Obama is melodramatic

Reasons to agree:

1. Obama said, "I got high [to] push questions of who I was out of my mind.” People do things for a lot of reasons. To say that he used drugs for one reason, because he was having problems with his racial identity, seems to be playing the melodramatic race card. I'm not saying that it might have been part of the reason that he used drugs, but to fully blame all his drug use with racial identity problems, like he did in his book, seems a little melodramatic.

2. Melodrama involves an oversimplified hero. Obama seems to see himself as a hero, in a very simplistic way. He wrote two or three autobiographies about himself, before he was even un unaccomplished senator. Now that he is president, he can write a few autobiogaphies, but he has already written two or three.

Obama is wrong on drugs

Reasons to agree:

1. When Obama said, “Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it. Not smack though" (Dreams from My Father), he thought he would reach those who had used drugs and convence them to go straight. However he will have reached more straight kids and convinced them to use drugs, by making it sound cool, showing that he was able to beat it, and using their street names, as though he is still trying to have "street cred". 

Reasons to agree:

1. Obama is right that selling 15 tablets of Ecstasy should not be in the same class of felony as raping a woman at knifepoint.
   

Obama is right that selling 15 tablets of Ecstasy should not be in the same class of felony as raping a woman at knifepoint

Reasons to agree:

1.  The person who is buying the ecstasy wants to buy it.

Reasons to disagree:

Obama was wrong to vote no on mandatory death sentences for gang members who kill cops

Reasons to agree with Obama:

1. If you get killed because you made someone mad, or they want to steal your car, or because you were in the wrong place in the wrong time, that is one thing. But gangs are specifically targetting cops. We need them to be un-afraid of going into dangerous places. If they are not safe, than none of us are safe. It should be worse to kill cops, because they stand in the place of all of us in keeping our society together, and all that thin-blue-line stuff.

Background:

Q: On mandatory death sentences for gang members who kill cops you voted no. Would you explain?

OBAMA: [The proposed legislation] was entirely unnecessary and unconstitutional. It suggested that I could kill a police officer but because I’m not a gang member, I would be treated differently. I think both cases should be death penalty eligible.

KEYES: Senator Obama does not think it superfluous to have hate crimes legislation that adds a special animus to certain acts of violence already penalized against the law. But in order to convey against those certain acts a special category of deviation from society. The law provides a special message aimed at discouraging things considered especially harmful to a society and a community.

Source: Illinois Senate Debate #3: Barack Obama vs. Alan Keyes Oct 21, 2004

Obama was wrong to restrict police entry rules into dangerous places

Reasons to agree:

1. Q: On the right to let cops go into dangerous places with search warrants without knocking, you voted no as well. Would you explain?

   OBAMA: With respect to the potential for police officers not to knock when they go in, there’s an issue of search and seizures and there must be some parameters for law enforcement to protect our civil liberties.

   Source: Illinois Senate Debate #3: Barack Obama vs. Alan Keyes Oct 21, 2004

Obama is right that some heinous crimes justify the ultimate punishment

Reasons to agree:

1. “While the evidence tells me that the death penalty does little to deter crime, I believe there are some crimes--mass murder, the rape and murder of a child--so heinous that the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage by meting out the ultimate punishment. On the other hand, the way capital cases were tried in Illinois at the time was so rife with error, questionable police tactics, racial bias, and shoddy lawyering, that 13 death row inmates had been exonerated” The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p. 58 Oct 1, 2006

Obama is right about videotape all capital interrogations

Reasons to agree:

1. “Obama had a 2002 bill to stop police abuse. Chicago had become infamous for use of torture by police to help frame innocent people. Thirteen innocent men on Death Row were exonerated and released, some of them victims of these tortured confessions. Illinois desperately needed some action to restore confidence in the police. Obama’s proposal was to require videotaping of interrogations of suspects in capital cases. When Obama began, the idea of a bill was opposed by police, prosecutors, most of the senate and the governor. The governor was determined not to appear soft on crime, and had promised to veto any proposal for mandatory tapings. By the time Obama finished his work, the police and prosecutors embraced the bill, it passed in the Illinois Senate by a vote of 58-0. The governor took the unusual step of reversing himself to sign it, and Illinois became the first state to require such tapings.” ~ The Improbable Quest, by John K. Wilson, p.145 Oct 30, 2007. I think Obama is right, however from this paragraph it seems like some people were desperately trying to exaggerate his involvement. But none of that matters in 2012. He does not have to inflate his Resume any more.

