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Let's Try This - What Do You LIKE About Your Opponent

Posted by opinionstreams • 9/09/08 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: Candidates, discussion, election 2008

In the spirit of GallFire's earlier post, I wanted to lighten the discussion by inviting everyone to post something you like about the candidate you oppose. Preferably, you will state a point of agreement with one of your opponent's policy positions.

As much as you'll have to bite your lip or hold your nose, please try to state a point of agreement without subsequently reneging on it by by saying something like "but he still sucks" or "but his opposition to/support of x cancels it out". Just state what you like, shed a tear and stop typing.

Let the games begin...

User Comments

9/09/08

opinionstreams

Wow! No takers yet? Ok, I'll get it started - although I haven't delved deeply into the policy, I actually like McCain's preference for school choice programs. A bona fide school choice program, if executed properly, can really benefit children. Plus it can shape up wasteful school bureaucracies by forcing them to become competitive.

There, I said it. Do you dare?

[reply]
1. 9/09/08
  
  MidwestMom
  
  Actually, education is one thing McCain has wrong! School choice (particularly when it involves sending gov't dollars to private schools) is really problematic. I wrote a little about it and No Child Left Behind at the beginning of the summer. Have a look.
  
  ilfamilypolitics.blogspot.com/2008/06/pursuing-equity-in-education.html
2. 9/09/08
  
  opinionstreams
  
  MM - read your article. Full disclosure - in 2001 I did a research paper in which I set out to bash school choice programs for exactly the reasons you point out in your article. I ended up proving myself wrong. I understand your point about government dollars going to parents in the form of vouchers and away from public schools, but the problem with public schools, even in poor areas, isn't always underfunding. It's also wasteful spending in corruption. NYC public schools came under particular scrutiny for having bloated payrolls and other inefficient sprending that took considerable money away from students. And the school system in my state's major city - which is horrible - actually lost $60 million a couple years ago! The children in my city's school system are among the poorest in my state and the school system is misplacing money?
  
  Meanwhile in several pilot programs, including New York City and some other areas I can't remember now, students enrolled in choice programs outperformed their counterparts in public school because they benefited from small class sizes and well equipped teachers. We even have a few choice programs in my state and I understand that, with one exception, they're doing pretty well. Now admittedly, my data on successful programs is seven years old and I haven't had a chance to carry it forward, but I think there's a case to be made for the viability of school choice programs as a way to give students the best opportunities and also to place pressure on public school bureaucracies to trim the fat and stop the corruption so they can place more money into educating children rather than fattening their pockets.
  
  The programs have to be executed properly though. I don't think McCain knows how to do that, especially since he and Palin seem to think that community organizers are do-nothing slackers who cna't handle responsibility. -- Oops! I broke my own rule! I take that back!
  
  I like McCain's choice program. I'm shedding my tear and leaving my keyboard...
3. 9/09/08
  
  opinionstreams
  
  Okay, multiple typos in my post:
  
  -"wasteful spending in corruption" should be "wasteful spending and corruption."
  
  -"sprending" should be "spending"
  
  -"cna't" should be "can't"
  
  Sorry.
4. 9/09/08
  
  xmarks
  
  I agree that school choice as far as McCain wants to take it is a problem. He wants parents to be able to claim home schooling and get federal funds. In many areas we already have a drop out rate over 50%. Why wouldn't some of these parents who aren't making their kids go to school just claim home schooling and take the cash. It is an incentive for a higher drop out rate in communities that need education the most. School choice as part of a larger programs makes sense but there is a need for checks and balances.
  
  I wrote about McCain vs. Obama's education plans a couple of months ago
  inandoutoftruth.blogspot.com/2008/06/education-comparison.html
  
  I wrote about McCain vs. Obama's education plans
5. 9/09/08
  
  MidwestMom
  
  I apologize in advance for thread drift... but I thought you might be interested in today's education policy announcement from Obama.
  
  From MSNBC's First Read (relax, I know it's not the most objective... but at least it gives a good summary of the policy points):
  
  Obama said partisan bickering had stood in the way of education reform and that his Republican rival had “marched with the ideologues in his party” by opposing efforts to expand Head Start, hire more teachers, make college more affordable, fully funding No Child Left Behind and by proposing to close the Department of Education.
  
  Investing in early childhood education and a $4,000 college tuition tax credit, in exchange for public service, have long been parts of the senator’s education proposals.
  
  Today he proposed programs that would provide $500 million in matching funds for investments in technology, increase access to Advanced Placement courses in high schools and double funding for charter schools.
  
  He also wants to provide parents with a report card to help them keep abreast of their child’s educational development, institute pay-for-performance programs for teachers, in addition to help for struggling teachers. He also pledged to report to the American people yearly on the state of the country’s schools.
  
