Ros and Madeleine will bring you the show from a venue to be decided in Austin, or possibly Dripping Springs or Johnson City. As Bob Seger once sang “it was all up to me to decide”. Ros’s early thoughts here.
Are Americans worried about an Obama presidency? Is there genuine fear of the changes he will bring? Or fear of the unknown ?
Here’s Bill O’ Reilly of Fox News. Watch him here on the Daily Show.
Here’s a piece saying socialism is on the way…
There was a spike in gun sales just after the election… and for this writer it’s enough to “make your blood run cold”
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RSS feed
BBC World Have Your Say 
Iran Bitterly Opposed to Washington, Baghdad Security Pact!
TEHRAN – Minute by minute reports of the debate have been carried on Iranian state-owned radio and television. Nowhere has opposition to the pact been more vehement and loud, and with good reason.
The lifeline of Shiite Islam is Najaf. Although the enclave is close to Baghdad, The Boroujerdi Seminary in Najaf is at the heart of developments in the Shiite world. Sistani is Iranian, members of the prominent Hakim family regularly shuttle back and forth between Baghdad and Tehran. Indeed Shiites account for 60% of the population of Iraq. The bonds between Tehran and Baghdad are inseparable.
Obviously there is some truth to U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad to the United Nations. Iran is a threat to Iraq just as Iraq is a threat to Iran. There is a war going on between PKK and Turkey. What is the future of Kurds, Arabs, Shiites, Sunnis, Armenians and the rest in Iraq?
If US stays, Iran stays and Britain stays. Why not bring in the Chinese and Russians?
@Akbar Javadi
If US stays, Iran stays and Britain stays. Why not bring in the Chinese and Russians?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This is a simple question to answer. America & Great Britain have been responsible for gaining Freedom for more people than Russia 7 China.
Russia’s brutality when that occupy a country is beyond the pale. Does no one remember Afghanistan & Eastern Europe? How many people risk their lives to cross the border to get into Russia?
Russia & China plunder the natural resources and are there simply to make trouble. They contribute nothing to advancing a country’s economy & improve the standard of living.
Obama has more threats than any president elects
In Milwaukee, police officials found a poster of Obama with a bullet going toward his head — discovered on a table in a police station.
And in a Maine convenience store, an Associated Press reporter saw a sign inviting customers to join a betting pool on when Obama might fall victim to an assassin. The sign solicited $1 entries into “The Osama Obama Shotgun Pool,” saying the money would go to the person picking the date closest to when Obama was attacked. “Let’s hope we have a winner,” said the sign, since taken down.
Earlier this week, the Secret Service looked into the case of a sign posted on a tree in Vay, Idaho, with Obama’s name and the offer of a “free public hanging.” In North Carolina, civil rights officials complained of threatening racist graffiti targeting Obama found in a tunnel near the North Carolina State University campus.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-gen/ap/Presidential_Elections/Obama_Threats.html
Are Americans worried about an Obama presidency?
No, but the lunatic fringe is out in full force.
Now Obama is a black man with white roots why does that seem to scare some factions of conservative America? and what does his name hussein has to do with fear. I dont think he is that bad to have government running your home give him a chance after all who says he is too black or too white?
President-elect Barack Obama will bring what his campaign has promised to American: Change. Even if you were a Senator McCain supporter, one thing is for sure: Mr.Obama is not George W. Bush. So long as we’re not stuck with George W. for another term, America is on the up!
Oh this is going to be a good program. I’m grabbing some popcorn and a soda for this one and sitting back to get ready for some laughs, lets watch the conspiracy theorists come out of the woodwork.
Am I afraid of Obama? Less afraid than I was of McCain and Palin, thats for sure! Sure I’m cautious and yet curious about some of his stances and policies, but I honestly couldn’t tell you the name of a candidate I didn’t feel concerned about.
Some clearly are….and I think the follow-on questions should be “how much of this paranoia is due to the deeply negative, deeply fear-mongering campaign style used by some in the recent election?”
As Americans we love our guns. It is our Constitutional right to own them. Over the years that right has been undermined by liberal Democrats who think they can change human nature with a law.
Those of us who own guns are concerned that our gun rights will be undermined with Democrats in control of Congress and the Whitehouse.
After Nov 4th, we went out and stocked up. Except for the lunatic fringe no one bought a gun to use against the Government.
Oh yeah…for those of you who will respond with bumper sticker thinking saying “Guns kill people” remember no gun ever was discharged by itself and absent guns people will always find ways to kill one another.
Who is afraid of Obama? The people who are afraid of positive change.
I’ve heard interviews with people who said they were terrified at the thought of a president Obama, that he’s a socialist and that he has a secret black agenda to take over the country.
After I finished laughing I thought about where that all came from and the answer is fairly simple – talk radio and tv info-tainment. They get their ratings and sell commercials by telling their listeners that their uneasiness and apprehension aren’t irrational, that there really is something to be afraid of. Most of them know better but bad new is what sells, and they’re not afraid of being wrong because they know how short the public’s memory is.
It is a scary world right now and “fear itself” has become a commodity.
@Julie
Anyone who wants to get an idea of why some people are afraid of Obama should watch the Jim Jones story that was aired on CNN last night. It is 30 years since the mass suicide in Jonestown. I can’t find a link but here is a link about Jones’ skills as an orator.
http://m.cnn.com/cnn/archive/archive/detail/196459/full;jsessionid=FE30C87C8A8D85503D78ABF20B6C1B12.live4ib
Having a president with mass global appeal must be keeping the people who are used to calling the shots in a tailspin.
A reason to be scared of what could happen to Obama, if the righties (couldn’t resist the word) can’t come to terms with his presidency, lies in the story of Lee Atwater.
Atwater’s dirty tricks changed the course of history.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/atwater/
Hello Everyone,
Well I am not surprised to see that people are afraid of Obama,after all he has talked about ‘change’.But people aren’t sure if the change will be good or bad.Its not unusual to see people worried about the changes that Obama will bring.Now if we talk about the threats he will bring,I am sure he doesn’t bring any threats.I mean,he has struggled all his life to reach this position,what kind of threat do you expect him to bring?
Thank you
Abhinav
Hi Dan
Reyr November 17, 2008 at 1:42 pm post
I am not suggesting anyone should be invited to interfere in Iraq and I believe that it was inevitable that former Iraqi president Saddam Hossein would be toppled.
Lack of dialogue with Iran at such a sensitive juncture in the history of Iraq is bad for the region and will jeopardize peace and security.
It is true that Saddam Hossein invaded Kuwait and some parts of Saudi in 1990, but to hold Iraq on a leash and isolate Baghdad in order to appease sentiments in Ryadh or Kuwait is wrong.
President George W. Bush won’t be in office much longer. It is as well to distinguish priorities now before he leaves so that we are not left with the debris and legacy of destruction, hate and isolation in the aftermath of war.
No, I’m not afraid of Obama at all. I would be *very* afraid, however, to see our country continue to go down the same path that the Bush administration has been leading us down for the past eight years. Change is what we need, and change is what Obama is going to bring us.
@Selena,
This is the problem I have with some on the right, they use fear tactics. Yes, Obama is a good orator, but so was Ronald Reagan. Reagan was known as the Great Communicator. Yet Obama is demonized and Reagan is worshipped by many on the right.
I think those who are afraid of Obama are those who are comfortable with status quo.
In life, change is inevitable and unavoidable.
Obama has come to represent change from “business as usual” and i think he needs all the support he can get.
Most of the fears I heard about from the conservatives around me were irrational and unrealistic. Many had more to do with fear of what congress might do more then what Obama might do. Gun rights issues, national health care, immigration, and abortion laws are all domestic issues that a president must first get a bill on his desk to sign before he can change any current policy.
Others feared on inauguration day he is going to rip off his mask, slap on a turban and claim the country is now run my Sharia law. Still others believe he is going to allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons, and that the instant they get them Iran will launch them at Israel. Of course many of these people see US rhetoric as “saber rattling” when the US says “all options are on the table”, but take it as a real threat when Iranians underling to the real power brokers make similar statements.
The bottom line is the conservative policies, have seen a rise in nuclear activates of both North Korea and Iran. Once allies that would freely share intel on terrorist networks are now afraid to share it because they think the US will invade. Domestically we have seen the economy head in the failure direction on all of the relative benchmarks. (unemployment up, cost of living up, salaries down, wage disparity growing.) We have seen a growth in the poorest an uneducated sectors. Americans have achieved a negative savings rate. The US will have a hard time protecting morality of the world if it is financially broke.
Fear what can’t be fixed after 8 years of the last admininstration over what the next one might do.
people fear unkowns. plain and simple. Should they be afraid of Obama? Of course not. He is, after all, only one man trying to do his job. The government is bigger than any one man. He does get to pick the people who help him in his job, but there are still more people than just those. He will do the best he can, in my opinion, with what he has to work with. He can do no worse, we can only go up from here. Those people who threaten him are ignorant and lemmings. I do hope his security detail is the best for his sake!
The only people I’ve personally spoken to who say they are “afraid” of Soon To Be President Obama, live in very white, very religious and very podunk communities. They are the ones who believe the stupid emails that float around and don’t bother to check facts. I am not being nasty- this is just a personal observation of some people who I personally know.
Most McCain supporters I’ve spoken to who live in more urban/suburban areas are actually ok with Obama and hope things will get better under his administration.
People forget that Obama is ONE person, he may soon be the President but for the most part, he can’t just arbitrarily make rules and laws. That is why we have a Congress (and that is who we have to watch, and closely).
As for you gun owners out there, I think there are currently bigger fish to fry than your gun toting rights… so sweat not. From what I understand, EVENTUALLY the worst that MIGHT happen is an uppage in tax on your ammo. Boo hoo
Monica:
The only people I’ve personally spoken to who say they are “afraid” of Soon To Be President Obama, live in very white, very religious and very podunk communities. They are the ones who believe the stupid emails that float around and don’t bother to check facts.
LOL, some of my ‘country’ co-workers the other day were sitting around the break room with their cell phones out, agreeing in utter stupidity with the “FW:” chain text messages citing biblical text ‘proving’ that Obama is the anti-christ hahaha. And this is a near daily thing for them….
*sigh*
Provides humor at least… Scary humor.
I seriously doubt, in a country characterised by the rule of law and the restraints of a constitution designed to preserve liberty, if any but a few kooks are afraid of Obama.
I can’t help seeing something tendentious in drawing attention to this kind of issue, viz playing up the unrepresentative fringe of ‘Obama is a crypto-Muslim socialist with a secret agenda to turn US into the slave of the Third World and of One-Worldists’. A predictable consequence of doing this often enough will be to blunt serious criticism of Obama’s history, friendships, personality and policies by creating an association between criticism of him and politically insane racists. The media already tried it with the rise in arms purchases following his victory, even though – as already noted – there was a perfectly rational explanation for that.
Many on the left have been (or so they claim) in fear of George Bush for 8 years, have denounced him as a war criminal, have called for him to be impeached, to be put on trial for crimes against humanity, have woven the most elaborate conspiracy theories about war and oil and the Republicans being responsible for 9-11. But I don’t recall those fears being held up to scrutiny and ridicule in order to discredit valid criticisms of Bush’s record.
