[Lanny_MacDonald]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

It's interesting--perception is everything, I guess. For me, I don't see an extreme leftist in Obama. I see a charismatic pragmatist who favours Universal Health care, campaign finance reform, the elimination of earmarks, more openness in the White House and a phased withdrawal from Iraq. People may disagree with these ideas--but no-one can say they aren't actual ideas.

In that sense, he's been far more "concrete" than, say, McCain, who has said literally nothing at all about what he'll do if elected. Nor should he--he's currently unopposed, and if I were his advisor I'd tell him to wait until after the convention to start talking policy ideas. But if Obama is to be criticized for not proposing anything specific, McCain should be thrown under the bus.

Well said.