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Letter to the Editor: Obama's plans are more than just rhetoric
By Chris Walker
A lot of critics have contended that Obama's campaign is little more than rhetoric, a campaign based on the ill-conceived premise of "hope" or "change" that has little substance when you get down to it.
I disagree with such assertions. The Obama campaign has laid out, in detail, its plans for health care, foreign policy positions, taxes and so forth; those plans are good for America and would promote a new prosperity, both economic and otherwise.
John McCain, on the other hand, has offered us the same of what we've had, or rather what we have come to dislike. His policies match those of George W. Bush, who has managed to turn the Bill Clinton economy into a recession that mirrors, in some ways, pre-Depression America. What’s more, McCain has promised even more tax cuts for the rich while everyday Americans struggle to make ends meet. He has argued for the status quo in regards to health care, leaving more and more Americans uninsured.
It is true that when Obama speaks his words have the power to inspire. This is something that America needs - a leader we can be proud of after the disastrous Bush administration. It was something that Republicans once loved their own hero, Ronald Reagan, for.
The critics are right; rhetoric alone won't change America. But Obama's plans are more than just rhetoric, more than just fancy words. Policy positions will only get you so far. You need inspiration to carry Americans forward, to get them to come aboard and help America become great again.
As John F. Kennedy so poignantly said, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." The candidacy of Barack Obama, in essence, is calling for that same sentiment through his inspiring words. They push people to not accept the status quo, to demand better things for America. These demands, matched with the progressive policies of Obama and the Democratic Party at large, are why I am supporting Barack Obama for president. If you haven’t made up your mind yet, you should consider Obama also.
> Comments
Mihajlo Sulejic on Oct 08, 2008 at 11:27 AM:
It's nice to talk about the future, and what one "intends" to do, but the best way to determine future behavior is to look at the past. I still have to hear of one bill that Obama brought up in the past three years to help the "middle class". Please name one, if it exists. As to his tax cuts, I remember a Democrat running for president in 1992 that said the same thing, but the tax cut never came, even with a Democrat controled House and Senate. Change coming? I don't think so. It's more of the empty promises to get elected, and more of the same when they get there. If I could vote for "none of the above" I would, but not voting is not an option.