Barack Obama?
Can someone please tell me about Barack Obama? What are his views? What are his plans if elected president? I’m not really into politics but I would like to vote when the elections come up. I think its great that we will have a Black guy running for president but I dont want to go voting for him just because hes Black and a democrat!
IM SORRY IF SOME OF YOU GET THE IMPRESSION THAT I WOULD CONSIDER VOTING FOR HIM JUST BECAUSE HE BLACK. I THINK ITS WONDERFUL THAT WE MIGHT HAVE A BLACK CANDIDATE. PERIOD.
PARDON ME FOR EVEN MENTIONING HIS RACE!
I hope this helps
[edit] Abortion
In his write-in response to a 1998 survey, Obama stated his abortion position as: "Abortions should be legally available in accordance with Roe v. Wade."[1]
[edit] Economic policy
Obama has expressed support for elements of neoliberalism, protectionism, and social welfare. He wrote: "we should be asking ourselves what mix of policies will lead to a dynamic free market and widespread economic security, entrepreneurial innovation and upward mobility [...] we should be guided by what works." [2] Speaking before the National Press Club in April 2005, he defended the New Deal social welfare policies of Franklin D. Roosevelt, associating Republican proposals to establish private accounts for Social Security with Social Darwinism.[3] In a May 2006 letter to President Bush, he joined four other midwest farming state Senators in calling for the preservation of a $0.54 per gallon tariff on imported ethanol.[4]
Obama spoke out in June 2006 against making recent, temporary estate tax cuts permanent, calling the cuts a "Paris Hilton" tax break for "billionaire heirs and heiresses."[5] Speaking in November 2006 to members of Wake Up Wal-Mart, a union-backed campaign group, Obama said: "You gotta pay your workers enough that they can actually not only shop at Wal-Mart, but ultimately send their kids to college and save for retirement."[6]
[edit] Energy
Obama and other Senators introduced the BioFuels Security Act in 2007. "It’s time for Congress to realize what farmers in America’s heartland have known all along – that we have the capacity and ingenuity to decrease our dependence on foreign oil by growing our own fuel," Obama said.[7]
[edit] Health care
On January 25, 2007, Obama spoke about his position on health care at Families USA, a health care advocacy group. Obama said, "The time has come for universal health care in America . . . I am absolutely determined that by the end of the first term of the next president, we should have universal health care in this country." Obama went on to say that he believed that it was wrong that forty-six million Americans are uninsured, noting that taxpayers already pay over $15 billion dollars annually to care for the uninsured.[8]
[edit] Gun politics
Barack Obama advocates stricter gun control. His agenda includes banning the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons, increasing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms and requiring manufacturers to provide child-safety locks with firearms.
He has voted against legislation protecting firearm manufacturers from liability. [9]
[edit] Immigration
On immigration reform, Obama has said that he "will not support any bill that does not provide [an] earned path to citizenship for the undocumented population." Obama supports a guestworker program.[10]
In September 2006, Obama supported the Secure Fence Act, authorizing the construction of 700 miles of fencing along the United States–Mexico border.[11]
[edit] Iran
During his 2004 Senate campaign, Obama stated that he had not ruled out military action against Iran. In a meeting with the Chicago Tribune editorial board, Obama stated: "The big question is going to be, if Iran is resistant to these pressures, including economic sanctions, which I hope will be imposed if they do not cooperate, at what point are we going to, if any, are we going to take military action?" To separate this stance from the Bush Administration’s, Obama stressed that he would only resort to force as a last resort.[12] Obama has not declared a change in this stance since the 2004 campaign. In 2006, he called on Iran to "take some ownership for creating some stability" in Iraq.[13]
[edit] Iraq
Senator Obama was an early opponent of Bush administration policies on Iraq in times when other Democratic leaders supported the legislation that led to the war. Obama was not in the Federal Senate, and was therefore unable to vote during the famous Iraq Resolution of 11 October 2002, authorizing the use of force against Iraq. During a fall 2002 anti-war rally at Chicago’s Federal Plaza, while still an Illinois State Senator, and in a speech alongside Jesse Jackson, Obama stated: "I am not opposed to all wars. I’m opposed to dumb wars. [...] You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s finish the fight with Bin Laden and al-Qaeda, through effective, coordinated intelligence, and a shutting down of the financial networks that support terrorism, and a homeland security program that involves more than color-coded warnings."[14] Speaking before the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in November 2006, he said: "The days of using the war on terror as a political football are over. [...] It is time to give Iraqis their country back, and it is time to refocus America’s efforts on the wider struggle yet to be won." In his speech Obama also called for a phased withdrawal of American troops starting in 2007, and an opening of diplomatic dialog with Iraq’s neighbors, Syria and Iran.[15]
