Obama's Promises Are A Mile High & An Inch Deep

Some thoughts on Obama's speech at Mile High Stadium in Denver.

When Barack Obama starts channeling Dick Van Patten it is time to run away as fast as you can.

Obama did go into specifics more so than usual. Some of it was from the liberal laundry list such as ending tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas. That was an oft repeated line from the Kerry campaign four years ago. Didn't work then. It won't work now.

Obama also wants "to provide every child with a world class education." He insists that he "won't settle for an America where some kids don't have that chance." If he won't stand for that, then he should stand for vouchers and giving parents the right to send their children to the school of their choice. Especially if he wants to create "an army of teachers." He'll pay them more in exchange for higher standards and more accountability. The teachers' unions will tell Obama, "You and what army?"

Regarding alternative energy, Obama promises to create "5 million jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced." How can he make a promise jobs won't be outsourced? Is he going to force businesses to get permission to relocate? More to the point, he still refuses to drill, drill, drill. Yes, drilling is a short term solution but you need a short term solution before you can implement a long term one.

The one promise, however, that might resonate with the electorate is a promise to cut taxes for 95% of working families. Instead of saying tax the rich, he's talking tax cut. If McCain can't convince the electorate, Obama will raise your taxes and the economy gets worse then he's in trouble. A proposed tax cut for 95% of working families could do for him what it did for Bill Clinton and the middle class tax cut in 1992.

Obama really took it to McCain. But what did Obama mean when he said, "You know, John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the gates of Hell, but he won't even follow him to the cave where he lives."?

Obama also said, "McCain stands alone in his stubborn refusal to end the war." I would counter that Obama stands alone in his stubborn refusal to call the surge a success.

"I got news for you John McCain," Obama lectured, "We all put our country first."

Well then, Senator Obama. Why did you try to legislate defeat in Iraq? Is that putting our country first?

All in all, Obama was well spoken. But it remains to be seen if the American voter believes he actually said anything.