Obama opting out of public financing
 

Does this bother anybody?

If based solely on his opting out, it doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I like the move. I don't particularly like taxpayers funding elections regardless of the minimal cost per person. As for his course reversal, it was to be expected. He is and will destroy McCain in fundraising and it was just too much money to turn down. He's taking heat right now for the broken promise, but in the long run it was the right strategic move.

I actually like public funding, so I wish he would have kept with it instead of opting out. I don't like the amount of money involved in running for president, as it generally restricts the office to the ultra-wealthy. I understand the argument that candidates who have a lot of money do so because they are better candidates (people don't like to give money to bad candidates) so it can function as an additional mechanism to ensure the best candidate wins, but in reality that isn't necessarily the case given the amount of money that can be donated by large corporations and lobbying organizations through PACs, etc.

Obama isn't taking much of that money, and his money overwhelmingly is comprised of small donations from individuals. I have less of a problem with that. Nevertheless, my strong preference is to see money be less of an influence in a presidential election as opposed to more of an influence, and public funding accomplishes that to an extent.

My only beef was that he pretended he wasn't going to do it. Either he was incredibly naive, or he was not being honest.

Otherwise I have no problem with money--so long as it's clean and fully disclosed--in politics.

As if Obama had anything to do with this. It was his staffers.

Correct. Obama is above everything.

It's like Rezko, Obama sees dollars and folds right up. Please tell us again, Barrack, how you passed up Wall Street. A $1.65 million home on a community organizer's salary in what, 10 years? That's pretty good.

The guy's an ass.

Here's his reason:

"The Republicans made me do it."

Meanwhile the AP notes:

The buck stops ... somewhere.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archive.../06/020785.php

Here is why I am becoming less and less depressed about the Obama potentially being in the White House.

I really dislike his polices. I thought he was a man of principle and would find a way to get those policies through. I am now coming to realize he is your regular old power hungry politician. He will do or say anything to get elected and so if there is enough heat he won't do a lot of the things he has promised he will do.

You may have something there. He is already backing away from that "out of Iraq in 16 months" pledge, as well as his hard positions on free trade. He is just another politician.

Funny to watch all the Dems believe his schtick; but Dem voters are like lemmings and don't mind being lied to. Just look at that "get out of Iraq" pledge that got the Dems elected in 2006. Then they turn around and fund Bush's war plans.

Should Obama be elected, we'll still be in Iraq in force in 2012, and he'll be taking credit for the success that started with the surge (which he opposed).

71, you should be writing in the NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/op...in&oref=slogin