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Sure, as we have seen with GWBush, one president can make a heck of a change, to the worse, but thanks to him Obama will be very, very busy sorting out the mess and getting the US back on track before he can start “getting fancy”. So the first four years there’s nothing to be scared about, other than that you might loose your job and your home, courtesy of your former president. If Obama gets reelected, then he may get a shot at changing the society to the direction he wants, but moving 300 million people into one direction will probably take longer than that…
As a conservative I do have concerns about some of President-Elect Obama’s positions and stated policies. However, I’m not ‘afraid’ of him – to me that sort of attitude is clearly racist, and just as clearly very wrong.
Kay, from Los Angeles
in 2004 I knew many conservatives and moderate republicans ,including myself, who had voted for Bush in 2000 vote for Kerry. By that time the Auto belt was already a few steps into what the rest pf the country is now feeling. We saw the economic policies giving giant corporations the ability to reap huge profits while replacing workers with technology, lowering wages by threatening to move the factories, and/ or actually moving the operations. Then i knew not one person who had voted democratic in 2000 that was planning on voting for Bush in 2004. That was what so amazed many of us here in the northern part when Bush took Ohio. Fears and discussions of these reluctant democrats were about the rise in gas prices, the loss of industrial jobs, and the fear of the results of massive unemployment. Boy were those fears unwarranted. Nothing exemplified our fears more then George Bush giving a speech at Timken about the strength of the US industrial sector, only to have them announce 6 months later that they were moving that operation to China by mid 2004.
“People forget that Obama is ONE person, he may soon be the President but for the most part, he can’t just arbitrarily make rules and laws. That is why we have a Congress (and that is who we have to watch, and closely). ”
I often wonder if the fear is because Bush trampled all over the rights of the people and set a bad precedence. Not everyone is a fear mongerer but that is the result of 8 years of terrible policy.
Talk radio in the US is totally orchestrated hate speech and they are in fear of something called the ‘fairness doctrine’ that might put a stop to their kind of hatred and scaremongering. They rely on angry repubs and scared repubs to keep the numbers up. The world will fall apart without a right wing leadership is what they spout nine hours a day.
Not all fear of Obama is irrational, some people do in fact have valid concerns that, I am sure, many have had after an election. After all, freshly elected officials are rather unknown figures, no matter how much we like to believe that we know our candidate and what he stands for.
Some, like myself, fear that Obama does not see the country as it is (or perhaps, as it ought to be): a representative democracy, a Republic, with little to no government interference, and a bredth of individual liberties restrained by fair yet limited laws. From his speeches and his party’s plataform I gather that he wants to increase the scope of the American government to a tyranical degree, and I genuinely fear that if there is no check to his ambitions (in the form of a less-than-60 member Democratic Senate or a balanced Supreme Court) this country will indeed undergo change, but a change it was never conceived to suffer. I am no consipracy theorist, I don’t think his intentions are evil but I do believe his ideology is flawed, and that is why I fear him.
There are others who fear him for irational reasons and I will not attempt to defend them here but it is the fears of the greater part of the American population that I wish to make known through my post.
-David
Who are those that are scared? A background check would reveal to us majority of them are probably quasi-illiterates and they live in the rural areas and they are the ones who don’t do their research but rely on information from others which could be sexed-up.
It is amazing why people especially Americans should be scared of Obama. It beggars believe. It shows the civilized level and state of a lot of Americans. It has to do with fear. No one gave Obama any iota of chance even some of the media houses but they were clever enough to go with the tide.
Why should Americans be scared of him? He has promised to make drastic changes but it seems a lot of the citizens aren’t sure if they are truly ready for the change. Eight years of the present administration has really beclouded a lot of the ordinary folks that they can’t envision this young and vibrant man
side-stepping the republican and doing things the way it should be done.
Why would citizens begin to stock guns? Why the apprehension? They say Africans are backward. But what do you call this kind of irrational thinking?
Dolapo Aina,
Lagos, Nigeria
1.Fear Obama, if he turns to be a BUSH
2.Fear Obama, if he fails in his economic policies
3.Fear Obama, if he does not help the Palastenians
4.Fear Obama, if he helps the Srilankan Government to Kill the Tamils ,like Bush
5.Fear Obama, if he discriminate against the whites
6.Fear Obama if he does not pull out the army from Iraque and Afganistan
7.Fear Obama, if he threatens Iran like Bush
8.Fear Obama, if he continues to act like the world Policeman
9.Fear Obama, if he obstructs the development of other nations to over take USA.
10.Fear Obama if he designates,all those who fighti for their rights as Terrorists
‘ If you do not lie in your heart,you live in the hearts of all’
Allow Obama to do his Job pecefully.
I think afraid may be an inappropriate word to use with regards to how some feel about Obama. Some people don’t like what he stands for and that won’t change. As a person I have no beef with him but I don’t think he represents what we need in a president. I think once Obama is in office acting as president he will realize that it’s not that easy to do this or that as just saying so in a speech.
As for the increase in gun sales; democrats want to limit gun ownership and rights. Also, people want to feel safe. We have seen so many more racially motivated acts since Obama won. I am not a racist person but lately it seems like everything is divided by race. There is alot of fear mongering-some from conservatives but more and more from over aggressive liberals who want to intimidate to get their way no matter what they have to do. It’s easy for people to lay blame on religious people, white people etc for perpetuating fear but it comes from all around.
Why are people afraid? Because it ignorance still rains in the US.
I’m white and South American and in the neighborhood in which I live even the Latin people which whom I speak Spanish, at first, directly refuse to speak Spanish with me. It is obvious I didn’t learn Spanish with Rosetta Stone, it is just the color of my skin eyes and hair.
A lot of people were totally opposed to an African American in the White House, regardless of what they say and to top it all off one that has no fear to make unpopular moves in order to give everyone a chance… “The unpatriotic insult!”
Apart from that, the fear mongers have already successfully given the impression that Obama is going to be a communist dictator. He’ll destroy Capitalism and take away from the rich to share with the poor. “The nerve!”
It makes sense people think he will be killed, there are so many corporate interests that might be curtailed, it is no wonder people think he will be killed.
I just hope we can stop imagining what it will be like and just let it come to us and help this country along, all together and not make our hands bloody with one more tragedy in this countries modern history.
I can’t believe there are still some people who believe every politician must have a sordid past for which the population should know about in order to feel ‘comfortable’. Obama seems to be in a different category reason why some peopl are scared out of their wits…
Obama is and his policy?!!!! Is he the president?
The thread has made my head spin. I can’t even talk to the notion that we Americans love our guns without getting a migrain.
We have a Republican controlled congress ready to bail out banks, the auto industry and any other big business whose greed and willful blindness have left in in dire straits, we have close to half of houses in some communities in foreclosure or already reposessed, and we have a statistical lack of confidence in our economy that has many of us standing stock still. What harm could Barack Obama do that isn’t already in the works? Maybe hold the banks accountable for the share of the $700 billion they’re getting? Maybe ask the American car companies to make something Americans will buy that doesn’t guzzle gas or retool their pension plans so as not to break them in the future?
Yes, he is an unknown, and yes, he’s untested. But he’s not an idiot, and he’s referencing some very bright people from both sides of the aisle and both sides of the ocean. He went to Harvard Law School, he knows how to ask for help, he is a thoughtful and concerned American who was raised by committed and thoughtful people to make a contribution to the world he lives in. To the community he finds himself part of.
Relax. Unload the weaponry. Give him a minute to even assume the office before despairing. We gave George W. 8 years, elected him a second time when he had proven himself limited of imagination and intellect, shown himself to be an effective puppet and little else. He wanted to baseball commissioner, not leader of the free world. He lined his friends’ pockets, squandered international goodwill, engendered this recession, and acted like a frat boy in his first marriage. Bloopered his way into cariacature.
Imagine what life could be like under a president who wants to be president and respects the significance of the office and those who elected him to it, as well as acknowledging the disappointment of those who didn’t elect him. Just imagine it, before the rants begin.
Hi gang ! :-)… I read the comments about Iraq on this page and I just couldn’t help prevent myself from laughing heartily… May I remind all of you guys that before the governments of the US and the UK “free” us Iraqis in 2003, they had offered their unconditioned and limitless political, military, and strategic support for the Saddami regime from 1968 till 1991 ?! As for Mr Obama, as an Iraqi citizen, I do have lots of reservations about his Iraq policies… May someone remind him that the Iraq war isn’t only about the US, its soldiers, and its citizens, but it’s also about human beings who live in a country named Iraq, and whose lives apparantly matter absolutely nothing neither to him nor to his administration ?! May someone also remind him that when I for instance make a mistake, I don’t solve it by simply dragging myself out of it and running away ?! With my love… Yours forever, Lubna in Baghdad…
@David Castrllon-Do you honestly prefer the Bush legacy of telling you what you want to hear and then going behind our backs and crippleing our constitution under guise of WAR. Decreasing our freedoms under the guise of protecting us.
I personally prefer Obama because I feel that he will tell me what he thinks instead of lying to me to accomplish things that I won’t like.
“People forget that Obama is ONE person, he may soon be the President but for the most part, he can’t just arbitrarily make rules and laws.”
Actually he DOES have that power, as have all presidents for many years, through the power of the executive order. Bush used it more than anyone else in history, and Obama will be using it within his first few days in office to reverse many of the policies that Bush dictated, such as lifting the restrictions on stem cell research and resuming funding for NGO’s that offer birth control and family planning.
Every American should take the time to learn what the executive order can do. It gives the president the authority to declare martial law (which Congress can’t do anything about for 6 months), and the power to launch attacks on other countries without prior approval.
“…Obama will be using it within his first few days in office to reverse many of the policies that Bush dictated, such as lifting the restrictions on stem cell research and resuming funding for NGO’s that offer birth control and family planning.”
Boy, I sure hope so!
1st My fear for OBAMA is that he is taking all decisions randomly, 2nd HE might be siding with dictators to gets his things on tracks like war on terror , 3rd He is seem now to change everything even the people way of livings and that is all.
USA is in urgent need to fix a term to stay in US Congress & Senate, otherwise USA will face the crises all the time. It is essential to remove US Lobbiest’s & dominating powers from White House policies as these rustic & worn out politician’s are sitting so long with all sort of negativities & bias attitute while appearing in world Atlas.
I know it is real hard for only Oboma.
Reasoning is the principle strategy for planning! A policy is a well laid down statement to aid planning srategies, a goal of which has to be attained! This is a correct view of a statement. It involves people , reasoning, consultation, approval and implementation. Its a mode of thought that falls with in boundaries that do not need action but are meant to guide the concerned in decisions making, a commitments of which has to be fulfiled!
Nevertherless, policies have got decision cause of action and therefore , Obama is making consultations which he is yet to implement when he takes over governmemt, transforms the America, fulfils his cause and live goes on!
Accordindly, a lot of individuals will get it hard to distinguish between policies and strategies. They will look at it as there daily routine!
check out!!
@Bruce Sickles
We find common ground in that we hold all manners of attacks against our freedoms as despicable and wholly immoral. It is a truly American tradition to hold our rights dear and to oppose any who would pretend to limit them; but here is where we differr and where, I will respectfully point out, your argument runs into a logical fallacy of the greatest degree: your belief that, because the Bush years were bad, Obama’s future days must necessarily be good.
Come January, Obama will become President, and it is my most sincere hope that his administration will be limited and that it will hold the rights of the citizens it represents to the highest regard. But for now, I only have his record as a compass and I must tell you it is not pointing in the right direction.
