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Panel points out Obama’s challenges
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University of Wisconsin political science professors and community members discussed the challenges President-elect Barack Obama will face, from social environment to campaign finances.
Political science professor Byron Shafer discussed the importance of the economy, which was the No. 1 issue among voters.
“If the credit crisis can make Obama president, maybe it can make his presidency, too,” Shafer said.
Shafer said Republicans did not foresee the economy being front and center, but instead would have liked the main issue to be foreign policy or the Iraq war.
With Obama outspending Republican opponent John McCain by around $500 million in the general election, Shafer said the scene of public financing has changed, destroying the prospect of campaign finance reform in the near future.
Political science professor David Canon said the young vote came through Nov. 4, citing the high turnout of 18- to 29-year-old voters who participate in the election.
“In many states, 18- to 29-year-old voters actually turned out at a rate that was comparable to the level of population … which has never happened before since the 18-year-olds had the right to vote in 1972,” Canon said.
In Wisconsin, the youth vote made up 22 percent of the electorate, from an average 21percent in previous elections. According to Canon, this was an important factor in Obama’s victory.
Canon added this was especially important for Obama since the youth vote was overwhelmingly in his favor — 66 percent against 32 percent for McCain.
“If you look at the exit poll numbers, I think you can see that there are some hints here of the transformational nature of this election,” Canon said. “Whether or not this is short-lived or long-lived, we will not know for some time.”
The professors also discussed the environment Obama will face as president and the high expectations many have for him.
“Expectations for Obama are higher than probably any president since Roosevelt,” said political science professor Kenneth Mayer.
Mayer focused on what Obama would do from here, saying it is important to figure out who will be in his administration early in the transition process.
The professors agreed Obama will have to choose wisely what to focus on first in his government.
“We have to look at what we learned about Obama in the campaign and the way he conducted himself in the campaign,” Canon said. “To me, he shows a lot of the kind of leadership skills that I think do point to a successful president.”
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Obama’s challenges?
Let’s see. He has no executive experience. He has no business experience. He has no foreign policy experience. He has no military experience. He has less backbone than al dente linguini. How did this panel of vaunted political science experts manage to miss all those challenges?
I think his first challenge will be to carefully study his copy of “Foreign Policy For Dummies”. That’s the personally autographed version coauthored by Bill Clinton and Jimmie Carter. Then he can pull up his Big Boy Huggies and start in on Economics For Dummies.
When the Islamic terrorists hammer us again and American blood runs once more in the gutters, responsibility for those atrocities lies with every citizen and illegal alien that voted for Obama. Each one of you, from Nov 4 2008 forward, are co-conspirators in the next Al Queda terrorist attack. Hope it isn’t your family that they murder. It might Change your self deluded perspectives.
As for the socialist aspirations of this wealth redistributing marxist, there is only one person that ever walked this planet that could have made socialism work. And after the masses had nailed him to a cross, with his dying breath he said “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.”
How apropos! But there is no absolution for supporters of obamanation.
Invictus Maneo
Well I guess we’ll see what happens.
Democrats controlling Congress since the last election hasn’t improved things as far as I can see. Maybe greater control and the presidency will cause a complete turnaround? At least the Dems will have a harder time escaping the blame for their actions, or lack thereof.
OTOH, Re. Obama on coal (“Without nuclear or coal, what’s left? Freezing in the dark?”)
See Orson Card’s essay America Unplugged! http://www.ornery.org/essays/warwatch/2008-11-02-1.html , where he calls the cap-and-trade plan a “cruel tax on the poor”.
Hate to say it but I was thinking all along that the market was just predicting a BHO win. His bagging on Wall Street in his acceptance sealed the deal. Anyone with cap gains is selling before the tax rates go up.
Stop calling Obama a socialist when even the socialists think he’s socialist.
Even the founder of capitalism, Adam Smith, was by your standards a pinko commie.
And also, keep your imaginary friends to yourself.
Republicans: YOU LOST. Your candidates were terrible. Your campaign was poorly run. You are inept. Shut the hell up. I’m looking at you, Invictus Maneo.