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I think Obama's performance was impressive. He seems to quietly hold his center of gravity which reads as strength, stays very present and listens, is articulate, bright and quick. He's also comprehensive in his approach to complex issues, the macro and the micro.
But what about the content of his plans for this country? I'm not looking for the 'he is much better than McCain, regardless' response. That's a given. I want to know what you think about the picture he is drawing for us about our future...near term and long.
For instance:
-- How do you feel about his take on the bailout (necessity of it and it's impact funding other programs). It sounded to me that we may not see a return on our investment from this bailout for a looooong time IF AT ALL.
We will not see a return on investment for at least a decade. Anybody who's done even cursory numbers understands this, and he should come out and plain out say it. Tonight he did not say it, but he's already hinted that some programs will have to be put on hold, two or three days ago. He needs to be far more open about this and explain the reasons in English that the average person can understand.
-- Did you get any feeling about whether he'd hold anyone accountable for their crimes or abuses of our laws and system? Or is he in the 'let's just move on' crowd.
There wasn't a thing on that... just the feel good we need to get away from torture talk
-- What about the sure knowledge that he would build up the war in Afghanistan? (and with little if any talk of the pipeline/Silk Road foreign policy...instead all about 'terrorists' and bin Laden and safety).
He has a point about Afghanistan... in that sense, from a policy respect both had a point. That said, we missed the door and left the barn door open seven years ago. The window to actually change conditions where the taliban don't dominate has been closed a while ago.
As to the Silk Road, that is the central asian game, and we are loosing terribly. Don't think EITHER understand why we are loosing either.
-- What are your thoughts about his take on Georgia and how he represented that conflict? He seemed to be in agreement with McCain on this, and on our response to Russia.
Not full agreement at all. He was more about engaging the ruskies and encouraging allies. McCain was all for a new cold war, denials to the contrary
-- How do feel about the apparent reliance on Henry Kissinger as one of his advisors?
Whether we like it or not we are in a new cold war period, of zero sum... and Kissinger is one of the finest chess players in this sense. Though he is relying in Kissinger for engagement and detente, not for confrontation. Lets just say the Kissinger of '75 not '68... and we will need Detente to go down from this new cold war to something less dangerous.
-- Do you think he represents a REAL and significant change or a slight change in overall direction based on the content of his message and the picture he is drawing for us? A baby step or a quantum leap?
Baby step... this assumes things don't change radically with the crash (yes that is real). FDR didn't run on the New Deal either...
Not saying that history will repeat itself exactly, but a time of crisis is when the US usually has radical changes, not times of peace and niceties.
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