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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTop 3 reasons to re-elect Obama
How convincing can you be? Imagine you are trying to persuade an undecided voter to pick Obama, or a Romney voter to switch. What 3 positive reasons can you give them to vote for Obama. NOT against Romney, but for Obama.
I am not going to start, because of course my own answer would be so brilliant and complete and well-reasoned that everybody else would just have to say "ditto".
I hope that last line was good for a laugh. Actually, I have some errands that I have already postponed too long and want to see what the group can come up with.
Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)hfojvt
(37,573 posts)and also might not be persuasive to a conservative or moderate. Unless you can rattle off a few bad decisions of the conservative court, like
1. declaring that Obamacare is constitutional.
Okay, wait, that may not be the best example.
Too many people that I know cannot even name 3 supreme court justices. I quizzed 3 graduating seniors after reading Alterman's book. None of them could name even ONE, and one of them was graduating with honors.
jaysunb
(11,856 posts)broiles
(1,367 posts)IrishEyes
(3,275 posts)For instance, Obama saved the country a lot of money by repealing don't ask, don't tell. Obviously, the reason to repeal it was because it was unfair and unjust but it was also an incredible waste of money. Many undecided voters are like my republican dad. He couldn't care less about issues like gay marriage, abortion, gun control or the death penalty. He is in favor of all those things except the death penalty. He wants to know which candidate will be more responsible with our tax dollars. For some reason, he still thinks republicans are better with money. I'm working on getting him to see the light. I'm sorry that I can't write three reasons right now. I have errands to run as well.
intaglio
(8,170 posts)The first 3 I thought of were negative;
Mitt Romney,
Paul Ryan,
The Koch Brothers.
Three positive:
Medicare,
All womens issues,
Progressive taxation.
porphyrian
(18,530 posts)1. The Economy - republicans want the bush-era tax cuts for the rich, putting the tax burden for every government program we won't let them cut on the rest of us. It didn't create jobs then, it won't create jobs now. If anything, there will be less jobs as we have less war now than then, unless, that is, they plan on starting more. Besides, recent studies have shown that Democrats have been better for the economy for almost a century and we should go with the proven winner rather than the proven loser with regards to economic policy.
2. Roe v. Wade - republicans want to make all abortion illegal, period. The next President will see two Supreme Court Justices seated during their term; if Obama doesn't win, Roe v. Wade will likely be overturned. If you are a woman or care about a woman, this should be reason enough.
3. Foreign Policy - If you ask non-American politicians who have worked with Obama about his skills, they are all impressed. Well, except maybe Poland. Americans, for the most part, never see Obama in action abroad, since our media is more interested in pregnant reality show "stars." However, Obama has made us look good in a number of ways to the rest of the world. Romney, on the other hand, looks and acts like a giant douche (except, maybe, to Poland). So, if we want to work with the rest of the world, we should re-elect Obama. If we want to reinforce the negative American stereotype abroad on a Presidential level (personally, I got enough of this with bush), go with the other guy.
How's that?
hfojvt
(37,573 posts)but the first one is mostly negative - a reason to vote against Republicans.
Why not be positive about the economy? 2.5 million jobs created in 2010 and 2011, over 900,000 created in the first half of 2012.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002908833.
At least you were specific about SCOTUS, but while a majority favors Roe v. Wade, that issue is not gonna sell to a huge majority of people, and for some people - some who would otherwise be on our side - it is a reason to vote against Obama.
Also, I am not sure how many Americans care all that much about foreign policy. What about the United States?
porphyrian
(18,530 posts)madmom
(9,681 posts)mid west were the auto industry employs a lot of people.
TeamPooka
(24,216 posts)it's that important!
TeamPooka
(24,216 posts)hfojvt
(37,573 posts)Really, saying SCOTUS is mostly a negative reason. Because we know that the SCOTUS picks, and other court picks, of Romney would be as bad as those of Bush. But that's not a reason to vote FOR Obama as much as it is a reason to vote AGAINST Romney.
TeamPooka
(24,216 posts)conservatives are not undecided in this election
as the OP has posited this is about undecideds.
spanone
(135,802 posts)Motown_Johnny
(22,308 posts)CabCurious
(954 posts)hfojvt
(37,573 posts)is this all we've got?
