The world awaits. The world seems vigilantly waiting and observing the United States election for president. International society is keen in viewing who would replace the current hegemonic leadership in America. After George Bush Jr and its administration, will it be Barack Obama or John McKain, who will be the next manager/ administrator of US? and in essence, the next leader of the world? Before the new leadership unfolds in November, let us know the two competing candidates of the Democratic and Republican parties.
Who is Barack O
bama?
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) was elected to the U.S. Senate on November 2, 2004, after serving 7 years as an Illinois state senator.
On June 3, 2008, Sen. Obama officially became the presumptive Democratic nominee for the presidency, 16 months after announcing his candidacy. He's the author of two best-selling books.
In 2005, Time dubbed him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He was lauded by millions of Africans during his 2006 tour of their continent.
bama?Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) was elected to the U.S. Senate on November 2, 2004, after serving 7 years as an Illinois state senator.
On June 3, 2008, Sen. Obama officially became the presumptive Democratic nominee for the presidency, 16 months after announcing his candidacy. He's the author of two best-selling books.
In 2005, Time dubbed him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He was lauded by millions of Africans during his 2006 tour of their continent.
Recent Notability: On February 10, 2007, Barack Obama declared his candidacy for the 2008 Democratic nomination for the presidency. Obama first rose to national prominence when he delivered an inspiring keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
On June 3, 2008, Obama accumulated enough Democratic convention delegates votes to become the presumptive party nominee for the presidential race.
In 2004, Sen. Obama signed a $1.9 million deal to author 3 books. The first, "The Audacity of Hope,", discusses his political convictions. The second book will be co-written with his wife. His 1995 autobiography was a bestseller.
On June 3, 2008, Obama accumulated enough Democratic convention delegates votes to become the presumptive party nominee for the presidential race.
In 2004, Sen. Obama signed a $1.9 million deal to author 3 books. The first, "The Audacity of Hope,", discusses his political convictions. The second book will be co-written with his wife. His 1995 autobiography was a bestseller.
The Obama Persona: Barack Obama is a thoughtful, independent-minded leader with an even-keel temperament and charismatic speaking skills. He's also a talented, introspective writer.
His values and goals are strongly shaped by his expertise as a Constitutional law professor and civil rights attorney, and by Christianity. While private by nature, Obama mingles easily with others, but is most comfortable addressing large crowds.
Unlike most politicos, Obama is known for being unafraid to speak hard truths when necessary. Although armed with shrewd sensibilities, he's sometimes slow to recognize viable threats to his agenda.
Major Areas of Interest: Sen. Obama's areas of special legislative interest have been in support for working families, ethical reforms for government, public education, health care, economic growth/jobs, and ending the Iraq War. As an Illinois state senator, he worked passionately for ethics reforms and criminal justice reform.
In 2002, Obama publicly opposed the Bush Administration's push for the Iraq War, but supported war in Afghanistan.
Practical, Progressive Thinking on the Issues: In 2002, Barack Obama publicly opposed the Iraq War, and continues to call for withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. He urges universal health care, and if elected president, promises implementation by the end of his first term.
Barack Obama's voting record and stances as US Senator and Illinois State Senator reflect a "practical, common sense progressive" thinker who emphasizes increased support for teachers, college affordability, and restoration of meaningful federal support of veterans. Obama opposes privatization of Social Security.
Barack Obama's voting record and stances as US Senator and Illinois State Senator reflect a "practical, common sense progressive" thinker who emphasizes increased support for teachers, college affordability, and restoration of meaningful federal support of veterans. Obama opposes privatization of Social Security.
Prior Experience: Barack Obama served 7 years as an Illinois State Senator, resigning to assume U.S. Senate responsibilities. He also worked as a community organizer and a civil rights attorney. The Senator is a Senior Lecturer in Constitutional Law at University of Chicago Law School.
After law school, he aggressively organized one of the largest voter registration drives in Chicago history to help Bill Clinton's 1992 election.
After law school, he aggressively organized one of the largest voter registration drives in Chicago history to help Bill Clinton's 1992 election.
Personal Data:
Birth - August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii
Education - B.A. in international relations, 1983, Columbia University. J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he was Editor of the Harvard Law Review
Family - Married on October 18, 1992 to Michelle Robinson, a Chicago native, also a Harvard Law School graduate. Two young daughters, Malia and Sasha.
Faith - Christian, United Church of Christ Shen the Senate is in session, Obama returns to their Chicago home from D.C. every weekend. Obama is a Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bears fan, and an avid basketball player.
