might be argued that organizing and funding a 2 year national political campaign qualifies as executive experience, which may be true. Although its focus is on self-promotion under the guise of eventual service to the nation makes it somewhat questionable. The President of the USA is its Chief Executive so it would seem highly desirable for a candidate to have some real sense of what executive experience is all about.
Senator McCain has had executive experience by virtue of his long Congressional career.
Neither candidate has a thorough grounding in economics although Senator McCain certainly has been through a lot of it during his Senate days.
c) Personality.
Senator Obama has an engaging personality, he appeals more readily to younger people, is closer to them and understands how to deal with them. His enormous popularity shows wherever he goes.
John McCain is a more staid and older individual. No glad-hander, a serious, courageous and experienced individual with a proven record in terms of character and objectives.
Also someone who is no orator but states what he thinks, why he thinks it and leaves the clear impression that he really means what he says.
d) Political philosophy.
Senator McCain's whole intellectual and moral world is anchored in the fundamentals of the American political experiment, our constitutional base and our Christian heritage.
He has studied our history intensively and seen enough of the abroad to realize that America is capable of representing Western civilization at its best and that no other country in the world has done more to try to get our fundamental ideas of individual freedom and economic success adopted by any other country. And really with stunning success to date, we might say. Unfortunately, with this kind of success also come unforeseen problems, national as well as international.
Senator McCain is thoroughly familiar with these events and has dealt with them for years. He knows what needs to be done and is on familiar terrain. A comforting aspect for the electorate. Since humanity has not changed in many thousands of years it is likely to respond to political and economic pressures and challenges the same way as it has in the past. Only experience can be a good guide here. Rash changes could be dangerous.
Mr. Obama on the other hand is an educational product of the post-WW II world, the politically correct and multicultural world. A world where one talks and makes allowances for whatever the other fellow may demand or propose. Everything is negotiable, even honor and reputation it seems. Nothing seems valuable enough to become nasty about, better to give in. Not quite the attitude of the terrorists who deeply believe in their own murderous cause and practice their beliefs at our expense. All in all, a philosophical concept that makes a lot of people very worried about our future as a nation. As one example of this concern, here's what Senator Obama said in Fayetteville, NC on 3/19/08: " I will end the Iraq war because it is the right thing to do for our national security, and it will ultimately make us safer". No one who has studied mankind and its history would make such a statement because it flies in the face of The President's foremost responsibility namely, to guard the nation's security. One can only walk away from a fight by surrendering and committing national disgrace once again and this time the self-proclaimed enemy will be on our doorstep sooner rather than later and the fight, to the end, will get bloodier than anything we have seen before.
Together with the Senator's penchant for bigger government it should make us pause and think before voting.
May be some of these thoughts will help others to reach a decision on the merits rather than on the basis of emotion and popular and media driven appeals for support of one or the other candidate.
.
posted by Schaesberg at 9:24 AM
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