It seems as though alot of folks out there have taken a liking to Sen. Barack Obama, but just don’t feel they know enough about him to cast a confident vote.
Voters have a responsibility pull the lever for the right reasons on Election Day. While Obama’s candor and intellect have caused his popularity to soar in recent months, allowing mob-mentality to influence our votes could be a dangerous mistake come November.
Likewise, if we disregard a candidate simply because of his popular appeal, or allow talking points from television and radio personalities to inform our thinking, we also make ourselves vulnerable to casting uninformed – or worse, manipulated – votes on Election Day.
If you find yourself being swept up in the excitement over Sen. Obama’s campaign, you owe it to yourself – and your vote – to become more familiar with him; his story, his views on the issues and his plan for our country. Here are some resources to help you become better aquainted with the candidate.
1) 2004 Democratic National Convention: This was most of America’s introduction to the young Senator from Illinois. It put him on the political map at a national level and helped set the tone for his eventual Presidential bid. (Part 1, Part 2)
2) Call to Renewal keynote address: Call to Renewal was a conference of Evangelical leadership that was put on by Sojourners. During this address Barack Obama shares his personal testimony and elaborates on the role of faith in politics in a pluralistic society. (Download)
3) The Audacity of Hope: Barack Obama’s second biographical memior is also a brief introduction to his political platform. (Sample chapter)
4) The Blueprint for Change: A brief 64-page overview of Obama’s “Plan for America.” It highlights Obama’s views on a number of topics such as health care, the economy, education, immigration, Iraq and national security. (Download)
5) Obama on the issues: Obama’s website has a comprehensive overview of his positions on the issues. Each issue is presented in a bulletin-style overview, with a more detailed proposal available for download. (Read more)
Filed under: Politics/Social Action | Tagged: Barack Obama
With that, I’m taking an Obama sabbatical. I’ve let this place get over run with Obamania. Hey, it’s been an eventful couple weeks in that regard, so it’s a bit understandable. But I really don’t want this place to turn into MoveOn.org.
One of your best posts ever. I am currently working on my official Obama endorsement post, and I will have to link to this one! You did a lot of the hard work for me!!
Thanks Russell. Yesterday a friend emailed me and told me that she liked Obama, but mostly because he seemed like a likable guy and not because of his policies. So she asked why I supported him. This was basically my reply to her.
[...] I’ve stated many, MANY, times that I don’t like politics. I still don’t. I also hate debating, although I absolutely love to sit back and listen to other people debate. So as you might expect I don’t intend to debate the politics of Obama, Clinton, McCain, Paul, Nadar, Republicans, Democrats, Independents or otherwise—or my reasons for choosing Obama over the rest. (For a great post on where Obama stands on the issues, click here). [...]