Birth - August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii
Education - B.A. in international relations, 1983, Columbia University. J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he was Editor of the Harvard Law Review
Family - Married on October 18, 1992 to Michelle Robinson, a Chicago native, also a Harvard Law School graduate. Two young daughters, Malia and Sasha.
Faith - Christian, United Church of Christ Shen the Senate is in session, Obama returns to their Chicago home from D.C. every weekend. Obama is a Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bears fan, and an avid basketball player.
Growing Up Barack Obama: Born Barrack Hussein Obama, Jr, son of a Kenya-born Harvard-educated economist and Ann Dunham, a caucasian anthropologist, was 2 years old when his father left them.
His father (deceased in 1982) returned to Kenya, and only saw his son once more. His mother remarried, and moved Barack to Indonesia. He returned to Hawaii at age 10 to live with his maternal grandparents. He graduated from the respected Punahou School with honors. As a teenager, he scooped ice cream at Baskins-Robbins, and has admitted to dabbling in marijuana and cocaine. His mother died of cancer in 1995.
His father (deceased in 1982) returned to Kenya, and only saw his son once more. His mother remarried, and moved Barack to Indonesia. He returned to Hawaii at age 10 to live with his maternal grandparents. He graduated from the respected Punahou School with honors. As a teenager, he scooped ice cream at Baskins-Robbins, and has admitted to dabbling in marijuana and cocaine. His mother died of cancer in 1995.
Memorable Quotes : "You can't have No Child Left Behind if you leave the money behind."
"I do agree that the Democrats have been intellectually lazy in failing to take the core ideals of the Democratic Party and adapting them to circumstances.... It's not just a matter of sticking in a quote from the Bible into a stock speech."
"There has yet to be a serious conversation about health care on the floor of the United States Senate."
"...as parents, we need to find the time and the energy to step in and find ways to help our kids love reading. We can read to them, talk to them about what they're reading and make time for this by turning off the TV ourselves. Libraries can help parents with this. Knowing the constraints we face from busy schedules and a TV culture, we need to think outside the box here - to dream big like we always have in America.
Right now, children come home from their first doctor's appointment with an extra bottle of formula. But imagine if they came home with their first library card or their first copy of Goodnight Moon? What if it was as easy to get a book as it is to rent a DVD or pick up McDonalds? What if instead of a toy in every Happy Meal, there was a book? What if there were portable libraries that rolled through parks and playgrounds like ice cream trucks? Or kiosks in stores where you could borrow books?
What if during the summer, when kids often lose much of the reading progress they've made during the year, every child had a list of books they had to read and talk about and an invitation to a summer reading club at the local library? Libraries have a special role to play in our knowledge economy." -- June 27, 2005 Speech to the American Library Association (profile obtain from http://usliberals.about.com/od/congressionalleadership/p/SenObama.htm)
"I do agree that the Democrats have been intellectually lazy in failing to take the core ideals of the Democratic Party and adapting them to circumstances.... It's not just a matter of sticking in a quote from the Bible into a stock speech."
"There has yet to be a serious conversation about health care on the floor of the United States Senate."
"...as parents, we need to find the time and the energy to step in and find ways to help our kids love reading. We can read to them, talk to them about what they're reading and make time for this by turning off the TV ourselves. Libraries can help parents with this. Knowing the constraints we face from busy schedules and a TV culture, we need to think outside the box here - to dream big like we always have in America.
Right now, children come home from their first doctor's appointment with an extra bottle of formula. But imagine if they came home with their first library card or their first copy of Goodnight Moon? What if it was as easy to get a book as it is to rent a DVD or pick up McDonalds? What if instead of a toy in every Happy Meal, there was a book? What if there were portable libraries that rolled through parks and playgrounds like ice cream trucks? Or kiosks in stores where you could borrow books?
What if during the summer, when kids often lose much of the reading progress they've made during the year, every child had a list of books they had to read and talk about and an invitation to a summer reading club at the local library? Libraries have a special role to play in our knowledge economy." -- June 27, 2005 Speech to the American Library Association (profile obtain from http://usliberals.about.com/od/congressionalleadership/p/SenObama.htm)
Who is John McCain?
Born: 29 August 1936
Birthplace: Panama Canal Zone
Best Known As: The 2008 Republican candidate for president
Born: 29 August 1936Birthplace: Panama Canal Zone
Best Known As: The 2008 Republican candidate for president
John McCain is the Republican nominee for president in 2008. McCain has been a U.S. senator from Arizona since 1987. A 1958 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, McCain had a 22-year military career as a pilot and officer in the Navy. Five of those years (1967-73) were spent in a Vietnamese prisoner of war camp after he was shot down over Hanoi during the Vietnam War. McCain left the Navy in 1981, was elected to Congress in 1982, and then was elected as U.S. senator from Arizona in 1986. In 2000 he ran for the Republican presidential nomination, but was defeated by George W. Bush. After Bush was reelected in 2004, McCain ran again for the Republican nomination in 2008, this time winning the nomination at the GOP convention. He named Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, and they are running against Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Joe Biden. McCain's 1999 book Faith of My Fathers told the story of his family's military history and his own experiences as a POW.
