The First Real Change

The big change bus missed my corner stop last summer, and the highest  positive emotion stirred hereabouts by the wave of Obamania has been a deep, slowly-building respect for the man's political operation and personal stamina. I hang no posters. I do not swoon, though I do root. Yet, the photograph above hit me - if not with a Matthewsesque leg shiver, then with that rare summer Sunday gulp of realization. Look past Barack to the crowd of American soldiers, behind him at the gym in Kuwait. Look at their faces. If anyone yearns for change in our populace, it's the men and women of our armed forces - all of them facing two or three tours of hard duty, years away from home, careers put on hold, and the threat of death or serious injury on a daily basis. In their shoes, change has a far different meaning and the choice seems stark indeed. Senator McCain seems bent on running like he's the William Westmoreland of 2008, clinging to a policy of pure disaster. Senator Obama may well shift his Iraq policy once he grasps power, and he's certainly right about Afghanistan. He's no peacenik. But his election would begin a broad shift in American foreign policy: I'm not an Obama believer , I'm not baptized into the faith - but I  believe this deeply. And those people in fatigues behind the Democratic nominee? They're the ones who need a bit of hope.

Comments

[Judith]

having people in charge who arent loons would bring a broad change to our foreign policy.

Here's hoping.

[Write]

Yes, I will write-in Hillary no matter what the ballot will look like on the Election day.

[Tony Alva]

Don't be fooled by the photo, the military are going to overwhelmingly vote McCain. Your girl would have fared much better and that's too bad.

[mrmobi]

In their shoes, change has a far different meaning and the choice seems stark indeed. Senator McCain seems bent on running like he's the William Westmoreland of 2008, clinging to a policy of pure disaster.

For me, the most important reason to vote for Obama may be that he believes in treating our soldiers with the respect they so richly deserve. That includes not going to war when you don't have to.

I watched the video of the Kuwait event, and it looked very relaxed and natural, including a three-point "nothing but net" shot from the candidate that drew cheers. There are surely people in the military who don't like Obama, but there didn't appear to be any at that event.

Being from Illinois, I'm quite familiar with the Democratic candidate, and aware that his resume may not be the longest, but his commitment to progressive values is deep, and he knows how to work with members of the other party to get things done. More events like those from this trip should go a long way to helping Americans understand just how stark the choice is this Presidential Election year.

Good post, Tom.

[mrmobi]

In their shoes, change has a far different meaning and the choice seems stark indeed. Senator McCain seems bent on running like he's the William Westmoreland of 2008, clinging to a policy of pure disaster.

For me, the most important reason to vote for Obama may be that he believes in treating our soldiers with the respect they so richly deserve. That includes not going to war when you don't have to.

I watched the video of the Kuwait event, and it looked very relaxed and natural, including a three-point "nothing but net" shot from the candidate that drew cheers. There are surely people in the military who don't like Obama, but there didn't appear to be any at that event.

Being from Illinois, I'm quite familiar with the Democratic candidate, and aware that his resume may not be the longest, but his commitment to progressive values is deep, and he knows how to work with members of the other party to get things done. More events like those from this trip should go a long way to helping Americans understand just how stark the choice is this Presidential Election year.

Good post, Tom.

[mrmobi]

Sorry for the double-post above.

Yes, I will write-in Hillary no matter what the ballot will look like on the Election day.

That, of course, is your right, assuming you live in a state which allows write-ins. For myself, and as the father of a talented 23-year old woman, I find the possibility of a McCain Presidency frightening, especially from the perspective of women's rights, both here and abroad. Here are some of his votes, not including his anti-abortion votes:

* Voted to uphold the global gag rule, a policy that bans overseas health clinics from receiving U.S. family‐planning aid if they use their own funds to provide legal abortion services, give referrals, or even take a public pro‐choice position.

* Voted to de‐fund the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), an organization that provides family‐planning services – not abortion – for the world’s poorest women.

* Voted to earmark one‐third of all HIV/AIDS prevention funds for ineffective, unproven, and dangerous “abstinence‐unless‐married” programs.

* Voted to take $75 million from the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant to establish a new “abstinence‐only” program that censors information about birth control.

* Voted to impose a federal parental‐consent law on teens seeking birth control.

* Declined to help reduce the need for abortion and improve maternal health by opposing effort to require insurance coverage for prescription birth control, improve access to emergency contraception, and provide more women with prenatal health care.

* Voted against legislation that would have prevented unintended pregnancy by investing in insurance coverage for prescription birth control, promoting family‐planning services, implementing teen‐pregnancy‐prevention programs, and developing programs to increase awareness about emergency contraception.

* Was supportive of the recent Supreme Court decision, which effectively makes it harder for women to file equal pay discrimination cases.

These are the votes of a profoundly anti-choice/anti-woman candidate. I'm not arguing here that Obama is the lesser of two evils. Obama is a good and decent public servant, with a record of fighting for progressive causes. McCain isn't evil, either, he's just willing to settle for women being second-class citizens. That should be a deal-breaker for any reasonable progressive.

I urge you to follow Hillary's advice and support Barack Obama.

[Tom K]

Mr.M's comment above is illustrative -- Obama hit a 3-pointer, and I've heard the phrase "nothing but net" used in connection with it several times. In fact, it seemed to catch a both of the rim, to my viewing, and certainly wasn't the sort of direct swish typically associated with the phrase "nothing but net."

It should be possible to discuss the guy'v virtues without exagerating them.

[Susie]

< I'm not arguing here that Obama is the lesser of two evils. Obama is a good and decent public servant, with a record of fighting for progressive causes. McCain isn't evil, either, he's just willing to settle for women being second-class citizens.>

I'd feel better if Obama understood the technical medical meaning of “mental distress,” which it appears he doesn’t. (Or perhaps he does and simply doesn't care, a disturbing thought.)

His wife has announced that she will take no role or interest in policy making and is focused only the kiddies, a striking contrast not only to Hillary Rodham Clinton but Rosalynn Carter. Well, as her husband said during the campaign, the President’s wife goes to lots of tea parties.

Sometimes, mr mobi, you take your advocacy a little far. Have you never heard of advance people?

I’ll say. A tyro senator who had barely arrived in D.C. before running for President. (Never again will the Democrats be able to use the experience argument against a Republican candidate.)

I’m glad he was working on his basketball skills, though.

[Anti Obama.net]

Obama refusing to visit the injured troops - only to get a brief photo-op shooting hoops with the troops, speaks volumes.