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Sunday, Jan 6, 2008
Change Is About
Policies Not Speeches or Symbolism
by Stephen Crockett, co-host of
Democratic Talk Radio
Edwards has better policies for substantive
change than either Clinton or Obama. Symbolism and speeches is not
enough.
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While I find Obama
inspiring especially when giving speeches, he has the worse plan of
the top three contenders on healthcare and Edwards has the best. The
best approach is expanding Medicare to cover all citizens which none
of the top contenders currently support. Edwards comes closer than
the other two top Democratic contenders. Edwards has a history of
evolving his policy positions when educated by activists and experts
with better ideas. Of the top three Democratic candidates, Edwards
is the most likely candidate to eventually support Medicare For
All. Obama's plan does not get us to universal healthcare and
definitely leaves large corporations with excessive control of
healthcare policies in America.
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While Obama always
opposed starting the Iraq War, he would not get us out of Iraq as
quickly or completely as Edwards. Clinton has not been a leader on
this issue in the past or today.
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On trade issues,
Obama is far friendlier to the so-called "Free Trade" approach than
Edwards. For example, on the recent deal with Peru both Clinton and
Obama supported the "Free Trade" deal while Edwards opposed it.
These "free trade" deals all serve corporate interests and are
devastating the earning power of working class Americans.
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Compromising with
Bush Republicans on policy sounds good as a sound-bite but is not
likely to work. Obama cannot unite all Americans behind a common set
of policies and still be an effective agent of change. The
Republican in the House and Senate oppose all the change ideas
supported by the vast majority of Americans. Over 70 percent of
Americans want universal healthcare but the Republicans like our
current, inefficient, unfair, corporate-controlled healthcare
system.
Any compromises with corporate Republicans on the
healthcare issue will mean making the changes more inefficient, unfair
and corporate-controlled! The same idea holds with trade policy, media
consolidation, campaign financing, environmental protection, energy
policy, global warming, taxation, labor laws, etc.
The only effective approach to change will come
from confronting corporate Republican forces, fighting them and
winning. This is the Edwards approach. It is the FDR approach to real
change. It was the path to Social Security under FDR and Medicare
under LBJ. It is not the Clinton Approach. It is not the path
advocated by Obama.
While Obama would make a good Vice President on
an Edwards ticket, he is not the best agent for change on the
Democratic Presidential ticket in 2008. It was unfortunate that
Senator Lieberman played a mentor role to Obama when Obama was first
elected to the U.S. Senate. The independent Senator from Connecticut
is out of touch with the core values of the Democratic Party when it
comes to change on many issues. The Lieberman influence will need time
to fade before Obama will really be ready for the top of the
Democratic ticket or to act as the real leader for policy change in
America.
comment on this news item...
Written by Stephen
Crockett (co-host of Democratic Talk Radio
http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com ).
Mail: P.O. Box 283, Earleville, Maryland
21919. Phone: 443-907-2367. Email:
midsouthcm@aol.com .
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