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Letter
 
A strong leader
Pat Rueppel, Hooksett
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August 24, 2008 - 12:00 am

I have been searching and searching for why I am uncomfortable with Sen. Barack Obama. After Saturday night's forum with the Rev. Rick Warren, I came to my conclusion.

As a former history teacher, I am an advocate of studying history. And I am in my eighth decade, so I have been around a long, long time. Not only is this country in jeopardy, but so are many parts of the world. I don't know how long the United States will be a world power, but eventually all powerful nations lose their grip.

After watching the forum three times, I came up with this analogy: Obama is the present day Neville Chamberlain. Sen. John McCain is the modern day Winston Churchill. I hate war, and any person of sound mind will concur with that statement. But as long as greedy and power thirsty leaders live, we will have war. So we must have a leader who is strong and will not appease and appease.

This is minor, but Obama says too many ahh, ahhs between his statements. This tells me he is a man searching for the politically correct answer and does not have the courage of his own convictions. I will cast my vote for Senator McCain in November because we are still a world power and need a strong leader.

PAT RUEPPEL

Hooksett






 

Comments

A correction....
20080824/REPOSITORY/808240348
808240348
article_title: 
A strong leader
article_pubdate: 
20080824

I incorrectly spelled "brawn" as "braun", and as such, was alluding to a "mlitary muscle" analogy and not a coffee maker....peace....;-)

Ahhh...
20080824/REPOSITORY/808240348
808240348
article_title: 
A strong leader
article_pubdate: 
20080824

You know what that 'ahhh' is? It's the man THINKING.

That's something McCon doesn't do before he speaks. He is essentially 'Bush III'

Another pacifist
20080824/REPOSITORY/808240348
808240348
article_title: 
A strong leader
article_pubdate: 
20080824

If you are naive enough to believe that we can negotiate with terrorists then you will be to blame after the next terrorist attack.

Comprehension is one thing, but giving in and taking the blame (blame America first) will solve nothing and will make our lives more dangerous.

This mamby pamby attitude that other countries do not like us because we live a better life and they resent our capitalism and success and wealth is bulltiki! Or the attitude by weaklings who believe in collectivism that we are imperialist, etc. is as well!

We should arm up our military and use the stick as the threat to stop them from their actions. Then we can sit down with them and tell them what we are willing to do to appease them.

Instead, progressives want us to go in from a standpoint of weakness and try to "understand" why they act the way they do. That is the equivalent of assuming the best of criminals and trying to 'understand' why they kill while at the same time giving them a hug of support.

Obama will weaken our safety and security and he should be resoundingly rejected. There is no evidence that he has ever "managed" anything and has never shown leadership in any situation.

How seemingly intelligent people fall for rhetoric and smoke and mirrors, I do not know. What I do know is that progressives are salivating at the opportunity to "socialize" everything....they see this as their opportunity. Sickening!

Gravitas....
20080824/REPOSITORY/808240348
808240348
article_title: 
A strong leader
article_pubdate: 
20080824

It was Sen. Barack Obama whom originally called for increased troop strength in Afghanistan (John McCain resisted such efforts and insisted that the Iraq war was not hindering efforts in Afghanistan, prior to his co-opting Sen. Obama's philosophy, as well as branding Sen. Obama "naive" for stating that he would strike terrorist targets within Pakistan, unconditional of President Pervez Musharraf, where an Al-Qaeda reconstitution seems to be underway). It is apparent that Sen. Obama is able to make the distinction between where our convoluted "war on terror" should be focused, and most importantly, for what reasons, showing his understanding of the conditions on the ground and distinguishing sectarian violence in Iraq from where the true threats actually reside.

It was just this spring in Amman, Jordan, in incorrectly implicating predominantly Shia Iran with Al-Qaeda (Iraq has a Dawa/Shia Prime Minister as well, Nouri al-Maliki), John McCain informed us that it was "common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that's well known. And it's unfortunate." After being quietly corrected by Sen. Joseph Lieberman, McCain then stated "I'm sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al-Qaeda."

In light of the aforementioned examples of cognitive analysis and leadership insight, it might be wise to consider the Sen. Barack Obama "brain" (comprehension prior to action) philosophy to precede that of the Sen. McCain "braun" (action prior to comprehension) philosophy, and then ask yourself whether "strong" leadership involves more than just waving around a big stick....

Nonsense
20080824/REPOSITORY/808240348
808240348
article_title: 
A strong leader
article_pubdate: 
20080824

Obama will be a strong president but he won't go to war recklessly and foolishly. We have been paying the price for the past 5 and a half years in Iraq. Our reputation in the world has been harmed. our ability to act hampered and our federal deficit sky rockets. Hopefully Obama will turn this around. McCain will continue the unfortunate path of the Bush administration.

Good Analysis Mr. Reuppel
20080824/REPOSITORY/808240348
808240348
article_title: 
A strong leader
article_pubdate: 
20080824

They say that yesterday was all telling with Mr. Obama.

Obama stated: "Ladies and gentlemen, the next 'president' of the United States, Senator Joe Biden". What an appropriate Freudian slip.

To Ribbon234:

Obama is unfit and unqualified and he was a Constitutional Law lecturer who does not have any papers or opinions after all of those years supposedly teaching.

Read that in the NY Times.......McCain and perfect but he is less of a risk and less dangerous!

If you do some research, you will find that using "aaah" and hesitating is not being careful with the language but signifies that you are uncomfortable and unsure with your position or the topic at hand.

McCain
20080824/REPOSITORY/808240348
808240348
article_title: 
A strong leader
article_pubdate: 
20080824

I was an avid supporter of John McCain in 2000 primary. I don't recognize this 'new' McCain. He has done a 180 on so many issues and even principals. He is also so bellicose now and seems to have an itchy trigger finger. "Bomb,bomb,bomb bomb,bomb Iran ? I did not find that the least bit funny.

Obama does "Ahh" a lot, sometimes I want to yell "Spit it out". Unlike your take on his hesitations, I get the feeling he is a very thoughtful man, being a Constitutional Law Professor, he strives to be precise in his language.

At any rate, I respect your opinion.

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