Obama Offers Hope, But is it the Right Kind?

We expected the speech of his life--and he gave it last night at the Democratic National Convention. Regardless of how you feel about Barack Obama, he made his case for tomorrow's America, delivering a great speech. I've been asking myself, "Can I call it a great speech if I don't share the same perspective on all of it?" Would I say that my pastor gave a great sermon, if it was impassioned, entertaining, and interesting, but ultimately gave the wrong directions? Well, I'm calling Obama's speech great because of its tenor and tone, its passion and his proficiency, and though he condemned John McCain for voting with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, I would say I resonated with about 90 percent of Obama's message, yet still feel decidedly different about some key things.

What I liked about Obama's message was that he developed a vision of a bi-partisan America that isn't divided into blue or red, and of a nation that, despite disagreement, can find harmony.  This was brilliantly played, and it is just the kind of country we need to build. For Obama the question remains: Is he the man to build it? Al Gore made an interesting comparison earlier in the evening, associating Obama with Abraham Lincoln. Both men were from Illinois, both were limited in their congressional experience, both had reputations as orators, and each came to prominence when the nation was divided. This is Obama's platform: hope. Hope that he is the man for the job. Hope that his is the right plan. Hope that he has the conviction, the wisdom, the courage, and the strength of character to lead us where we need to be led. It is up to us whether we vote on hope, or on reptuation. But we must also vote on platform: What does this man of hope believe is the right direction, and what does the man of experience (John McCain) believe?

I will say this about where my disagreements lie: largely, the economic condition of our nation is self-inflicted. For too long, we have seen the American dream as a right, and not a privilege. We have claimed ownership of the things we cannot pay for, and pursued short-cuts when the long, straight course is best. Hardships are part of life, and are painful, and we need to address hardship as a society, but we must not confuse hardships with poor management. We are one of the most wealthy nations on earth, but for many of us, that prosperity is artificial because we have failed to build wealth, opting instead for credit. Rising prices are bringing our poor management to the forefront, which presents a great opportunity to reel in our spending and correct our course. 

The Obamas came from poor to middle class families, yet they found success, and achieved great things because of their families'--and their own--hard work. So why is it so important that we replace this work ethic with free education for all? Why does the lesson of their parents and grandparents lead to a mandate to make us more dependent on government?

Healthcare and educational costs have skyrocketed, but couldn't these things be improved through competition? Today the pattern for higher education is to borrow. Schools can charge rates that are inflated beyond reality because many of us pay little to no real money for our education--until later. If we saved for school, worked through school, and didn't rely on loans, competition would win and prices would come down. Looking back on my years of college, I realize that I lacked the maturity to appreciate what I was getting, and wasted time enjoying the ride. Wouldn't I have been better served by learning how to earn a living, balance a budget, and work toward my future--paying for college along the way--instead of trying to figure it out as I played in the dorm and lived off student loans?

The medical situation is similar. With the insurance companies involved in everything, there are very few real costs we, the insured, are aware of. Which creates a wider gap for the uninsured. There must be some way to reel in the costs inflated by insurance in order to begin to reform this system.

This blog is not the place for a full development of solutions to our country's problems, but you can see my start--I'm interested in finding solutions to things that find their pay off in innovation and the power of people, not in a big brother to make it all go away.

 

Comments

[Karen]

EXCELLENT!!!

LOVE this:

"For too long, we have seen the American dream as a right, and not a privilege. We have claimed ownership of the things we cannot pay for, and pursued short-cuts when the long, straight course is best. Hardships are part of life, and are painful, and we need to address hardship as a society, but we must not confuse hardships with poor management. We are one of the most wealthy nations on earth, but for many of us, that prosperity is artificial because we have failed to build wealth, opting instead for credit. Rising prices are bringing our poor management to the forefront, which presents a great opportunity to reel in our spending and correct our course.

"The Obamas came from poor to middle class families, yet they found success, and achieved great things because of their families'--and their own--hard work. So why is it so important that we replace this work ethic with free education for all? Why does the lesson of their parents and grandparents lead to a mandate to make us more dependent on government?"

[Darnell Lamb]

Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama are two very different individuals in two very different times.

[Paula]

Vote John Vano for President!! :-)

[ulysses grant]

I knew Abe Lincoln and Barack Obama is no Abe Lincoln.

[lassiter]

It's a simple answer - more ninjas.

[Darnell Lamb]

Who cares about Barry Obama providing hope, Sarah Palin offers hope for the elk and caribou of the Alaskan wilderness.