Why Not Obama?

If I were a liberal, I think that I would probably be a liberal like Jamelle, who blogs at US Jamerica. He is honest, thoughtful, and respectful. We often disagree on policy, but generally share the same principles in terms of debate. Even before he became part of the WordPress.com Political Blogger Alliance,  I appreciated reading his posts.

He asked me a while ago why I wouldn’t support Barack Obama, and the subject came up again from Chen Zhen after Mike Huckabee withdrew from the GOP race.

So, I’ll go ahead and deal with that question. I’m not beholden to the Republican Party, and I’m not remotely above  supporting a Democrat if I really thought that he was the right guy for the job. In my opinion, though, Sen. Obama just isn’t.

Before I get into why not, though, I’ll go ahead and say what I do like about him. I think that Barack Obama is honest. I think that he believes what he says, which is very different from other politicians, who will say anything to get elected.

The biggest thing that I admire about Sen. Obama is that he is a real person. He does not look down on voters, he does not patronize them. I don’t think that he views voters as commodities — as the things that you have to acquire in order to win the election. He views them as real people, and I’m convinced that he actually cares about having some kind of relationship with the human beings who are also voters.

He is a man of good character. I realize that people are getting up in arms about a flag pin on his lapel, or whether his wife is proud of the US, or whatever else you can complain about. I see him as a generally-decent person. I don’t see an adulterer, a political hack, or any other kind of loathsome human being. I wouldn’t mind at all if Barack and Michelle Obama were my neighbors. This, by the way, puts him in a narrow field of Presidential contenders — Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul, Dennis Kucinich, and Barack Obama. Certainly not Hillary Clinton. I’ll spare explanations of the rest.

However, there is an ultimate problem with Obama on policy. I can overlook a lot of positions given his character. Ultimately, though, it’s not quite enough just to be a nice and honest person.

I don’t think that Sen. Obama has demonstrated the judgment and experience to be President. He’s still in his first term in the Senate, and hasn’t demonstrated the kind of leadership that I want to see in a President. Sure, he can surround himself with experts on particular issues … but I don’t see his track record in terms of choosing those experts. Where are his credentials for this kind of decision-making? I’m just not convinced that I’ve seen enough of him to trust him.

Also, there is BAIPA. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m pro-life. Sen. Obama isn’t. Beyond being pro-choice, Sen. Obama has come out opposing legislation in Illinois that would have protected children who survive abortions and are born alive. The Born Alive Infant Protection Act passed the US Senate without opposition, even with such anti-abortion zealots as Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy present. The National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) didn’t oppose it.

When the state version, though, was being discussed in Illinois, Barack Obama killed the bill in committee.

There are those who argue that an unborn child is something other than human. Some call them parasites, since they rely on their mothers for life.  However, BAIPA addresses children who can’t possibly be accused of being anything other than human beings. This, I cannot overlook. I cannot possibly back a candidate who would oppose protection for these children.

On almost everything else, I figure that the US will get past anything that a President Obama might do wrong. But I worry for the stain left on this nation by our casual taking of millions and millions of lives. And I simply can’t support a candidate whose respect for life is so limited that he won’t protect even newborns, to say nothing of the unborn.

I no longer have a candidate in this race. I haven’t committed to supporting John McCain just because he’s the Republican candidate,  but I also haven’t yet decided to go to a third party. However, I will not be supporting the Democratic nominee at this point. Hillary Clinton fails the character test, and shows that she doesn’t respect the voters. Barack Obama passes that test with flying colors, but fails the respect for life test. His values are too far out of line for me to consider supporting him.

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