Who do you prefer as commander in chief in times of crisis

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

I prefer Obama to be at the helm if we face another attack on our own soil or economic collapse. The reasons:

• He remains calm and thinks things all the way through before acting.
• He does what he feels is best after consulting with advisers and even when it is unpopular.
• He has far deeper understanding of background of problems and possible solutions
• He has a more solid history of having worked across the aisle on really tough and hotly debated issues.
• He has more respect around the world than the other candidate - a trait that would help in an international crisis.

 

[BigRob]

I prefer Obama to be at the helm if we face another attack on our own soil or economic collapse. The reasons:

• He remains calm and thinks things all the way through before acting.

• 
  
  Ok.
  

  [*]He does what he feels is best after consulting with advisers and even when it is unpopular.

  
  What did he ever do that was unpopular? Democrats were all in favor of the bailout.
  
  

  [*]He has far deeper understanding of background of problems and possible solutions

  
  Questionable
  

  [*]He has a more solid history of having worked across the aisle on really tough and hotly debated issues.

  
  No he doesn't. The main time he did this was in regards to ethics reform.
  

  [*]He has more respect around the world than the other candidate - a trait that would help in an international crisis.

That is not going to matter. We could still have Bush another term, and world leaders will continue to work with him and look to the US for guidance.

 

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

BigRob's comments in Blue

I prefer Obama to be at the helm if we face another attack on our own soil or economic collapse. The reasons:

He does what he feels is best after consulting with advisers and even when it is unpopular. What did he ever do that was unpopular? Democrats were all in favor of the bailout.
The man stated his belief on abortion and same-sex marriage at Saddleback church and in states where his feeling of personal belief trumping imposing a Christian theocracy were clearly not popular. He has said he will tax big business at multiple affairs where it likely was not going to be received well.

He has far deeper understanding of background of problems and possible solutions
Questionable
Granted this is a judgment call. However, I do feel Obama understands these issues better. YMMV

He has a more solid history of having worked across the aisle on really tough and hotly debated issues.
No he doesn't. The main time he did this was in regards to ethics reform.
You need to check out his record in the IL state senate. He did not have the standing to do much of this in the US senate.

He has more respect around the world than the other candidate - a trait that would help in an international crisis.
That is not going to matter. We could still have Bush another term, and world leaders will continue to work with him and look to the US for guidance.
Actually they aren't doing that as much or as readily as they used to and it will become a huge problem for the US if they continue to current trend - and the continuation of that trend is a virtual certainty under a McCain presidency.

Above are my answers

 

[BigRob]

The man stated his belief on abortion and same-sex marriage at Saddleback church and in states where his feeling of personal belief trumping imposing a Christian theocracy were clearly not popular. He has said he will tax big business at multiple affairs where it likely was not going to be received well.

This is popular with most Democrats. How is stating what is basically the Democrat platform an example of doing something that is unpopular?

You need to check out his record in the IL state senate. He did not have the standing to do much of this in the US senate.

What bill did he actually write in the IL Senate that did this? I can think of zero.

Actually they aren't doing that as much or as readily as they used to and it will become a huge problem for the US if they continue to current trend - and the continuation of that trend is a virtual certainty under a McCain presidency.

This happens in cycles regardless, but on big issues, the world still looks to us. Take Russia for example, they move into Ossestia, Europe came right back to the US for protection.

Anti-US sentiment goes in cycles around the world, but on major issues, regardless of who is in office, we still have the lead.

 

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

BigRob:This is popular with most Democrats. How is stating what is basically the Democrat platform an example of doing something that is unpopular? Dino:Who said anything about popular or unpopular with Democrats. I was talking about with the public in general.

BigRob:What bill did he actually write in the IL Senate that did this? I can think of zero.
Dino: Here is one from the US senate: Four of the 12 co-sponsors of Obama's bill (S.2125) to "promote relief, security, and democracy in the Democratic Republic of Congo" were Republicans: Sam Brownback (KS), Susan Collins (ME), Mike DeWine (OH), and James Inhofe (OK). President Bush signed the bill into law on December 22, 2006.

In the Illinois Senate he helped pass legislation that dramatically improved Illinois' troubled capital punishment system and was One of the main legislators pushing for a massive statewide study of traffic stops to look for signs of racial profiling. Although police groups opposed the legislation, they say Obama listened to their concerns and accepted some of their suggestions to improve the bill which resulted in it being passed with police approval.

BigRob:Anti-US sentiment goes in cycles around the world, but on major issues, regardless of who is in office, we still have the lead.
Dino: You have to admit that the US's position in the world has not been this tenuous in many, many years - probably not in the past 100 years. I can never remember the US being refused credit nor the UN giving the US a resounding 'no' to any request (they have stalled the US a few times). I also cannot remember the dollar have ever been so widely questioned.

 

[BigRob]

Dino:Who said anything about popular or unpopular with Democrats. I was talking about with the public in general.

Well when you are winning in the polls, one would tend to argue that the majority of people agree with your opinions.

Dino: Here is one from the US senate: Four of the 12 co-sponsors of Obama's bill (S.2125) to "promote relief, security, and democracy in the Democratic Republic of Congo" were Republicans: Sam Brownback (KS), Susan Collins (ME), Mike DeWine (OH), and James Inhofe (OK). President Bush signed the bill into law on December 22, 2006.

One bill with 4 republican co-sponsors is a proven track record of reaching across the aisle? This is the only bill he has managed to pass in the Senate to date, and I think we can all agree it is really not that meaningful in the larger picture. It certainly does not compare to John McCain's track record.

In the Illinois Senate he helped pass legislation that dramatically improved Illinois' troubled capital punishment system and was One of the main legislators pushing for a massive statewide study of traffic stops to look for signs of racial profiling. Although police groups opposed the legislation, they say Obama listened to their concerns and accepted some of their suggestions to improve the bill which resulted in it being passed with police approval.

Reaching out to police groups is not "reaching across the aisle" either... but from what I understand about his time in the IL Senate, he simply added his name on as co-sponsors of bills and then tried to take it from there. What did he write and come up with in this regard?

]Dino: You have to admit that the US's position in the world has not been this tenuous in many, many years - probably not in the past 100 years. I can never remember the US being refused credit nor the UN giving the US a resounding 'no' to any request (they have stalled the US a few times). I also cannot remember the dollar have ever been so widely questioned.

I will give you that popular opinion of the US abroad is low right now. To say 100 years is kind of bogus, since we really have only taken an international lead post-WWII.

The US was never refused credit because for much of this time we were the creditor. In the Cold War the UN often gave the US a resounding no, with the exception of when the USSR boycotted the Security Council.

I also do not think it really knocks the US to say the UN said no, when we were then able to do it anyway, without fear of repercussion for the most part.