Who is This Man?

So I've been wondering about this next election ahead of us. People have been going "Obama" crazy with t-shirts, You Tube vids, catchy sayings, and everyday talk. I'll be honest. I have not done too much research on the man and I refuse to jump on the ban wagon with everyone else before I do. And to be resepctful to all of the readers. I am not only going to research Barak but also his current competition John McCain.

So my first beef with Obama, when I visited his website I felt like I had to give. When you first visit a page, the first page either makes you want to stay or leave. And when I first visited Mr. Obama's page, I wanted to leave. Why? Because, he's asking for more money! In recent news, Obama was getting somewhere around $1 million a day from supporters. So, why does he need more? I would think he wants people to know about where he stands before they are ready to contribute right?

I digress. Back to the site. Barak kicked off his two week tour June 9th in Raleigh, North Carolina focusing on economic crisis. I'll look for a video to put up from YouTube today.


The education spill. Everyone always talks about the K-12 group of education. And allowing students to reach their highest level when research today says you don't make any money anymore unless you have a college degree. Some fields are looking for Master's now. Bachelor's is not enough. So, Mr. Obama, what about those people?

What about the people who make up Generation Y? We want to go to school. We want to finish school, but the governmental aide is few and far between. Is something going to be done so that students can go to school with some form of financial assistance? Not having to do with the GPA of a person. I know some of the smartest people whose grades did not show it. That didn't mean they weren't smart, it just meant that either they didn't apply themselves, they were stressed, or just not test people. So they don't deserve the financial assistance that Person B gets because their grades don't show it? Bull.


Back to the website. Strong Families. What is that? Just because a child is not raised with a mother and father means the family is not strong? Just because a child is raised by parents who could care less about them means the family is not strong? What is this? How can you teach someone to have a strong family? Each person is their own family. In the end, I'll have a child. That is my family. It is left up to each person to decide on whether or not they plan to be strong. And what would the government do? Give a stimulus payment to strong families? Yeah, and the next year the divorce rate would sky rocket.

He is apart of the Foreign Policy Committee.


Healthcare, let's look at that. I totally agree. Obama made a great statement in his speech in Iowa City May 27, 2007: I...believe that every American has the right to affordable health care. I believe that the millions of Americans who can't take their children to a doctor when they get sick have that right...We now face an opportunity - and an obligation - to turn the page on the failed politics of yesterday's health care debates. It's time to bring together businesses, the medical community, and members of both parties around a comprehensive solution to this crisis, and it's time to let the drug and insurance industries know that while they'll get a seat at the table, they don't get to buy every chair."


The poverty population has reached 37 million. According to Obama's website...Minimum Wage is Not Enough: Even when a parent works full-time earning minimum wage and EITC and food stamps are factored into their income, families are still $1,550 below the federal poverty line because of the flat-lined minimum wage. And he plans to change that.

Below is a piece taken directly from Barak Obama's website. His plan. I see some good things in his plan. So will I vote for him? Yes I will. After researching, I will.

Barack Obama's Plan
Expand Access to Jobs

Help Americans Grab a Hold of and Climb the Job Ladder:
Obama will invest $1 billion over five years in transitional jobs and career pathway programs that implement proven methods of helping low-income Americans succeed in the workforce.
Create a Green Jobs Corps: Obama will create a program to directly engage disadvantaged youth in energy efficiency opportunities to strengthen their communities, while also providing them with practical skills in this important high-growth career field.

Improve Transportation Access to Jobs:
As president, Obama will work to ensure that low-income Americans have transportation access to jobs. Obama will double the federal Jobs Access and Reverse Commute program to ensure that additional federal public transportation dollars flow to the highest-need communities and that urban planning initiatives take this aspect of transportation policy into account.

Reduce Crime Recidivism by Providing Ex-Offender Supports: Obama will work to ensure that ex-offenders have access to job training, substance abuse and mental health counseling, and employment opportunities. Obama will also create a prison-to-work incentive program and reduce barriers to employment.
Make Work Pay for All Americans

Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit:
Obama will increase the number of working parents eligible for EITC benefits, increase the benefits available to parents who support their children through child support payments, increase benefits for families with three or more children, and reduce the EITC marriage penalty, which hurts low-income families.

Create a Living Wage:
Obama will raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation to make sure that full-time workers can earn a living wage that allows them to raise their families and pay for basic needs such as food, transportation, and housing.

Provide Tax Relief:
Obama will provide all low and middle-income workers a $500 Making Work Pay tax credit to offset the payroll tax those workers pay in every paycheck. Obama will also eliminate taxes for seniors making under $50,000 per year.

Strengthen Families

Promote Responsible Fatherhood:
Obama will sign into law his Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act to remove some of the government penalties on married families, crack down on men avoiding child support payments, and ensure that payments go to families instead of state bureaucracies.

Support Parents with Young Children:
Obama will expand the highly-successful Nurse-Family Partnership to all 570,000 low-income, first-time mothers each year. The Nurse-Family Partnership provides home visits by trained registered nurses to low-income expectant mothers and their families.

Expand Paid Sick Days:
Today, three-out-of-four low-wage workers have no paid sick days. Obama supports guaranteeing workers seven paid sick days per year.

Increase the Supply of Affordable Housing

Create an Affordable Housing Trust Fund:
Obama will create an Affordable Housing Trust Fund to develop affordable housing in mixed-income neighborhoods.

Fully Fund the Community Development Block Grant:
Obama will fully fund the Community Development Block Grant program and engage with urban leaders across the country to increase resources to the highest-need Americans.

Tackle Concentrated Poverty

Establish 20 Promise Neighborhoods:
Obama will create 20 Promise Neighborhoods in areas that have high levels of poverty and crime and low levels of student academic achievement in cities across the nation. The Promise Neighborhoods will be modeled after the Harlem Children's Zone, which provides a full network of services, including early childhood education, youth violence prevention efforts and after-school activities, to an entire neighborhood from birth to college.

Ensure Community-Based Investment Resources in Every Urban Community:
Obama will work with community and business leaders to identify and address the unique economic development barriers of every major metropolitan area. Obama will provide additional resources to the federal Community Development Financial Institution Fund, the Small Business Administration and other federal agencies, especially to their local branch offices, to address community needs.

Invest in Rural Areas:
Obama will invest in rural small businesses and fight to expand high-speed Internet access. He will improve rural schools and attract more doctors to rural areas.

I think I am more than pleased with what I have read. But saying and acting are completely different. Let's pray that whoever gets in office, will act on their campaign rather than refer to it.