-David
I am not afraid of Obama. President elect Obama may find out that being President is harder that he anticipated. He is going into the presidency with the USA in a war , in economical meltdown, and under the gun to solve all the ills of the country quickly. I did not vote for him but the Bible tells us to pray for those with authority over us. Lets start to pray for him!
I am more afraid of the democratic lead House and Senate. They are the ones that can do the damage.
Thanks!
Thea
the USA needs some one who can restore its position in the world and Obama is the man for the Job.
@ David
Come January, Obama will become President, and it is my most sincere hope that his administration will be limited and that it will hold the rights of the citizens it represents to the highest regard.
You mean, like George W. Bush did?
Yes, I am afraid of Obama’s policies that is going to destroy the American economy, I am afraid of his socialistic economic policy. I am afraid of his lack of experience in the foreign affairs. I am afraid of his extreme liberal agenda for America in social issues and others. It is going to be a nighmare.
I agree with Martha…..I feel that our enemies abroad hate us because of the arrogance that the administration of the last 8 years has forced upon the rest of the world……I look forward to a President that can improve our reputation with both out friends and enemies. It is hard to be a leader in this world when the rest of the planet has no respect for your leadership. I look forward to Obama changing that opinion.
Who cares what those rednecks say? They had their chance – their discredited ideas have ruined the country – why continue to listen to their ignorant statements? Let them crawl back under their rocks.
Change is always scary, but just like medicine it may taste bitter in the short run, but in the long run you will be better for it
Staff & Advisors: Emanuel, Gates, Brzezinski, Rubin, Summers, et al…none inspire, some are downright fretghtening…will there be no progressive voices, people of color; and please don’t cite Powell, his record speaks for itself.
I think Obama is in a catch22 . He’ll be damned by one section whatever he does . Ultimately he won’t bring socialism to America or the world ,and as international capitalism collapses he will be doomed to put the depression on the working and middle classes . He is not in charge of reality …reality is in charge of him.
Looking at what he says he’s imbued with the very myth Americans have of themselves and the sanctity of the ‘ free ‘ market …and looking at those he has brought on board….I think the change the people WILL get is not the change they THOUGHT they were going to get.
If he fails to resolve the crisis then the next swing may well be to the far right .
I have faith that the American people will make the right change as neccessity bears down upon them ….Whether that will be Obama in the front line leading the troops ,Im not so sure. also I think there is a very real possibility some far right lunatic will assassinate him.
“Never heard him say change in what direction, for the better or for the worse”
“It’s not what he says but what he does”
First off, your making your first statement irrelevant with the comment you made following it.
Second, to dispell your thoughts on the first comment… Were you just not listening, lady? Theres been TONS of talk on what he has said he will and will not do, tons of information on the ‘change’ he would like to see and work for. Way to jump on the bandwagon, claiming to ‘not hear any details’.
Open your ears, or stick your head back in the sand.
That comment isn’t meant to be aggressive, but for all the campaigning, all of the debates, all of the information out there, and your claiming you haven’t heard anything of substance….? Please.
Selective hearing, selective memory.
Wow, listening to these Texas’s make’s me embarrassed. I hope everyone around the world doesn’t think the average American is like this!
I like how they think that we’ll live in a less safe place, when all the leaders Bush was having troubles with have congratulated Barak and are excited to start new relationships with the U.S. now.
-Anthony, LA, CA
Punish the wealth creators? Well it seems that the ‘wealth creators’ have punished us. And they have kept there wealth while most of us are seeing our only assets deteriorate. Financial Services are really extractive anyway.
@ jennifer
“I think once Obama is in office acting as president he will realize that it’s not that easy to do this or that as just saying so in a speech.
As for the increase in gun sales; democrats want to limit gun ownership and rights. Also, people want to feel safe. We have seen so many more racially motivated acts since Obama won. I am not a racist person but lately it seems like everything is divided by race. There is alot of fear mongering-some from conservatives but more and more from over aggressive liberals who want to intimidate to get their way no matter what they have to do.”
He will not be acting as president, he will BE president, the only acting has been done by our, soon to be former president Bush, who also realized that it is not that easy, the state of things now under his administration clearly illustrates that point. The statement that you are not a racist “BUT”, says it all. As far as fear mongering, have you ever watched a FOX news broadcast? By your language and catch phrases, I believe that you have. It is too easy to just reverse blame, the republicans have intimidated our country into two wars, and a financial spiral that may crush the “monger” right out of us. Maybe you should go buy a gun so you can feel safe……
The people who are earning 7 figure salaries are not EARNING that money. Taxing them, go ahead. I worry about the middle ground where 100,000 to 250,00 in like New York might not be “wealthy”, but for those people milking the system should pay it back.
whose afraid of obama?the answer is simple,the paranoid bunch a.k.a the christian conservatives.BE AFRAID,BE VERY AFRAID,CHANGE IS COMING…..
Taxes are not a privilege. Taxes are a unneeded thing. The change I would like to see is NO TAX. Money should come from a user tax on everything your purchase.
@David Castillon-you make some assumptions here that because I oppose bush’s policies that I think Obama will be good. It’s not what I said. It is true that Obama has not yet started but I have no reason to believe that he is lying to me. I know that Bush has lied to me. He has been secretive and misleading but I don’t blame the entire situation on him. I do blame him for his mistakes. Obama has just started. I like his proposals. I hope he carries them out. I would be afraid if Bush were still in the whitehouse.
I hope he raises Joe the Plumber’s taxes and punishes his unlicensed, undercapitalized success!
I am afraid that Obama will be an authoritarian and a dictator! I am afraid he will silence all oppositiong to him.
Hello BBC. Are you kidding. Why aren’t you talking about their racism? That’s at the core of their being.
It is sad that you are in Texas talking to the very people who have voted against their own interests. These are people who are regularly bankrupted by health costs, they are the first to lose their jobs and the first to grab their guns. (BTW The NY Times recently reported the rise in gun sales.) The Republican party is their party. A rural party of the lost, the lonely, the terribly fearful and sadly the undereducated.
Why aren’t you asking these people hard questions and follow-up questions. Probe the core of their fear and importantly their racism.
Steve
The anti Obama speaker speaks a lot about “The rich paying more”. The poor in this country are not just a small part of the poor. Many of them are the disable vets, elderly who have seen their pensions dwindle, unemployed workers who lost jobs as the “rich” money makers sent jobs off to India, china, and south America.
In the end the idea that the “rich pay more taxes” is bogus. If you look at the labor hour and not the dollar amount. Meaning, most middle class people spend more of their hours at work paying their tax obligation then the wealthy do.
to peter…….I myself am a little guarded against the opinions of Rebublican Texans……and wonder if the rest of the world listening will understand the difference between Texans and the rest of the country…..I wouldn’t have used the word “rednecks”, but there is going to be a stong..and very vocal oposition to anything “liberal” or “democratic” comming from the state of Texas. They are a conservative bunch no matter the subject.
HAHAHA!!! LOL!!! Yea, the top 1-10 % have worked soooo hard to get that money just by being born into their wealth, lol. I have a friend who owes 10 gas stations, and how did he do this smoking weed and getting drunk through college…oh, thats right, daddy gave it to him.
-Anthony, LA, CA
Status que is better than what is coming!
After 8 years of gestated fear in the (wingnut) American people of course there is going to be a fear. McCain and Palin tried to evoke that fear to get elected.
It is there and will only dissipate as the Obama presidency goes on and the US economy gets better.
I would love to come back to this question in 8 years time.
Our country was founded on the land stolen from Native Americans and the work of slaves from Africa. Barack Obama is a leader of progress and vision. I will choose progress and vision and dreams of social equality over the status quo of oppression and greed any day. Wake up Texas!
I think too many people in in America are motivated by fear. I think that is the major underlying factor of voters on the right, and why they are afraid of Obama. I would also say fear is a very basic primary response usually devoid of intellectual reasoning and logic.
Thanks
Eric
Los Angeles
I find it funny that people who are afraid of Obama live in areas of the US that are the least likely to be attacked by terrorism, while people who live in higher risk areas (NYC, DC, etc.) overwhelmingly voted for Obama. What does your panel think about that?
As far as those who say Obama has no national security experience…Do you not trust Colin Powell. Do you not trust Joe Biden. They have all sorts of experience. It seems that he has made good choices. I think he will continue to make good choices.
People who have a problem with “taking money from the rich and giving it to the poor” tend to forget that it is the people we call the “poor” who have given their moneys to the business owners to make them rich in the first place. Where is the reciprocity in the America Economic system? Do the rich want the poor to forever spend ALL of their money just buy what they are selling? What happens when the poor have expended all of their funds and can no longer buy from the rich(the wealth and job creators)? Who will the rich “sell” to then? Money is only good when it is fluid and is able to move around and change hands. Once money goes only to one group of people money is dead.
Oh, come on. These people are just upset because their side, after running up ruinous debts, engaging us in illegal and destructive wars, burning up any good will that we had, and ruining us financially was finally UNABLE to steal yet another election.
Let Texas secede. They’ve wanted to for years anyway. Hallelujah!
I feel that President-elect Obama will save America. The Bush administration has already taken the USA to the brink of economic collapse; it has taken our foreign relations and national security to the lowest point ever; I feel safer with Mr Obama. I have no fear. It will be difficult but worth it to clean up the mess that the Bushies have made.
As Jennifer says, afraid is an exaggeration.
Fear doesn’t always mean bad. How many suffer from fear shortly before a major positive change in life? Fear keeps you on your toes, keeps you alert. It prepares you for the change and lets you make the most of it.
First, “they worked hard so they deserve it” is ludicrous. Have we forgotten about inheritance?
Second, every civilized country in the world has a PROGRESSIVE TAX SCALE, where wealthier people are taxed at higher rates.
These Fox-News-watchers are prime examples of an American subculture that has had an old human idea BEATEN OUT OF THEIR HEADS: Solidarity.
Maybe it’s worth reminding those worried about Obama that according to a recent study reported by the BBC, Democratic policies of supporting the not so well off instead of the super-rich, have consistently resulted in 30% more growth than under Republican presidents.
Gerry,
Berlin.
My name is Abel Chan. I’m listening from New York, through my Iphone and AOL Radio. Yes, Obama has not been put “into power” yet, so America should give him a chance. The economy is already down and that’s thanks to George Bush, and McCain was going to follow the exact path as Bush. My belief is that many of those who opposed Obama and still do, are ignorant. Most that voted for McCain eat up the fear tactics from the McCain campain. I am the middle class and yes I would like a tax break. For those you say those who do not pay taxed will get a check, that is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. Obama will not do that
I do not understand how these individuals can be scared for national security. It does not mean that because we will not have a president who likes to colour code his sentiments on national security, that we will not be a safe nation.
Americans need to wake up and realize that Obama is not a choice, he is a necessity. Without him, America would surely fall from any grace of international opinion. Obama is not in office yet but already his impact is felt around the World. Be greatful Georgia, be greatful Texas, be greatful all Americans who did not elect Obama that your peers knew better than thou.
And to all of you Americans who fear Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan… you should know that all those countries fear you just as much. So why not extend a hand of warmth to realize that you’re no different then them. Why NOT live in harmony with the rest of the World, instead of living with unecessary angst and fear?
To those of you who did not vote for CHANGE, you WILL be proven wrong.
