Barack Obama's Political Views
95Books about and by Barack Obama
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The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
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Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
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Hopes and Dreams: The Story of Barack Obama
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Obama's Positions on the Issues
The Audacity of Hope. A once in a generation political talent. The first viable African-American candidate for president in the history of the United States.
A limousine liberal. An elitist, Harvard educated lawyer who is out of touch with mainstream America. An inexperienced politician who lucked into the right place at the right time.
Like his fellow presidential candidates, Senator Obama's personality, life history, and personal life has received almost as much coverage as his policy positions and his plans for the country. I'm almost certain that more people could tell you that his preacher has made some incendiary statements about America than could correctly identify the major points of his health care plan or his vision for withdrawing American troops for Iraq. This Hub is an attempt to provide an unbiased look at Barack Obama's stances on a number of key issues.
- Abortion: Very strong supporter of women's rights. Received a 0% rating from the National Right to Life Council (a leading anti-abortion group), which means he is considered to be very supportive of a women's right to choose by conservative groups. Voted against banning partial birth abortion as a legislator in Illinois.
- Gay Rights:Received an 89% rating from the Human Rights Council, indicating strong support for LBGT issues. Voted against the constitutional amendement to ban gay marriage. Says that he is opposed to gay marriage but supports civil unions and granting same-sex couples health benefits.
- Iraq/Homeland Security:If elected will immediately try and close Guantanamo Bay, end the use of torture by American intelligence and military services, and begin to pull troops out of Iraq, with the goal of removing all American troops by 2013 if possible. Would encourage the greater use of diplomacy as a tool in foreign policy. Voted against the renewal of the Patriot Act, for a bill limiting troop deployments in Iraq to 12 months, for bills increasing benefits to veterans, and for bills strengthening security at America's ports and borders. Believes that "battling terrorism must go beyond belligerence vs. isolation." Was one of the first politicians to come out against the Iraq War, a big key for Obama this campaign season has been his unchanging opposition to the war (in contrast to Hilary Clinton, John Edwards, and all of the Republican candidates besides Ron Paul). Belives that "ideology has overriden facts and reality" in Washington.
- Tax Issues: Wants to repeal some of the Bush tax cuts and spend the money on infrastructure improvement and health care. Has consistently voted against abolishing or raising the limits on the so-called "death tax" (which currently only applies to individuals passing on more than two million dollars worth of property to their children). Obama has received a 100% rating from Citizens for Tax Justice, a group devoted to "progressive taxes."
- Health Care: Wants to create a national health care system that allows uninsured individuals to buy into the congressional health care program if they want too. Would not require Americans to buy into the system (as Hilary's program does), though some argue that this will end up making his program more expensive in the long run. Claims that his program will cut the cost of most family's premiums by $2500 a year. Will pay for these programs by using money saved by repealing the Bush Tax cuts on wealthy Americans making over $150,000 a year and raising taxes on capital gains.
- Immigration: Would create a guest worker program and encourage a path to citizenship for potential immigrants while strengthening border security and cracking down on employers who exploit illegal immigrant labor. Voted yes on the comprehensive immigration reform bill supported by President Bush but killed by Congress. Rated 8% by the United States Border Control lobbying group, indicating a strong desire for immigration reform and relatively open borders.
- Gun Control: Supports stricter gun control, a ban on semi-automatic weapons, and stricter accountablity for gun show dealers.
- Free Trade: Wants to keep NAFTA and other free trade agreements intact, but revise by raising environmental and labor standards to protect American jobs and workers. Somewhat vague on the details of what specifically these revisions would call for.
