Dear Barack Obama
Dear Barack Obama,
Let me begin by saying that while I will absolutely not be voting for you, my disagreements with you are political, not personal. I do not think you are a racist, an anti-Semite, a closet Muslim, a terrorist sympathizer, or any other extremist hatemonger. I think you are a good and decent man who loves his family and his country. I just think that you are fundamentally wrong on some key issues.
I want to make it clear that if you win the election, you will be my opponent, never my enemy.
My concern is that you will be a repeat of Bill Clinton. Some people romanticize the 1990s, but there were so many negatives, and you seem hell bent on making some critical mistakes.
First of all, you have repeatedly given your word that you will cut taxes for 95% of Americans. This is impossible because 40% of Americans pay no taxes at all. Also, you are proposing one trillion dollars in new spending on social programs. The bottom line is that the numbers in your plans just do not add up. Many say you are a liar on this issue. Perhaps you truly believe you can get the numbers to work, but I don’t see it. I see you as raising taxes on the very middle class you claim you are cutting taxes for. Bill Clinton made the same promises in 1992, and broke them 3 weeks later. This was after he defeated an incumbent that told people to read his lips.
Senator Obama, if you raise taxes on the middle class, your credibility will be shot. The media is swooning over you now. Yet after an election, there is nobody to run against. You will not be able to blame republicans for everything. That works in a campaign. Leaders have to govern.
This brings me to your promise to unite people and bring them together. I say with all sincerity that this is not achievable. We are divided because we disagree. Those disagreements have been around since George Washington left office. You do not have a record of bipartisanship.
Even if you want to be bipartisan, again this brings us back to 1992. Bill Clinton claimed he wanted to govern from the center. Yet Dick Gephardt and David Bonior would not let him. George Mitchell, an ardent liberal, was actually fairly cooperative. Yet the House dragged Clinton to the left, and dragged the democrats into a dysfunctional abyss. Asa republican, I was thrilled that we took over the Congress in 1994, but that does not change the fact that for 2 years America had no leadership.
I want to make it clear that you are under no obligation to govern from the center. It bothered me when President George W. Bush was told to govern from the center because the election was close. This is nonsense. If you win by 1 electoral vote, you should govern how you promised you would govern. Just understand that this is still a center-right country. If Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid pull you far to the left, you will be leading as you promised, but as republicans said you would.
I am very worried about your Israel positions. I say positions because they do not seem consistent. I worry that you have associated with too many advosors that are hostile towards Israel. Some people have said that they think you will be so scared of being seen as anti-Israel that you will be the most Pro-Israel President out of pure expediency. I am not sure I accept that thesis because after a brief trial period, people get complacent. I need to see concrete evidence that you will not betray Israel. If Likud, which you have bashed, comes back into power, I need to see Benjamin Netanyahu treated with respect. He is a friend of America, and the only hope for Israel at this point.
I am scared to death of the protectionist stance of the democrats, including you. You claim that you want to work to repair our alliances around the globe, but you ignore the fact that some of our allies will be furious with us if we renege on free trade deals. South Korea and Columbia are waiting to see if we mean it when we say that we want free trade over protectionism. Free trade has been an American policy for the last quarter of a century, even with Bill Clinton. He got many things wrong, but he got trade right. Protectionism is mutually assured destruction. It leads to trade wars. You speak of a global world without borders. On trade, we absolutely must have this.
The stock market is worried about you. Higher capital gains taxes, combined with your health care plan, has the markets reeling in fear. Some have said that you are deliberately trying to destroy the investor class because once they give up on the stock market forever, people will decide to put their cash into “safer” vehicles, such as government. That theory is a little too conspiratorial for my tastes, but I do believe you might not understand the stock market. What you call “investing” is really spending. Investing is not about government. It is about private businesses and individuals taking risks. If people believe in the stock market for long term real investing as I do, that leaves less money for government. Do not raise capital gains taxes. The stock market is not for fat cats. It is for ordinary people like me.
Senator Obama, we tried raising taxes on the “rich” in 1990. It was a miserable failure, and the worst of those taxes, the “luxury tax,” was repealed in 1993. Attempts to punish yachts and jewelry purchases led to yacht makers and jewelry makers being decimated. Raising taxes on the rich hurts the middle and working class because the rich pass those costs onto us. You cannot prevent this.
Lastly Senator, I have plenty of qualms about your lack of foreign policy experience. Joe Biden claims experience, but on major foreign policy issues he has been completely wrong. He was wrong on the first Gulf War, and on partitioning Iraq into three separate nations.
Senator Obama, I am giving you my word that I will not reflexively oppose you. When you are right I will back you. I supported Bill Clinton on NAFTA and welfare reform, and fought him every time he tried to raise taxes or use the government to harass businesses such as Microsoft and Intel.
You claim to be for nuclear power and clean coal, but I suspect you support neither of these. You will not drill domestically, and this tells me you will be held hostage to the Greeniacs. On everything from Jeremiah Wright to Palestinian terrorist supporter Rashid Khalidi to policies such as taxes, trade, national security, and oil drilling, I have deep concerns.
What I am saying sir is that I love the fact that in America, we have a peaceful transition of power. Our military is under civilian control, and we have checks and balances to prevent “change.” Americans are evolutionary, not revolutionary. We like slow, incremental movements. Do not confuse frustration with republicans for a rejection of conservatism. If anything, republicans are being punished for not sticking to conservatism. Even if you win the election, liberalism has not returned as a desired form of government.