PS – OBAMA IS NOT A MUSLIM FOR GOODNESS’ SAKE!
these guys sound like a bunch of crazy people who have no idea what they are talking about and like any of these people are rich enough to worry about their taxes being raise, right!!
i think what is really under all of this is they are afraid of a “darky” i really do, all of their arguments have no facts to back them up but it is not okay that i just do not trust a black man!! it is all just crap…
I love how people are affriad becasue their candiate lost….I was deathly affriad whan Goerge Bush was re-elected….He had the inteligance saying that terrroist were going to strike the US and what did he do to stop it?? I could’nt trust that man with my safety and my childern’s saftey….but yet, I’m still here…so I think we will be fine in 4 years.
Also, I really get mad at poeple who are talling about his socialist ideas and the fact that “rich” peole desreve what they make beacuse they worked hard for it….Yes, I think they work for the money and they should get it…I am college grad, who had good grades and I work very hard, and I’m not rich, I’ve bounced around becasue of lay offs and business closing….so don’t tell me becacasue I’m not rich that I dont’ work hard. If I amde over 250,000 a year I’d be ok with it, since I struggled before and as a country you are only as strong as your weakest link.
George Bush had “No Experience” before the went off and started two wars he couldn’t finish. George hadn’t even left the continent prior to his election.
If speaking to nations like Iran, Syria or even the Taliban will, maybe, bring an end to decades of animosity between the west and east, where is the increased danger to USA´s security as some of today´s commentators have hinted at?
Bush had NO EXPERIENCE on the international stage going in to his presidencey. The idea is that there is a commander in chief who basically represents a cabinet. Obama is advised by a team, a council of experienced individuals. Of whom many are either center or Republican members of the legislative government! Even Bush didn’t make decisions on any matters all on his own!!!
I think it is interesting that so many people attack Obama’s tax plan for “punishing the rich”.
In fact, he is only planning on getting rid of the Bush tax cuts for the rich. He wants to restore the tax levels to where they were during the Clinton administration.
Raising people’s taxes by 3% in order to give 95% of Americans greater spending power during a crumbling economy is not socialist.
Why are Obama’s tax policies socialist? There’s no such thing as a tax that does not take money from the citizenry and redistribute it for some purpose (whether it’s roads, social security, medicare/medicaid): You can tell me that taxes are too high, but it’s nonsensical to say the taxes themselves are socialist. If the taxes paid by the wealthy are going to be too high under Obama’s tax plan, give me substantive critiques on how those higher taxes will hurt our economy.
According to factcheck.org, the people who “pay no federal taxes” have a higher effective tax rate than the top tax earners in the country.
http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/do_40_percent_of_americans_pay_no.html
Afraid of Barack Obama? Hardly. I am however terrified of the self righteous ignorance of those you have been interviewing. For those who fear “Socialism”, I fail to understand how returning to the tax structure of the 1990’s somehow equates to the sovietization of America. These…people have apparently ingested far to much of Rwandan RTLM style hate radio to think rationally any longer.
As an American I am at a loss for how we can engage the radically afraid in any sort of constructive discourse. I will however continue to try.
Listen to the Republican statements – they make blanket statements for instance – “no expereience – he will mees up the military like carter and Clinton did.”
Such as…? what are they taliking about?
Further, the Republicans are praying for an attack so they can be proven correct. Sick, sick people.
On Foreign Policy, I just don’t understand how people feel that Obama will really be that different. All of our past Presidents have basically followed a narrow definition of national interest. CArter through Bush have engaged in both covert and overt military action, support of dictators, and a lot of collateral damage. I don’t think Obama will follow a much different policy, unfortunately. What I am afraid of is that he won’t significantly de-militarize our government spending, or our culture.
I love it when these people talk about Obama lacking experience. How quickly they forget that their own “Texan” George W. had no experience when he became President. And they conveniently forget that George W. has nearly destroyed the US military with his adventure in Iraq. How in the world can these veterans you are talking to overlook that?
Steve
I thrilled to have an intellectual in the White House. With the mental capacity of a US constitutional Professor from Harvard, I am hopeful that Obama will be able to execute his plan with Congress and not be a puppet like Bush who was ineffective and unmotivated to address our future.
Steve from Hudson, Ohio
Caller:
“How do you talk to an Islamist? They think they are theologically correct, and you can’t talk to these people”
Kind of like Middle-American NeoCon Christians!!!
Funny how both sides are 100% right, eh?
Hi,
I’m listening to your program from about 20 miles from Georgetown in Austin, TX. Let me just say this to your last caller:
1st of all, the federal income tax was never even ratified. Seriously. Check the facts.
2nd, what’s so scary about socialism? If you have 45% of your income tax going to pay for socialized programs such as healthcare, education and public transportation, what else are you going to spend that leftover 55% on? Think about it. Your kids don’t have to worry how they’ll pay for college, your elders are taken care of, you won’t be in lifetime debt just because your insurance arbitrarily decides not to pay for that surgery you need, and hey, you don’t even need a car.
If you have a problem sharing with the poor, you have some fundamental deficiencies in your ethics.
Nicole
I was born in Georgetown, Texas and grew up there. It’s embarrassing to hear such uninformed fear being expressed by the current residents. And most of these same people who decry Obama’s lack of experience would relish a Sarah Palin presidency. Ludicrous! I am thrilled to finally have someone in the Whitehouse who is intelligent, thoughtful, rational, and willing to help average Americans. What a wonderful, welcomed change that will be!!!
What good does it do us to not engage with Iran? They can hurt is in Iraq and they have a lot of oil. Do we really think we can just stick our fingers in our ears and pretend that they don’t exist?
I’m listening from Austin, Texas. All I’m hearing from the Georgetown folks is fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of what they don’t know, fear of what they fear might happen, fear of all the possibilities Rush Limbaugh told them, just plain fear. I don’t know how they make it through the day with all their angst.
It is not about republicans and democrats. It is about an old generation who has always done things one way and a young generation who has some new ideas that will help fix the world that we have inherited from a wasteful generation.
And on the wealthy giving to the poor. What do you call the poor giving to the huge corporations who have sunk the economy . Taxes and welfare have become a 2 way street.
Jason Soliz veteran from Austin, TX
To all the people who complain about Obama being socialist — McCain is just as socialist. He voted for the bailout too, you know.
As far as the wealthy paying more in taxes, I say let them. They’re the ones that can afford it. This is also why I oppose a flat tax — 20% or whatever value you choose would have a much greater impact on someone making minimum wage than someone making $100k a year.
Here’s a question for the guest who was talking about wealthy people who “deserve” their riches — do you really think that people with tens of billions of dollars (Bill Gates, for instance) deserve to be so obscenely rich? Often, people who got that rich got there with sheer luck, not necessarily hard work.
Ask about race and having a black man as president…….Then, you may hear a bit more of the crux of all this hubub. This country is filled with prejudice against anything that is different from what they know to be all-american and are deathly afraid of everything that threatens change to that way of thinking. Ignorance is a blissful American tradition…………
Additionally, that bit about George Bush keeping the terrorists out and our country safe. Let’s be frank. When was the last attack on US soil? It’s pretty rare. Should I commend my dog for keeping rhinos out of my backyard in Austin, TX?
Also, I’m sure that these citizens felt that Bush/Cheney had plenty of experience, we can see how that turned out.
These are not concerns, but the naked bigotry of Southerners in this country. If they were comfortable with BUSH and wanted somebody like Palin to be be vice president, they are not patriotic at all. Most of them can not give you a working definition of socialiism. They are like lamb led to the slaughter.
According to the Bush’s own CIA, the threat of terrorism has increased as a result of the Iraq war. So the answer to the journalist’s question is NO WE ARE NOT SAFER after eight years.
It sound to me like there is a lot of sour grapes from the people interviewed in Texas. I’m from Oregon, and we have a thriving wood and paper industry. Maybe we should send them a shipment of kleenex.
I think when it comes to “national security” we need to step back and remember that the causes of 9/11 were in place when George Bush took office and the disaster still happened.
Or like we say in the U.S. Navy : it happened on his watch.
As a 20 year veteran I’m also not a big fan of a president who has reduced the number of constitutional freedoms from what I had when I volunteered to defend this country and it’s constitution than when I retired.
I think the best option for people who are worried about national security in the U.S. is to join the military. If you’re too old or infirm to do that, then ask your children to go on your behalf.
I don’t consider it a privlige to have served cowards for 20 years, I challenge anyone scared or afraid of Obama’s presidency to be a force for positive change.
These people are frightened of the unknown, and it’s their own fault. Obama was one of the most vetted public figures in this history of American politics. All they had to do was turn off right wing radio and Fox News and do a little bit of research on the man.
In short they live in a vacuum.
I am so tired of hearing these Texans say that Obama has no experience and that tehyare filled with fear. They sound just like the reports on FOX News, where fear rules. George Bush had the same or even less experience with ofregian affairs when he became president. No one is ever prepared to be the president. This is a job that one grows into, not reigns in single handedly on Day 1. I wish these Texans could actually use anayltical skills in their thinking instead of just repeating the fearmongers on FOX news.
I live in Austin, TX. I voted for Barack Obama. What the conservatives in Georgetown that you’re talking are afraid of is CHANGE. Change is scary. Any change would have made them fearful. Change is what we need after the radical right swing of the American political spectrum. Of course this swing is going to swing left now.
There is nothing to fear but fear itself.
So we see that even in Georgetown Texas, the average American is poorly informed.
Do those ladies really believe what they are saying ?
To even suggest that the president elect has little foreign policy experience is a joke. What experience did George Bush have ? absolutely none. Read the book “House of Bush House of Saud “. Is that really the way the girls are in Texas ?
Did these people forget that LEGALLY, the Iraqi War had NOTHING to do with terrorists! The ONLY reason we were in there (legally) was WMD, that’s it! And wait, how many WMD did we find again?
You wanna talk about ruining our Military? NOTHING is worse than sending in an Army somewhere it shouldn’t be in the first place.
-Anthony, LA, CA
Lest we forget that although there haven’t been any American lives lost on American soil since 9/11 – we’ve lost over 4,000 American lives (and counting!) in Iraq and Afghanistan. Therefore, George W. Bush has not kept Americans safe.
Many of the Texans being interviewed keep using the right-wing language of fear to explain how they feel about Barack Obama as the new President-Elect. It shows how successful and pervasive right-wing fear mongering has been… how it has managed to shift millions of Americans so far to the right that a centrist candidate like Obama is considered “radical,” “left-wing,” and even “socialist,” which is patently absurd. The neo-conservative corporatists have distracted attention away from their illegal behavior by keeping Americans focused on the threat posed by Islamic terrorism while they have managed to tiptoe out the back door of our government with truckloads of cash in the biggest heist in American history. Examine your assumptions. You’ve been massively duped.
I hope Americans will once and for all learn about socialism. Barack Obam “is not a socialist”. He doesn’t represent european socialism at all. There’s no “left wing party” in United States. Barack Obama is Center-Right where as the Republicans are Right.
If the world expects Obama is going to solve the world’s problems maybe the world is out of luck.
44% of Texas voted for Obama.
The “texans” being interviewed are not that representative, unless you want the fringe view. Even average McCain voters weren’t especially fearful as the motivation for their vote.
So let’s not say Texans when we talk about these folks.
They only speak for themselves individually.
Times are changing ,so the conservative Texas should realize it.Obama will do better than any other president .Been brought up in different ways and exposure about the world outside Americas he knows that he is homo sapien not American superhero.
I hate that the show chose Georgetown to represent the reaction to Obama.
Georgetown is most definitely very conservative & predominately white, of course they are all “fearing” Obama leadership.