Obama passed on stupid urban legends that exaggerated racial problems.

Reasons to agree:

1. “I don’t want to wake up four years from now and discover that we still have more young black men in prison than in college.” ~ Barack Obama, fund-raiser in Harlem, NY, Nov. 29, 2007.

   “Simply untrue, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. There may be a case for arguing, as some Obama supporters have done, that the total number of black prisoners is slightly higher than the total number of black students. But I can only fact check the comparison the candidate actually made, which was between young black men in prison and in college. Rather than acknowledge the error, the Obama campaign declined to provide statistical support.” Source: GovWatch on 2008 Pinocchio Awards for Biggest Fib of 2007 Jan 1, 2008. As GovWatch points out, there are more black men in prison (age 18 to 100 years old) than there are “young  black men” in college. However Obama said there were more young black men in prison than in college, which is far from true.

Obama is right about the disparity between sentencing crack and powder-based cocaine

Reasons to agree:

1. Rich people use cocain. Poor people use crack. It is wrong to punish the poor people more.

Obama is right to try to ban racial profiling

"Obama will work to ban racial profiling" ~ Campaign booklet, “Blueprint for Change”, p. 48-49 Feb 2, 2008

Reasons to agree:

1. Race should only be considered when it is used to describe a specific suspect in a specific crime and only when used in a manner like other physical descriptions (e.g., hair color, weight, distinguishing marks). This is often referred to as the "be on the lookout" (B.O.L.O.) exception.
   


2. “If we know that in our criminal justice system, African-Americans and whites, for the same crime, receive--are arrested at very different rates, are convicted at very different rates, receive very different sentences. That is something that we have to talk about. But that’s a substantive issue and it has to do with how do we pursue racial justice. If I am president, I will have a civil rights division that is working with local law enforcement so that they are enforcing laws fairly and justly. But I would expect a white president or a woman president should want to do the same thing, because I believe the pursuit of racial equality, of the perfection of this union, is not just a particular special interest issue of the African-American community. That is how all of us are going to move forward. And to the extent that we don’t deal with those issues, those longstanding, deep-seated issues, we will continue to be hampered. We will be competing with the world with one hand tied behind our backs.” 2008 Congressional Black Caucus Democratic debate Jan 21, 2008
   


3. 
   Q: In the last decade, whites were 70% of persons arrested, but only 40% of inmates. Why?
   
   
   
   A: The criminal justice system is not color blind. It does not work for all people equally, and that is why it’s critical to have a president who sends a signal that we are going to have a system of justice that is not just us, but is everybody. I passed racial profiling legislation at the state level. It requires some political courage, because oftentimes you are accused of being soft on crime.
   
   
   
   Source: 2007 Democratic Primary Debate at Howard University Jun 28, 2007
   
   

Obama made stupd campaign pledges

Reasons to agree:

1. 
   An Obama campaign booklet, “Blueprint for Change”, p. 42 Feb 2, 2008 said: “Obama will work to ensure that ex-offenders have access to job training, substance abuse and mental health counseling, and employment opportunities. Obama will also create a prison-to-work incentive program and reduce barriers to employment.” There is no specific plan, just a promiced outcome. No real-world analasis of trying to figure out how much things will cost, or how they will force people to hire ex-cons... It is nice to say that you want ex-cons to be able to get jobs, but it is stupid to just say your going to do it, without saying how, looking at how much it will cost, or trying to figure out if you even have the money to do it. For instance should the Federal Government be spending tax money collected from New York, and California, to pay ex-cons from Idaho, to go to a jobs program in Pennsylvania? The federal government shouldn't be doing crap lack that. They should have limited social programs. 
   
