Sowell: Obama and McCain

[Terri]

By Thomas Sowell
June 5, 2008

Now that the two parties have finally selected their presidential candidates, it is time for a sober-- if not grim-- assessment of where we are.

Not since 1972 have we been presented with two such painfully inadequate candidates. When election day came that year, I could not bring myself to vote for either George McGovern or Richard Nixon. I stayed home.

This year, none of us has that luxury. While all sorts of gushing is going on in the media, and posturing is going on in politics, the biggest national sponsor of terrorism in the world-- Iran-- is moving step by step toward building a nuclear bomb.

The point when they get that bomb will be the point of no return. Iran's nuclear bomb will be the terrorists' nuclear bomb-- and they can make 9/11 look like child's play.

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[MISSL]

Thank you Dr. Sowell: You said everything that needs to be said.....
So to all you fellow conservatives who will vote third party (because you do like McCain....and please understand that I am not that fond of him either) or intend to stay home....
Let me tell you now....YOU VOTED FOR OBAMA.

A 3rd party DOES NOT have a chance....yes, I understand a protest vote...and if the Democrats had put up ANYONE other than BO I would probably have done exactly what you plan to do.....but BO is a dangerous threat to this nation and our freedoms...
WE HAVE NO CHOICE!

[welder4]

I know we can not afford to be wishy washy here we need to come out in force and elect McCain , he is not our choice but when coupled with Obama as chief then there is no choice there either . We must go to the polls and vote against someone who can't remember about the people he has run with for 20 years and they are a growing bunch, that either hate America or are just out an out criminals . Obama has an agenda and that is to tax us to death and kill our defense systems ,he will not do a thing but cut the military to the bare bones , there will be no one to answer the call ,so be careful to make sure a third candidate does not spoil this election and place Barrack Husein Obama in there . Bob Barr may be a good one but he can not get enough votes, it will take away from McCain only, and insure an Obama victory.

[Amawalk John]

Eloquent and persuasive.

As Dr. Sowell said in an earlier column,(paraphrasing ) "John McCain could never persuade me to vote for John McCain, but Barack Obama (with a lot of help from Mahmoud Ahmadinijad) has persuaded me to vote for John McCain.

It's better than staying home.

[Billary2004]

I agree with Sowell.

Also, in an article late last year, he seemed to more or less back Giuliani, but there was little discussion about it on these boards.

I subscribe to a lot of magazines and most are left wing mags. All, not just a few of them, but all of them featured articles spanning several months ripping Giuliani for whatever reason.

The left and the Dems were really afraid of Rudy. REALLY AFRAID!!!

[poppy5]

It doesn't matter if you like McCain or not we really don't have a choice. If you don't like Obama and you don't like McCain then vote against Obama by casting your vote for the other candidate (McCain). We really need to somehow make this country see that Obama could really do us much more harm at a cost that I really don't even want to think about ( and I'm not talking monetary)
God Bless America and God Help US!!!!

[MISSL]

Welcome to the forum Poppy5....I hope the ones who are considering 3rd party heed your advice....
God Bless and Protect America

[slenard]

Well said ...and, very scary.

It will make me slightly sick to push my stick-pin beside Sen McCain's name, but I will medicate with the thought of stopping the alternative ...a possibly deadly alternative.

And, that's the only thing that will get me through the rest of that day. It's really sad that these are our two best candidates for our country's highest office.

I think it's insanely strange that so many Americans could even vote for somebody with no real public record, with friends in such low places, and a name such as Obama. That should be, "3 strikes - you're out". Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think his name should be the real issue ...but, c'mon. We are just a few years away from 911, and yet Americans are pulling the lever for a candidate with those three, actual criteria. The first two items should be enough to kill any candidate ...the name should be gravy.

Why is this? Just because he says "change and hope"? Well, duh. It will be a change, and we will be hoping the 4 years will end soon.

The only answer I can conceive is that we as a people are trying to kill two birds with one stone in this election ...improve race relations (prove that we are not racist) and show the middle east that we are not so bad if we'll vote for somebody named Obama.

I'm all for improved race relations, but here's a new flash. The terrorists don't/won't care!. Until the world is under their Muslim law (I'm not even going to attempt to spell shuria ), they will never be happy. That is their only, only, only goal.

They don't care how "fair" Americans might be. They don't care if we like them. They don't care about any of the foundations that created this country. In fact, they HATE them. They will not stop until we either submit or die ...and the more horrific the death, the better.

That leaves us with only 1 bird ...and, it's a questionable bird with the other flaws. In fact, it may set back relations when sincere arguments against his policies are viewed as racist by the left, which will bring true racists into the spotlight again, when they inevitably jump into the party. What fun.

I'm very proud of my country that can now elect a person regardless of race or sex (As Sen Clinton has also proven). That's a good thing. But, I'm not proud of a country that is putting those criteria ahead of actual qualifications to lead the country. Especially in a time that so desperately calls for our very BEST leadership.

[MISSL]

First of all, welcome to the forum Slenard

And secondly, you laid out your case very, very well....now let us hope that others hear it.....

I am absolutely puzzled by the reception that BO manages to get wherever he goes....and it appears that so few are seeing the man for what he really is....

It is either McCain or Obama....and BO scares the living hooey out of me...go McCain...

[thomas]

"All the options that are on the table right now will be swept off the table forever. Our choices will be to give in to whatever the terrorists demand-- however outrageous those demands might be-- or to risk seeing American cities start disappearing in radioactive mushroom clouds."
Moot point - you cannot reason with people who's only goal is to kill you because they want nothing else but to see you dead! I will pull the lever for McCain thanks to a big push from Obama (or Clinton, or both, or either). I wonder if any of the $#@^% in congress ever heard of the word prememption?
The Old Chief