  The programs would be funded with savings from a “comprehensive effort to cut government spending, including reforming federal contracting, reducing the number of federal earmarks, improving federal procurement processes and ending wasteful unnecessary federal programs,” according to a fact sheet provided by the campaign.
  
  In his speech, Obama spoke about paying for his proposals by winding down the war in Iraq.
  
  firstread.msnbc.msn.com
9/09/08

MidwestMom

Okay.. in the spirit of fun, I'll bite.

The I think McCain has good genes. His mother is in her 90's, so there might be little chance he would kick off (of natural causes) and leave us with Palin as president.

I hope.

In terms of policy, I can think of nothing I like. (sorry.)

[reply]
9/09/08

beinki

I like Bidens passion but I don't think it is enough. I just got back from his speech in Columbia.

[reply]
9/09/08

clioandme

McCain was pretty funny on his SNL appearances. His POW record is impressive. Otherwise I got nothing.

[reply]
9/09/08

opinionstreams

@ mark & MM - I said I preferred points of agreement on policy, but if you can find none, I applaud you for contributing and at least saying you like something about the candidate. The same goes for you, mike.

MM - the "genes" comment is quite funny. It never dawned on me that by pointing out his mother, McCain might have been saying "hey, you don't have to worry about Palin actually being president. I've got at least 18 more years in me!" - LOL

[reply]
1. 9/09/08
  
  MidwestMom
  
  Now, the man just has to learn to apply some sunscreen, and he'll live a long and happy life.
9/09/08

csiunatc

I like Obamas compassion, and I think that he can deliver one hell of a speech.

[reply]
1. 9/09/08
  
  MidwestMom
  
  So can Palin... She can deliver ONE hell of a speech.
  
  (is that your chain? ... yank yank)
2. 9/09/08
  
  opinionstreams
  
  @csi - agreed re: compassion and speech giving, but those aren't policy positions. I thought/hoped you would come with a policy platform of Obama that you liked, especially since you earlier said that you didn't agree with everything on McCain's agenda. If not, oh well, but I just thought I'd see if I could get you to think of something.
3. 9/09/08
  
  csiunatc
  
  Ok, You are right, it could have been expanded.
  
  Lets expand the Compassion point then
  
  I like the Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act
  I Like the elimination of taxes on low income retirees.
  I like his Green Job Corps Program
  I like some of the ideas he have for strengthening Family Farms
4. 9/10/08
  
  opinionstreams
  
  Wow csi! Four points of policy agreement? I'm impressed! We may be on to something with this thread...
9/09/08

jnvscnln

I can say did perform heroically while imprisoned. Unfortunately, the things I've liked about McCain in the past are being squelched during the campaign.

[reply]
1. 9/09/08
  
  MadameX
  
  I actually have to agree with that, John. When I tried to come up with something positive to say in this thread, I realized that a year ago I would have had no trouble coming up with positive things to say about McCain, but that it is no longer true.
9/09/08

csiunatc

Want some chain yanking?, Go over this thread, which was supposed to be a positive thread (go ahead read the entire original post). And see how the Obama supporters haven't been able to give out one compliment that wasn't backhanded or came with some caveat or the re-neging that the original post was against...

I'd like to think that Dem's can read.. I'm just not sure....

[reply]
1. 9/09/08
  
  MadameX
  
  Maybe we're just really straining ourselves to try to play nice but can't come up with anything unqualified to say without lying.
2. 9/09/08
  
  csiunatc
  
  And remain completely unable to not say anything at all.. Thank you for adding to the reading ability issue here
  
  I point you to the original post.
  "
  As much as you'll have to bite your lip or hold your nose, please try to state a point of agreement without subsequently reneging on it by by saying something like "but he still sucks" or "but his opposition to/support of x cancels it out". Just state what you like, shed a tear and stop typing."
  
  Oops
3. 9/09/08
  
  MadameX
  
  Point me wherever you like, CSI. You may have noticed that I DIDN'T respond to the original post. Oh, no...you probably didn't. But that doesn't change the facts here any more than it does in any of the other areas where you misstate them.
4. 9/09/08
  
  MidwestMom
  
  I'm teasing. I apologize if that upset you.
  
  So take a deep breath.
  
  I admire the bravery John McCain showed while a Prisoner of War.
  
  Is that better?
5. 9/09/08
  
  clioandme
  
  Prolly not. I said as much and apparently it was an insult.
9/09/08

GallFire

I think Obama is a great orator - and has passion. I also like, in a way, how he seems to envision America great again.
Biden, well frankly, I like him - he is a no non-sense guy (from what I can tell). In fact, I would have voted for him over say, Mike Huckabee, or a few other Republicans.

Glad to see this turning into at least a semblance of people trying to look at things from the opposite perspective, thank you opinionstreams

[reply]
1. 9/10/08
  
  opinionstreams
  
  Thanks for the contribution, GallFire. I also think he envisions America great again.