All positions cited come from www.ontheissues.org
Links
- Preparing for a Layoff
Worried about the Economy? Simple tips that can help you prepare for a layoff and weather these troubled economic times. - John McCain's Political Positions
Like many of the other candidates in this years presidential election, the media (both the mainstream press and the partisan bloggers and commentators) have paid an inordinate amount of attention to Senator... - Sarah Palin's Political Views
My hub on Sarah Palin's Political Views - FInancial Bailout Explained
My hub on the financial crisis: how we got here, how to get out of it, and how you can protect your investments and weather the storm. - Best Political Blogs on the Web
Want to read more about the race for the White House? Interested in keeping up with the latest political developments? This hub lists some of the best political bloggers and news sources on the web. - Hilary Clinton on the issues
My Hub on Senator Clinton's views on issues important to the 2008 presidential election. - The Democratic Nomination Process
Want to know what a superdelegate is? Who has the edge to win the Democratic nomination? Check out my hub on how the Dems choose their presidential candidate.
Comments
Interesting... so how does the most liberal member of the senate plan to bring us all together exactly?
Not true. That's just another bit of misinformation being put out by Republicans. Obama isn't the most liberal member of the Senate. That label belongs to Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
On the Gun Control issue... he recently came out in support of Second amendment right, after previously being opposed... http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/06/26/mccain-tau
Just wanted to respond to the last comment...I'm all in favor of free speech so I'll approve anything that isn't blatantly false or a malicious attack. But to say "OBama came out in support of second amendment right, after previously being opposed" is really misleading (not to mention gramatically atrocious) charatcerization of a complex issue. Saying someone is in support or opposed to any amendment is ridiculous since every single politician supports the Bill of Rights, the question is how you interpret what the bill means. Obama is generally towards the left when it comes to gun control issues, and he has made some contradictory remarks on the subject, but to say he "recently came out in support of the second amendment" is just a meaningless statement.
Point taken, and perhaps my previous comment was poorly worded (I didnt realize the formality of HubPages Comment board) but with that said... I have been bothered with Obama's lack of strong positions on important issues such as Gun Control. His language seems ambiguous, his response to the latest Supreme Court ruling was as follows:
“I have always believed that the Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to bear arms, but I also identify with the need for crime-ravaged communities to save their children from the violence that plagues our streets through common-sense, effective safety measures...”
No matter what your personal feelings are towards Sen. Obama, it is important that we demand clear positions from those running for the most powerful position in the world. It's okay for candidates to shift positions on issues, but they need to be up front about it when they do and not claim otherwise (FISA anyone?). We cant depend on the corporate media to find out the answers fom us... so this job is up to the voters...Demand real answers from our leaders!
Great response. Boards aren't formal but I try and keep the discourse level on my hubs (at least the political ones) at least somewhat up there. Totally agree with the point about politician's being more upfront about their views, and about how the mainstream media has largely covered the election as either a horse race(focusing on polls) or a series of staged events where the goal is not say something stupid, rather than focusing on what candidates actually believe about the issues and what those beliefs will mean for their future policies.
Obama's position on the Second Amendment sounds to me like he does not support outright bans of handguns as in the case of Washington D.C., but he does support stricter and more effective laws controlling the sale and licensing of handguns. In other words it's a balanced position as he is inclined to take on many issues which recognizes both the right to "bear arms" and the needs of cities to deal more effectively with gun violence by controlling who can lawfully own and sell guns. For example, I assume he would support efforts to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill and people convicted of violent felonies.
I can buy Obama's position on guns, but not his vote on the FISA bill. As something of an expert on Constitutional law, he should have known better than to support that odious piece of legislation! I suspect he was trying to protect his flank against attacks from the right that he is "soft on terrorism." Presidential politics is a dirty business.
Every Canidate is telling me what i want to hear so they can be elected to the White House. I want to hear the TRUTH, the real reasons why you want me to vote for u especially if you are attacking one another in the media. All BS aside to Both canidates, be HONEST I want to know why do you want my vote. I wanted to use other words to express frustration because since I was 18 I voted. Now I'm 39 with an 19 and 18yr old registered voter. What do I tell them, they are a bunch of LIERS. Your word suppose to be your bond. stop jerking me around and be HONEST. and let's not forget, a President can only do so much if we have a Congress arguing at each other. The ironic thing is that me as being an American would have to go to ANGER MANAGEMENT if I behaved they way they do. So stop telling me what i want to hear and start being honest. Like we say in my Neiborhood Senators McCain and Obama stop Fronting for the Cameras quit listening to other people that is constantly in your ear and RUN your own so you can win my vote. Thank You and Good Luck
I agree wholeheartedly! http://hubpages.com/hub/Why-Barack-Obama-is-My-Can
Ending torture is BAD?