McCain's father and grandfather were both four-star admirals in the U.S. Navy... He had surgery to remove melanomas (skin lesions) in 1993 and 2000 and minor prostate surgery in August of 2001... McCain was married to the former Carol Shepp from 1965-1980. A month after their divorce, he married Cindy Hensley, the daughter of a prominent Arizona liquor distributor. He has seven children: sons Doug Shepp and Andy Shepp (adopted during his marriage to their mother, Carol Shepp), Sydney McCain (his daughter with Carol Shepp), and Meghan McCain, John Sidney McCain IV, James McCain, and Bridget McCain, all with Cindy McCain. Bridget McCain was born in Bangladesh and adopted in 1993 by the McCains.
Why Barack Obama?Obama has done the refreshing thing of sincerely conveying that he would like to be a president for ALL of us. Not just for his special little base, or to "get back at those guys", or any of the other partisan lingo that has depressed so many millions of us, this past decade.Sure, many presidential candidates imply that they will work for the whole country's best interest, so how can we tell if Obama actually means it ? Because in his 10 years as a senate legislator (8 in state, 2 in federal), he has been one of the most groundbreakingly effective cross-aisle mediators in our time. In the 2 years he was in majority in his state senate, he sponsored 780 bills, and 280 of those were signed into law. In his first year as U.S. Senator, Obama held 39 town hall meetings throughout Illinois, and in senate, sponsored 152 bills and resolutions, and cosponsored 427 more. He has a proven track record on public display of working to reach solutions that all sides can support, or at least accept as well-intended leadership.One example in state senate, was death penalty reform. He supported the death penalty in exceptional circumstances, but wanted all interrogations to be videotaped. Initially viewed as highly controversial, Senator Obama listened to all sides of the debate, incorporated ideas from many individuals, and the result was a bill that passed the Senate 58-0, and was signed into law by a governor who originally opposed Senator Obama's bill.In federal senate, Obama worked with republican senator Lugar to author and expand a program to locate and dismantle stray Russian WMD's including shoulder fired missiles and antipersonnel mines that were left over from the cold war after the disbanding of the USSR. This was sensible, low cost, and actually resulted in an America safer from terrorism. Some terrorists or rogue nation could have gotten those weapons. So don't let anyone tell you Obama isn't effective in the war for security against terrorism.Around 50% elected Bush. Around 30% currently approve. That means that there are 20% that are patriotic republican voting Americans who are tired of partisan bickering, and want a leader who is perceived to be non-partisan. Obama is sufficiently patriotic and sincere. He has no scandals, no indictments coming from shady business deals, no ties to greedy private interests, nothing to really tie up the media's time with things other than making our country unified and great. Who the heck wouldn't want to vote for that?There is no red America, there is no blue America, there is the United States of America. - Barack Obama.
John McCain has always put his country's interests before any party, special interest and even his own self-interest. He has always and will always do what is right for our country. Under a McCain presidency:
Americans will again have confidence in their economic future.
America will adopt an "all of the above" energy solution.
Health care will become more accessible to more Americans than at any other time in history.
A New hegemonic Leadership?
Definitely, whoever wins will assume the position of America in the world system. the question is will Us retains their Unipolar, unilateral stance in the International scene? If Obama wins, we might see a drastic change because of his straightforward platforms and new programs. nevertheless, he might be engulfed by the system and eat his own crap performing actions according to the dictates of the forces around him and not coming from within him. he is an epitome of change and good hope but he might be like our local leaders such as panlilio who tried bringing change particularly in Pampanga. But where is he now? On the verge of politicking, on the cliff to be eaten by the traditional monsters of politics. This might be the path of Obama as well. He is anti-Iraq war but who can say that when he assumes position, he continues it realizing the strategic importance it gives to US?
On the ither hand, if McCain wins, a great semblance of Bush leadership might be seen. the aggressive foreign policies as well as inefficient domestic affairs management might continues. but give him the benefit of the doubt, what if he has a change of heart when he becomes the president of America? who knows...these were speculative analysis. But the only right thing to do for now, to speculate. Let's just continue to be vigilant aside. Let's not think of other fences while we have within our yard the problems that needs immediate attention.
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