Last February, when Democrats wanted to know where Barack Obama stood on solutions, his response was a promise to avoid specifics, details and plans over the next two years:

“There are those who don’t believe in talking about hope. They say, ‘Well, we want specifics, we want details, and we want white papers, and we want plans.’ We’ve had a lot of plans, Democrats. What we’ve had is a shortage of hope. And over the next year, over the next two years, that will be my call to you.”

A year later, Obama is wooing crowds of first time voters with speeches loaded with strawmen he successfully knocks down to cheering crowds. It’s a technique mastered in the 2000 and 2004 elections by President George Bush. One of President Bush’s most popular strawman arguements with himself: “They say we can’t win the war on terror.” Nevermind that his real opponents never said that and that it was actually something he himself said.

“I don’t think you can win it,” Bush said in the interview on NBC’s Today show. “But I think you can create conditions so that those who use terror as a tool are less acceptable in parts of the world.”
[Bush: ‘I don’t think you can win’ war on terror - St. Petersberg Times - 08-31-04]  

Bush preferred fighting a fake no one over having to fight Al Gore and John Kerry on policy. Strawman arguements helped distract voters from the issues and a debate over real solutions. The results? We got a President whose policies plunged our nation into record deficit spending, the biggest government in American history and unprecedented foreign policy disasters. All because we never debated policy.

Obama is the kind of speaker that inspires and stirs passion in voters. His speaking style connects with people in much the same way President Bill Clinton does. The Democratic party is very fortunate to have him as a candidate for President. But when it’s time to talk real solutions, Obama has a problem rooted in inexperience.

Watch this clip from a November Democratic debate in which Obama is asked whether he supports giving drivers licenses to illegal aliens. In part of his non-answer, Obama says, “If we keep on getting distracted with this issue, then we are not solving it.” His attempt to answer is so bad that the CNN moderator demands an answer as the audience reacts with applause. With still no apparent answer, Blitzer asks all candidates where they stand. What was Hillary’s answer? One word: NO. When Obama takes yet a third attempt, the audience reacts with laughter, and he finally stumbles his way to an answer: YES.

After the past 7 years under President George Bush, America deserves a President who can deliver real solutions to the challenges our great nation faces. Despite Obama’s assertion that Democrats don’t want specifics, plans, or details, the fact is we demand them from our next President. With both Democratic candidates in a virutal tie with delegates (not counting Florida and Michigan), it’s time to deliver.