Obama is no Kennedy
February 12, 2008 by thefamilyguy
This “Obama is Kennedy” thing seems to be happening all over. At first, I saw it on a small scale recently ,(though I admit I have not been paying overly much attention up till now. I really assumed it would be Mrs Clinton) but now, I see that it is a prevailing wind that blows at the back of Camelot’s New Knight .
It’s odd that some would compare Obama to Kennedy as they had such opposite stances on many major issues:
- Obama wants taxes raised across the board
- Kennedy was the author of the largest tax cut in the past 60 years.
- Obama says total withdrawal from Iraq, and no unilateral military action
- Kennedy invaded Cuba and got us involved in Vietnam to stand against communism
- Obama stands to raise tax on business and reduce defense spending.
- Kennedy lowered business taxes to spur growth and increased military spending.
There are some big issues that have no comparison. Civil Rights, for instance, which stood for something very different in Kennedy’s time or Energy Policy which really was not an issue at all in 1960. Gun Control was not purposefully on anyones agenda until after two Kennedy’s were killed. No way to know what JFK would have thought.
On abortion, well, also not a really public political football in JFK’s time, though I would note that Kennedy was a strong Catholic and he did appoint Justice Byron White to the US Supreme Court. Justice White dissented in both Miranda vs. Arizona, (a 1966 decision in which the court required police to advise suspects in custody of their rights) and Roe vs. Wade in 1973 (one of only two dissenting votes)
And that’s just a few major points. It seems to me that, at least on those issues, McCain is more in line with JFK. Now, if all that really matters is having an exciting and inspirational populist leader, then I suppose Obama is your man. In that case, of course, (I hereby invoke Godwin’s Law on Nazi references….my apologies to the whole internet!) we could mention a German leader who was an exciting and inspirational populist who failed to really spell out his policies for the people. “Freiheit und Brot” (Freedom and Bread) was his slogan……way different from “Change we can believe in” I suppose….
And before anyone blows a gasket, I am just pointing out that unspecified change is not always a desireable outcome. I do not think Obama is Hitler. I also do not think he is JFK
You are so right on with your post. Can you imagine Obama saying “What can you do for your country”? I have a post on this subject. Come over and read it and let me know what you think at: http://riggword.wordpress.com/
Thank you for your post and time.
[...] And we can’t go without touching presidential election politics (I think there must be a primary somewhere this week that I should do something about). Scott Feldstein has advice for Texans when they go to vote (Hey, don’t ask me; it’s his blog). Family Guy says, essentially (OK I may be taking some liberties here), I knew JFK and Obama is no JFK. [...]