   

Obama has the right approach to fatherhood

Reasons to agree:

1. “How many times in the last year has this city lost a child at the hands of another child? How many times have our hearts stopped in the middle of the night with the sound of a gunshot or a siren? How many teenagers have we seen hanging around on street corners when they should be sitting in a classroom? How many are sitting in prison when they should be working, or at least looking for a job? How many in this generation are we willing to lose to poverty or violence or addiction? How many?” “Yes, we need more cops on the street. Yes, we need fewer guns in the hands of people who shouldn’t have them. Yes, we need more money for our schools. Yes, we need more jobs and more job training and more opportunity in our communities.” “But we also need families to raise our children. We need fathers to realize that responsibility does not end at conception. We need them to realize that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child--it’s the courage to raise one.” Barack Obama, Chicago church speech, in Change We Can Believe In, p.235 Jun 15, 2008. I'm not saying this makes Obama a better dad than Bush, or Clinton. I'm just making a comprehensive list of all the good and bad things about Obama, and I think he is a pretty good dad. We haven't gotten so bad that we don't care about this sort of thing, or elect people who are very bad to their kids.

Politicians should make fewer decisions

Reasons to agree:

1. We should not let baby-kissers make important decisions.
2. We should not let people who are willing summerize their ideas for American's future in a 30 second campaign commersial.
3. We should not give power to the type of person who wants power. No politicians are appointed. They all self-choose. This is stupid. You don't advance in the military because you want to. You advance if you imprese those above you. The same with business. Politicians should be appointed.
4. People have problems who want to control other people's lives. Politicians should get a dog, plant a garden, or have kids, and try their little experiments on a scale that will only hurt them when they make mistakes. 

Obama is wrong when he says: "We have to fight for all those young men standing on street corners with little hope for the future besides ending up in jail

Reasons to disagree:

1. We should reward good behavior and punish bad behavior. Fighting for people who do nothing but "stand around on street corner" is rewarding bad behavior. Obama didn't stand around on street corners. It sounds cruel, but kids need to see that people who make bad decisions fail. That prevents more bad decisions. But it all depends on what you mean by "fight for". We should, of course, be smart. If we can fight for them in a way that does not reward bad behavior, but gives them different options, that is ok, but that is the problem with generic stupid language, like "fight for". A lot of parents fight for their kids, and cause damage... sometimes it is better to let the kids fight for themselves... but this language is stupid...
   


2. Usually compassion is not a limitless resource. When you have compassion on criminals, to some degree, you are less able to provide compassion to law abiding citizens. You will have less money, time, and other resources for other priorities. 

We should reward good behavior and punish bad behavior

Reasons to agree:

1. People, like dogs, seek rewards, and avoid punishments.


2. The Parable of the Talents tells us that law of the harvest.


3. We can all agree on some very basic definitions of good and bad.


4. Even if we make some mistakes, and accidently call some good things bad, the effort in the long run, will result in more good being done than bad.


5. It may seem cruel to "reward" those who are smart, but it is cruel to those in the future, if we create an un-just society, or a backwards society. Our challenges that we face in the future will need smart people. We have to reward those who seek education.


6. We should reward behavior people that help the environment.

Reasons to disagree:

1. If I don't like what you call "good" and "bad" then you might end up, then I might think you are rewarding bad behavior and punishing good behavior.


2. It is hard to judge "bad" behavior. For instance, if you get bad grades, is it because you are lazy (bad), or disadvantages.

Obama is right to provide tax incentives for corporate responsibility

 

Reasons to agree:

1. We should reward good behavior and punish bad behavior


2. If you are going to have sin taxes you should also have virtue tax credits.


3. If a behavior helps America as a whole, it isn't wasting money giving tax incentives, it might actually bring in more mone.

Reasons to agree:

1. Government shouldn't determine what is "good" business behavior and "bad business behavior.


2. Some businesses could win more jobs, if they had 30% of their employers in India... for instance if they keep loosing jobs to South Korean firm, because employment cost are too high, maybe it would help them keep at least some of the work coming into the states, instead of going to companies that are 100% foreign. These should be business not political decisions. 

