Posted on June 4th, 2008 by Rick Latona
I consider myself an amatuer historian. I’ve read biographies on more than half of our U.S. presidents. I love reading biographies because I feel as though reading about great men helps you become one yourself. I don’t know if Obama is one of these great men but he certainly appears to have the ability to become one.
A good friend of mine once asked me what I thought all the founding fathers had in common. My answer was that they were great thinkers. Way before television and radio these men wrote letters and published them in newspapers to get their opinions out. To do so, and to do so well, they were well read themselves. All of them read thousands of books in their time.
When I hear Barack Obama speak it is like listening to one of these great men. He speaks with logic and as one that has a firm grasp of what is happening around him. It’s inspiring to know that he could be the next leader of this great country.
It’s a happy day for me now that he has secured the nomination of the democratic party.
23 Responses to “The United States has a real opportunity with Barack Obama”
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While that might be the case, his foreign policy stance is something to worry about.
Hey Rick - You’ve achieved greatness as a businessman. I would even call you a visionary when it comes to the Internet. I’m also impressed with your passion for U.S. history (like myself). It’s hard for me to comprehend, however, how you could even suggest a potential similarity between our founding fathers and Barack Obama. Like you said, our founding fathers were great thinkers, great achievers, and great men. Obama, at best, appears to be a great orator. At worst, he is unpatriotic and anti-American. Forget the fact that he subscribes to a radical left-wing agenda, which history has consistently shown as deficient and fatally flawed. Forget the fact that even many of his supporters can’t name anything notable he has accomplished before running for president (honestly, if success and achievement in life were the only factor, I would rather support you for president than Obama). The fact that he has closely associated himself with the racist and bigoted leadership at the Trinity United Church of Christ (i.e. Jeremiah Wright) and considers Bill Ayers a friend, who as part of the Weathermen Underground helped build bombs to kill Americans in the 1970’s, makes him eminently unqualified to be a Town Council member, much less President of the United States. As an obviously intelligent, erudite and influential person, I sincerely hope you will reconsider your support for Sen. Obama, and not fall victim to a highly charismatic empty-suit. I’m not passionate about any candidate running for President, and I’ve never really liked McCain, but in terms of patriotism, experience, leadership and accomplishment, McCain would be a much better leader for our country.. Best, Michael
obama seems to be quite personable but his message is all wrong - we don’t need a tax and spend platform - it’s bad, very bad - me might have the next jimmy carter.
Hey Rick,
I also am very relieved this contest has ended with Obama on top. Never before have I ever been inspired by a politician (of any party). I agree that reading about other’s deeds, both great and sinister, helps one become great themselves, although I don’t believe that *every* US President read thousands of books. Our current one certainly hasn’t and I think that’s part of the problem we find ourselves in now.
Don’t bother with the far-right talking points above. They’ll be repeated ad-nauseum for the next several months and then will fade away in November. It’s all they have.
For the record, I am not a Democrat and I believe they bear as much blame as the President for our troubles. They should have listened to Sen. Byrd.
This is the first time in my life (let’s just say I remember Reagan’s election but not Carter’s) that I will be happy with either candidate. I’ll be voting for Obama, but if John McCain is the worst case scenario this year we have truly come a long way as a nation.
At least we don’t have to see/listen to Hillary anymore. The U.S. has got some interesting days ahead of it. Well written post Rick.
Could it be the Terrorists have been so quiet lately because they are busy concentrating on getting their well groomed plant in office to do some real damage from the inside ?
Just a thought ……
Obama seems to have the ability to the lead the people while McCain has the experience to lead the government. Which choice is better for this country at this point in time I do not know.
Michael - exactly how is he unpatriotic?
John - maybe you should use the URL ‘dumbass.com’ for yourself.
It’s nothing but bad risk management to have a president with that much power.
Switzerlands founding fathers liked the american system but changed it slightly:
they made seven presidents out of one. 7 brains working together achive more than just 1.
As a Brit living in the States on-and-off since 2000, its been quite some experience to watch the Bush presidency play out.
Right now it feels like living in England during the last days of Thatcher or Australia during the last days of Howard, both of which I experienced. All three countries were / are just dying for a change, for a new party, for fresh blood.
I’ve no doubt we’ll all feel the same once the Republicans and Labor are out and the Democrats and Conservatives have been in for a while, but right now both countries need a breath of fresh air and new leadership.
Germ, I never meant to suggest that all presidents have read that much. I was talking about the founding fathers. Sorry if it came across the wrong way.
Michael in NYC, I’ve heard what you have to say. I agree that McCain is certainly patriotic and honestly, he’s long been one of my favorite republicans. Honestly, I think we, as a country, can’t lose now that it’s only the two of them left. Either one will be a vast improvement.
Thanks, Rick - your daily emails have been entertaining and informative for a newbie like myself. And I’m really glad to see you’re also attuned to & enthusiastic about the change that will occur in five months. This country deserves a thinking (wo)man; a cabinet that makes wise decisions, i.e. one that does not rush into poor ones (or do anything to stop them from re-occurring); and a completely new direction. I, for one, am open to debate those with different points of view. But I honestly cannot understand those that think we are - as a superpower - stronger than we were even a few years ago, and/or would bounce back from someone like McCain. Old-McCain, maybe (he used to be one of my favorite Repubs as well) - but the McCain that is trying to get elected is just not cutting it, in my opinion. Can’t wait for the debates…they might even be town-hall-style, too…
Great post Rick…I like you better now knowing your passion for reading and history ( I love the jp Morgan story myself)
As for Obamas inexperience, many times that is an asset…whether being vice president and getting the job by default or someone like Reagan who’s personality more than made up for any lack of “good ole boy” experience
Keep up the good work Rick
Interesting post Rick - I like your style - very interesting response to it as well.