I live in Austin, a mere 30 minutes from Georgetown & find a very different mindset.
Most everyone I encounter is excited & relieved that Obama has won.
I am confident that Obama will make the necessary decisions to keep us safe & prosperous.
Obama has already brought us respect among people of the world.
We ALL need to get behind him for the country to be successful & prosperous.
Not all of Texas is scared.
I felt real relief when Obama was elected. The pressure that I can be anything was off me. Because I am white. Now everyone in the county can be anything they want, not just us whites. I rejoice the sharing of our responsibility.
I have been in fear of talking out on issues since W., Cheney, and 9-11. Now I feel I am free to voice my opinion. I have felt that we have been living in the McCarthy era all over again.
Bill O’Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Joe Scarborough and the rest of that ilk made a mistake all too common to fear-mongering propagandists, they made up lies and then repeated them so often that they began to believe their own lying propaganda! They are afraid of their own shadow!
And their unthinking followers just followed them off the same cliff.
They all just got lost in their own fear-mongering propaganda!
And let’s note that people who tell the truth and constantly call lies lies and call liars liars are neither afraid of Obama nor are we just blind unquestioning followers.
Conservative Republicans? They are Unbelievable!
Amazing, how anyone could talk about the lack of experiance of Obama, considering the President we currently have. These interviews are proof that brainwashing works! Regardless of who would have won this election, their is a huge mess that has been inherited, it would be good to give Obama a chance to prove himself. It looks to me that he will surround himself with plenty of experianced people. Keep in mind that scores of military officers endorsed Obama.
Some information which might be useful for all those Republicans who so strongly oppose the idea of governmental wealth redistribution and enjoy calling Obama a socialists.
1) If you have 1 million dollars to invest, you get a higher rate of return than is you can invest onyl one thousands dollars. The more capitol you have, the faster you will make money. This is not a politcal opinion, it simply how capitalism works.
2) So if the government does not redistribute wealth, there will never be any equal opportunity for all. Left alone, capitolism prodcues a moneyed aristocracy. Everyone who studies capitolism knows this fact, it not good or bad, its just who its works.
SO the fact is governmental wealth redistribution has nothing to do with “rich guilt”.
It exists to provide equal opportunity for all, to ensure the American Freedom of equal opportunity for all.
There are many reasons to be apprehensive about Mr. Obama that are perhaps legitimate, but none of them are actually being addressed on this show. Most of the views voiced so far are sensational and ridiculous. I voted for Mr. Obama but I am not a worshiper, like many of his supporters. We don’t need a Jesus figure in charge; that worries me about the Obama administration.
The thing to fear, is not Mr. Obama, but his devout supporters—they are so over the top with “love” that they aren’t willing to be objective about him. Mr. Obama has been so romanticized that the expectations can’t possibly be met. It is also possible his actions won’t be objectively scrutinized and Democrats may come out looking as foolish as Republicans in their initial love for Mr. Bush.
Nicole:
I’m pretty sure you’ll have trouble finding a US court that will agree that the 16th amendment was never ratified: this argument by tax protesters has never held much weight with either the IRS or the courts.
Steve on experience… you took the words right out of mouth…so to speak.
And another thing about Socialism… The peoople who accuse Obama of being a socialist, have no idea what socialism is. I think he probably won’t take on the corporatists enough. Lets face it, the ‘wealth creators’ made it for themselves and most of this country hasn’t made enough for the last 20 years to keep up the consumption that we are supposed to engage in to keep the economy going.
I’m a native Texan (seventh generation) living in Austin, and I’m very happy to ‘World Have Your Say’ here in support of our best station, KUT. However, I’m saddened hearing the remarks of my fellow Texans and regret that this is how the world perceives the home I love so much. Texans are fiercely independent and I hope that explains the guests irrational fear of Obama’s “socialism/Islamism/terrorism.” Unfortunately, their views are rooted in ignorance and a dogmatic adherence to partisan rhetoric. The good news is, Obama garnered much more support in Texan than anyone expected. Obama gained 44% of the vote here; winning the major cities of Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio. This is reflective of other traditionally ‘red’ areas of the United States. The youth, minorities, and professionals are of the United States are increasingly powerful blocks of the electorate; and we demand progressive change at a 2-1 margin. Texas is much more than a bunch of ignorant people living in fear. All of Austin was blanketed in Obama signs and we celebrate our diversity and dedication to social justice. Texans are independent, friendly, and increasingly progressive; I pray the world sees us as such.
Fear of President elect Obama ? Be afraid, be very afraid. Because he will bring changes – for the better. At the very least, he could not possibly be as bad as or worst than the current president Bush. There are people who have sincere concerns about President elect Obama. This is natural. But how does such concerns become fears ? Could such fears actually be a substitute for racism ? For some people I believe this to be the case. Perhaps a change in this regard will take place when such people transition from this life.
I’m 21 years old, in college, and having to work full time to be able to support myself and pay for my education.
I still have to take out student loans and hope for grants in order to afford school.
Major innovative companies say they cannot find enough skilled Americans to work in the high-skilled jobs that need to be done.
No matter how small of a middle tax cut, it helps. It means I can buy books, or pay for tuition for another class. A tax break would help me to afford an education, and ultimately helps the U.S. economy because I would be one additional skilled worker.
Helping only the rich because “they are the job creators” doesn’t work if they can’t find anyone able to perform the jobs!
Joe the Plumber and the overwhelming majority of small businesses will see *LESS* taxes under Obama.
You have to make over $250,000 in net profit, after all expenses, payments, salaries, employees, everything is already paid.
The remaining net profits only are taxable.
If this amount is over $250,000/yr, you will see a *TINY* increase in taxes, about 4%,
Did GWB keep Americans safe. Aren’t there 4,200 Americans that are dead even though there was no threat from Iraq? No connection to al Qaeda and no presence in Iraq prior to the invasion. How safe are these americans and their families now? How safe are the 100,000 injured.
In 2001 Bush signed the biggest tax cut in 20 years. Unemployment immediatly started to skyrocket. On can see this by lookig at the bls website.
While you are in Georgetown in the heart of Williamson County, you should know that in Austin, to the South, most people voted for Barack Obama. While many on your show are concerned about his inexperience, perhaps they will take solace in the fact that some of Mr. Obama’s advisors helped the Bush administration in the run-up to the Iraq War. For some unknown reason, the president-elect is listening to individuals who supported and pushed for such policies as “extraordinary rendition” and helped push the phony reasons for invading Iraq.
just like Nikitas I cannot understand how people can fear Obama as most people would fear the antichirst or a similar person or ideal. And yes how is it posible that people still believe that Obama is muslim. The beauty of the United States gov. is that power is divided equaly between the three branches of government, if anything President Bush has more royal powers than many past presidents. Lastly at the moment republicans are more socialists than what Barack Obama is known for, what the US has done wiht the stock market is pure socialism and a break of ” free market”. A government has to be flexible, look at Mexico with its national oiul system, its socialist yet no one is talking about it.
So what will the wealthy do if they don’t do well? Stop buying and selling? Leave? This program is causing me to develop an ULCER.
@ Nicole
what’s so scary about socialism?
Well,
1. having the government in our lives to the extent that they know our personal business
2. waiting in long lines for everything (food, transportation, medical care)
3. losing the ability to chose for myself
4. losing the freedom of speech which would even mean this show could be gone.
Just for a few.
On foreign policy:
Fear. Fear. Fear.
Is it any wonder that these good Americans in Austin are so afraid? For at least seven years they have been manipulated by an administration that advocated “dark side” tactics. Living in America in the 21st century has been an ultra-paranoid experience for us all. On one hand we must place the blame on the extremists that attacked us on 9/11. On the other we must blame the Bush administration for using that fear and amplifying it in order to push through partisan, corporate and personal agendas. It will be a long time before that fear is assuaged. I feel sorry for them. They have been taken advantage of. Is Obama taking advantage of our hope? I hope so.
Reminder, George Bush had absolutely no foreign policy experience, extremely limited (read AWOL) military experience and very little executive experience beyond running a baseball team and governing Texas. Look at what he’s done to our military and our standing in the world. I don’t seem to recall anybody having any “fear” about Bush’s lack of experience back in 2000. I’m sorry but these comments smack of veiled racism.
Ok, all this talk about taxes. Check out this link for Snopes.com who has broke it down. It might make all these “scared” people feel better.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/taxes.asp
-Anthony, LA, CA
I believe that the majority of people who voted for Obama did so because he looked and sounded like the leader we have so desperately needed. I’m hearing criticism and apprehension from people on this show who clearly don’t understand what Obama has actually written and said – they’re getting their opinions fed to them and it’s saving them from the uncomfortable task of deciding for themselves based on the facts.
The word fear seams to be said alot. That is a typical republican responce. We should give Obama a chance. His interview on 60minutes last night really convinced me that he is the right man for the job, When asked about the falling prices of oil and if that should be a pryority for him. He said more then ever we should stayed focused on getting off of forign oil. I belileve if this is what everyone wants then it will be not only a challenge for him, it will be a challenge for the American people as well.
I think it would be great if Obama would deal with the terrorist threat, but not the one feared by some Texans. The one he should deal with is US state terrorism, which has resulted in millions of deaths in different parts of the world since 1945. However I guess the suffering and death in faraway places doesn’t count because it’s not Westerners dying but “Unpeople” who don’t even merit being counted when they are dead. I’ve heard nothing in his specific statements on foreign policy to indicate that he’ll be any less unprincipled than previous Democratic presidents.
Gerry,
Berlin.
As a Texan, I’m embarrassed by the perspective you’ve received from a handful of people in Georgetown, TX. Walk a few steps toward Austin, and you’ll get a less conservative viewpoint.
To the one woman who said “We’ll just wait and see” what kind of mess the country gets in with Obama in charge, has she not noticed the bubbling cauldron of a mess we are in right now–economically, internationally, etc.? Thanks to eight years of a Republican adminstration.
Their fearful comments seemed to be based more on prejudice than fact of any kind.
Please, people of the world, don’t assume that Georgetown, Texas, speaks for all Texas!
If there were a way to remove these few states from our unions I’d be happy to see them go.
The people who are afraid of Obama are in the minority and that scares them more than anything.
These are the idiots of this country and the rest of us do not share their extreme ideology towards others.
I don’t understand how they can think that they were better off under the thumb of BUSH who ripped apart their civic liberties.
Did Bush have any military experience??
Only in how to avoid Vietnam
I think Bush fell on his head as child and suffered a brain injury.
Obama will have people all around him to give him ALL the economic info he will ever need to run the country. He won’t do it alone.
I think these people are unbelievabley stupid.
And yes I do make typing and spelling errors but I am not the president.
Thank goodness for the liberal democrats in the USA
TAX THE RICH ,FEED THE POOR!!!!
As an Indiana high school student in the 1950’s I understood that our tax system was put into place to create an atmosphere where business could thrive. Taxes paid for necessities shared in common. Water, power grids, Education, roads, bridges, communications, post offices, garbage collection, community hospitals, banks and the military were paid from federal or local tax money to ensure a healthy climate for it citizens and the businesses they created. The tax system was on a sliding scale. Those who became wealthy and benefited the most from this system of government paid the highest taxes in return for these benefits.
Now we have a system where bridges fall into the Mississippi, New Orleans and Galveston have been washed away, and the US is trillions in debt to China pay for a war. I don’t get it.
