Obama and Senator Biden

For weeks people have speculated about who Senator Obama would choose as a running mate. The possibilities ran from the obscure (Texas Congressman Chet Edwards) to safe (Senator Biden). He chose safe; someone who shared his liberal views on a majority of items. When most pundits line up the list of the most liberal Senators, Obama is usually first and Senator Biden is usually third or forth. This means that he chose so that his Obama's) liberalism IS the issue.

How liberal are these guys? They make Hillary Rodham Clinton and Edward Kennedy look like scrooge when it comes to hand outs. They make Mark Pryor (D-Arkansas) and Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) look like simply Pro-Choice Republicans. To put it in even better perspective (not one I am sure the examples would enjoy, ) Obama is so far left that Ted Kennedy is closer to Arlen Specter than he is to Obama. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas is close to the same distance from Kennedy that Kennedy is from Obama (on domestic issues.) Simply, Mr. Obama is twice as liberal as Senator Kennedy and I believe Mr. Kennedy would chafe at the label of moderate. I don't think Obama can run away from the liberal label. I am not even sure he intends to.

Even moderate democrats need to look beyond party labels to the issues. SImply the issues are Obama is a tax and spend liberal. He plans on a massive redistribution of the wealth of Americans and that will simply dry up venture capital or put the government into the business development business even bigger than it already is.

This guy is not Bill Clinton. He is not Hillary Clinton. He certainly isn't Abraham Lincoln (but if he can get extra votes based on Lincoln's legacy against slavery he certainly is willing to grab them.) Barack Obama is not an AMERICAN NEGRO (see previous postings to see why I use this term.) Barack Obama is the progeny of a white LIBERAL and a foreigner who happened to have dark skin.

Some would tell you, I am sure, that regardless of his herritage, electing Obama will surely help the legitimacy of African-American candidates across the board in the future. I don't dispute this. The problem is the here and now. We cannot afford Mr. Obama now. Are the long term benefits worth the costs today?