I just listened for an hour to a man on Bill Moyers say that he doesn't know who Barack Obama is or what he stands for. I took the information below directly from Barack Obama's website on the issues. If I was in the position to be the only one to hire someone, I would want to meet the person in person, know what their credentials are and watch them at work as well as talk to those who know him or her by their dealings with him or her. I would want to match the abilities to what the job would call for. But for me, most important would by far be the person's integrity. I don't care what credentials can be claimed or what experience they have if the person lacks at the core ~ INTEGRITY. IF I detect phoniness or pretentious character, then I would not want to hire the person. There is a trust that is necessary to believe in the genuineness of the person. There is nothing I loathe more than pretense. If you can't dare to be natural, I can't believe you accept yourself. The most dangerous leaders are those who can't accept themselves. They are always looking to fill the gaping hole of dire personal need and that gets in the way of service for the greater good.
pho·ny or pho·ney adj
1. not genuine and used to deceive
2. putting on a false show of something such as sincerity or expertise
n a phony person or thing
vt to make something appear to be genuine when it is not
Encarta® World English Dictionary
I see Hillary Clinton as a phony. I could be wrong, though. But that is what I see by watching her closely from afar. She is not someone I would choose as a friend.
Choosing a President is like hiring someone, but it isn't possible for me to get to know the person personally. So I watch, listen and read faces while they are talking. I look at them the same way I look at people I meet. If they give reason to want to put trust in them ~ I "hand it over" to them. But when they talk crooked, instead of straight from a place of being comfortable in their own "skin" or character, then I don't trust them.
This is how I feel about Hillary. I don't trust her. Or her motives. I see her caring more about her ambition than the people that she says she cares about. I don't think she is inhuman. I think she is a talented person and politician. She is just not the woman that I want for President.
This business of me being a woman and being required to vote for Hillary because she is also a woman, is absolutely nonsensical to me. Character trumps gender for me.
The "tear" thing means absolutely nothing to me ~ whether it be Edmund_Muskie or Hillary Clinton.
I think that Americans are majorly uninvoled in the democracy. And I believe that voting for someone requires involvement. Most Americans live unaware of their elected politicians by choice. And that is the weakest link in how our country is working out. Thomas Jefferson is credited with this quote: “If once the people become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress and Assemblies, Judges and Governors, shall all become wolves. It seems to be the law of our general nature, in spite of individual exceptions." I think Americans are inattentive regarding our government. And that is a major problem. To me.
Everything that George Bush has done as my leader has lacked integrity. And it scares me to look at the field of candidates and see what we could get next. I am so tired of not being listened to by my government. I am so tired of being dismissed, as well as dismissing the U.S. Constitution.
I often think about the First Americans and their perspective. They are not immigrants. They had their way of life denied them and their home and homeland stolen from them so that "we" immigrants could be free. Then the America's "riches" came at the expense of human beings brought from the continent of Africa as well as the indigenous people. We don't face our mistakes, our flaws and our inhumane treatment of "others". And yet, we maintain we are a democracy. I believe we have a duty to be involved in our government. And to face our national foibles.
It is being said that New Hampshire citizens take their primary vote so seriously that they even stood behind the voting curtain in private for an hour choosing the Presidential candidate to vote for. That seems like a waste of time that illustrates the disconnect of the voter's responsibility to get informed before they decide on a candidate and cast a vote. Having been in New Hampshire for 6 days and through January 8, the day of the Primary vote, I know that the people that I came in contact with are not anymore informed than one debate or passing by a TV for two minutes could get them. While going door-to-door, I met however one man from Poland and a family from Italy who are now USA citizens, as well as one Australian woman who canvassed with me for Barack Obama ~ and all of them were informed. It is rare to find an American who is informed. At least the people that I have met.
The following is the issue page on Barack Obama's website: Senator Obama has been able to develop innovative approaches to challenge the status quo and get results. Americans are tired of divisive ideological politics, which is why Senator Obama has reached out to Republicans to find areas of common ground. He has tried to break partisan logjams and take on seemingly intractable problems. During his tenure in Washington and in the Illinois State Senate, Barack Obama has accumulated a record of bipartisan success.