Background: Obama’s “REAL USA” Corporations Plan (Responsible, Accountable, Loyal USA Corporations) will reward companies that create quality jobs in America with tax incentives. Companies will be required to:

1. locate in the United States 90% of its production and employment for the sales of goods and services that are consumed here;


2. invest at least 50% of its R&D budget here in the U.S;


3. make sure their workers have access to affordable health care by providing a standardized and portable health insurance plan and pay at least 70% of the cost;


4. make sure their workers have retirement security by contributing at least 5% of payroll to a portable, multi-employer pension fund and operating a profit-sharing plan for all full time employees; and


5. limit management compensation to 50 times the lowest-paid full-time worker.


6. Source: Campaign website, ObamaForIllinois.com Jun 25, 2004

Obama is right to stand against "the excess influence of agribusiness lobbying"

 

Reasons to agree with Obama:

1. Big farms located far away are bad.


2. People should be allowed to have goats, and chickens in the suberbs.


3. 
   People should grow food not grass. It is a waste of time to plant grass, put fertilizers, pesticides, and weed killer, down, and every week mow a lawn while burning gas in a 2 cylinder engine that spits out carbon dioxide, when you could spend 1/2 the time growing a better looking yard that actually gave you fruits, vegetable, and nuts for free. There should be more local farms, and less giant farms that all produce the same thing.
   
   

Reasons to disagree:

1. Words are cheap. You shouldn't get any credit until you take actions.
   

Obama is right to think that it is Ok to expose 6-year-olds to gay couples, but wrong to think the government should make this choice

Background:
Q: Last year some parents of second graders in Lexington, Massachusetts, were outraged to learn their children’s teacher had read a story about same-sex marriage, about a prince who marries another prince. Would you be comfortable having this story read to your children as part of their school curriculum?
A: My 9-year-old and my 6-year-old are already aware that there are same-sex couples. And my wife and I have talked about it. And one of the things I want to communicate to my children is not to be afraid of people who are different, and because there have been times in our history where I was considered different. And one of the things I think the next president has to do is to stop fanning people’s fears.
Q: Have you sat down with your daughters to talk about same-sex marriage?
A: My wife has.
Source: 2007 Democratic primary debate at Dartmouth College Sep 6, 2007
Reasons to agree:

1. People get very upset with government. They want it to do all these things and have all these powers, but then they get upset with the things it does that they don't like. The only way to solve it is to keep the government totally out of the raising children, business. That should be up to parents and gaurdians. If you push to give the government power to promote your way of life, you or your children are going to suffer some consequence, because you gave the government power to meddle, and someday you won't like the decision it makes with the power you gave it.
2. When I say that government forces people, I'm talking about parents in Massachusetts that are not given the option to exclude their six year olds from hearing about "A king and A king" gay children's stories.
   
3. Obama is not sending his kids to private school. He gets to choose what his children are exposed to. However poor kids have to be exposed to whatever social experiments those in power feel like playing at the time.

PS: This post is kind of complicated. I say that Obama is ok to make that decision himself, but his support of gay marrage in California, would mean that parents would no longer get to be involved in these types of decisions, because parents in Massachussetts were refused this right when they passed gay marriage. So I am saying Obama is both right and wrong. If you disagree that that is an OK decision for parents or teachers to make, I would love to hear your arguments, however I think the decision is a good one for parents to make, but a bad one for teachers to make.

Obama is right about the Confederate flag

Reasons to agree with Obama:

1. "I think that the Confederate flag should be put in a museum. That’s where it belongs. But we’ve got an enormous debate that’s taking place in this country right now. And we’ve got to engage the people of South Carolina in that debate." Source: 2007 South Carolina Democratic primary debate, on MSNBC Apr 26, 2007.
   

However Mike Huckabee said; "if somebody came to Arkansas and told us what to do with our flag, we'd tell 'em what to do with the pole, that's what we'd do." That is real classy when a former preacher makes jokes about sodomising someone with a flag pole.

Huckabee always talks about how he is a “Christian leader” but he made jokes about shoving a flag pole up the collective butts of people who thought the confederate flag was somewhat racist.