Personally, the presence of Sarah Palin on the Republican ticket is enough for me to vote Democrat. Having her in office would be an embarrassment for this country. I realize that’s probably not enough to make you go out and vote, so here are some good, solid reasons to vote for Obama.
1. Let’s forget all his “socialist” and “terrorist” associations. This kind of populist appeal to social conservatives is nothing but a distraction from real issues. However it is a popular attack because the socially conservative minority (the base of the republican party) tend to view these issues as important. We all have skeletons in our closets, and many of these relationships are tenuous, at best. For instance, I was listening to the ever enigmatic college drop-out Sean Hannity the other day. This level-headed thinker thought it prudent to question if Obama was ever a “drug dealer” because he had mentioned that he had tried cocaine. Talk about a leap of faith.
2. That being said I realize the main issue on everyone’s mind is the economy. We’re worried about both candidate’s tax and spending plans. Obama will not be able to spend as much as he wants to, and that’s a simple fact. However the basics of his economic policy are sound. First of all, the idea that businesses will flee the United States because of Obama’s tax plan may seem like a sound theory, but history has shown that it tends not to happen. In fact, Obama is simply bringing taxes back to their levels during the mid-90’s, a period of rapid growth for American businesses within the United States. Jonathan Parker, a Professor at Northwestern, stated that Obama is “a pragmatist not an ideologue. I expect Clintonian economic policies.”
3. Obama’s economic plan, from the standpoint of a majority of economists, is far superior to John Mccains. The Economist (a moderate “newspaper,” whose economic beliefs are often shared by conservatives) did a survey on October 6th of 142 research associates at the National Bureau of Economic Research. 80% of total respondants say Obama had a better grasp of economics. Even among republicans surveyed, 46% believed that Obama has a better grasp then Mccain (23%).
4. On average these respondents rated Obama’s economic plan at 3.3 and Mccain’s at 2.2 on a scale of 1-5. For reference, they rated Bush as a 1.7. (Importantly, this survey and article were done before The Economist officially endorsed Obama on October 30th).
5. Obama’s tax plan, as estimated by the Tax Policy Centre, will shrink the gap between the wealthy and the poor, while Mccains will increase it. Call it redistribution, however, considering the possibility of recession, pragmatism should trump ideology. Consumer spending accounts for nearly 70 percent of GDP. By creating a strong foundation for spending, businesses, and, therefore that very wealthy 1%, will do better, as will the economy as a whole.
6. As for foreign policy, the next president will be inheriting an incredibly difficult international situation. Debate the intricacies of each plan all you want, but the fact remains that Obama will go a long way towards healing the damage done by Bush to our International Reputation. He is, by far, the more popular candidate.
7. Finally, I personally believe Obama just gets it. It’s important for the United States to begin thinking about it’s role in a changing world, and how we’re going to meet these challenges. It’s about recognizing changing trends and organizing ourselves to meet them. Obama’s tech and internet savvy campaign shows not only his organizational skills, but his ability to creatively utilize emerging tools. We need to focus on a greener future, promote civic responsibility, and reform our education system. No, Obama will not be able to secure success in all of these areas. However, he can set a precedent and a direction for our country for the 21st century.
