Letter from Illinois - Part 4

From Joes' Letter:
I'm concerned that a growing number of voters in this country simply don't get it. They are caught up in a fervor they can't explain, and calling it 'change'.

'Change what?', I ask.

'Well, we're going to change America ', they say.

'In what way?', I query.

'We want someone new and fresh in the White House', they exclaim.

'So, someone who's not a politician?', I say.

'Uh, well, no, we just want a lot of stuff changed, so we're voting for Obama', they state.

'So the current system, the system of freedom and democracy that has enabled a man to grow up in this great country, get a fine education, raise incredible amounts of money and dominate the news and win his party's nomination for the White House - that system's all wrong?'

'No, no, that part of the system's okay - we just need a lot of change.'

And so it goes. 'Change we can believe in.'

Quite frankly, I don't believe that vague proclamations of change hold any promise for me. In recent months, I've been asking virtually everyone I encounter how they're voting. I live in Illinois , so most folks tell me they're voting for Barack Obama. But no one can really tell me why - only that he's going to change a lot of stuff. 'Change, change, change.' I have yet to find one single person who can tell me distinctly and convincingly why this man is qualified to be President and Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful nation on earth - other than the fact that he claims he's going to implement a lot of change.

From me:
Joe. You just shifted from what seemed to be a fairly even-handed discussion about your concern for the future of the country - to a direct head on attack on first the people who support Barack Obama and finally on Barack Obama himself. So I'm guessing this is a very biased attack on those folks.
The good news is you stuck pretty much to one subject - Change. You created a sample dialog to explain your frustration. It's cute, but I find it hard to believe that you have had this or any other dialog with anyone who supports either candidate. You see, both candidates are touting change. It's the word of the day. And both candidates have good reason to tout change. You ask "Change what?". If you really have to ask then you have been asleep for at least eight years! The only question is where to start the list - economic policy, foreign policy, domestic policy - you name it - both John McCain and Barack Obama are going to CHANGE it! At least that's what they say. The conversation you concocted sounds like a couple of two year olds. Yes, Obama used the "Change" catchword long before McCain thought to, but that's where they both are now. So if you're going to attack based on change, better check both sides - see if the McCain supporters understand what John is going to change any better than the Obama supporters you've questioned.
At the end you finally get to the meat - you want to know why this man (Obama) is qualified to be President.... here's a short list:
1. he was selected by his party as their best candidate. This involved, just as with the Republicans, a serious vetting process which few could withstand.
2. he has the complete support of his party. As you know, when you select a president you are really selecting the Executive Branch of the government - a fairly large team. Most, but not all, presidents rely on their team, make sure it is composed of the best and brightest, etc., etc.
3. he has a cool head. Based on everything we have seen for the last two years, and based on what we know about the 14 years before that, he will not make decisions based on knee-jerk reaction or idiology, but will give full comtemplation and consideration and consultation with his team on each decision.
4. he understands and can connect with ordinary Americans, because he is one.
5. he has picked a VP who is qualified to be president.

That's a short list, just off the top of my head, and while you can argue with each and every one of these, they are some of my reasons to select Barack Obama as President. And I'll bet there are more than a few folks in Illinois who could answer this question for you as well.