It is difficult not to be condescending but the divide is not only ideological but extends to how one deals with facts and reality. Republicans have succeeded for yers by being anti-intellectual and ideologically driven. For example, it did nto matter that Saddam was disconnected form 9/11 because it was based on belief.
For those who fear Obama, I ask them to imagine my terror, shame and revulsion the last 8 years. Mistakes, incompetence, arrogance, lying, closed goverment, torture, the list is endless.
“Liberal” is a word, previously having the meaning of, “befitting free men.” What about income redistribution (livery) is so befitting of free peoples? And why the unchecked roast of these Texans? You’ve unfounded allegations of “naked bigotry of Southerners,” but refused to post my message pointing out the irony that peaceful Texans are thought to be beyond reasoning with, while Amaninijad isn’t. Good job moderators. (Yes kids that’s sarcasm)
We’ve had 8 years of Govt sanctioned monopolies. Because of their ability to Bribe officials with campaign contributions the wealthy elite have had thier 8 years of rule. I’m hoping for a few years of someone who is working for the middle class. As for the Economy give money to the middle classes and it will fly up to the wealthy elite. We’ll go buy stuff, pay our bills and the money will go directly to the wealthy and the economy will flourish. Lets cut the handouts to the wealthy and give them to those struggling to pay their mortgages and put food on the table. and the wealthy will get even fatter because of it. Obama has my full support as long as he continues to stand up to big money and continues to speak for average Joe. I hope he can do it.
The socialist arguments by many who have posted here are the source of much of the fear Americans have towards Obama. The spreading out of wealth is a dangerous idea that runs against everything we Americans believe in, and one which has been proven time and again to lead to failure, inefficient markets, decreased producticity and coercive governments.
If Obama attempts to put this theory into practice, I assure you the opposition it will meet will be tremendous, and it will not only come from Rural America. Educated, urban-dwellers like myself know of the dangers of socialism and will do whatever possible to prevent it from infecting our nation.
-David
Seriously people are you that afraid of what Barack Obama will do to damage this country? Look at what George W. Bush has already done to this country, in particular our standing in the World.
What possible other choice did we have?
Mr. McCain and his exceptionally uninformed running mate?
That should have put more fear into your minds than anything Mr. Obama could do.
Texas does not represent this country or its people.
just so everyone knows not everyone in Texas thinks the way these few fearmongers in georgetown do. I suggest that they travel a little closer to Austin to get a fair take on Texans
In listening to some of the people interviewed on today’s show, I am amazed by the lack of rational thinking I hear. One stands out for me strongly: the caller who complained about how Obama was going to be dangerous because he has “no experience” in dealing with other nations, no track record, etc. Excuse me, but how much experience in foreign relations did G.W. Bush have when he was elected? As the governor of Texas, he wasn’t exactly an international diplomat.
Face it, when we elect a president who isn’t the incumbent – which wasn’t an option this time anyway – we’re electing someone who doesn’t have experience at being the President of the United States. McCain didn’t have that experience, either. Both candidates were senators.
Listening to the people on the streets and on the ‘phone speaking about their Obama concerns, about national security and so on, I’m amazed that not one speaker has touched on the subject of the unjustified invasion of Iraq and its terrible consequences for the Iraqi people. Does no-one care about the suffering caused in that country under the Bush administration, and doesn’t anyone think that for that reason alone Obama was the better choice, given that he opposed the illegal invasion of Iraq?
So, hoiw was the economy damaged by 9-11? two weeks later it was bussiness as ussual and the dow up until 2 month ago the stock market was breaking all kinds of records. Please explain to me how 9-11 effected the economy, other then the pumping of $10 billion over seas, and the ripping off of the american public by blackwater, haliburton, and the oil companies.
The small businesswoman featured earlier on the show doesn’t have to fear higher taxes unless she is netting $250,000 or more! As a sole proprietor, the amount of money she spends employing people and paying operating costs reduce her incoming.
Why does this misunderstanding persist?
Okay, my husband and I are considered middle class.
Allow me to break this down.
~35% of our combined salary goes to taxes & SS.
Minus mortgage, medical insurance, bills, 401Ks (whose states I won’t even expound upon right now)daily needs, fuel, etc… we end up with pretty much squat at the end of the day.
We have nothing left to save. Please don’t say because we’re hurting financially that we don’t work hard. That’s an insult. We work VERY hard, and our gains are really nothing thanks to the elevated taxes that we pay.
There’s something deeply wrong that we have such a heavy tax burden while others who are more comfortable pay less. Totally wrong.
The Bible teaches us to Visit the widows, fead the poor, cloth the naked and so on. It shouldn’t be just about the rich…
Please do not confuse those who are afraid of President elect Obama with factual information. Frequently when Ross presented such peopl with facts which did not substantiate their fears they quickly swtiched to another reason. People have made their determination and goes in search of a reason. By the way, Republicans and their supporters played the race card through the use of code words without actually be direct. How sneaky.
I find it odd that people are afraid that any money passed to the middle class will some how remain there. With everyone’s probelem with personal economics, it’s clear that the middle class will pay their bills and consume thereby returning money to the upper class.
Hal Hancock – you are right. I am sorry to use the word “Texan” when talking about the conservatives we’re listening to. I suppose it comes down to un-informed and conservative……not all people from Texas fall into that catagory.
Bush was underwhelming as our tx governor and turned out to be a disaster as US
president. He lost the confidence of the US people and our world allies. McCain rightly or wrongly was tarred with that same brush.
I was a Hillary supporter and was very disappointed that she wasn’t the democratic candidate. Nevertheless, I will support Obama because he has shown the ability inspire confidence positively (not through fear mongering and pandering to prejudice and racial stereotypes) and build support and give a voice to previously disenfranchised populations, like young and minority voters.
We do need to pray for Obama and our world leaders that they have the wisdom to make the right choices and lead us out of our current economic crisis and scattered war fronts.
I don’t know how the Obama presidency will turn out but what’s clear that he has inspired far more Americans and people throughout the world that our situation will improve with time. To those who are fearful about Obama presidency I must ask you have patience and support America just like the rest of us did Bush for the last 8 years.
Great Leaders surround themselves with great people. That’s what Barack is doing and will continue to do. That is why I’m excited for the next 4 years.
Fear is a thief….it steals logic. It makes people respond in panic.
Fear mongering has been the status quo for the current administration and it is still being perpetuated on the American people. By pushing this fear of Obama they are still keeping people in an unrealistic panic.
Logic and reality shows us that the current administration has driven this country into the ground. Granted some of these problems have been coming on since Reagan’s trickle down policies…..we have had other leaders that avoided some of the damage….like a driver steering around a hazard in the road.
The current ‘driver’ (Bush) of this country has not only driven us straight into the hazards, he sped up on the way. He and his advisers have caused some serious damage to this country.
There is absolutely no reason to be afraid of Obama….he is surrounding himself with very very knowledgeable people and has a genuine concern for the people of this country. He is approaching this as a true leader, what a breath of fresh air.
BTW: I think the gun sales was a fantastic marketing ploy….the gun marketers played this to the hilt…..they used people’s fear to sell a whole bunch of guns….kudos to their marketing agents….they got the fools to buy guns that they don’t need and made a whole bunch of money.
@ Thea Winter – Indianapolis IN, USA
Do you not feel that the current republican party has not already done these things to you? If not, maybe you should pay attention to laws passed under this current administration, say maybe start with the Patriot Act?
Can you please please please do me a favor and ELIMINATE the term “socialism” from this discussion? Did everyone skip their civics classes? World History? Has everyone lost their dictionaries? Socialism is “government ownership and control of the primary means of production” within a society. To use “socialist” as a description of any of Obama’s actual policies does nothing more than show an apparently total lack of understanding of the word. The only remotely correct use of the word “socialist” in the context of current US events is in describing Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson’s approach to the current financial crisis.
PLEASE can we stop using this word incorrectly.
Thanks!
Patrick
To say that some people, especially people in Texas, did not consider race when voting against Obama is really not being honest. I heard plenty of white people around here tell me that they couldn’t vote for Obama because they could not bring themselves to vote for a black man. It’s may be something they won’t admit on the radio, but it racism was definitely a factor for many people, and I think that’s a lot of what we’re hearing when we hear people talk about their “fear.”
the free market has crashed on the rocks of reality and with it, its logic and fundamental premises .
However people though in crisis be, still apply that logic and without a fundamental over view and reavaluation, will Im afraid go from the frying pan into the fire .
Obama speaks this very same language and history shows that if social democracy cant fix it . then in the absence of a true socialist perspective ..fascism will.
Dear BBC,
People are just beating around the bush about Obama. The exprence of G.W. Bush could not help America and the World to properly face the challenges. So, Obama’s inexprience should not be called on. If they want to build confidence and want to know Obama, I suggest let seriously listen again and again to his acceptance speech.
Let’s point out that when a Right-wing government “nationalizes” an industry it is properly called the Corporative State, or what Mussolini defined as Fascism.
Bush/Cheney are acting as Fascists not as Socialists!
Why are we hearing from “Nick in Austin” more than once??
?
I forgot to say the most important thing is that in this discussion, Mr Obama is not here to reply and allay your fears. So this is a Bash-a-thon without the bashed having a chance to reply. So it is only our fears and concerns which hopefully will be all ironed out when he is really president.
Zita
@ Charlie:
The Bible teaches us to Visit the widows, fead the poor, cloth the naked and so on. It shouldn’t be just about the rich…
Don’t you know? The bible and its verses are only to be used when it lines up with the greedy wishes and agenda of those preaching it?
Besides, wasn’t Jesus somewhat of a socialist? lol
I am afraid of ignorance.
I am afraid of people who believe everything they hear and who do not question the actions of those in authority.
It ticks me off that 911 has been exploited as the reason for all of our ills in our country.
Our ills are the result of the fact that we had an ignorant president who never questioned what his puppet masters told him to say or do. The current administration is a tumor that has grown to massive proportions. Barack Obama has given us hope that we can get well.
I think that many republicans allow hot-button issues that really go nowhere to be their guide… they don’t really see the big, global picture. They worry only about things that directly affect their daily lives, such as guns etc., and I really think they don’t really want to take responsibility for the effect they have on their world either.
It’s sort of an “Every man for himself, unless it affects or upsets me,” attitude, ultimately.
I am so disappointed that the BBC would give these Obama bashing right-wingers such a loud voice!!!
Sharon in Austin
As an Austinite living 15 minutes down the road from the good folk of Georgetown you have been interviewing, I am embarrassed by their ignorance. How can they criticize Barack Obama as inexperienced when George Bush was elected with far less international experience– he had held no elective office above the state level, and had never even traveled to most of the world outside our borders. And the absurd proposition that taxes=socialism? Have they read the U.S. constitution, which specifically gives the government the power to set taxes, duties, imposts, and excises? Or are they simply saying that sales and property taxes = capitalism, income taxes = socialism? All taxes transfer income from some to pay for services that benefit others. The ignorance level among my nieghbors is appalling…
As a registered Democrat in Georgetown, Texas and one of the few residents of our neighborhood whose house sported a huge Obama sign, I am very happy to report that the number of registered Democrats are rapidly increasing in this town called George, which is located in a county nicknamed Dubbyah (short for Williamson).
On a slightly related note, please do not overlook the fact the historic Wiliamson County Courthouse, which is located on the square in Georgetown, was the location of the very first prosecution of the Ku Klux Klan in the entire United States earlier in the twentieth century.
