The Audacity Of Fraud: How Barack Obama Is Losing My Vote

This is one quote that bothers me:///// “We should expand our ground forces by adding 65,000 soldiers to the army and 27,000 marines.” He restates the doctrine of using the military for nation-building: “We must also consider using military force in circumstances beyond self-defense in order to provide for the common security that underpins global stability — to support friends, participate in stability and reconstruction operations, or confront mass atrocities.” And he restates Bush’s doctrine of pre-emption, as in the case of Iran if it becomes necessary because “It is far too dangerous to have nuclear weapons in the hands of a radical theocracy”////////end of excerpt//// Why would we have to expand troop levels if we are bringing troops home from Iraq?

So anyone who doesn't go crazy and faint for Obama is a bigot? I see people bashing Clinton for everything they possibly can, just come out and say it, you HATE the thought of a WOMAN being President don't you?

Accusing someone of being a racist is a terrible thing. And so what? Should he become president and continue the same policies that I know the others will that will affect my child and the lives of many people. Maybe you don't have children or anyone else in your life you care about so you don't give a damn? So what?

urobus: we don't need to expand the military, we need to bring the troops home that are scattered all over this world in places they don't need to be and we would have the amount we need. We need to stop wasting money on military expansion and use it for our own people.

I agree our colonial tendencies are oppositional to progressive ideals. Obama, though, is calling for a more educated force, one that is multi-lingual and diplomatic. Our standards for military recruitment have lowered during the past few years. To have more intelligent members of the military, he would need to recruit new people. Would you rather have dumb-asses in the military or intellectuals?

Janforgore is stating an opinion and you 96thday seem to be putting words in jan's mouth, like loathe and bigotry, give it up already, Obama isn't going to have a 100% approval rating, only dictators have that luxury.

Yes, by all means, read up on all their opinions on war which are the same in the end. They all play to the military industrial complex and in the end will he really be any different than Hillary Clinton or John McCain when it would come to embroiling this country in another war? That is what I wish I had an answer to. And as someone sick of it I would protest any war he aimed to start or expand just as I would any other war started or expanded by Clinton or McCain. Sad to think that there are those however who would accept it after what we have already been through.

I really want you to address my question Jan, do you prefer an uneducated armed forces or one that is intelligent? Would we have to recruit new military personel to make our military IQ increase?

Well what do you mean by recruit? A draft? Because how else are you going to "recruit" "intelligent" people now? The only reason standards have gone down is because people aren't enlisting... wonder why? But answer me this then: Why do we need to expand the military to begin with if he or Clinton would be bringing troops out of Iraq? You want diplomacy hire diplomats. So I don't go for that excuse and I don't agree that we even need to expand the military now. And I want a military that is competent and one that isn't used for what it isn't meant to be used for and that doesn't cost us so much it takes the food out of hungry children's mouths or denies them healthcare or a sustainable planet. We have enough of a deficit already. Spending more on military might when we have more pressing social issues is simply in my view a waste.

this may be one of the most interesting threads i've read.

Jan is not a racist, but of course she could be. I could be too. From my perspective, 96th day has some sort a racial sensibility. Perhaps a reverse racism.
I feel both ur pains.

We hate and love based on behavior, not skin color. We hate the Red Sox when they lose.
We love em when they win.
We hate the facade only when it envelopes something despicable. Jan is very clearly addressing concerns with the interior of Obama, not the exterior. Smart woman that Jan.

"Admit it", 96th day, there is a bit of reverse racism going on here. We love Obama cause he never did us no harm. Bush did. We hate Bush. Fuck Bush and his old white man wrinkles and saggy 8-year failed presidency eyes and droopy texas lip and opulent haughty sauntering stupidity.

Obama seems pretty saintly so far, and his skin color suggests he wont fuck us like the powerful white people have always done. But of course that would be taking too much stock in the concept of skin color.

He has yet to prove himself. I look at that picture up there and I can imagine either loving or hating, depending on what that image will come to represent.
Right now it represents hope.

But Jan, who ya gonna vote for if not Obama?

Obama's essay suggests we increase the benefits for military personal, and that would peak the interest of higher educated people. Blackwater employees make much, much more than army personal. Is that fair? Perhaps, his increase in spending is to cover that gap, to enhance the G.I. Bill to WWII standards, and to properly protect those in harms way, and to reduce our dependence on corporate armies.

