Obama has no experience/record.

[Moooooo]

Did you already vote today, Nick?

Voted after work today, despite the terrible weather.

[Gabu]

this is the ridiculousness that will make me vote against Obama.

 wouldn't happen to have anything to do with it?

Considering I said that I was undecided in a race between Obama and Romney, probably not.

C'mon, Obama has a lot of things going for him, things like sincerity, eloquence, intelligence, but the comparisons to Lincoln, FDR, DDE, and JFK are ridiculous. 

For the record, I was not saying "OBAMA IS THE NEXT LINCOLN", only that history has shown that candidates with little experience can make great presidents.

And come on, I share a candidate with BRTD, and I still support him.  Not supporting someone just because you don't like a section of that candidate's supporters is just silly.

[Bacon King]

J.J., you mention JFK's two books and contrast it only with Obama's Grammy. You are aware that he's written two best selling books, yes? I don't mean to nit-pick here, but you seem rather selective in the facts you choose to express. Bias is a nasty thing.

[Beet]

this is the ridiculousness that will make me vote against Obama.

 wouldn't happen to have anything to do with it?

Considering I said that I was undecided in a race between Obama and Romney, probably not.

C'mon, Obama has a lot of things going for him, things like sincerity, eloquence, intelligence, but the comparisons to Lincoln, FDR, DDE, and JFK are ridiculous. 

The comparisons get drawn out not as a whole, but on particular issues. For example, if someone says that experience is absolutely necessary to be an effective President, pointing out a counterexample would negate that argument. Of course, the original person can come back and point out differences between this and that situation, but then it's no longer just an argument about federal elective experience.

[Iosif is a COTHO]

In a lot of ways presidents hailed as great have their talents determined by their character, not by their experience.  You can be in the senate for fifty years or a governor for four terms and still not be presidential material.  There's very little that a longer legislative career will aid you in becoming the chief executive official of the federal government.

^^^^^^^^

[J. J.]

this is the ridiculousness that will make me vote against Obama.

 wouldn't happen to have anything to do with it?

Considering I said that I was undecided in a race between Obama and Romney, probably not.

C'mon, Obama has a lot of things going for him, things like sincerity, eloquence, intelligence, but the comparisons to Lincoln, FDR, DDE, and JFK are ridiculous. 

so you'd pick your candidate because you think one candidate is overhyped, or mishyped?  seems kinda silly.

No, I would say that one candidate is being massively over hyped.  Even though he has good qualities, you still have to look at his weaknesses, like his in ability to govern.

[J. J.]

this is the ridiculousness that will make me vote against Obama.

 wouldn't happen to have anything to do with it?

Considering I said that I was undecided in a race between Obama and Romney, probably not.

C'mon, Obama has a lot of things going for him, things like sincerity, eloquence, intelligence, but the comparisons to Lincoln, FDR, DDE, and JFK are ridiculous. 

For the record, I was not saying "OBAMA IS THE NEXT LINCOLN", only that history has shown that candidates with little experience can make great presidents.

And come on, I share a candidate with BRTD, and I still support him.  Not supporting someone just because you don't like a section of that candidate's supporters is just silly.

Gabu, you might not be, but a number of others are.

[J. J.]

this is the ridiculousness that will make me vote against Obama.

 wouldn't happen to have anything to do with it?

Considering I said that I was undecided in a race between Obama and Romney, probably not.

C'mon, Obama has a lot of things going for him, things like sincerity, eloquence, intelligence, but the comparisons to Lincoln, FDR, DDE, and JFK are ridiculous. 

The comparisons get drawn out not as a whole, but on particular issues. For example, if someone says that experience is absolutely necessary to be an effective President, pointing out a counterexample would negate that argument. Of course, the original person can come back and point out differences between this and that situation, but then it's no longer just an argument about federal elective experience.

Possibly excepting Lincoln, all the people cited had more experience (and in JFK's case, arguably better intellectual achievements), than Obama.  I think you can make the argument that experience isn't that important, but the comparisons have become parody.

[Iosif is a COTHO]

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The only things that McCain, Obama and Hillary have ever 'governed' is their own election campaigns.

Who has run the best campaign?

[Saxwsylvania]

J.J. is correct.  In all respects but oratory, Obama is an exceptionally mediocre man.  He should go and write some more inspiring self-help books.

[J. J.]

J.J. is correct.  In all respects but oratory, Obama is an exceptionally mediocre man.  He should go and write some more inspiring self-help books.

I certainly did not call him "an exceptionally mediocre man."  Obama has a number of good qualities, which I think should be lauded; exceptional intelligence is one.  The comparisons to the giants of the past, usually inaccurate, is what I object to.

I actually respect the abilities of the three currently leading candidates.

[Saxwsylvania]

J.J. is correct.  In all respects but oratory, Obama is an exceptionally mediocre man.  He should go and write some more inspiring self-help books.

I certainly did not call him "an exceptionally mediocre man."  Obama has a number of good qualities, which I think should be lauded; exceptional intelligence is one.  The comparisons to the giants of the past, usually inaccurate, is what I object to.

I actually respect the abilities of the three currently leading candidates.

Oh, I did not mean to imply that you did say that; that was simply my own statement statement.  At least he is mediocre relative to the "image" that the Obama sheep have cultivated.

Obama is intelligent enough, but he's also arrogant and humorless.  He's also not humble, and has done nothing but fan the flames of this fan-worship and idolatry that people have for him.

[TheresNoMoney]

Obama is intelligent enough, but he's also arrogant and humorless.  He's also not humble,

You would be in the deep minority on those views. Read his autobiography and tell me he's not humble.

[Saxwsylvania]

Obama is intelligent enough, but he's also arrogant and humorless.  He's also not humble,

You would be in the deep minority on those views. Read his autobiography and tell me he's not humble.

I must admit: I have not read it.

But I've always wondered.  What exactly inspired him to write an autobiography in 1995, before he came to prominence?  And what exactly inspired people to read it?

[opebo]

Vander Blubb's looking for a humble politician!

[Gabu]

Obama is intelligent enough, but he's also arrogant and humorless.

Arrogant?  Humorless?

I must assume you haven't seen him talk much.

[Iosif is a COTHO]

Obama definitely has a good sense of humour, but I worry that all this adulation he's getting will go to his head.

[Gabu]

Obama definitely has a good sense of humour, but I worry that all this adulation he's getting will go to his head.

If it was going to go to his head, I'd think it would have already happened by now.

[TheresNoMoney]

I must admit: I have not read it.

You should, it's a great book and very revealing about his life and his approach to the world. It clinched my support for him back in late 2006.

But I've always wondered.  What exactly inspired him to write an autobiography in 1995, before he came to prominence?  And what exactly inspired people to read it?

It wasn't his idea, the publishers asked him to write it and paid him pretty well for it. He was somewhat of a minor celebrity in the legal world because he was the first-ever black president of the Harvard Law Review, and that's what orginally inspired interest in his life story.