Obama spoke out against the war right from the start, even when it was a politically risky thing to do. Also, he's a lot more likely than McCain to expedite our withdrawal from a war we should never have started.
He seems a lot less likely to go off half-cocked than McCain, who is known for his temper and off-the-cuff gaffs (100 years in Iraq!?)
Obama is articulate and thoughtful; and after 8 years of embarrassing Bushisms I'll be proud to have an intelligent, well-spoken President.
He's willing to give foreign negotiation a try; this could be a good thing, especially since refusing to speak to our enemies sure hasn't worked. And I don't believe that opening up a dialog means he'll be a pushover since he stood up quite well to Hillary Clinton and others during the early debates. And he survived Chicago politics, which can gobble up the easily intimidated.
He has been endorsed by Edwards, Kennedy and Richardson, all of whose political views I usually like
Despite McCain's recent “energy” speeches
view link , I believe Obama is “greener”
view link and is certainly much less beholden to big oil (and to big business in general)
I admired his speech on race, and like that he is trying to shift the emphasis from race to class
I admired his Father's Day speech. We are, after all, a family-values nation, right?
I admired his Patriotism speech, which went well beyond flag-waving as proof of love of country.
view linkI liked his demeanor as well as many of the things he had to say in the debates with Hillary (who was certainly no pushover either!) He has been unfailingly respectful to Hillary Clinton, but didn't let her push him around even when she was viewed as the sure-to-win front runner.
I am currently leaning more towards Obama's health care suggestions; they seem more comprehensive and inclusive. McCain seems to just want to throw more money at the insurance companies.
In reading about his political career in Illinois, it does seem to me as though Obama is, indeed, a uniter. Here's a long but informative article on that here
view linkI am impressed with his use of the internet to reach out to ordinary people and to draw them into his campaign. That kind of savvy will stand him in good stead in working to keep the USA technologically strong.
I like his frank comments on the bible, the ones that made Dobson hyperventilate.
I like his wife and the fact that she is totally supportive while still having a mind of her own (a relief after 8 years of milk toast Laura). The clips I've seen of him interacting with his wife and with his kids made me believe that his family values are for real.
He's brought a sense of hope and enthusiasm to a process that many of us had almost given up on and viewed with total cynicism. Of course cynicism is still a factor, but it isn't tinged with the despair and contempt the Bush years spawned.
I know that some folks worry about his relative lack of experience, but I'm hoping that also means he's more open to change. McCain is so deeply connected to and obligated to the old guard and old way of doing things that I'm afraid he would just perpetuate business as usual. We really do need change.
There's a good collection of New York Times articles, both pro and con, on Obama here
view linkPlus here's a nice response from DeepBlueSeas which I've added to my own list: “The things I like best about Obama personally are his involvement with civil rights issues throughout his career, his international experiences and world view, his paid and unpaid work promoting social justice issues, and the fact that he intentionally did other things besides run for office. Of less importance perhaps, but equally impressive to me, are his education and communication skills. (Note that he did not need a co-author for his memoir.) His apparent candor is also refreshing.”
There's a lot more, of course. Feel free to add to my list. Here's the link to the official Obama list of issues and his responses
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