I saw Barack Obama speak in San Francisco this weekend.
In his standard stump speech (I assume, anyway), he spoke for 45 minutes, without notes, with passion. As he wryly noted, he's very articulate.
Healthcare and education were the themes he stressed the most. He spoke starkly of the need to confront climate change, and referenced briefly the opportunities and benefits of investing in "alternative technologies." That said, I didn't get the sense that it is an animating passion of his.
This election cycle, people want to fall in love. And on that front at least, he's got the goods. A personable, warm, and impressive man.
Chuck Norris on Copenhagen
The U.S.-India climate ‘partnership’
Comments
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Jason D Scorse Posted 4:05 am
19 Mar 2007
I teach environmental economics and blog at http://www.voicesofreason.info. I am a proud liberal, who stands on the shoulders of giants.
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David Roberts Posted 5:14 am
19 Mar 2007
www.grist.org
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Jason D Scorse Posted 5:42 am
19 Mar 2007
I teach environmental economics and blog at http://www.voicesofreason.info. I am a proud liberal, who stands on the shoulders of giants.
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sunflower Posted 7:14 am
19 Mar 2007
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Biodiversivist Posted 8:03 am
19 Mar 2007
In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world
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Ron Steenblik Posted 8:39 am
19 Mar 2007
S. 133 (the American Fuels Act of 2007), for example, initiated by Obama and introduced in the Senate on 4 January 2007, would provide a 35¢/gallon retail tax credit for each gallon of E85 (or E70 during wintertime) sold before 2010. This, of course, would be in addition to existing (51¢/gallon) blending and (10¢/gallon) small-producer credits.
S. 23 (the Biofuels Security Act of 2007), would mandate at least 60,000,000,000 gallons of "renewable" fuel be used by the year 2030.
This is somebody with a balanced, prudent approach to policymaking?
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wiscidea Posted 8:45 am
19 Mar 2007
"We ended up launching a war that should have never been authorized, and should have never been waged, and to which we have now spent $400 billion and have seen over 3,000 lives of the bravest young Americans wasted."
This statement is apparently offensive to the families of service members who have died or are still fightening. Sorry folks, those lives are being wasted and the longer Americans remain in Iraq the more lives GW is wasting.
I feel especially sympathetic toward those people who signed up to protect America after 9/11... those who signed up to go after those who attacked us. GW might have made their sacrifice worthwhile by fighting and winning the war in Afghanistan... taking it to the enemy. But GW fed those brave men and women into the meat grinder called Iraq. And now we are supposed to send more in because otherwise the lives already lost will be wasted. They are only wasted if we never learn our lesson from this event. They are only wasted if we continue down this path generation after generation.
Obama should not have apologized. He should have used the media spotlight to explain exactly why he expressed this particular view. He should have challenged the Republicans -- and the conservative bloggers who still support them -- to explain exactly why those lives are not being wasted.
Sorry, but Obama is starting to look like one more smary politician not willing to lead... one more smary politician sitting on the fence to avoid offending any potential voters. I can't support him. I suspect he is just particularly skilled at playing the game so he sounds sincere. I don't know what he really believes.
Forward!
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wiscidea Posted 8:47 am
19 Mar 2007
Forward!
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Jason D Scorse Posted 8:55 am
19 Mar 2007
I teach environmental economics and blog at http://www.voicesofreason.info. I am a proud liberal, who stands on the shoulders of giants.
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wiscidea Posted 9:04 am
19 Mar 2007
I'm NOT looking for purity. Obama does not have to have a perfect record. If he emerges from the primary as the Democratic candidate for President, I will vote for him.
But when I vote in the primary, I will be looking for a candidate who is not afraid to express his opinions. He should lead, explain his views, and let the voters decide whether they like him. He should not try to conceal certain views that a certain demographic might find offensive. I want to see the real Obama.
Forward!
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Jason D Scorse Posted 9:42 am
19 Mar 2007
http://www.barackobama.com/2007/03/19/obama_offers_change ...
I teach environmental economics and blog at http://www.voicesofreason.info. I am a proud liberal, who stands on the shoulders of giants.
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Greta Posted 10:56 am
19 Mar 2007
I'll look at this record, but he seems too slick to me. Saw him on an Oprah show with his wife, and he answered mere conversational questions like a politician...skillfully crafting vague, safe responses. So, he doesn't look like a 'refreshing change' to me.
www.NoPunProductions.com ~ AmericaTheGreen.org
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Adam Browning Posted 11:10 am
19 Mar 2007
Background here.
Get Some Sun: http://www.votesolar.org
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