I've now seen several military spouse bloggers talk about Obama's connection to Bill Ayers. So I have a few questions:
(1) Re: Ayers, at what point do your present actions for good outweigh a sordid past? Or can it ever? Don't you think there's a big difference between Obama being linked to Ayers in the 60's on subversive activities versus him working on a conservative educational grant decades later?
(2) How are McCain's connections to some less-than-savory characters different, i.e., Charles Keating?
I'm very curious to hear the responses.
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9 comments:
First of all, I believe the Ayers-Obama connection is much more recent than the 60’s. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, that he didn’t know about Ayers’ terrorist past when going to his home. The Ayers connection is the least of my worries regarding Obama’s associations and past.
Regarding McCain and Keating, and also Obama, I believe present and former actions can outweigh a sordid past… to a point.
Neither of these reasons is why I chose a candidate this year.
Obama raised concerns with me during the Dem. primary debates when he said he would meet unconditionally with the leader of Iran. (I hear that he has clarified his statement since then, but I haven’t heard it)
Another decision-making point is their (Obama and McCain) stated philosophy re: the supreme court (ideology vs upholding the constitution). I’m not ecstatic with either candidate, but I’m choosing McCain because I don’t want to see the US go down the socialist path that I see Obama describing. (I recently read Obama’s “blueprint for change”, and the amount of federal involvement and handouts is astonishing to me)
Could you please clarify the “conservative educational grant”? Thank you
Obamas socialist connections go back to 1996....
That concerns me
http://nalert.blogspot.com/2008/02/obamas-socialist-relationships.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIlIpOkRh2A
http://nj.nationaljournal.com/voteratings
http://www.aim.org/aim-column/obamas-global-tax-proposal-up-for-senate-vote
http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/12/keynote_address.php
http://www.pes.org/component/option,com_blog/Itemid,1700007/task,show/action,view/id,1023/Itemid,1700007/lang,en/
http://webcast-pes.all2all.org/index.php/galleries/view/35/en
http://www.aim.org/special-report/russian-spies-targeted-and-used-clinton-official
http://www.aim.org/media-monitor/the-democrats-culture-of-corruption
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-08-31-congresswoman-husband_x.htm
http://www.aim.org/media-monitor/the-democrats-culture-of-corruption
http://moveon.org
http://www.stratcongroup.com/clients.php
http://www.stratcongroup.com/publication/testimonials.php
Imagine if John McCain worked on committees with and was the guest of honor at a coffee hosted by a kleagle in the KKK. Then imagine that he was a member of David Duke's church.
To me, this is a (thankfully imaginary) parallel to Obama's relationships with Ayers and Wright.
I honestly cannot believe that if McCain had even been in the same room with David Duke, that people would not tar him as a racist by association. And I don't think he'd be anywhere near the presidency.
To me, it's inexcusable to hang around with white supremacists. Ditto for people who used bombing as a means of protest.
As for Ayers making up for his past, a simple "I'm sorry" would be a nice start.
The difference - Obama isn't turning desperate and relying on smears and nastiness. have you noticed how the Obama ads are calm, full sentences and usually him sitting and explaining something. and McCain ads are dark, gloomy, 4 word bullet points without a sentence in sight...
Hmmmmm
LAW
Susan, the project that Ayers and Obama worked on together was an Annenberg education grant. More info here: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/10/09/08annenberg.h28.html
I'm still not hearing why it's different than the McCain/Keating stuff.
Here's my issue with this. Connections perhaps do say something. But I think you need to look at the point of those connections. Obama wasn't meeting with Ayers to further some radical agenda. They were improving public schools. And I think if you look closely enough, you might just find some of those white supremacy connections, Sarah (didn't McCain serve on the same Senate as Strom Thurmond, after all, a man who ran for President on a Segregationist platform?) Did he not go on vacations with Keating, a convicted felon?). I know those are far-fetched. But that's my point. How far can you take it? I don't think we should take it that far at all.
I really wish -- on both sides -- that we could focus on the actual issues and ideas as opposed to this smear stuff.
Obama is really a socialist
NEE -
The Obama/Ayers connection is different from the McCain/Keating connection in that the former is a muuuccchh bigger stretch than the latter. You say it well when you point out that the Obama/Ayers connection had little to do with Ayers actual transgressions.
I hope you don't mind if I tag on a question...Why is socialism so scary to McCain voters? I'm not advocating it necessarily, but it surely doesn't scare me. I looked up most of army wife's links and not one could actually prove that Obama lays claim to membership in a socialist organization. Sure he's spoken at forums and has nice things to say about Bernie Sanders (I lived in Vermont for 8 years..I have nice things to say about Bernie too!) but really, Obama is no more a socialist than I am a Republican. I may be related to some and hang around some, but that doesn't make me one.
The smears make me crazy too.
For what it's worth, I thought of you when I read this today.
http://meganmcardle.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/10/the_five_is_alive.php
So one possible difference is an apology. I can see that.
But in one sense, I almost have more respect for Obama for not apologizing if he does not see an association with Ayers to promote education as wrong.
Still, I want to hear more ideas, less mud-slinging.
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