 | Civil RightsThere is no more fundamental American right than the right to vote. Before the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act, barriers such as literacy tests, poll taxes and property requirements disenfranchised many Americans, especially minorities. More than 40 years later, there are still numerous obstacles to ensuring that every citizen has the ability to vote. |
 | EconomyAs president, Barack Obama will implement a 21st century economic agenda to help ensure that America can compete in a global economy, and ensure the middle class is thriving and growing. He will increase investments in infrastructure, energy independence, education, and research and development; modernize and simplify our tax code so it provides greater opportunity and relief to more Americans; and implement trade policies that benefit American workers and increase the export of American goods. |
 | EducationThroughout America's history, education has been the vehicle for social and economic mobility, giving hope and opportunity to millions of young people. Our schools must prepare students not only to meet the demands of the global economy, but also help students take their place as committed and engaged citizens. It must ensure that all students have a quality education regardless of race, class, or background. Barack Obama is committed to strengthening our public schools to maximize our country's greatest natural resource - the American people. Obama believes that we must equip poor and struggling districts, both rural and urban, with the support and resources they need to provide disadvantaged students with an opportunity to reach their full potential. Too often, our leaders present this issue as an either - or debate, divided between giving our schools more funding, or demanding more accountability. Obama believes that we have to do both, and has offered innovative ideas to break through the political stalemate in Washington. |
 | Energy & EnvironmentSenator Obama has been a leader in the Senate in pushing for a comprehensive national energy policy and has introduced a number of bills to get us closer to the goal of energy independence. By putting aside partisan battles, he has found common ground on CAFE, renewable fuels, and clean coal. |
 | EthicsThroughout his political career, Barack Obama has been a leader in fighting for open and honest government. As a U.S. Senator, he has spearheaded the effort to clean up Washington in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal. In a politically charged election year, Obama acknowledged that corruption was a problem that plagued both political parties. He subsequently enlisted the help of Republican allies to limit lobbyist influence, shine sunlight into the earmarks process and promote open government. |
 | FaithIn June of 2006, Senator Obama delivered what was called the most important speech on religion and politics in 40 years. Speaking before an evangelical audience, Senator Obama candidly discussed his own religious conversion and doubts, and the need for a deeper, more substantive discussion about the role of faith in American life. |
 | FamilyStrong families raise successful children and keep communities together. While Senator Obama does not believe that we can simply legislate healthy families, good parenting skills or economic success, he does believe we can eliminate roadblocks that parents face and provide tools to help them succeed. A husband and father of two, Senator Obama has promoted strong families in the Senate. |
 | Fiscal"The cost of our debt is one of the fastest growing expenses in the federal budget. This rising debt is a hidden domestic enemy, robbing our cities and states of critical investments in infrastructure like bridges, ports, and levees; robbing our families and our children of critical investments in education and health care reform; robbing our seniors of the retirement and health security they have counted on ... If Washington were serious about honest tax relief in this country, we'd see an effort to reduce our national debt by returning to responsible fiscal policies." - Barack Obama, Speech in the U.S. Senate, March 13, 2006 |
 | Foreign PolicyAs a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Obama has fought to strengthen America's position in the world. Reaching across the aisle, Obama has tackled problems such as preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction and stopping the genocide in Darfur. |
 | Healthcare"I...believe that every American has the right to affordable health care. I believe that the millions of Americans who can't take their children to a doctor when they get sick have that right...We now face an opportunity - and an obligation - to turn the page on the failed politics of yesterday's health care debates. It's time to bring together businesses, the medical community, and members of both parties around a comprehensive solution to this crisis, and it's time to let the drug and insurance industries know that while they'll get a seat at the table, they don't get to buy every chair." -Barack Obama, Speech in Iowa City, IA, 5/27/07 |
 | Homeland SecurityFive years after 9/11, our country is still unprepared for a terrorist attack. From improving security for our transit systems and chemical plants, to increasing cargo screening in our airports and seaports, the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission have been underfunded and ignored. The 9/11 Commission gave the government five F's and 12 D's on the implementation of its recommendations. Senator Obama is a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and has supported efforts to base homeland security spending on risk rather than pork-barrel politics. He has also introduced legislation to strengthen chemical plant and drinking water security and to enhance disaster preparedness. |
 | ImmigrationBarack Obama has played a leading role in crafting comprehensive immigration reform. Obama believes the immigration issue has been exploited by politicians to divide the nation rather than find real solutions. This divisiveness has allowed the illegal immigration problem to worsen, with borders that are less secure than ever and an economy that depends on millions of workers living in the shadows. |
 | IraqBefore the war in Iraq ever started, Senator Obama said that it was wrong in its conception. In 2002, then Illinois State Senator Obama said Saddam Hussein posed no imminent threat to the United States and that invasion would lead to an occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. Since then, Senator Obama has laid out a plan on the way forward in Iraq that has largely been affirmed by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group led by James Baker and Lee Hamilton. |
 | PovertyThere are 37 million poor Americans. Most poor Americans are in the workforce, yet still cannot afford to make ends meet. And too many poor Americans are single mothers who are raising children. Barack Obama has been a lifelong advocate for the poor -- as a young college graduate, he rejected the high salaries of corporate America and moved to the South Side of Chicago to work as a community organizer. As an organizer, Obama worked with churches, Chicago residents and local government to set up job training programs for the unemployed and after school programs for kids. |
 | Rural"We are at that critical and urgent moment. If Washington continues policies that work against America's family farmers, our rural communities will fall further behind - and so will America. But if we reject the politics that has shut ordinary folks out, we can create a new story for rural America ... The dreams of rural Americans are familiar to all Americans - to make a good living, to raise a healthy and secure family, and to leave our children a future of opportunity. It's time for real leadership for rural America to extend that American dream. That's the dream of opportunity that I've spent my life fighting for. And that's what our rural agenda will do." - Barack Obama, Speech in Fairfax, IA, October 16, 2007 |
 | Service"Your own story and the American story are not separate - they are shared. And they will both be enriched if we stand up together, and answer a new call to service to meet the challenges of our new century ... I won't just ask for your vote as a candidate; I will ask for your service and your active citizenship when I am president of the United States. This will not be a call issued in one speech or program; this will be a cause of my presidency." - Barack Obama, Speech in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, December 5, 2007 |
 | Seniors & Social SecurityAmericans turning 65 this year have grown our economy by 4.5 times over the course of their working lives. They have tilled our soil, defended our country, taught our children, worked in our factories, and raised a new generation to build upon their successes. And yet, many struggle to get by. Threats to Social Security and Medicare, skyrocketing health costs, and abuse and neglect of seniors all jeopardize our unspoken covenant: our seniors worked hard to take care of us, and now we must be here for them. |
 | Technology"Let us be the generation that reshapes our economy to compete in the digital age. Let's set high standards for our schools and give them the resources they need to succeed. Let's recruit a new army of teachers, and give them better pay and more support in exchange for more accountability. Let's make college more affordable, and let's invest in scientific research, and let's lay down broadband lines through the heart of inner cities and rural towns all across America." |
 | VeteransAs a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama is committed to helping the heroes who defend our nation today and the veterans who fought in years past. A grandson of a World War II veteran who went to college on the G.I. Bill, Senator Obama has reached out to Republicans and Democrats in order to honor our commitment to America's veterans. |
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