While I did not have the draft in mind when I posed the question, and I have never heard Obama support the draft, I would argue that a draft would have the immediate effect of ending the Iraq war. The draft would increase anti- war activism dramatically. College campuses would strike. Civil disobedience would be renewed. Rich white people would vote for progressive candidates, and people like Dennis Kucinich would have a fighting chance.

Firstly,I titled this the way the article is titled because it is the author's title and Obama can't lose my vote because he never had it and probably won't. Hillary Clinton never had my vote and probably won't. John McCain can't lose my vote because he never had it and never will. Lastly, I didn't post this because I want to 'push buttons'. This is too important and too serious to me for that. And I do not intend to cast a vote for anyone anymore unless I am pretty much assured that they won't wind up sending my son and other peoples' sons and daughters to a faraway place to die for their popularity ratings, and I do not feel assured about any of them at this point in that regard. Clinton is pretty much transparent in her acquiesence to the military industrial complex as is McCain. However, it is the subtly of Obama using his pretty words to cover up his intentions that bothers me and I will continue to call him on that when I see fit. There are simply too many inconsistencies between his words and what they really mean in context to get a free ride. If he stops the pretty speeches and starts giving some straight talk, he will get credit for it as well.

Jan, We do need to expand the military. The National Guard should never leave this soil. Remember Katrina? We had no National Guard to respond. Blackwater guns drawn went instead. We have more Private military troops in Iraq than US Military troops. Rumsfeld's leaner meaner military just didn't work. You bet we need more military and the equipment to go with them. We are so vulnerable right now it wouldn't take much to kick our ass, and there are plenty of people that would enjoy doing just that to the Worlds Bully. To be prepared is smart, doesn't mean we have to use them. We may have had our fill of attacking other countries that aren't a threat to us. Now why don't you spend some time looking for something good about Obama. He didn't get where he is being what you are trying to paint him as. Trust me in this if there was any skeletons in his closet Hillary and Company would have dragged them out and accidentally released them. Couldn't they find a picture that made him look any blacker?

smorrisey: no big deal.

We are vulnerable with the biggest military budget in the world? Then we need to fix more than the military.

Look at the millions, and millions the private millitary has gotten. They have the best of everything on our dime. Our military has old worn out junk. We couldn't even provide our guys with bullet proof vests. They shipped the old National Guard trucks over there for our military to use. It needs reworked, re-equipped, and taken care of in case we ever need them.

entiendes sarcarmo?

Jan, the only thing I disagree with you on is that Obama is subtle about his views. I think it's pretty obvious that he's just another neo-con. He starts his paper telling us how scary the big bad world is with all its nuclear weapons (which we have), all the global warming (which we create) and all the terrorists (which we are)...only to later tells us that "Our beliefs rest on hope; the extremists' rest on fear." Really? Because you sound pretty fearful of all this evil that we're helping spread around the world. This fear tactic is classic neo-con, and radical Islam, practice...don't let it mess with your values.

Also, when Obama says that "A strong military is, more than anything, necessary to sustain peace." I'm a bit confused. How come some countries with small militaries have low crime and some countries with large militaries have a lot of violent crime? Could it be that strong military does not equal peace? (Isn't that an oxymoron...er something?) Hmmm...sounds crazy...please, let's not send our intellects to war...

My favorite is when Obama brings up the quote from Kennedy about how helping the little guys will save the rich guys...and then makes it seem like it's for the common good. We have been "helping" the little guys all over the world for several decades by overthrowing democratically elected leaders and torturing innocent people. The end goal/result has always been to fatten the pockets of the few rich...it shouldn't be too hard for Obama to continue that legacy.

Oh...I could go on...there were so many jewels in that paper...but I think anyone with a critical mind and a little bit of time can understand why Obama is no different than the other political schmucks left in the ring.

I understand completely Jan's feelings towards Obama. He does not represent true change in America and that is oh-so-painfully obvious in his statements about the use of military force, even in times not in self-defense, and especially against countries like Iran and N.Korea. I'm tired of hearing friends get excited about Obama without even knowing his views or voting history. I stopped giving a shit what Will.i.am thinks about 10 years ago when I saw Black Eyed Peas do a Dr.Pepper commercial. Just because someone is young and good-looking and happens to say the word "change" a lot doesn't mean he deserves your vote. Get off the frickin bandwagon and get informed, people.

who you planning to vote for?

Look around at what Hillary's husband has done.

I'll take my chances on someone new. I know what Hillary will do.

