As this new phase of the general election begins, we all need to be prepared for the challenges ahead. I have never hid the fact that I was an Obama supporter to friends and family during the campaign. People would ask the basic question of why Obama, I would tell them, and that was the end of it most of the time. But, now that he is the nominee we need to all be prepared to answer the question: Who is Barack Obama and what is he all about anyway?
More after the fold.
It started a few weeks ago. A friend of mine, a Republican leaning independent asked me about my support for Obama. I explained the new politics where we can disagree with our opponents but having some tact, class, and the facts behind us. No need to accuse those we disagree with as America haters, child abusers, traitors, you get the drift. Then I explained how Barack worked with Republican Richard Luger of Indiana on securing loose weapons in Russia, and Tom Coburn on putting some sunshine on the federal budget, Obama's ethics reform and so on.
She then said: "Can you explain to me Barack Obama's plan for social security reform?" This was an issue that I knew little about to be honest. But as an Obama supporter I was expected to know every detail on his plan, the problems with the system and the solutions. Oh and by the way, why McCain's ideas won't work. No small task for a guy with little interest in the subject.
Today with coworkers it was health care. I had explained how the people without health care use the emergency room instead of a primary care doctor and how that costs all of us more money in the long run. I then explained how we could use carrots and sticks to get people healthy: offering discounted premiums to people who work to maintain a healthy weight, get a check up every year and other ideas like that. After looking some of this up after words, I had realized that I had good chunks of Obama's plan wrong, and plan on fixing that tomorrow. Opps!
So while it is important to engage the famed "undecided swing voters" in an non-argumentative way, it is also important to be the walking encyclopedia of Obama policy position for those that honestly want more information to help them decide whom to vote for. We also have to be ready for questions that we may not always have the answer to. For example after going over the fact that Obama mandates coverage for children, I was unable to explain where that money would come from for sure.
I recommend downloading and doing your best to memorize the Obama Blueprint for change PDF below.
http://www.barackobama.com/...
It maybe a lot to take in but if doing so can help you get even one more vote in the fall it will be worth it. Maybe just try to learn a few parts of it at a time, heck I think I might believe in this enough to make up flash cards!
Not only will we need to know all sides, points and counter points to all the issues but we also have to deflect the personal attics that are sure to come. I plan to keep this link handy. http://www.factcheck.org/...
It covers the lies about his religion, and the Pledge of Allegiance and some other stuff.
I am recommending a lot of homework for sure. But it is important work, and you don't know when you may get a chance to swing someone Barack's way. It could be next week, could be October, or it could even be tonight.
So now I am going to re-read The Audacity of Hope, and try to memorize with great detail some of the issues that I may have neglected in the past. I ask my fellow Kosacks to do the same.
Maybe all of this goes with out saying, but I have been caught off guard, and am going to do my best to not be caught off guard again.
Also if anybody has some helpful links please post them in the comments.