Dude...even O'Reilly is opposed to torture! I love the show 24, he says, but even HE realises that torture is not getting us answers.
I'm opposed to the death penalty except in VERY few circumstances, and torture is something that is hardly worth it. Jack Bauer is fake and so are his tactics. Yet another way mainstream media has convinced us of lies being 'true.'
I'm not an Obama supporter either, but some of his views are legit.
Trice, any politician that speaks "the truth" will be ripped to shreads and won't even make it past the selection for who will be seriously allowed into the primaries.
In truth, we Americans do not want our politicians to tell us the truth. We may think we do, but I would wager that 99% of us (and you may be in the 1% exception to Chef Jeff's Unofficial Rule of Probability) will not believe the truth when we hear it spoken.
Tell me honestly - if a politician said the truth that we are a nation of idiots who vote as a knee-jerk reaction to the lies told about the person we either support or do not support, would you believe them?
If a politician told you it was not American to make your decision to vote for any candidate based upon a one-issue agenda, would we believe it?
If a politician told us that our dependence upon oil was killing us, would we demand at once a change to other forms of energy?
We might, but believe me, the attack squads would be paid millions upon millions of dollars to tell us to believe the opposite, and many of us would begin to doubt our own common sense.
I like your idea, but I still remain convinced that, judging from past efforts, we do not know how to handle the truth.
You know I can't help but agree that most people do make their decisions on some "knee-jerk reaction" .
I can point how the rumor mongers spent the first few months of the campaign just commenting on Obama's name, his heritage, his pastor yada,yada,blah blah until it all mixed together into a negative bubble and for alot of people that's all they saw.
I think that most modern intelligent individuals would get informed (real information from several sources like internet, newspaper, crossreferenced so there isn't any conusion) after complaining for the last 8 years of the last president it 's no time to be ignorant.
See most people aren't enlightened enough or aware that their being constantly bombarded by BS, they just accept it as fact and move on with life without questioning it. Even I, myself feel here and there that my mind is being pushed by popularity and media.
I listened to Palin tonight and just her humor and family ties make her an adorable choice for a vp but its not her credentials as a mayor of a town of 5000 or her time in dc politics, it was her words about mccain and obama that i listened to.
She responds to Obama's message of change like he's a joke and everyone knew it even though he was the ONLY one with the courage out of ANY!! of the candidates to SAY the initial original message of change from Bush administration before the election Campaign even started(Not one candidate was saying that until he was saying it). She comments on experience even though she barely has none herself. If anything the FACT that he's not been CORRUPTED by Washington politics is qualifying to me.
Another comment she made on Obama on his foriegn policy was that "he wants to talk to the same people who are trying to get nuclear arms" (loosely quoted) but if you listened to his speech his plan was to talk with the leaders of those countries to help prevent Nuclear arms from falling into terroist hands. She made another comment that Obama doesn't want to do anything about alternative fuels even though that was a major view point rom the start to explore all avenues and put funding into those areas so we can make actual real appplical change in alternate fuels.(Palin calls it more taxes, hell she even made it sound like the IDEA OF ALTERNATE FUELS WAS MCCAINS IDEA!!!!! Go check some of those forum s where McCain was put to the question on fuel- oil ,oil and more oil baby)
She says that MCcain is the harbinger of change but MCcain has stated on numerous occasions that he'll follow most if not all of bush's unfavorable policies. She's noted that MCcain has made decisions (just so you know i do agree with campaign reform from dirty play and sot money BS but since most goes out the window anyways with washington politics it really doesn't matter) in the senate but most are related to arizona and special interests not the country(for instance restrictions on indian casinos outside of resoirvations).
