Caroline Kennedy endorses Obama

[Lynn Farris]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/opinion/27kennedy.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

"I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president â€â€

[Brian Pedaci]

And her opinion is important because she's channelling the restless spirit of her father?

[Lynn Farris]

Actually Ted Kennedy is endorsing him too. Why is that important. Because he is behind in Mass. The biggest complaint about Obama is that he is too inexperienced. Here are the "establishment democrats" endorsing him. Kerry and Kennedy in Mass. May not mean too much to us here in Ohio. But it means something in Mass.

But I really like Caroline. She is quiet and thoughtful and spends her time doing good work. She is now a middle aged female democrat who is saying it is okay not to vote for the established female democrat. I think she sees what many see in the Democratic party - that the top 3 all have similar platforms (unlike the Republicans where you can choose on their huge differences in policies).

Here you can really look at the individual and she finds Obama inspiring. I know many people do - especially young men - which is something we haven't had for a long time in this country.

BTW, I'm voting for Ron Paul. But I am just sharing my insights on Obama.

[sharon kinsella]

Lynn -

Not to be argumentative at all, I'm just curious and if you think I'm overstepping or intruding, you can say so or just not respond.


I've never met you, but from what I've seen on the boards, you seem to be fairly liberal and progressive. I'm just wondering, why Ron Paul. I'm not asking to get into a political argument and not to challenge you.

Thanks.

[Lynn Farris]

First of all I'm rarely sensitive discussing political issues. (squirrels aside ) I appreciate your question.

You are right I'm a Liberal Democrat and Progressive but fairly conservative financially. The reasons I like Paul are as follows:

The top 2 concerns I have are:

1) Get out of Iraq and not into Iran. I believe that Dr. Paul is the only one that will get us out. It is costing us so much in terms of both lives, money and our reputation. In a debate Dr., Paul pointed out the absurdity of our position as follows: "Let me get this straight; we're going to borrow ten billion dollars from China and give it to Musharraf in Pakistan, a military dictator who over threw an elected government, while we're giving American lives "for" democracy in Iraq?"

I am so frustrated with the democrats who we sent to Congress to stop the war and even with overwhelming citizen support against the war and a majority they have been impotent. Dr. Paul understands that they don't attack us because we have freedom but because we are occupying their country and killing their relatives. It was a few thugs and criminals who were responsible for 9/11 not the middle eastern people or Muslims.

He points out that we wouldn't like Chinese bases in our country for example.

2) Restore our civil liberties. I'm a big defender of the ACLU. I believe that Dr. Paul is the only one that will give us back our rights. Naomi Wolf talks about how hard it is for people to give up power even good people like Hillary, Obama and Edwards. I have no doubt that Dr. Paul will restore our rights. The day we lost Habeus Corpus with a democratic congress was beyond me.

On other issues I am impressed as well.

3) Economics. I loved econ in college. The more I read about his economic policies the more I understand him and the more sense he makes. You really need to read them in detail.

4) Health Care. Dennis had the best solution - a Single Payer National Health Care program like the rest of the civilized world. But that isn't going to happen. Plans where we are forced to buy health care through an insurance company or be fined is silly. Dr. Paul is looking at it from the other direction and talks about intelligently reforming the private system we have. I prefer Dennis' system - but I like Dr. Paul's as a second solution. Unfortunately I doubt with the strong insurance lobby that we will get Single Payer National Health care - we saw what they did to Hillary - years ago. Now she is taking money from the insurance lobby.

6) War on Drugs. Another area where Dr. Paul seems radical - but if you read what he says he makes sense. Our prisons are filled with people from this war that we have spent billions on that we are losing. We lost prohibition and so we decided to make it legal and control it and tax it. We can do the same with drugs. He talks about even the medical use of marijuana is illegal for people undergoing chemo. BTW, I have never used an illegal drug.

7) Death Penalty - he once was for it but has decided on the federal level to be against it because it is implemented so unfairly.

Dept. of Education - I posted a question about this because I really wasn't sure. No one strongly defended this dept. which gives us NCLB and unfunded mandates. Not a big issue to me - but could save lots of money.

9) Stop being the policemen of the World. Why do we borrow from China to defend Europe? We can't afford it. He isn't an isolationist. He thinks we should visit and trade and make friends with people but we don't need to support them. Do you know we give lots of aid to Israel but 3X more to the oil rich Arabs? Maybe Israel would do okay if we weren't giving so much money to the people that wanted to do away with Israel. But the point is we can't afford it.