Regardless of whether you’re an evangelistic conservative or a bleeding heart liberal like myself, let’s all please remember to give Obama the respect that he has earned and let’s also remember that we’re all God’s children, regardless of our religious and political beliefs.
Thanks for listening!
Good show WHYS. When you are done with your stint in Texas you should do a show from somewhere in sane America.
Has everyone forgotten that president Bush appointed enough supreme court justices to theoretically overturn Roe v. Wade and DID NOT DO IT? The abortion issue is a hot-button topic meant to rile up single issue voters, and the republicans know this. Roe v Wade will never be overturned. This is an issue of changing the culture to support women raising their children. I am a Catholic, and personally I oppose abortion, but I think it makes sense to support social programs that provide accurate sex education, contraception and family planning, and to elect someone who will put the focus on eliminating the need for abortion by providing alternatives for women to be able to have their children and get the support they need to raise them properly. Barack Obama is in support of these social programs, and the republicans are not.
@ Sharon…
I wouldn’t be too hard on the BBC…..the question of the day is…’Who’s afraid of Barack Obama’…..that in and of itself leads us to the people that were on.
I applaud the WHYS for their efforts to ask the real people what they think instead of the typical talking-heads you see on television.
Good work WHYS and thanks for a another thought provoking show.
Abortion rights are exactly why I voted for McCain. I can’t support someone who agrees with the intentional killing of unborn children simply for convenience. I agree with Obama on many things and if it hadn’t been for his views on abortion I would have voted for him.
Here are some very scared or scarey people – take your pick:)
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1117/p03s01-uspo.html
I grew up with a liberal, ecologist mother and a conservative, military father. As the child of “Dharma and Greg”, I can see both sides of almost any argument. Despite my personal viewpoints on this subject, the one thing I would like everyone to hear from me is that fear is what gets us in to trouble. Fear drives our marketplace, our economy and our industry. Fear-based marketing has statistically proven to be most effective. The title of this debate is “Who is AFRAID of Barack Obama”. It is time to stop being afraid and start listening to each other.
Hi Sharon,
For now we live in the USA and the last time I looked we still have the right of Freedom of speech. You may not agree with their views but as you have the right to have your comment so do they. I would like you to look at The American President. It is a movie that came out in the 90’s. At the end of it there is a great speech made that you may want to look at. If you don’t like what they say you have every right to speak up but don’t start thinking you (or the anyone) have the right to stop them from saying it. It would be interesting if Amnesty International had to start fighting to get Americans out of prison because we lost our freedom of speech.
Obama gave a speech and was cheered for its content, which included the assertion that he would create a “Civilian Security” corp, that was “as large as and as well funded as the US military.” In every instance in history when such an attitude has been asserted, it has advantaged ignorance and youth to get into position of power. Those promoting such concepts have become very popular and powerful. Hitler in Germany was an extremely popular leader and was extremely mesmerizing in his speaking abilities. In every instance of a “Civilian Security” corp being activated by populist leadership, it has turned sour. The Gestapo in Germany, the KGB in the old Soviet, the Red Guard in Communist China all had to to with youth and populist concepts of “change” and “cultural revolution.” Link these possibilities with the current Fascist economic policies marrying corporate and government interests and the concerns treble. We should take a man at his word. The very concept of a “Civilian Security” corp as well funded as the US Military is a scary concept.
@ Patrick Colin
Thank you! I can’t stand how people throw around the world socialism (a) when they don’t even know what it means, and (b) like it is an inherently evil word! It is absurd… Even thinking about those socialism-bashing, Joe-the-Plumber-loving, ignorance-flaunting Palin rallies gets my blood boiling to pre-election levels! But luckily I look at the calendar and see that it is after Novemeber 4th and I am calm again 🙂
PS If you all are ever in San Marcos, Texas look me up and we’ll get some Shiner Bock and Tex-Mex. 😉
@ Sarah (re: Roe v Wade)
I agree 100% with everything you have said. The pro-life movement needs some MAJOR reform and needs a clean break from the Repulican party…
What many racists and some Republicans are afraid of is that Obama will achieve political solutions that benefit America, enhance his reputation and prove them wrong. They won’t be happy if he comes to grips effectively with the multitude of problems facing America today. They fear he will show up their prejudice for what it is.
The problems inherited from the Bush administration are overwhelming and more challenging than most of us remember in a lifetime. Who would we rather have at the helm of this storm-bound ship? McCain and his trivial fixation with Joe the Plumber ? or Obama whose critical assessment and humanitarian concern will benefit society in general.
I believe Barack Obama will prove to be a great leader, given the chance.
I wonder how many people would cheer the assassination of our president elect?
I get the feeling that some of them would prefer an old style lynching. We still had slaves 100 years ago. The same ignorant people that thought blacks had it better under slavery (a consistent theory of many, especially southerners), are the people that are so “afraid” of Obama. All this crap rhetoric couching their real opinions in mixed company is infuriating. Evolve or get out of the way, you ignorant freaks……
@ Kenny In Florida
Hi Kenny,
YES they have done it too. But we have to stop it and that is why we have to not be to fast at jumping into the pool and think that socialism is better. We “THE PEOPLE” need to get together and really talk openly about what we want. Our politicians are not doing that. They keep us separated by ideologies and fear. They know if we remain divided they will always be in power. What better way to start then taking our Freedom of Speech and Freedom to have a gun.
Miyamoto,
so you are comparing Obama to hilter???????? You are making me very very vexed with such an ignorant comment.
Mike Volpe, here. I was one of those on from Chicago at the beginning. I will point out that typical of political debate it appears that both sides are demonizing those they disagree with. I notice a lot of people belitting anyone that is “afraid” of an Obama Presidency. They are called rednecks, gun toters, fanatics, etc. Some from the other side call Obama supporters naive and stupid.
This is all very typical. It appears we are all tolerant of everything as long as it is something we agree with. The minute someone says something we disagree with, they must be some sort of monster or stupid or some other marginal idea.
Frankly, I would have been afraid of a McCain Presidency as well and that’s because we are living in dangerous and unclear times. Fear is not necessarily the best emotion to have but dismissing it as the product of something nefarious as most of those supporting Obama have done is rather arrogant.
If you think that there is absolutely nothing to fear from the Presidency of a first term U.S. Senator with a history of accomplishing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, then you are living in the utopia created by Obama. He has powerful and soaring rhetoric but that’s all he has so far.
As I mentioned in the program, he wants to “cut” taxes on many of those that currently pay ZERO in federal taxes. Of course, that isn’t actually a tax cut but rather welfare. He wants to increase taxes on those that already pay 40% of their income in taxes. If you think this is a sound economic policy, I would like to know how you formulate that opinion.
Patrick, Colleen
That is why the word is used. Why waste time engaging in detailed debate that you might lose. Much quicker and simpler to label your opponent a socialist. Not that the republicans are the only guilty ones, the democrats did their fair share of simplification regarding Palin during the election.
I think people, including Bill O’Reiley, are afraid of Obama because they fear that black people in power will do to white people what white people have done to black people for centuries. They think black people will take revenge on them because of all their past acts of cruelty and oppression.
I believe Obama is an intelligent and compassionate person who is much, much less to be feared than George W. Bush. It is Bush and Cheney who are to be feared. They are even now doing everything they can to destroy our country for their own profit. They have been doing that for 8 years, but they have increased the pace in their last few months in power.
RE “” How can they criticize Barack Obama as inexperienced when George Bush was elected with far less international experience “”
—————————————————————————————————–
———- Oh come now, it’s nonsense like this by rep/dem party partisans that has driven this country into the abyss the past 16 yrs.
Obama has about zip international experience save having an African father. If folks wanted experience, they could’ve elected Bush Sr, Dole, Gore or Kerry instead of two draft dodgers with zippity doo-dah international experience to two consecutive terms each.
Now we have the 3rd zero international experience prez in the que waiting to hit the ground running. Fine, at least he ain’t a draft dodger this time out. I for one don’t consider experience in and of itself to be pertinent to a sucessful presidency. See Harry Truman or Abe Lincoln to see how that works. It’s the sum of the man, not solely experience that determines sucess.
It also ain’t neighborly to call your neighbors ignorant. When folks get a mic shoved into their face, maybe they just lose focus and ramble on about stuff they’ve never seriously discussed before. Professional speakers lose focus all the time with what are effectively bloopers, whoppers, whatever you want to call them.
It may come as a big surprise to you, but everyone who meets the minimal requirements of citizenship are allowed to vote and the right to free speech. Still, I’d take care calling your neighbors ignorant to their face as sometimes the right to bear arms or fists trumps free speech, and of course neither is very neighborly.
Cheers all……..
Ros and Madeleine, I love your show but tuning in today was eery and disappointing, not so much for the content of some of the comments, but more so for the framing question itself.
This is the sort of journalism that is best just left at the Fox “news” desk. Inciting questions like “who’s afraid of Barack Obama?” serve only to tease out some extremist voices. It’s a “here, kitty kitty” game I just don’t feel comfortable listening to your show playing at. Come on, guys.
DeeTTE
Bill O’Reilly has been nothing but fair to Obama and he said that what he is afraid of is that he doesn’t know how Obama will govern. This is more nonsense. Again, all you are doing is attempting to demonize anyone that dares to criticize or not support Obama. We live in a country with free speech and expression. Everyone should not only be allowed to make it but frankly, everyone should respect someone’s opinion without assigning a nefarious reason for it. Just because someone doesn’t support Obama, or they have concerns, that doesn’t mean they are racist, or stupid, or a hick, or a redneck.
People can disagree on policy and on the effectiveness of a politicians without necessarily being some sort of a bad person.
@ mike Volpe
There is a big difference between utopia and hope. I would rather walk a harder road that is hopeful and wrought with higher taxes than suffer on the superhighway of capitalist hype to nowhere. Everything about the last 8 years has “nefarious” written all over it, Bush and Cheney will be lucky if they don’t do jail time for their actions at home and abroad.
” It appears we are all tolerant of everything as long as it is something we agree with. The minute someone says something we disagree with, they must be some sort of monster or stupid or some other marginal idea.”
Have you watched Fox lately
“White flight” is the what they called it when white people fled to the suburbs because they feared having black neighbors in the city. One justification for this was that they feared black people would lower their property values.
So it’s interesting that everyone’s property values falling was one of the factors that led to a black family moving in to the White House.
I was listening to your program over lunch and was completely disgusted by what people were saying about Obama. I don’t need to rehash all the reasons, but I do want you to know that the opinions expressed on the show today are from the fringe-right who probably started salivating when they saw a microphone that would allow them to spread their hate speech.
Also, I want to make it very, very clear to everyone out there that Georgetown, TX is NOT Austin. I’m not sure why they would come to KUT and not broadcast from Austin? Maybe it wouldn’t be controversial enough? Austin voted 2/3 for Obama and our excitement is plastered all over the city in windows, on bumper stickers and the smiles on everyone’s faces.
Just to clear the air: I am a native Texan. I have never owned a gun and don’t care to, I am the polar opposite of a religious fanatic, I don’t think Texas is the most important place on earth like I’m sure you would expect, I don’t like country music, I love international travel and I voted for Obama. There are millions (yes, we’re out there) of Texans who could tell you the same story. Please don’t lump us all together.
