Sunday, August 31, 2008

Obama

So a while back, I listed three things I liked about McCain, personally and politically. Here's my list of likes and dislikes for Obama:

Things I dislike, politically:

1. Pharma/Health Care: the cost savings in health care aren't to be found (as the Democrats say) in administration. It's going to be in procedures, labor costs and drug prices. Considering the latter two are how my family sucks America dry earns its bread, it's pretty easy to be against Obama.
2. His stance on the war. Let's face it: I disagree with America.

Things I dislike, stylistically/personally:

1. Obama has little executive experience. His campaign is the largest organization he's ever run; he's been very good at it. How much credit can we give him? Caveats: Palin, McCain, Palin.
2. Obama has very little political courage. He has not fought against the Establishment (whoever they are) -- he's consistently gone along. Prediction: his calls for teacher pay/education reform will be the first to get traded away.
3. His stance on free trade. Considering that's the path to future American competitiveness, that's a bad thing.

Things I like, issues-wise:

1. I like his noises on transparency in government.
2. I hope he'll take on the teacher's unions -- I just don't think it will happen.
3. I think he'll fund NIH even more ridiculously lavishly than it has been better; I simply hope that NSF (representing the physical sciences) gets similar increases.

Things I like, personally:

1. He appears to be a genuinely thoughtful person and a half-decent writer.
2. He seems 'cool' and a hell of a lot less awkward and a better speaker than Bush.
3. I like how his faith informs him.

There it is. In a couple of weeks, I'll hit my 2 page list of things I don't like about McCain.

1 comment:

RET said...

Its hard to argue with your points or at least how express them.

1. Pharma/Health care issue is one of the most complicated issues we face as a country based on capitalism. One part of his plan is lower prices through improved efficiency, electronic record keeping etc. I dont know if it will be as valuable as he touts but its something.

2. He deserves credit for sticking to his guns at a time when supporting the war was popular. He deserves a fair amount of political courage for it and FISA (another Bush mockery).


3. Certainly, the expansion of NIH was mismanaged and we need someone to go in and make it more efficient before large increases in funding.

However, the appointment of non-scientists to all of the Bush administrative positions and the consistent politicizing of scientific reports by the current admin is another disaster which I left off from my listing of BUSH garbage we have dealt with.

Obama, as well as McCain, is unlikely to support continued efforts like that.