Obama's Qualifications

[Jeff C.]

I hear Republicans suggesting that Barack Obama isn't qualified to be president. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Unlike John McCain, Barack Obama was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Everything he has accomplished, he has earned.

Barack Obama grew up without a father and was raised by his mother and grandparents. Despite these odds, he earned admission to Columbia University and graduated with honors. After graduation he put his law degree on hold and moved to Chicago to serve with a religious organization helping the poor. Several years later, he went on to Harvard to study law where he was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. After graduating, rather than taking a lucrative job in a big city law firm, he chose to return to Chicago and as a civil rights lawyer and as a professor. He eventually was elected to the Illinois legislature and spent 8 years there before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004.

In contrast, John McCain comes from a family of wealth and prestige. Both his father and grandfather were admirals in the Navy and that obviously played a role in his military and political advancement.

I agree that Barack Obama does not have the experience in Washington like McCain. But that's NOT the point. If experience in Washington was the issue, we Democrats would have selected Hillary Clinton. Apparently unlike the Republicans, we Democrats wanted someone different than a career politician like John McCain.

I guess the people supporting McCain are happy paying $4 a gallon for gas, owning a house that is worth 60% of what it did 3 years ago, spending 10 billion dollars a week fighting a war in Iraq while Osama Bin Ladin holds up in a cave and the real terrorists are regrouping in Afghanistan. I suppose the people supporting McCain are happy how the current administration inherited the strongest economy in history and will leave us in a recession with the largest deficit in history. I heard a statistic the other day that blew my mind -- Americans right now on average are making less than they were 8 years ago.

I guess McCain supporters are happy with the way things are going, because McCain has agreed with the current administration all along the way and has essentially agreed to keep things the same.

On the other hand, most Americans are sick of the way things have been the last 8 years and that's why Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States.

[Ringer]

Might be. I wish you the best of luck. I have voted democrat, republican and independent but this time I will vote for the same old same old. Like same old second amendment, same old 15% capital gains tax and same old no death tax. I own a small business and it is my retirement so paying a huge increase in cap gains will hurt my chances to ever retire.

[Greg_Cornish]

and same old no death tax.

Are you aware that living wills are no longer available and it happened under the Bush administration?

It used to be that you could will your property to your children and if you lived for 5 years after you made that decree you could then transfer ownership to them but have the right to live there and receive the income from it until you died. No more since George Bush.

Soon it will be no death tax if you happen to be run over by an 18 wheeler on he way to the dry cleaners. All other properties and taxes will be applicable.

[delta1124]

There have been many Presidents who haven't had 20 years in Congress, or a Governorship of a rural state, that have led this country superbly. The old gaurd is scared, they are on they're heals, they're reeling and making desperate choices for their party. In less than 70 days we get to send Bush and McSame a big @##$ you! Got to love it.