Top Ten Reasons To Vote For Obama

I'm perplexed by the thought that at least 50% of the population thinks that putting an inexperienced Marxist into power is the best way to deal with the financial crisis and the many other challenges we face. What are they seeing that I'm not? In an attempt to find out, I searched for someone who could articulate a reason beyond "hope and change", and I found what I think is a pretty good list.  Here it is, and my comments as well.

Top 10 Reasons to Vote for Barack Obama

1. Barack Obama has personal experience with poverty and the growing income gap, having grown up abroad in Indonesia and working as a community organizer in the south side of Chicago.

They are listing "personal experience with poverty and the growing income gap" as a reason to vote for Obama? Why? People always vote for their own self-interest instead of the greater good. They are hoping Obama will reduce the income gap by taking from the rich and giving it to the poor. If you hope for a handout, Obama's your man. How can he give 95% of the people a tax cut when 40% don't pay ANY taxes? Because his "tax cut" is actually a welfare program. Redistribution of wealth. 

Obama's childhood experiences in Indonesia or working within Chicago's political machine with some very unsavory characters don't register in the plus column in my book.

2. After graduating Harvard Law, Magna Cum Laude and president of the Harvard Law Review, Obama could have become a wealthy corporate or trial lawyer but returned to Chicago to practice civil rights law.

Very impressive, but as editor of the Harvard Law Review, Obama writes nothing...nada...zip. Here he has the ability to appear in a leading, respected journal which is widely read and cited, and he does nothing with it. That doesn't sound like a leader to me.

3. He also taught Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago, so he knows how our government is supposed to work.

Or how to subvert it. I'm just sayin'...

4. He has the most experience as an elected official and legislator with over 10 years in state and federal public service. He is the only top Democratic candidate who understands both state and federal government as an elected legislator.

As a state legislator he voted "present" over 120 times. As for the Senate, he hasn't been there long enough to make a difference, and has spent most of his time on the stump. Come to think of it, he hasn't been anywhere long enough to make a difference. 

5. He opposed the Iraq war before it started and has a specific plan for redeploying all combat troops by March 31, 2008.

Great! He has a specific plan for defeat.

6. He has received an A+ score from the Genocide Intervention Network for being a "champion" and taking crucial action to end the genocide in Darfur, co-sponsoring and voting for all significant Darfur legislation.

Yeah, yeah. Everybody's against genocide. McCain has also co-sponsored and voted for the majority of Darfur legislation. 

7. Barack Obama is committed to universal health care by the end of his first term.

Anyone who sees this as a positive has drunk the Kool-Aid and is probably beyond saving. Do you want the folks that brought us Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to run your healthcare system?

8. He has sponsored, co-sponsored and advocated for significant and realistic legislation to end global warming by capturing and safely disposing carbon dioxide, raising vehicle fuel economy standards and replacing petroleum with home-grown biofuels like cellulosic ethanol.

I hate to rain on your parade, but biofuels still create carbon dioxide, nor can we grow enough biofuels to replace petroleum.

9. He has the broadest base of supporters, has not accepted PAC money and is the least compromised by big money special interests.

A broad base of supporters? I'll say. The Democratic Socialists of America. Jane Fonda. ACORN. Hamas. All the cool kids.

10. Barack Obama has the intellect, natural talent and charisma to communicate effectively to the entire world, bring people together, change the status quo and move our country forward.

There is no denying that Obama has intellect, natural talent and charisma. Nor that the world loves him. But I believe he is too polarizing to bring the country together.

The Messiah can bring together the far left, the socialists, and those those who look to government for the solution to every problem. He can bring those attracted by the elegant and charismatic speaker and aren't paying much attention to what is said. He can bring those who will vote for Obama because he looks like them, and those who hope to make up for past wrongs. 

But what about the rest of us, who want minimal government intervention in our lives and essentially just want to be left alone?