The one thing about McCain that gets me is his support of legalizing all the illegal immigrants that are already here(I believe in the American Dream and citizenship but if you're not doing it legally you're taking the money out of American hands that need the work and the taxes out of their wallets). Can you accept the legalization of millions of illegal immigrants who crossed the border that will do your work for a lot less, you pay taxes for(health care) and get a tax return(fake tax id). You'll get this one with McCain for sure.
And not to be blunt and insulting but the man pretty much all but said i'm not all that smart. he was the guy that did enough to just get by in school, the bottom ten in the graduating class and pratically an invalid when it comes to internet and computers( his wife has to get his emails for him) .
I have to say that she is exactly what i thought she was, a media front for mccain, a good image to cover up everything else. And it looks like America is making the same mistakes of the past. IT says McCain for President not Palin .
I agree that McCain is a great hero from vietnam( I went and read all the stuff on his POW engagement at hanoi hilton) but it doesn't mean reward him with the presidency.
OH one last thing she said in that speech was that no matter where McCain goes no matter who he talks to he's still McCain where he goes but thats BS hell just 8 years ago bush and him were at each other's necks and it's been up and down between them right up to the election where he's suddenly Bush's best friend and he believes in all . Give me a break McCain is corrupted politics pure and simple. Says what the people want to hear instead of what they need to hear.
I admit this has been an insane but interesting election and I'm glad I'm living to see history but this election isn't about the the candidates its about the understanding that things need to change in government and only one candidate said that first not just last year but since 2004 he's been saying it (check obama 2004 in youtube ;) You want to know who is being truthful? just think Obama said the same thing for 4 years straight. Thats a long time to say the same message over and over. You decide who's being REAL and REALLY thinking about America's well being not just for the immediate war (its unpopular for a reason it started because of 911 but it never completed the goal after 7 years which was to go after the terroists that committed the fiasco of 911, is that not telling you something) but the very future of our country.
So wake up America, you've been informed and given an opinion, commit to change, do the research on your candidates and make a smart decision. Or another 4 to 8 years of very similar politics to the bush Administration.
Well, in my humble opinion, Tim Says, I really don't care if Obama is the same or has changed his opinions from the past. I want a president who will admit his or her mistakes, move on and grow from past failure, as Lincoln did,
Therefore, Obama gets my vote simply based upon his ability to shake off the dust of the past, learn from his mistakes, and move on. If I held every politician to words spoken in the past, I have found that they are all flip-floppers or hypocrites. The truth is, a human being who does not grow as human being is a child-like being for the rest of his or her life.
Obama has proven to me long before this run for president that he is someone who, like Lincoln, learned to make the best of failure or errors or ommission and move on a better person for it.
I had to laugh that at the GOP convention they dared to mention that they were "the party of Lincoln" when they actually have turned their backs on almost everything Lincoln ever stood for. Someone even mentioned Gen/Pres. Grant in that pantheon mix, and I believe they also turned their backs on him, because many of the platform ideals adopted by the Republicans in 2008 are the polar opposites of what they were in those heady days of Lincoln, Grant and other thinking and growing human beings who upheld the Republlican party virtues and sins back in those times.
If anything, the Republican surge in the 1990's and before simply relieved the Democrats from the embarrassing "racist wing" and anti-change support it had danced so carefully not to alientate before 1964.
Witness Johnson's dance to get the Southern Dixiecrats to go along with his Civil Rights bill. How many old-Dixiecrats, aka Southern Democrats, abandoned the party for the Republicans? I would say that over the next 20 years Democrat support in the South and West eroded as the Democrats became more the party of change and the Republicans were the seen as the party of "More of the Same".