On January 30, 2007, Obama introduced the "Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007" into Congress. Among other things, the Act calls for capping the level of troops in Iraq at January 2007 levels, and for commencing a phased redeployment of US forces from Iraq "with the goal of removing all combat brigades from Iraq by March 31, 2008, a date that is consistent with the expectation of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group.[16][17]
[edit] Israel-Palestinian conflict
Referring to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in January 2006, Obama denounced Hamas while praising former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. At a meeting with then Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom on the eve of Hamas’s sweeping election victory, Obama stated that Sharon’s role in the conflict had always been "absolutely important and constructive."[18] However, when referring to Palestine, Obama stated opposition to Hamas in favor of rival party Fatah, noting his desire to "consolidate behind a single government with a single authority that can then negotiate as a reliable partner with Israel." Obama went further, in a comment aimed at Hamas, saying that "the US will always side with Israel if Israel is threatened with destruction."[19]
Obama was also a cosponsor of the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006, which, among other notions, calls on "members of the international community to avoid contact with and refrain from financially supporting the terrorist organization Hamas until it agrees to recognize Israel, renounce violence, disarm, and accept prior agreements, including the Roadmap."[20]
[edit] Net neutrality
In a June 2006 podcast, Obama expressed support for telecommunications legislation to protect network neutrality on the internet, saying: "It is because the Internet is a neutral platform that I can put out this podcast and transmit it over the Internet without having to go through any corporate media middleman. I can say what I want without censorship or without having to pay a special charge. But the big telephone and cable companies want to change the Internet as we know it."[21]
[edit] Religion
Obama has encouraged Democrats to reach out to evangelicals and other church-going people, saying, "if we truly hope to speak to people where they’re at—to communicate our hopes and values in a way that’s relevant to their own—we cannot abandon the field of religious discourse."[22][23]
He hasn’t been nominated yet to run for President. There are several candidates for each party running. He may not win.
He’s liberal, is against the war in Iraq … he’s well educated, having attended Punahou HS in Honolulu, Columbia University, and a Law Degree from Harvard.
He is well spoken and articulate.
He would make an exceptional president.
you can search Barack Obama on google.. im pretty sure he has a website.
Barack Obama is a very dedicated man. He’s always been for the most important thing that has him running for president. He’s only interested in the people especialy the middle class and the poverty stricken. he doesn’t agree with president bush’s views and i think that he hsas good chance only if hilary clinton is not running because they have the same views.
He is for nationalized health care, ending the war in Iraq, and ending partisanship in Washington. One of the things he talked about in his speech the other day is the importance of trying to bring Americans back together and ending the divide in our country. This will appeal to a lot of people who are sick of our current system and how it works. He has a real shot at winning once he gets his message out. I was supporting Hillary, but think I have more in common with him after hearing him on Saturday.
He has always been against the war in Iraq. I think we need
new blood in politics. He is an honest man and family man.
Just because he is green doesn’t mean he can’t be a good
president.
We don’t know yet. All I know is that he is so inexperienced that he’s not qualifoed to be pres. I don’t think we can afford to have a pres that is learning the roaps on foreign affairs with "on the job training."
I don’t care if a person is black, white or green – that isn’t a qualification.
He has written some books. Also, here are some links to try.
"…I think its great that we will have a Black guy running for president" — you said that. He and the media are making him a "black man" as a niche candidate of the DNC. This way, you overlook that the DNC doesn’t have another candidate of color, since 2004 (sad, sad, sad) while Condi Rice is the face of American worldwide, and is basically overlooked. For me, I like SUBSTANCE over style. Suits, polished soundbytes, and making faces: like frowns, or intense-faces when you need them… taking your shirt off for the media in Hawaii, and then pretending you don’t recall the "beach" where the pic was clicked the next week? He’s another BS candidate, which is why the media/etc. is wholly behind a man that called himself "Barry" until his public persona and now connects with Nigeria in his mid-40′s. He doesn’t have accomplishments and fire to make things happen — and until he does, he’s just the flavor of the month. (ps — Gore will win.)
Why not vot for him just because he is black and democrat. It seems, you have already made up your mind.
He has been described as articulate, bright, and clean!
WARNING Don’t lsiten to individuals about him…
Go look it up on barackobama.com or congress.gov
I love the way he voted to deny survivors of abortion medical coverage wow what a man.