LadyHawkAZ
(6,199 posts)bhikkhu
(10,714 posts)which might go without saying - but I have to say if I somehow was notified I'd have a chance to sit down with the president for a talk, the first thing I'd ask is if Michelle could be there too!
But the main reasons would be for how he has dealt with all the various problems of the country. Anyone who has followed politics closely over the years knows how difficult the job is when a variety of things are going on at the same time - both Carter and Clinton ran into trouble with too many balls in the air at once, and I don't think either bush could do more than one thing at a time. Obama seems to have developed the ability to manage a great deal more at once than might be expected, while running circles around the opposition party in congress.
Then for his backbone, courage and advocacy of the core principles of the party of inclusion and equality. He has taken it to a new level, and this is the cause of a great deal of desperation on the other side. I think in some things history just takes its course and the president doesn't matter that much, but in the things that matter, Obama has stood on the right side every time, and helped progress rather than mucked things up. (Thinking of all that could have gone wrong in Libya, for example, though Iraq could have gone very stupidly as well).
How much difference does it make to have someone in the white house that I actually admire? Its a big difference. The bush years were hard on the head and the heart - I don't want to go back to that!
Tennessee Gal
(6,160 posts)I believe that President Obama has a kind, loving, and compassionate heart. I can see it in the pictures of him with his family, the children he interacts with, and the elderly. In my opinion, that is critical for any President because it leads him/her to not just look at what is politically expedient but to consider what is best for the vast majority of the American people. That is why I loved the part of Michelle's speech at the convention when she described how he goes through his thought process in that way.
I believe that the evidence is overwhelming that Democrats are far better on economic issues that focus on stabilizing and improving the economy rather that their wealthy donors. I believe that President Obama has done a very good job on economic issues in one of the most difficult economic times in our history while facing the strongest opposition in Congress I have ever seen.
I believe that Democrats are more fair on civil rights and civil liberties issues. President Obama has taken several positive steps in that regard.
I believe that President Obama will continue to nominate Supreme Court Justices who will rule based on the Constitution rather than partisanship.
I believe that President Obama has done an excellent job regarding foreign affairs with the help of the phenomenal Hillary Clinton.
I believe that President Obama understands women's issues as evidenced by his signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
I believe in Obamacare and want it to stay in place for time to expand and improve it.
I believe that President Obama will always hold firm on sustaining and improving elements of the social safety net for the benefit of children, the elderly, the impoverished, and the sick.
Just a few reasons. These come from a Christian liberal and I am very proud to be one!
hfojvt
(37,573 posts)If I asked people for ten, many might not reply because thinking of ten is too much work.
I like how you expand the reasons to include "Democrats" instead of just Obama, because we need to elect Democrats to Congress and not just the White House.
As for Democrats supporting "we the people" over "they the rich" in some ways that might be a "do NOT vote for Republicans" more than a "vote for Democrats" For a couple of examples, first, the way they reduced the "making work pay" credit from the $500 that Obama proposed to just $400. That right there is $100 out of my pocket and out of your pocket. Second, how they were ready to let the Bush tax cuts expire unless millionaires also got huge tax cuts. Under Republicans, you and I do not get tax cuts unless millionaires also get tax cuts, and much, much bigger tax cuts. In the Senate it was proposed to extend the tax cuts for everybody making less than $1,000,000 - and Republicans voted against that.
But another advantage of a shorter list is that you can leave Obamacare off of it, unless you are prepared to explain why Obamacare is a good thing. And also probably not good to mention Hillary to a non-Democrat.
Tennessee Gal
(6,160 posts)Please forgive me .......
And I do think that Democrats are more for "we the people" and it is not just about money.
Here is something I wrote a while back and I still firmly believe this:
Liberals are advocates of civil rights, public education, tolerance of differences, a social safety net, employees' rights, environmental protection, strong families, personal responsibility, free enterprise, the rule of law, and progress. Liberalism is an optimistic philosophy by being strongly supportive of moral, economic, and social progress to benefit all humanity.