If I held President Bush to his promises of uniting us, which he made in 2000, then I would think he was a liar, because at the end of 8 years he has divided us so dangerously that we are a weaker nation because of him. Not just with the Iraq war, but with his clinging to interests that do not reflect the needs of the People.
He supports, and has supported all along, the interests of the few over the many. Why? Because the many that most need the help and support did not vote for him. He became, in essense, the President of Some of the United States, but not All.
Yes, the same could be said of Pres. Clinton, but I would also add that the hypocrites who tried to impeach Clinton are all strangely silent on doing the same to Bush, even though all the arguments they used against Clinton also apply to Bush.
Clinton was a great president.bush and Cheney will live with the shame of their deeds the rest of their lives.the republicans are the party for the elite.the real elite,people that have so much money that they have never had to make their own beds,people that have never cooked their own meals,old money.the republicans are the party for corporations,it is the very rich that the republicans make their laws for.they have their entire base fooled.they don't care about the struggles of the average guy,they are only out to advance their power and control in the world.the stole the election,they lied to get the war in Iraq started,they revealed the identity of a CIA agent because she tried to tell them that the info they had to justify the war in Iraq was a lie.they exposed her identity to the world.the republicans have weakened America,destroyed Americas reputation in the world,and they have destroyed the American economy.they are so far out of touch with reality that they don't even know it.they do not know whats going own in the world.they do not know whats going in America.did you know that a group of college kids was leading a peaceful protest outside the republican was attacked by police?the republicans are completely oblivious to the very real anger that is building in America right now.the nation is a powder keg.we need positive change and a new direction if we stay on the same course its going to get real ugly.
In the background I har the shrill bleeting of the new VP to be, the party behind john mccain who at heart is decent guy but George bush was not mean or cynical enough to dream up the schemes and illegal means the R party uses to win elections.
They don't stop to acknowledge wrong doing. Despite the economy being in the toilet, the theft of billions on a war supported by the war machine and the poor, dumb, rednecks, behind the scenes they are cooking up more mischief to burn the people.
When someone reveals their low tactics they attack the source as if they are unpatriotic. They smirkenly talk about inexperience then in a political move so brazenly low they hire for vp candidate a woman known for her mouth, her attack methods, and ability to make herself into a victim of her own creation.
All the great things they claim to be, all the things they are for and against can be ferritted out to be total lies. Limbaugh, the great illegal drug addict is praised as a hero yet stands up there and lies as easy as most people tell the truth. The party of conservatism. Hog wash. Regan was the biggest spender of all the presidents except george Bush who followed in 2000. Party for the little guy?Sure, the little guy pays their taxes, pays to bail out their reckless and criminal spending, and pays for their law schools, medical schools, Airports, and reclamation in the west, all for the gentleman farmers and ranchers who then won't allow anyone else to come in and share.
So bereft are they of any innovative thinking, they steal O bamas change theme, give it to Mccain, who, when he sees the reaction, really pours it on, as if the idea was his own.
Drill baby drill. that's the slogan of the liberals, the not conservative, not green except for money, republican party.
Drill baby drill! That's your green message. Even while ice is taking homes the cry is
DRILL BABY DRILL DRILL BABY DRILL
THE LIBERALS, those spenders the Republicans want four more years of letting the infra structure go to hell, chasing the wrong terrorists (uh, excuse me. we are the citizens, do you still want us to just shop?)
If you work, and enjoy some of your money, then why would you vote for this candidate? I will not vote for him based on what I have read above. You can go ahead and vote for O'bama and see where your money goes, I will say that Socialized medicine will take money from your pocket, death tax will cut in to your inheritance, capital gains will go up, and not only on homes owned for less than 24 months on all home sales, which in turn will cut into your pocket and the list goes on and on.
By the way, if you think that the Democratic party does not use schemes, and illegal means to try to win an election you are sadly mistaken.