@ Archibald
Your response is a perfect example of the divisions that are becoming so much more pronounced in our society. They will grow and grow. You talked about fear and the Bush administration as have many people in this thread from McCain/Palin, conservatives…. What did Obama do? Said if you don’t vote for me; it’ll be more of the same! FEAR of the conservative, republican enemy!! For you to bring up race; it clearly is an issue.
Yes, Obama will be president but he is going to find that as much as he wants to make change it will take more than speaking about it to accomplish. I can not in good conscious say that I feel Obama is qualified to make a dent in any of our problems. I do not agree with his stance on many issues one example is partial birth abortion. Call “it” a clump of cells if you like but it IS a baby. For someone to say that my mother as a health care professional could not intervene would go directly against her nursing ethics and also personal beliefs.
Hello,
I realize your show just went off the air, but I couldn’t respond as I was on my way home from school.
I find it interesting that the word fear is being tossed around when it comes to Barack Obama.
I also find it interesting that white Americans who use this word towards him also say that it’s not racial.
I don’t remember this word being used towards any other President or candidate for President who is white.
I would like to point out that as an Hispanic American (Puerto Rican descendent) who was born and raised in New York City and married to an African American man, that the majority of people of color do recognize a lot of the things that have been said with respects to President Elect Barack Obama are racially motivated.
What I see happening is similar to a stereotypical reaction to people of color when we go to an upscale retail store who is employed by white people in which we are the targets of their negative suspicions, share an elevator with white people in which they are quick to clutch their purses and briefcases, and grab on to every family member in a parking garage when we ask for assistance with our dead car.
I speak from experience.
The fear of the unknown is as old as earth itself.
We’ver never had a person of color as a President.
And because people of color have been made to prove themselves as smart as white people, white people who still believe in the ways of the past are having a hard time dealing with this, so they use terms that instill fear, and are acting like they do when we get into that clostaphobic elevator with them.
Why is it also easier for us to see that it’s about race based on the negative tone in which John McCain and Sarah Palin chose to run their campaign. We heard shouts of kill him coming from the crowd. We watched a white uniformed police officer emphasize Barack Obama’s full name. We heard him being referred to as a terrorist and a Muslim.
While terrorism is a bad thing and something we have feared, Muslim is a religion, but white people have merged the two.
In this race for the white house white people who are not Obama supporter’s have used things like inexperience to hide their racist feelings towards him. But they continued to support McCain when Palin was introduced. She is just as inexperienced and less articulate.
A lot of the things she represents are typical of what most people of color would associate with people who are racist.
For many years we have had good white Presidents and bad white Presidents. And those who supported people of color were the one’s who were the target of violence the most.
In my opinion, to use the word fear when it comes to the new President who happens to be a person of color is a cowardice act.
Sincerely,
NPR listener
Wanda Santos-Bray
Cleveland, Ohio
Archibald, did I just read that you want to be hopeful with higher taxes? That is absurd. No one said that we need to pay higher taxes in order to be hopeful. This is typical of the people that support him blindly. It’s like the lady that said he is measured, and intelligent and then went on to claim that our country was founded under the principle that the wealthy pay for the less wealthy. Of course, that is called Socialism.
If you want to feel hopeful that is fine, but all the hope in the world isn’t going to help if he does what he has promised to do. You can’t raise taxes on those that create jobs in the middle of a recession and cause anything but a depression. That’s what Herbert Hoover did in 1930. That’s exactly what happened folowing his tax increases.
Let’s pray for his wisdom because what he is currently promising is a one way ticket to an economic depression.
The fear many US citizens exhibit, even though their country is a military bastion
on our planet, is sad. Yet the US has had only one terrorist attack, period ! But
many Americans are scared stiff.The words socialism and leftist seem to be
total anathma.’ the work of the “Dark Side’ no less.
The man from Nazareth, to whom millions of Americans profess to follow
espoused social responsibility.
Individual rights and ffeedoms don’t superceed that social responsibility.
The continual US media’s presentation of government filtered reports, and their
efforts to maintain a military solution to all problems is not infallable.
‘The American Way’ is not how the rest of the world see it. They do not own
the ‘Truth’
The new President appears to be an intelligent man, articulate and vibrant.
One can hope the ‘Elite, do not control him.
The right wing is telling the truth and the facts about Obama, and the rest of the media is trying to cover up Obama’s lies and flaws which he has many of them. The very bias media put Obama on top and chose him. The people voted for him emotionally and not knowing what they voted for. Some of them think they will have a free hand out form the socialist country we will be in the era of Obama.
We need to say that again and again because it is the truth.
Why is Socialism such a bad word in this country? Is financial darwinism (ie. capitalism) so much better? We are already in a depression, its just that the numbness from the republican rhetoric has not worn off yet.
Speaking as a Texan, I am HUGELY disgusted with the nuts you put on program. Yes, I know that they exist and they exist in huge numbers in our great state, but before everyone thinks the whole state is like this, please note that Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin (the most populated cities in the state), all went for Obama.
In response to the nuts, one guy ranted about the socialism charge because “Obama was going to tax the rich to give to the poor”. But currently they are being taxed at 36% and Obama’s plan is to reverse the Bush tax cuts and put them back at the Clinton era levels which was 39%. Seriously, how can anyone with a brain believe that the 3% difference is going to make us a socialist country. Also, I realize that Obama doesn’t have a long resume but one thing that reassures me is how brilliantly he has run his campaign, even when he was down in the polls. He always kept himself calm and rational and it was pretty rare when any member of his team went off message. Someone who can execute the most brilliant campaign that the world has ever seen deserves a chance before everyone starts judging him for a job he hasn’t even started yet. As for the women bemoaning the national security issue, they should watch the news more While we haven’t faced an attack on American soil, our troops are staring death in the face while fighting 2 wars and being attacked by terrorists on a daily basis because we are so hated, are their lives less important because they are not on the homeland?
Anyways, Georgetown is a great town to visit but they have VERY little in terms of diversity and I hope the BBC brings the town some cultural. But those nuts seem pretty set in their ways, no matter what anyone seems to be saying to them.
The people voted for change .The question what change will they get.Obama has a solid mandate and an awesome set of problems.His appointments will give an indication of what political trading he did for support.Emmanuel appears to be a payoff for Isreal Lobby support ,and if he chooses Clinton for State it wiil signal another old style political deal. .He won in a walk because more Bush was intolerable and McCain could not escape that legacy.The economic climate is so redolent with fear that serious actions are necessary as the problems are getting worse .The US cannot continue to act as the savior of others when it is nearing economic disaster at home ..Obama must be bold and decisive adopting a realisic posture in foreign affairs and sensible reforms at home He would be well advised to regularly talk with the people as FDR did to allay their fears and encourage them in very trying times.Very hard times could bring civil unrest which could destabilize the nation ..Grave adversity could give rise to a renewed sense of unity in a divided nation.He must deliver on his promise for constructive change or his administration will be ruined and the nation imperiled
@ Wanda Santos-Bray:
I could not agree with you more when you write:
“I find it interesting that the word fear is being tossed around when it comes to Barack Obama.
I also find it interesting that white Americans who use this word towards him also say that it’s not racial.
I don’t remember this word being used towards any other President or candidate for President who is white.”
I have the same thought exactly. Where was the “fear” word during the last eight plus years, when we in this country had an enormous amount to fear from our Executive and his multiplying pillars of support?
julia
I finally figured it out, at least to some degree. After reading many of the posts on this show/topic it hit me. The many of the people on the show who expressed fear of President elect Obama as well as many of those with similar fears and views have not attentively listened to or read factual information about his proposed policies and programs. Its as if the only information the have is from the hard core rightwing media, such as “uncle rush”. When are such people going to realize that such shows are designed as entertainment. Such shows and people are not designed to inform or educate. I have been an independent most of my adult life. It amazes me that people can ascribe to a particular political philosophy despite its current and obvious failing and damage to the lives of citizens. What’s even more amazing that many of these people are otherwise seemingly intelligent. The only viable conclusion has to be that the issues are not cognitively based but emotionally based. In the battle between logic and emotions, emotions always wins. You cannot impact another’s person’s emotional feelings/beliefs with information. This is why racism is so difficult to root out and why I believe so many people opposed president element Obama based on misinformation about him; and why they will likely continue to fear and oppose him. They will not even acknowledge or admit to themself their fear and opposition is based in racism because that would challenge their self image and beliefs about themself. Go fighure
Matthew November 18, 2008 at 1:33 am
“There is Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself”
Such wise words that resonate at an even greater level today more than ever before. The Bush years and Neo Cons knew just how to manipulate the American people in such destructive, wanton and aggressive fashion. Obama wants to try and lead us away from this altogether and usher in a new era of dialogue and cooperation between the nation states of the world.
He’s sitting down with McCain and discussing his possible inclusion in a cabinet. Republicans what more do you want or expect from a man who’s giving consideration to this, even if it doesn’t in fact materialise. Hilaryites she’s in the running as well. The man is trying to reach out to all sides and establish an inclusive administration that is not partisan towards the Democrats in its totality at all.
Once again remember “There is Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself!”
So let’s stop paying our mortgages for 90 days so we qualify for a bailout and get a loan for a swanky car …as long as you don’t own 90% of your home you can let government pay for it for you …SUCKERS …
Be careful what you promise to people ….
So the price of petrol has dropped but also everyone will be unemployed so what will it matter?
He’s gonna suck worse than Carter and FDR.
The guy talking about taxes and regulation doesn’t know what he is talking about.
The companies backing those loans are too loosely regulated. Never mind signing papers.
RE: Income tax, Obama is just putting those rates back to the way they were under Clinton which was a booming economy with lots of investment in technologies.
RE: Income tax was founded in the 1930s. Sorry, this country requires bills to be paid. When the founding fathers started this country there were paupers everywhere and children begging in city streets. Revolutionary War soldiers had no shoes! They also had slavery as a legal thing, and no vote for men who didn’t own property.
We don’t live in their kind of world anymore, and don’t want to. The tax redistribution man can go live in Brazil or Venezuela or another country filled with people living in poverty if he wants to know what that is going to be like.
Obama is the begining of historical change in the world. My fear is that Obama on throne means persecution to the blac race. We will watnch and see
I am happy that a black person is elected to the US Presidency. But, until I see meaningful change to the World Financial and Trading System,and a recogntion that what America and other Industrialized countries are facing now, are the same feelings and economic situations continually facing island economies as a result of present W.T.O. rules,then He will be just another President of the United States.
I hope he proves me wrong.
My GOD bless us one and all, I belive that a small number of Anglos are afraid OBAMA will show the world that a black man can operate proficently. We (he) will be able to pick a cabinet worthy of competing with all people of the world to make balance and harmony to spread our need to erase proverty. The new president’s official job is to the United States operation and repair the last LAME DUCKs mess. Bless it be in the name of our GOD.
OBAMA, will not be like Bush statr a war because what one man said to his Daddy who set up the no fly zone *(36 and 38th parallel) for pipelines in a country to transport his oil thru Kaiwat because the Straight if Hommuis (sp) Mr. B started the looking for Osama without premission of the U S Congress (GUNHOE). Please do not research his (BUSH) pass work history an and criminal record in HOUSTON,TEXAS because the delete button was pushed (LOL)
Americans who did not vote for Obama must not be worried by an Obama presidency coz its clear and a fact that before christmas,Obama’s childhood dream will have been infiltrated by the real American dream.
And those who voted for him must understand that even change could or can be LIMITED.
UNLIMITED change which is always miraculous and from heaven is one that lasts.
tambua,hamisi,kenya.