Can I Kick It endorses Barack Obama! This is serious business!

Let's take a break from hip-hop and talk politics.

In case anyone was wondering who the folks down at Can I Kick It endorse for the upcoming Presidential election, we'd like to make it perfectly clear that the answer to that inquiry is unequivocally Barack Obama. It's quite simple. It's not because he's black, or because he's "different." It's because there are two candidates to choose from and one is leagues ahead of the other in pretty much every category.

Dubya has been in office for two terms and even for people who don't have a clue about politics or economics, its obvious that someone in that administration missed something somewhere. The economy is in shambles, even to the point of being called a "recession", gas prices are roughly the price of the car you're putting the gas in (meanwhile all of the oil companies are recording 11 billion dollar profits), the national debt is so high it sounds like a made up number, and thousands of Americans are losing their lives overseas in a war that lacks a forseeable end, not to mention a logical purpose. Yeah, someone fucked up.

It is the duty of the American voters to make sure this shit doesn't continue, and McCain has continuously shown himself to be, in many important (though not every) ways, a clone of the man who let all this dumb shit happen in this country.

Even in spite of the fact that Obama is clearly more likeable, if you break down each candidate's basic policies, the choice is a no-brainer for anyone who isn't a douchebag (or rich, but in that case you'd still be kind of a douchebag because you're being selfish).

The list of positions that make Obama a superior candidate to McCain is incredibly exhaustive, but let's point out a few things.

Foreign Policy
John McCain has been quoted as saying "We nations of like values and principles and belief in democracy and freedom should make efforts to modify the behavior of other nations."

What does this even mean? Who are we to tell other leaders how to run their countries? This is heavily reminiscent of 1800s era "manifest destiny", McCain and the Republican camp think they have found some ultimate truth about "freedom" and subsequently have the God-given right to go around the world on a political missionary trip. It wouldn't be half as bad if we didn't know that McCain's method of "making and effort to modify behavior" likely involves tanks and bombs.

Barack Obama, while still relatively hawkish when it comes to foreign policy (by comparison to many Democrats) has a much more practical and less violent position. Obama wants to end uncecessary wars, such as the one in Iraq. He states that he will direct his attention to people who have actually shown themselves to be enemies of America, like Al Qaeda. (Remember them?) Instead of randomly attacking nations who don't agree with the American way of life, Obama will, instead, focus on nations that are actually posing a threat, nuclear or otherwise. And in most cases, Obama has strongly supported diplomatic meetings with the leaders of other countries, and not the juvenile, stubborn turn-your-nose-up indignation John McCain advocates.

Health Care
This category is really simple. One guy (Obama) wants every single citizen of the United States to have access to health care, and the other guy doesn't mind if a few million Americans are left behind. It makes no sense whatsoever that every working American is taxed for health programs, yet still about 1/8th of the population is uninsured.

Taxes
In 2004, McCain voted against Bush's ridiculous tax cuts, stating "I voted against the tax cuts because of the disproportional amount that went to the wealthiest Americans. I would clearly support not extending those tax cuts in order to help address the deficit." Score +1 for McCain? Nope, just two years later he changed his mind and voted to extend Bush's tax cuts, and has stated that he wants to make them permanent. The tax cuts...for the rich. Firstly, it's clear and obvious bullshit that the more money you make the less taxes you have to pay relatively. Help me out here, am I the only one that think that's ridiculous? Secondly, that's a terrible economic strategy. Giving tax cuts to a group of people encourages them to spend more money. When people spend more money, the economy thrives. The total number of low to middle income families in America far outweighs the number of high-income families. Therefore, more low and middle class people are spending money in America. So it would make sense, then, TO GIVE THEM THE TAX CUTS!

Obama realizes this and proposes a tax cut specifically for low and middle income families. On top of them he want to repeal the retarded tax cuts for the rich. So I imagine, if you are rich, you might like McCain's tax plan, but in that case you're somewhat of an asshole.


This list can go on and on, but it boggles the mind how McCain has so much support. The only possible reason that I can fathom for how a person could think McCain is the better candidate is if they don't give a shit about the economy, the environment, or their fellow Americans; or they just don't understand any of those three things. You have got to either be ignorant or an asshole.
Unfortunately this world is full of people who have both of those qualities.

I know I sound really harsh, but this is serious business. There are lots of things at stake here, the economy, the environment, civil rights, and even lives. I'm not skirting around this issue or trying to be nice. We at Can I Kick It implore you, the six people who read this blog, with all of our very inner beings to make the vote for Barack Obama this November.

Now, back to your regular scheduled hip-hop programming.