Lastly, please do not use the powers of the Presidency to destroy your opponents. Bill Clinton used the IRS to harass his opponents. This election has seen you punish journalists who disagree with you, and your supporters harass and investigate private citizens such as Joe the Plumber. I know you cannot be blamed for what supporters do in your name, but the bully pulpit requires you to condemn bad behavior.
You have never had a Sister Souljah moment. You have never taken on your own party. When the leftist wack jobs issue hate speech, you offer very tepid responses, not forceful condemnations.
Senator Obama, I have said that you are not the right man for the job. Yet if you win, enough Americans will believe that you are. I just hope that your words can be backed up with deeds.
Senator Obama, if you win, keep taxes low, sign free trade deals, keep a muscular foreign policy that respects hard power, and most importantly, keep your word. Character matters. Republicans will be enraged if you coopt their ideas, but that will not change the fact that you will still be doing what is right.
I will absolutely give you the benefit of the doubt, with plenty of skepticism.
It’s up to you sir.
Respectfully,
eric aka the Tygrrrr Express
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:49 am
I wish I could offer Obama as much diplomacy and consolation as you do.
I believe his presidency would be a collosal disaster, the likes of which we’ve never seen.
I’ve never in my life seen any candidate this close to the presidency surrounded by so much stink.
People have been steered into this only by resentment of the right which Obama has milked and even fueled himself.
They have not been steered by his ability to paint the picture we need to see, he does not have that abilty. His only abilities are to fan the flames of dissapointment and hatred for the right and convince the masses by his false aire of confidence he is somehow superior in matters concerning the presidency.
I have met many criminals in my life. Some at the street level, some at an executive level.
I know what a snake is, how he carries himself physically and intellectually.
Should Obama win, in my opinion, whithin two years we will be here discussing why he was impeached, or worse.
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:30 am
“This is impossible because 40% of Americans pay no taxes at all.”
I wish conservatives would stop repeating this lie. Everyone pays taxes. Every worker pays withholding and payroll tax. Even the vast majority of “illegal immigrants” pay taxes. Everyone pays sales taxes. Everyone pays fees and tariffs and property taxes and corporate taxes, directly or indirectly. Everyone pays taxes. This whole “40%” thing is a lie. Please stop lying about this. It just turns people off to conservatives. And it especially turns off that “40%” who happen to know it’s a lie.
JMJ
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:41 am
So what Jersey ?
The fact of the matter is that those who do not pay into the system as much as others would be recieving back in the form of welfare more than they contribute.
Those who actually pay considerably more will be funding those welfare checks.
Nice try, but only a disengenuous fool would use payroll taxes and sales taxes to try and dodge this issue,
November 3rd, 2008 at 1:02 pm
“The fact of the matter is that those who do not pay into the system as much as others would be recieving back in the form of welfare more than they contribute.”
That’s a fact? Do you have proof of this fact? And what “welfare checks” are you referring to? The 700 billion dollar bailout or AFDC? The piles of no-bid contracts for the war profiteers or section 8 housing? And to whom does that “welfare” money go? Doesn’t it go right back to landlords, retailers, food producers, manyfacturers, etc?
Man, you have one narrow view of things.
Shouldn’t those who benefit more from America therefore pay more for the priviledge?
JMJ
November 3rd, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Whats wrong with you ?
A little nervous ?
Are all your last ditch efforts going to be ridiculous as this ?
Yea, it will be a fact that the 40% will be recieving what will amount to nothing more than welfare.
Wana play stupid games ?
Fine,
Show me where I said “welfare checks ”
Can you tell me where that money will go ?
Gee, I think I know ,if I can take Obamas word for it.
He only stood in front of the whole country and said 95% of us would get a tax break.
Well, if that 40% is not paying out as much as he is sending them then that break is no better than welfare.
Your arguements today are about as weak as they’ve ever been, almost to the point that I dare question your sanity.
But its not a gratuitous kind of snide disrespectful question. Its a serious heartfelt question.
You dont do well under pressure, do you ?
JMJ;
“Shouldn’t those who benefit more from America therefore pay more for the priviledge?”
Do you mean the top 5% who pay almost all of the countrys taxes ?
Its not a priveledge, its a right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
I dont have a narrow view.
Its just that unlike you, you obfuscate to all these other tributaries of the subject when you’re loosing.
Your questions morph in to slightly different questions, you all of a sudden start throwing in variables and excuses.
Pathetic.
I like to stay on topic, its called narrowing it down to the subject at hand.
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I like Mickey couldn’t be near as cordial and eloquent as you have been here Eric and this fine statesman-like letter, and well written in my opinion
I also echo this statement verbatim by Mickey for my main reason why I’ve spent a year straight adding my 2 cents at my blog to the tune of over 300 posts dedicated to help try and bring his campaign to halt as a much as possible..
I have met many criminals in my life. Some at the street level, some at an executive level.
I know what a snake is, how he carries himself physically and intellectually.
Should Obama win, in my opinion, whithin two years we will be here discussing why he was impeached, or worse.”
Couldn’t have said it any better myself Mickey .
November 4th, 2008 at 12:37 am
Jersey while these people do pay taxes they are NOT the taxes he is reducing. So Eric’s point is right on target. If he wants to reduce payroll taxes or gas taxes or any other taxes these people play he should reduce THOSE taxes. These people are getting government spending and he should eb honest about that
November 4th, 2008 at 1:10 am
Chicagoray.
got a link ?
November 4th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
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