And we have a winner......Barak Obama. He really knows what he is talking about. YOU GO, DUDE, he actually cares about America and more importantly, the PEOPLE of America. AND NOW, THE PREZ OF THE US, obama.....yea!!!!
well, when u look at Obama's point of view you can see that he really wants to change america. Bringing back our troops, health care for everyone and everything else that does make sense.
shawn patrick how blind can you be?Cheney shoot's a guy in the face.the guy apologizes for being shot in the face by Cheney.the republicans lied to get the war in Iraq started,then turned around and revealed the identity of the spy that gave them the info because she was trying to tell them that they got it wrong.left a entire city in utter devastation(Katrina)declared victory in Iraq 2or 3 years ago,Cheney uses executive privilege to stay out of jail,foreclosure Phil wrecks the economy republicans came into office with a balanced budget left by Clinton/gore now we are a trillion dollars in debt,banks are on the verge of collapse we haven't even finished the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and McCain is talking about bombing Iran,palin talking about war with Russia,jobs are vanishing,and that's just the tip of the iceberg,open your eyes the republicans don't know what they are doing.
i sooo agree with bill yon
Bill Yon,
You hit the nail right on the head! (or kicked the republican right in the gnads....)! The republicans have a dismal record and are trying to cover it up by smearing Obama with allegations of being a muslim, a noncitizen, you name it!
Some items you forgot to mention about Republicans over the last few years.... Larry Craig soliciting Gay sex in a public restroom while being vocally homophobic. Dick Cheney being equally anti-gay while having a gay daughter. Karl Rove refusing to testify in front of Congress. The White house deleting sensitive emails relating to the Valerie Plame identity leak. The list goes on and on.... of course McCain et al don't want you to remember these things.
You guys are awesome i was starting to think evryone was brainwashed and I was the only one that was making sense. Karl Rove ,dirtyh polotics strategies that get people elected while BSing the american people, AND YOU GUYS SEE RIGHT THRU IT. AWESOME!!! Of course mccain is going to portray himself as the change guy now that we're soooo close to election. HE WANTS YOU TO FORGET THAT HE FOLLOWS BUSH POLICIES!!! HE DOESN'T "REALLY" BELIEVE IN NEW TYPES OF ENERGY. All I hear is drill baby, drill. Did you guys see the video of the gulf after Hurricane Ike, oil Rigs crushed and pouring gallons of oil into the sea. They tried to cover up the fact that during Katrina and Rita similar situation happend where thousands of gallons of oil were also lost in the sea. (google it you'll find the information) We are destroying the very world we live on very steadily with our dependence of oil, and thats where we'll stay if you vote McCain No Change.
I believe America is smart it's time to hold our leaders accountible to serve, protect and IMPROVE this Great Country and the people's within its borders
This man is not what we need. And while I'd usually cultivate on Democrats sides, I can't vote for an inexperienced person who will most likely follow on what the other poitical houses will say -- those who were causes of the national debt.
This really only solidifies the fact that I will NOT be voting for him. McCain -- unfortunately -- is the only feasable choice in this election. And Biden's made an idiot out of himself multiple time. My faourite being his "FDR and television" comment of the 1920's.
And let's face it, Hilary is just a whiney woman that really shames me to say I'm of the same gender. She wants a woman in office, but it's HER that should be in. It's honestly laughable in every way.
I agree with some of Obama's views but he is always saying one thing then either putting a twist on it or saying a completely other statement later.
I am in favour of obama and think he would make a wounderful precident
I believe President-Elect Obama will do amazing things for our country. I'm excited to see what the future holds for us!
Very excited about OBAMA!!!!!!!;)
All of his ideas are going to flush America down the drain. i mean seriously supporting banning semi-automatic devices. very smart genious and what are we gonna do when this happens go back to the Paleolithic age and use the bow and arrow. not in favor of obama at all.
I like obama because this person always think positive not negative ....
Ralph Deeds says:
2 years ago
Sounds like a winner to me!
However, in my opinion, he should be sticking with a universal, single payer Medicare health coverage until forced to bargain down from there depending on the composition of the Senate and House after the election.