[Dialogue] Obama is all for Thinking things Through

[Margaret Helen Aiseayew]

Sorry, Jim, I couldn't diagree with you more!!!  I have no idea what would cause someone who has seriously looked at Obama to make such an absurd attack (which is how I, personally, experienced it).

First, if you are going to go after someone, say what you are saying.  AIPAC is the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.  There are way too many sets of initials out there to ass-u-me that everyone knows and loves them all, even on this august list.  Even if you look at all the AIPAC information self published on the web I find it impossible to discern that they are determined to have a war with Iran.  I think they go way to far in the sanctions they declare they desire to try and make sure that Iran does not develop full nuclear capability, but that isn't the same as finding them warmongers.

I frankly have found Obama and his people some of the greatest I have encountered since the campaign of Eugene McCarthy in 1968.  I was out of the country at the time of Carter's run for the presidency (and several others) so I can't compare them all.  I am just amazed at the forthrightness with which questions are dealt.  It has been a long time since someone has said, "I don't know," or even, "I'm sorry, I haven't done enough homework on that issue to be able to respond,"  or "I understand the issues (surrounding energy independence) and I am listening for those with a sufficiently reasoned path through them that we can still be moving in the right direction."

This last comment was Obama's after he made a positive comment about ethanol here in Iowa and was attacked by one of the many opposed to further ethanol processing development.  His further comments revealed that he really had looked at both sides of several dozen aspects of the debate and the considerable consequences of many of them.  Really, the amazing thing to me is that even under what I consider ugly attack he comes back with the well-reasoned questions of how we can work together?  He seems to avoid attacking his opponents, even when people are baiting him.  He also seems to want to avoid assumed relationships.  This is the category under which I put the removal of the ad on Amazon.  

Sorry, but I have relatives here that are so opposed to Obama (because he is a Muslim--which he is not) because he has an un-American name, because he is black, because he is different than they are, I get ridiculous e-mails from them all the time.  I had moved back to Iowa before his run for the senate from Illinois, so I only watched that from a distance.  I actually met him for the first time in Palestine.

If you want to disagree with him, please let us in on the dialogue.  If you want to paint him guilty by association of that which does not reflect his position, I will reserve the right to object.  I am becoming convinced that his sense of HOPE speaks more loudly than many of us are willing or ready to hear--having become so jaded by time and disappointing experience.  If we buy into that message, the sacrifice required will be at least our shoulder against the wheel one more time.
Margaret

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jim Rippey 
  To: 'Colleague Dialogue' 
  Sent: Friday, September 21, 2007 9:30 PM
  Subject: [Dialogue] Obama is all for US support of Israeli hardline


  It appears that Obama is thoroughly under the influence of AIPAC.  Meanwhile, elsewhere, the war with Iran that the Israeli government and AIPAC seem determined to have looks more and more inevitable.   - Jim Rippey 
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