Republicans for Obama

Everyone writes political blogs. It's so 2008.

Tonight I clicked the button that says "Support Obama" on Facebook. Why?

Why would a registered Republican vote for this man? Barack Obama? The supposedly "Most Liberal Senator" according to his votes in 2007 (National Journal--let it be known that John McCain is also ranked as more liberal than 40% his fellow senators on social votes)?

Here's my answer, and it's an answer to not just conservatives but liberals and moderates who claim that Obama doesn't have enough experience:

Yes, he can. No, that's not right. Yes, we can.

But where's the proof that "we can"? You say, "Sure he has good speeches, but what has he gotten done? He doesn't have the experience."

HOLD ON A MINUTE! Good speeches? What the hell do you think a president is supposed to do? Do you think a president is supposed to be a policy maker? No! He or she is supposed to be a speech maker, a policy suggester, a policy persuader. If a person can speak like Obama, the first black Harvard Law Review Editor, then why is that a negative thing?

He's an inspiring man. He's already moving people with his speeches to vote for him. If they aren't voting for him, they're still admitting he has beautiful speeches! That's what a president is supposed to be. Notoriously great presidents? Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. JFK's Inaugural Speech. How could I forget FDR's fireside chats? It would be his job to speak, and to have a president who could say beautiful things and mean them, and to have a president who was capable of moving people would be an honor.

My problem is the Republican party is run by social conservatives who re-elected Bush in 2004. If it were run by fiscal conservatives who re-elected Bush in 2004, I wouldn't be complaining right now.

Anyway, Barbara Gordon from Republicans for Obama said it best when she noted, "The Republican party is no longer conservative, except perhaps in the social/religious sense. Consider: Republicans have traditionally been the party of fiscal conservatism, but no more. The only options anymore seem to be 'tax and spend' with the Democrats or 'spend and spend' with the current Republicans."

The phrase "compassionate conservative" has ruined the Republican Party. "Compassionate" implies that conservatives now care so much that they spend money on welfare programs and create this big government that is exactly what Republicans should be against. Where is this money coming from? Not from tax cuts! Our economy is failing because our government is so compassionate it gives away money without raising taxes. Instead, it LOWERS taxes.

I'm all for lower taxes, but I'm also for the smaller government that is supposed to come with those lower taxes. Instead, we have new departments of Homeland Security and we have a failing No Child Left Behind education program that takes funding away from students who aren't doing well and who need the money.

If my choice is a failing, theocratic, conservative government or a smart, secular, liberal government, guess which one I'm going to pick. Even if it means higher taxes.

Hey fellow Republicans: stay out of people's business, balance a budget like a fiscally conservative ought to do, come up with someone inspiring and wonderful (John McCain in 2000 would have been magical), and maybe I'll see you in 2012.