A question for those bashing Obama's statement on the DP decision

[JVS]

How many child-rapers not being executed does it take to justify him making himself unelectable? What's the minimum trade off that you're shooting for?

[VeraAgnes]

1. Having the opportunity to eliminate even just one of the dead soul

child molesters and turn ones cheek, well that indeed is enough for me.

[JVS]

2. So President McCain + 1 child molester not executed is better than having Obama become president

Sad

[VeraAgnes]

18. Your question is not related to the topic.

I suggest you start another thread to pursue your inquiry.

[Selatius]

3. It's basically asking what is the cost of one life weighed against a billion other lives.

Ideally, a person should not be forced to make such an awful decision, but the math indicates that the least amount of damage means you support the death penalty for this person and save the other billion from more war and the resulting pestilence that will follow. Likely, that war would be with Iran and the millions who will be swept up in such a conflict between the US and Iran.

I can see now why so many good people no longer enter politics.

[Demit]

4. How many issues that Obama shows himself to be conservative on will it take

to make you wonder if the man we are supporting for president is really a liberal Democrat after all?

[JVS]

5. They're just words. Let's see how he governs.

McCain is not a better choice.

And since when are only conservatives willing to tolerated the death penalty? Name a liberal president that we had who forbade them.

[Demit]

16. Yes, let's wait until we've been in the fire awhile to see if we've actually been burnt.

Of course McCain is not a better choice. But what will make us better off is to go into this with our eyes open. Obama has been telegraphing what he thinks, what he believes. He thinks granting blanket immunity to the lawbreaking telecoms is fine, just like the Bush administration. he thinks the President having the power to spy on Americans is fine, just like the Bush administration. He thinks publicly denigrating the Supreme Court, just like the Bush administration, is fine.

It appears that Obama likes the idea of President as all-powerful unitary executive just fine. It makes me VERY uneasy.

[WeDidIt]

6. What part of a canidate must move to the center in the GE don't you get?

It happens EVERY ELECTION.

When a candidate fails to move to the right on the DP in the GE, they LOSE (c.f. Michael Dukakis 1988).

[RC]

7. 1988 was 20 years ago. Things have changed a bit since then.

The citizens of this country don't pick our leaders any more. The rich & powerful do. Until we get control of our country back we will never have a president that actually represents the American people. On average the population is far to the left of any candidate 'elected'.

[Demit]

14. That just proves my point. 'Moving to the center' describes a person becoming less liberal. Thus

more conservative. If you are taking the position that Obama is really actually liberal but he Is Just Saying These Things So That He Will Get Elected—well, that's a very shaky foundation to stand on. You are taking a lot on faith. Based on what?

And your name—IWantAnyDem—how has that worked out so far, in the Congress we have? Patrick Murphy, Heath Schuler, all the other blue dog Dems voting with the Republicans? If someone believes in, and actively supports, the same things that Republicans do, how can you still describe them as a Democrat? They are de facto Republicans. How does that help us?

Take the stars out of your eyes. Listen to this candidate. Watch the things he's doing NOW. He is laying out the things he believes in. He is not playing a game of wink-wink with you, just because you hope he is.

[demokatgurrl]

8. I'm not sure I understand the question

One? There was no reason he had to make that statement. Someone who would execute a person who has not commmitted a murder should not BE electable. IMHO, the death penalty is wrong, period. But I know this is the "real world", or at least "real America", and we love us some lethal injections.
So at LEAST the Democratic candidate for President could be as "left wing" as the current conservative Supreme Court and reserve the death penalty for murderers.

It was a cowardly statement. There were a lot of things he could have said. I know he's probably trying not to get "Dukakised". But he made a stupid statement.

As I've posted elsewhere... Obama is not the progressive he's been painted to be. He's the candidate of the Democratic party, and so we're going to support him, but let's face up to who we're electing. It ain't Kucinich.

[rug]

9. How many executions is an Obama presidency worth?

Take your time.

[tekisui]

10. It has been 44 years since someone was executed for this crime.

Society has moved on from this. Obama lags behind on this one, but it is really a moot point about how he feels. The Supreme Court says no, just as society has for 44 years.

No matter how he feels about it, child rapers aren't being executed.

[demokatgurrl]

11. So was this another "safe" ploy for electability?

Like "voting for FISA is OK because it's going to pass anyway"?

[ColonelTom]

13. It's VERY different from FISA. Not political expediency.

You can disagree with Obama on his position here - and I do - but he's been consistent on this dating back to his time in the Illinois state senate, unlike his stating opposition to telecom immunity in the FISA bill and then not supporting his fellow Senators' attempts to delay the FISA vote last night.

[tekisui]

15. Voting for FISA, or telecom immunity is wrong, no matter how you slice it.

This one could be a safe ploy, or it could be how he feels. Either way, it disappoints me. But, it doesn't change anything. The one thing I don't like about it, is that it reaffirms Obama's acceptance of State-sanctioned murder, which I believe is always wrong.

[ColonelTom]

12. He's consistent on the DP. And he's done some real good in Illinois on it.

http://deathpenaltyusa.blogspot.com/2007/02/barack-obama-and-death-penalty.html

Sen. Obama got unanimous support from the state legislature for mandatory taping of confessions and interrogations in death-penalty cases, and then convinced Gov. Blagojevich (who initially opposed the bill as too restrictive on law enforcement) to sign it.

He's focused his efforts on reducing the chances that an innocent person is executed. It's not the across-the-board death-penalty opposition I'd prefer, but it's a laudable goal, and it's also attainable in the present political environment. I'll take that in a presidential candidate.

[Tippy]

17. Child molesters are often punished by fellow inmates........

When people hear about molesters it really gets their/our dander up. And most of us know fellow inmates are quick to act on this issue...It is important to protect every child. At one time in my life I supported the death penalty, I no longer do I finally realized I am not my brothers keeper, no matter how much I wanted to be in certain cases, it just don't work that way...We are not God and can not play God...I know a lot of Christians who support the death penality...I also do not support abortion but I do support a persons right to choose.

[Milo_Bloom]

19. Has Obama ever claimed to be against the DP?

If not, than this is just an argument of degree... what crime is horrible enough to justify it.

Some put that bar at murder... some move it lower depending upon circumstances.

Frankly I wouldn't have a problem with using the DP for violent rapes or rape of children provided there is 100% undeniable PROOF... no "beyond reasonable doubt" bs... 100% undeniable.