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| No | 9% | 6 votes | Total: 66 votes | |
| Yes | 91% | 60 votes |
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Add to FavoritesInspiration is a very effective and useful tool when a candidate is trying to obtain votes in the race for the President of the United States. The first job of the President is to keep the country safe and as Commander-in-Chief he commands all branches of the armed forces. Respect trumps inspiration in this position.
The difference between speech making and working with the United States Congress to pass noteworthy legislation takes more than inspiring words. Barack Obama has has moved swiftly to the middle, having secured the Democrat base and is now trying to convince conservative voters to vote for him.
If Obama wins the presidency, he will have to govern from the left to appease the Liberal Congress. He will be in lockstep with them from his own comfortable left base, but he would be in combat with them if he governed from a conservative base. His strong socialist ties also preclude him from governing as a conservative. He wants the conservative vote-that's all.
Inspiring rhetoric has its rewards in votes, but in the end, it takes more than words to be the President.
Of the two candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, McCain is ready to step into the role of Commander-in-Chief from day one. It was his push for a surge in troops that brought about the success in Iraq that we're seeing today.
Obama has changed his hard line withdrawal rhetoric because he knows it won't go over well with conservatives who are in favor of maintaining a presence in Iraq. To explain his change of heart, he says, "you don't listen." The Iraq war is winding down, and now the Liberals only want to have a say in what Iraq does with their oil. Otherwise, let them fend for themselves.
Inspirati on is a great thing, if you can back it up with action and character. Obama shows questionable character in his first two general election ads where he pads his resume with misleading facts about his accomplishments. It's not the first time he referred to a bill that he "passed" when in fact, the bill did not pass.
Look up the bills Obama refers to and you'll see some discrepancies on what they actually encompass versus how he frames them on his resume.
Recently, a news story came out about the 500 enriched cakes of uranium that were found in Iraq at the beginning of the war. If you wanted, you could have found this news in a few other Internet sources prior to the new news release, but you won't hear the mainstream media reporting on it because it might harm their credibility.
They've fed you their own line for years and now they're feeding the American people the story of a wonderful, holier than thou, Senator with no accomplishments because he "inspires" people. Empty words spoken in the style of a televangelist should be cause for concern instead of falling into the love boat with Barack Obama.
He can't deliver to conservatives, but he will have to deliver to left wing Democrats. If you're a conservative, I hope you don't fall in love with words because they only count if they are true and trustworthy. Everything about Obama's socialist background says his words are not to be believed because they're not trustworthy.
My advice to voters, enjoy the inspirational show, eat the popcorn, and drink the kool aid if you must, but when it comes time to vote, remember that words will not pay for all the social programs Obama promises, nor will his words protect you from the great economic storm that is headed our way because of high prices, subprime lending deficit, and the weak dollar.
No matter which candidate is elected, we'll need a steady hand, not inspirational words, to guide us through the coming economic crisis.
Learn more about this author, Mona Gallagher.
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Yes
We all know that a president should be a great leader. He or she is the Commander in Chief of the United States Army, the most important diplomat for the U.S. with the rest of the world, and advocate for the American people (in principle, of course. In practice it seems to be a different thing.). But is it a president's job to inspire the American people? I think it depends on the leader and the general mood of the American people.
Dick Cheney's recent televised interview would have me believe that the Vice President doesn't think so. In fact, it would seem the Vice President doesn't think much of the American people at all. When asked if it mattered to him that so many people thought poorly of the course of the Iraq war, his response was a terse, "So?" I don't think Cheney is looking to inspire anyone, except maybe Rush Limbaugh. Bush seems to hold similarly stubborn and self-contained views, albeit in a less confrontation manner. Bush has said in no uncertain terms that "he is the Decider." In other words, the will of the people doesn't matter if it runs contrary to his opinion. This despite the fact that the people elected him to represent us.
There are several ways to lead a group of people. Imagine that the United States is a company and the president is the CEO. The CEO can lead by fear. He can constantly leave his employees worried for their jobs. He can be erratic and unpredictable, causing his workers to produce out of sheer concern over their futures with the organization. This is how I see Bush and his administration. People are afraid to cross Bush, Cheney, Karl Rove, and others. For example, when Joe Wilson spoke out against the president, Cheney outed Joe Wilson's wife as a CIA operative, putting her life in danger. It's shocking that Cheney has never been prosecuted for this crime.
In the Justice Department, a branch that is supposed to act in a non-partisan manner, cases and investigations against Democrats far exceeded those against Republicans. If you crossed anyone in the Executive Branch, you could expect to pay for it. There are numerous stories like this of intimidation, bullying, and coercion coming from inside the White House. Given Bush's astronomically low approval rating, it's clear that few people have been inspired by our current president's policies.
On the other hand, the CEO can lead by example. He can inspire his workers to want to work as hard as he does, or aspire to be the type of person that he is.
While some would argue that Barack Obama does not necessarily have the experience to be president, a point which I believe can be fully refuted, there is no arguing Obama has the ability to inspire many people. It would be naive to think he could inspire everyone, as there will always be cynics, but he can certain pull a large cross-section of the country together. As well, my belief is that he can help pull many countries back to a more allied position with America. The Bush administration has spent the better part of a decade stubbornly and cavalierly ruining our relationships around the world. They started an unpopular war without the blessing of the UN, they refuse to sign the Kyoto Treaty to regulate greenhouse emissions, they have destroyed any chance we had of making new friends in the Middle East, and more.
While "being an inspiration" may not directly be in the president's job description, I believe it's very important. Especially now when the country and world seem so divided. Now is the perfect time for a leader who can make us want to be better people. I believe Barack Obama can be this leader, and inspired us to be better ourselves.
Learn more about this author, Sean Curtis.
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