John F. K. said it well :
Do NOT ask what your Country can do for you - ask what you can do for your Country.
Interesting post Rick - I like your Style there
Little Johnny sums up this thread !!!!
A teacher in Elmira, New York asked her 6th grade class how many of them were Obama fans.
Not really knowing what an Obama fan is, but wanting to be liked by the teacher, all the kids raised their hands except for Little Johnny.
The teacher asked Little Johnny why he has decided to be different…again.
Little Johnny said, ” because I’m not an Obama fan.”
The teacher asked, “why aren’t you an Obama fan?”
Johnny said, ” Because I am a Republican.”
The teacher asked him why he’s a Republican.
Little Johnny answered, ” Well, my Mom’s a Republican and my Dad’s a Republican, so I’m a Republican.”
Annoyed by this answer, the teacher asked, “If your mom was a moron and your dad was an idiot, what would that make you?”
With a big smile, Little Johnny replied, “That would make me an Obama fan.”
…I’d be thrilled to vote for a black man for president, were that man Colin Powell.
While Obama’s oratorical ability and stated hopes and vision for America are nice, his viewpoints for the most part run, sadly, run contrary to those of our founding fathers…who believed in principles like minimal government, few if any taxes, and personal responsibility.
And today, just as sadly, even many Republicans make promises to this group and that; knowing full well (or not caring); that the bill for all these promises is just more trillions of dollars in debt that we’re stacking on the backs of our children, their children, and all those Americans yet to be born.
In any case, it will nice to have Bush gone.
Is it just me, or does he look more an more like Mad magazine’s Alfred E. Neuman as time goes on?
Hey Rick,
I took your meaning, I was just being picky I guess. I agree with your point that these men studied and understood the factors and situations that made and unmade others before them.
It’s just that when I read that sentence Presidents like Taylor, Jackson and Grant came to mind. For all I know they were very well read, I haven’t researched it, but they were chosen because of their war hero status and aren’t remembered as intellectuals.
As for the Founding Fathers, I think it’s safe to say that between Franklin, Adams, Jay and Jefferson alone they could have beat back the Redcoats with an a artillery hail of heavy bound literature.
On a side note, I’m thrilled that we may once again have a President that can pen a book without a ghost writer.
Obama is intelligent, visionary, transparent, patriotic and honorable. It’s easy to criticize and pass off someone like him that truly wants to bring about a new dawn to the country by resorting to old attack lines instilled in the heads of people by politicians that do nothing but abuse power. I challenge any of his criticizers to actually listen to him, know what he stands for, and understand his big picture philosophy of what’s in the best interest of this country.
Being an old coot and remembering the likes of Johnson, Nixon and Carter I am so sad over the choice we have this cycle. Without a doubt it is the worst in my lifetime. My first presidential vote was for JFK. Every Presidential (this will be my 12th vote for same) election I felt that I had a good choice. There is no possible way I could vote for such as obama (intentional lower case). Never have I ever heard one who used so many words to say so little. What little he manages to say is 180 degrees out of phase.
I am no great fan of McCain but he is so head and shoulders above obama it is no contest.
Should the empty suit be elected I am so fearful that the 20% prime interest rates, 11-12% unemployment and misery index of the Carter years will look good by comparison.
As an independent, I’ve followed politics for the last thirty years. I can honestly say that with Obama I’ve finally seen a candidate that I think can bring about true progress in our government - something that is sorely lacking. For McCain supporters, I must remind you that he has been in politics most of his life and what can you honestly say he’s achieved? Obama is not even president yet and has already moved the DNC (Democratic National Committee) to not accept donations from lobbyists - he’s not even president and is already making positive change in our government.
I’ll also remind you that McCain is from the same political party as George Bush and will likely follow the same policies that have sorely crippled our country. To those of you that have forgotten, Bush and the Republican party have given us the following…a trillion dollar war with Iraq that had no connection to 9/11 (this war was planned years before by Paul Wolfowitz but without an excuse to execute it - do your research if you don’t believe me); no bid contracts to businesses of personal friends; one of the largest (if not THE largest) deficit in U.S. history by a president; terrible handling of the economy; econmic decisions that in part caused the grave housing market situation along with the lack of common sense regulation in the mortgage and banking industry; an adminitration that has deceived and lied to the American public so many times that Americans seem to have become apathetic to it; the highest gas prices in history due in part to lack of a real alternative energy solution that would get us off depending on the very governments we call our enemies; doing everything to block a legitamit election recount in Florida in 2000; filling the supreme courts with hard-core religious minded individuals (don’t forget the need for separation of church and state); using fear, division, hatred and discrimination to sway minds and win votes; an administration whos party has countless times exhibited hipocracy and corruption, following the will of corporations and lobbyists, and exposing a CIA agent out of revenge; giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas…do I really need to continue? Is this really the type of government you want to continue for another four or more years?
You are right Mark, his foreign policy is not as hawkish as his predcessors. Though I do fail to see your reasoning, where I’m from, bombing innocent people, installing dictators, messing with internal affairs in foreign countries and invading innocent countries is a bad thing. Mabye it is something to worry about for you, but for us humans, it is a sign of relief.