10) Abortion. Okay, this is the tough one for liberal democrats. He wants it to be a state issue. But he is against it. He is an OB who clearly loves babies. He isn't demonizing women however he talks about the medical and legal issues from an intellectual point of view. My brother complains that I am voting against woman's rights. I don't think that this will pass a Democratic congress and it isn't Dr. Paul's number one issue anyway.

11) Immigration. Dr. Paul clearly states every time I hear him speak that if the economy was better we wouldn't be demonizing immigrants. He gets it. "It is the economy stupid." But he also states that we are incentivizing illegal immigration by providing health care and education. You don't incentize what you don't want. It is logical.

12) Social Security. While Dr. Paul doesn't like the system - he clearly will not throw anyone who has invested in it out of the system. He in fact is most likely the only one that can save it from an economic standpoint. But in the future he thinks there is a better way for our children.

Overall his points are very well reasoned and I can almost predict every answer It is from the Constitution and he is also very aware that the money he is spending isn't his own. He is a good steward of our money.

All that being said. Dr. Paul is the only Republican I trust.

My son is crazy about Obama. My brother likes Edwards and my in-laws like Hillary. Like Caroline Kennedy I think they all 3 have similar policies and I could live with any of them. I most likely lean to Obama - most likely because my son campaigns daily for him. However any of the 3 of them I think we will have to hold their feet to the fire to get us out of Iraq and to restore our civil liberties.

So in the General Election I want to vote between Paul and any of the 3 Democrats. That way I am sure that we will be in a better shape as a nation.

My husband, a computer nerd , says we need to reboot the government. And Dr. Paul would do that. You know he is right.

JMHO and I'm sure more than you ever wanted to know - but you asked.

[sharon kinsella]

Not more than I wanted to know - just made me understand your choice better.

While I don't believe in voting single issue, the stance on abortion dismays me. They've already eroded Roe v Wade and I think there is a plan in place to get rid of it.

This is fundamentally important because if we are not allowed to control what happens with our bodies, it will impact every part of the lives of a lot of women.

Then there is the issue that rich women can always go to Europe (like they did in times past) and get one while poor and working class women will die from back alley abortions.

In addition we've just had 8 years of Republican fiscal conservatism and look what happened.

Thanks for being so open.

[Bryan Schwegler]

In addition we've just had 8 years of Republican fiscal conservatism and look what happened.

To be honest, the last 8 years have been far from fiscally conservative. The certainly have been socially conservative, but any true fiscal conservative will tell you that the economic and budget policies of the last 8 years are far from their ideal. That's why Senators like Voinovich, a true fiscal conservative, are often voting against the rest of the Republican party on big spending measures.

[sharon kinsella]

That's what I'm saying - hello recession.

[Lynn Farris]

I personally think the last 8 years under Bush will go down as some of the worst in our Nations history.

Sharon, you are absolutely right that they haven't been fiscally conservative. My husband left the Republican party years ago when they stopped being fiscally conservative and getting government out of our lives and started this moral majority nonsense.

Paul is much more of the old school Republican of limited government and fiscal conservatism. Pulling our troops out from overseas and cutting the Dept. of Education is a huge step in cutting costs. We are building an embassy in Iraq that is bigger than Vatican City. It is beyond imagination.

But the Democrats have given up fighting on the war and instead if Bush wants more money for the war - they put in their pork projects too. So now we have the war and lots more useless spending. (I'll conceed that some of the Democratic spending is useful - but they were suppposed to vote against the war - not compromise with pork.)

I agree with everything you say about abortion, Sharon. It is lower on my priority list right now and I trust that the Democratic congress won't let any real changes occur.

[sharon kinsella]

Lynn -

Thank you for honesty and civility.

This is the first time in a while that I've been able to have an adult conversation about politics on the forum without the hawks swooping in to peck.

Refreshing.

[Jim DeVito]

Lynn -

Thank you for honesty and civility.

This is the first time in a while that I've been able to have an adult conversation about politics on the forum without the hawks swooping in to peck.

Refreshing.

But he is so cute

In all seriousness, a prime example of how a debate could be carried out with respect. Kudos to both you ladies.