*** Official Barack Obama FBG campaign headquarters *** (1 Viewer)

[Arsenal of Doom]

More important than Obama winning, is Hillary losing. Once she is kncocked off in a couple of early primaries (starting in Iowa), people will realize that it is a contested race. Also it would help if she could make an idiot of herself while conceding Iowa. YeeHaww!!!

A poll I saw yesterday has Obama leading in Iowa. If he pulls off a couple wins in the early stages, his candidacy could really gain some steam.

I'm still skeptical. Bill Clinton didn't win Iowa. He didn't win New Hampshire. But he had the key support of a big block within the party. All Hilary needs to do is to stay in the race until she gets to the states where she has a near insurmoutable lead. Obama can't afford to NOT do well in Iowa in New Hampshire, but I'm not sure doing well there turns any kind of corner for him.Now maybe Oprah can change all that. There's a pretty good argument that she's the most powerful black woman in American history. This would confirm that.

 

[Homer J Simpson]

If he wins Iowa and shows well in New Hampshire, all bets are of. He HAS to win Iowa, first and foremost, though. It wouldn't hurt if Edwards made a strong showing in Iowa, too. The thing about it is, if Obama does well in Iowa, all of a sudden he becomes the hot guy that may draw the independents in New Hampshire.

I still believe.

Keep the faith, GB.

 

[adonis]

If he wins Iowa and shows well in New Hampshire, all bets are of. He HAS to win Iowa, first and foremost, though. It wouldn't hurt if Edwards made a strong showing in Iowa, too. The thing about it is, if Obama does well in Iowa, all of a sudden he becomes the hot guy that may draw the independents in New Hampshire.

I still believe.

Keep the faith, GB.

 

[snitwitch]

Obama and Hillary now neck and neck in Iowa and New Hampshire?

 

[flufhed]

If he wins Iowa and shows well in New Hampshire, all bets are of. He HAS to win Iowa, first and foremost, though. It wouldn't hurt if Edwards made a strong showing in Iowa, too. The thing about it is, if Obama does well in Iowa, all of a sudden he becomes the hot guy that may draw the independents in New Hampshire.

I still believe.

Keep the faith, GB.

Almost even in NH ( ) AND South Carolina ( ) .

I still believe.TM

 

[saintfool]

i thought he was actually pulling ahead in Iowa?

 

[Homer J Simpson]

i thought he was actually pulling ahead in Iowa?

Lots of different polls out there.

 

[saintfool]

i thought he was actually pulling ahead in Iowa?

Lots of different polls out there.

seemed like a lot of talk last week was how he had finally pulled ahead of hillary. not by much, mind you, but it was noteworthy nonetheless.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

I really feel Obama is the best candidate for this country.

 

[Colin Dowling]

I really feel Obama is the best candidate for this country.

Why?(Serious question)

 

[NorvilleBarnes]

Obama and Hillary now neck and neck in Iowa and New Hampshire?

Interesting site.

 

[adonis]

I really feel Obama is the best candidate for this country.

Why?(Serious question)

Would Oprah lie?

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I saw this posted at Drudge:

DOVER, N.H. -- Billy Shaheen, the co-chairman of Hillary Clinton's campaign in New Hampshire, raised the issue of Sen. Barack Obama's past admissions of drug use in discussing the relative electability of the Democrats seeking the presidential nomination today.

In an interview, Shaheen said, he remains perplexed about why, at this fraught point in history, voters and the media are not giving more attention to experienced Democratic candidates such as Sens. Chris Dodd and Joe Biden and are instead elevating into the first tier alongside Clinton a pair of candidates with less experience in Washington, Barack Obama and John Edwards. Shaheen also expressed his personal misgivings about whether Obama or Edwards would be electable if they became the party's nominee.

Among his concerns about Obama as the nominee, he said in an interview here today, is that his background is so relatively unknown and that the Republicans would do their best to unearth negative aspects of it, or concoct mistruths about it. Shaheen, a lawyer and influential state power broker, mentioned as an example Obama's use of cocaine and marijuana as a young man, which Obama has been open about in his memoir and on the trail.

"The Republicans are not going to give up without a fight ... and one of the things they're certainly going to jump on is his drug use," said Shaheen, the husband of former N.H. governor Jeanne Shaheen, who is planning to run for the Senate next year. Billy Shaheen contrasted Obama's openness about his past drug use -- which Obama mentioned again at a recent campaign appearance in New Hampshire -- with the approach taken by George W. Bush in 1999 and 2000, when he ruled out questions about his behavior when he was "young and irresponsible."

Shaheen said Obama's candor on the subject would "open the door" to further questions. "It'll be, 'When was the last time? Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone?'" Shaheen said. "There are so many openings for Republican dirty tricks. It's hard to overcome."

Shaheen's remarks were some of the most direct to date by Clinton campaign officials in addressing the issue of Obama's past drug use as a potential problem in the general election. This week, the Clinton campaign has been focusing on the broader issue of Obama's electability, arguing that Democrats would be better off nominating a tested candidate like Clinton. The Obama campaign declined to comment on Shaheen's electability remarks.

A CNN-WMUR poll today showed Obama in a statistical tie with Clinton in New Hampshire after the same poll found him down by more than 20 points in September.

linkI love how Hillary is taking cheap shots at Obama while preemptively blaming it on those evil Republicans. Hillary would never stoop to making an issue of Obama's drug use. Except, you know, when she does.

 

[flufhed]

I love how Hillary is taking cheap shots at Obama while preemptively blaming it on those evil Republicans. Hillary would never stoop to making an issue of Obama's drug use. Except, you know, when she does.

Surely, the average voter can see through this, right?

