Why I Trust Obama over McCain
I wrote this little blurb for a friend who is concerned about Obama's lack of experience to sit on the "global throne," as she put it. This was my quickly churned out reply:
That's a legit concern just looking at his resume, but one thing I really do like and appreciate about Obama is his intelligence and the way he so carefully morally deliberates. I think that's on display any time he answers questions. Instead of blurting out an overly simplistic black-and-white answer, he weighs both sides and seeks to see all angles. He'll have good people around him, like Biden, who bring the in-depth analysis and practical experience that he might lack. All things equal, sure, it'd be great if he had more experience in certain things. But no measure of experience can save someone who has a bad decision-making process and who oversimplifies complex things. Abraham Lincoln was an inexperienced politician, but he was wise. So with Obama, after watching him all these months, I like how he thinks and the level at which he deliberates. After 8 years of certainty headed in entirely the wrong direction, I think this country could use a little more wisdom and deliberation and a lot less running full speed ahead into the sea. Obama is a super smart dude and can learn facts about issues that might be out of his realm of experience, but you can't teach wisdom. I don't disagree with McCain on all issues, but what worries me more about him is how he seems cut from the same "black and white" worldview of Bush. It's not that I won't agree with McCain on some issues, but in what I've seen, he's a lot of tough talk and not much intellectualism. And if I may, I'm super pissed at how this country seems to want a president like the boy or girl next door (read: Bush) and not someone super smart. What's wrong with being an intellectual when we're talking about the most important job in the world?! I WANT someone smarter than me in there! McCain may seem surer, but to me, I want wisdom, not simple certitudes. Obama, to me, oozes reflection, deliberation, and thoughtfulness.
That's a legit concern just looking at his resume, but one thing I really do like and appreciate about Obama is his intelligence and the way he so carefully morally deliberates. I think that's on display any time he answers questions. Instead of blurting out an overly simplistic black-and-white answer, he weighs both sides and seeks to see all angles. He'll have good people around him, like Biden, who bring the in-depth analysis and practical experience that he might lack. All things equal, sure, it'd be great if he had more experience in certain things. But no measure of experience can save someone who has a bad decision-making process and who oversimplifies complex things. Abraham Lincoln was an inexperienced politician, but he was wise. So with Obama, after watching him all these months, I like how he thinks and the level at which he deliberates. After 8 years of certainty headed in entirely the wrong direction, I think this country could use a little more wisdom and deliberation and a lot less running full speed ahead into the sea. Obama is a super smart dude and can learn facts about issues that might be out of his realm of experience, but you can't teach wisdom. I don't disagree with McCain on all issues, but what worries me more about him is how he seems cut from the same "black and white" worldview of Bush. It's not that I won't agree with McCain on some issues, but in what I've seen, he's a lot of tough talk and not much intellectualism. And if I may, I'm super pissed at how this country seems to want a president like the boy or girl next door (read: Bush) and not someone super smart. What's wrong with being an intellectual when we're talking about the most important job in the world?! I WANT someone smarter than me in there! McCain may seem surer, but to me, I want wisdom, not simple certitudes. Obama, to me, oozes reflection, deliberation, and thoughtfulness.
posted by Bob at 1:20 AM
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