LOL, ur such big babies, all of you. hahaha you entertain me. :) (I'll wait 4 u guys to destroy me now, lol)

I love yall

Never, you are one of the good ones.

Mayalynn: Thanks for your insight and not trashing me for having an opinion. The absolute lack of reasoning shown by some just because they don't like seeing him in the same light as the others because it is important to see is ridiculous. Anyway, I didn't go so far to state he is a neocon, but he sure does sound like a DLC democrat in disguise. And that concerns me because anyone who has teenage children should be worried about what we will get next. My feeling is that we have gone so far into the abyss with this war that we can't get out. It wouldn't matter even if we 'elected' a pacifist because circumstances are such (especially with the Bush regime in power another ten months still) that this war will spread. As the John Lennon song stated, 'Gimme Some Truth.' Don't come at me with pie in the sky speeches making me believe that the day you take the oath the birds will sing like a fairy tale movie as the flowers bloom and all is right with the world. It is disingenuous of anyone to do that just trying to get votes. So at this point I'm not voing for anybody. I'm tired of hearing about Obama as if he is the second coming because it is a replay of Bush of 2000 with his cultist followers who thought God put him in the White House, and look at what that got us. And you are correct, he does talk about the world much like that. How many already know that this "war on terror" is a fabrication to get their PNAC agenda installed with 9.11 as the excuse to do it? How many times have people stated that and that Bush is a war criminal? So now we are supposed to just continue to support that policy because Democrats espouse to it? No way. If it winds up that I don't vote in November which would be the first time in almost thirty years, I will still be very vocal about what is done in my name. I simply cannot in good conscience vote for anyone who may send my child to war. Those who cannot see that, well, I think they need to do a bit more soul searching and a little less personal attacking.

How lucky we are we now have two people with vastly superior intelligence to make pronouncements and then get pissed because you don't agree. I for one am tired of it.

Tired of what? A free democratic dialogue? That is the very spirit of Current as far as I can see and I thank them for it. If you want to read nothing but sweetness and light then perhaps you should go to the Obama sites that do nothing but talk about his rallies and not what is behind his policies. In the real world everyone running for office especially someone we know not much about should be open to the same scrutiny as anyone else. How unfortunate for us, our children, and history that Bush wasn't. It may very well have saved much heartache and pain for many Americans, Iraquis, and others around this world. And I was not the one who got personal here with false accusations and insults. If you don't like entries that question Obama, then perhaps you shouldn't come into them, simple as that. Here we are all commenting here about Bush and his undemocratic first amendment zones, etc., and that seems to be exactly what some here want. His veiled language that appears to express nothing but the same policy we have now does not get my support, and neither does any candidate including Clinton or McCain who works to keep our children in a war that takes their souls. I'm sick of the war mentality in this country, and as John Edwards eluded to, it ls time to be patriotic about something other than war.

The absolute lack of reasoning, and other remarks questioning others intelligence if they disagree with your opinion. Rage is fighting back. She didn't attack you. I'm sorry, I like you but you have been on a rampage of I'm really smart and my opinions count more than yours. This post is right next door to a page out of the National Enquirer, the picture should have alerted you, it is very old because they had to dig to find a really black looking one to appeal to bigots. That's what I'm tired of. You are projecting things onto Obama that aren't there, and no you aren't doing it to the others.

I agree pressrecord, Obama is the lesser of three evils and a vote for the least evil is still a vote for evil. He's a corporate monster that is using his oratory skills to win people over. He's got positive points and I think he has better intentions than the other two front-runners, but remember, you can vote for anyone.

Ron Paul is worth putting your vote toward. just because he's not stirring up controversy and he's another old white man doesn't mean he can't change things. Vote for who you want to win, that's the way it's meant to work.

i like ILiveonaClock the most.

marilyn: I think you are letting your personal feelings get the best of you here. The points raised here about his own words regarding military expansion, pre-emptive war policy, and terrorism are valid and the source is not from a rag as you suggested but a progressive publication. And this is actually tame in comparison to what will come from the media in the next nine months should he be crowned the nominee. So may I suggest you save up your outrage for that, not one article on a website that did nothing more than raise valid concerns. He is considered the "front runner" so he is open to hard questions, especially based on his own words that do reflect a great similiarity to the current policies on terrorism and war. And I won't apologize for wishing to open a dialogue up on that. I enjoy this site very much and I enjoy the exchanges especially when they raise questions and give information others may not know about. I'm really sorry if you think this is a site where people should only conform to one way of thinking.

See what I mean.