 

[snitwitch]

David Brooks column I found interesting -- almost like an endorsement of the man:

December 18, 2007Op-Ed ColumnistThe Obama-Clinton IssueBy DAVID BROOKSHillary Clinton has been a much better senator than Barack Obama. She has been a serious, substantive lawmaker who has worked effectively across party lines. Obama has some accomplishments under his belt, but many of his colleagues believe that he has not bothered to master the intricacies of legislation or the maze of Senate rules. He talks about independence, but he has never quite bucked liberal orthodoxy or party discipline.If Clinton were running against Obama for Senate, it would be easy to choose between them.But they are running for president, and the presidency requires a different set of qualities. Presidents are buffeted by sycophancy, criticism and betrayal. They must improvise amid a thousand fluid crises. They’re isolated and also exposed, puffed up on the outside and hollowed out within. With the presidency, character and self-knowledge matter more than even experience. There are reasons to think that, among Democrats, Obama is better prepared for this madness.Many of the best presidents in U.S. history had their character forged before they entered politics and carried to it a degree of self-possession and tranquillity that was impervious to the Sturm und Drang of White House life.Obama is an inner-directed man in a profession filled with insecure outer-directed ones. He was forged by the process of discovering his own identity from the scattered facts of his childhood, a process that is described in finely observed detail in “Dreams From My Father.” Once he completed that process, he has been astonishingly constant.Like most of the rival campaigns, I’ve been poring over press clippings from Obama’s past, looking for inconsistencies and flip-flops. There are virtually none. The unity speech he gives on the stump today is essentially the same speech that he gave at the Democratic convention in 2004, and it’s the same sort of speech he gave to Illinois legislators and Harvard Law students in the decades before that. He has a core, and was able to maintain his equipoise, for example, even as his campaign stagnated through the summer and fall.Moreover, he has a worldview that precedes political positions. Some Americans (Republican or Democrat) believe that the country’s future can only be shaped through a remorseless civil war between the children of light and the children of darkness. Though Tom DeLay couldn’t deliver much for Republicans and Nancy Pelosi, so far, hasn’t been able to deliver much for Democrats, these warriors believe that what’s needed is more partisanship, more toughness and eventual conquest for their side.But Obama does not ratchet up hostilities; he restrains them. He does not lash out at perceived enemies, but is aloof from them. In the course of this struggle to discover who he is, Obama clearly learned from the strain of pessimistic optimism that stretches back from Martin Luther King Jr. to Abraham Lincoln. This is a worldview that detests anger as a motivating force, that distrusts easy dichotomies between the parties of good and evil, believing instead that the crucial dichotomy runs between the good and bad within each individual.Obama did not respond to his fatherlessness or his racial predicament with anger and rage, but as questions for investigation, conversation and synthesis. He approaches politics the same way. In her outstanding New Yorker profile, Larissa MacFarquhar notes that Obama does not perceive politics as a series of battles but as a series of systemic problems to be addressed. He pursues liberal ends in gradualist, temperamentally conservative ways.Obama also has powers of observation that may mitigate his own inexperience and the isolating pressures of the White House. In his famous essay, “Political Judgment,” Isaiah Berlin writes that wise leaders don’t think abstractly. They use powers of close observation to integrate the vast shifting amalgam of data that constitute their own particular situation — their own and no other.Obama demonstrated those powers in “Dreams From My Father” and still reveals glimpses of the ability to step outside his own ego and look at reality in uninhibited and honest ways. He still retains the capacity, also rare in presidents, of being able to sympathize with and grasp the motivations of his rivals. Even in his political memoir, “The Audacity of Hope,” he astutely observes that candidates are driven less by the desire for victory than by the raw fear of loss and humiliation.What Bill Clinton said on “The Charlie Rose Show” is right: picking Obama is a roll of the dice. Sometimes he seems more concerned with process than results. But for Democrats, there’s a roll of the dice either way. The presidency is a bacterium. It finds the open wounds in the people who hold it. It infects them, and the resulting scandals infect the presidency and the country. The person with the fewest wounds usually does best in the White House, and is best for the country.Bob Herbert is off today.

 

[Warpig]

My simple question is this, can he win? I saw his speach at the DNC during the last race for President and the talking heads seemed to think at the time that he'd be a good candidate at some point in the future but that 2008 would be too soon and he wouldn't have the experience needed. I'm a republican but at first glance I'm thinking this guy may get my vote if he wins the Democratic nomination. I haven't see a Republican candidate yet that I like more than Obama.

Man, there are lots of good thought provoking posts in here and excellent work done by adonis.I think this post is the most telling, perhaps, of Obama's draw. And after reading through some of the data in this thread it seems as if he's good at uniting sides for the good of the whole...which to me, would be a breath of fresh air after the last 8 years under GWB. I think GWB polarized the nation...you either loved him or you hated him. Now we have a likable, educated, minority(?) running for presidency and I think he has the characteristics to unite the fronts. A lot of people that voted for GWB have turned on him and are looking for change. I sense that with Obama...change may be on the horizon...for the better.I do have a couple of issues with some of the things said about him. His wife says he is a "black man"...isn't his mom white? Wouldn't that make him mulatto? Half white and half black? So does he not acknowledge his white mother? From what I've read on similar topics to this, mulattos are often outcasts from both races. Why claim one or the other? Why not just say "I'm mulatto?"Also, on his drug use...I really don't have a problem with that if it was during his youth. Who here hasn't experimented with some type of vice during our younger years? We try it, and if we don't like it, we don't do it anymore. To me, this gives him a real, humanistic side that shows that he was willing to experiment. did he back down from these accusations or did he attack it head on with the truth? From what I remember, GWB denied any involvement with drugs and alcohol during his college years...and I think we all know better than that.He just seems more in touch with the common man. A good leader. I'd say that so far, he is the person I'll be voting for. I'm an independent and don't claim allegiance to any side accept to whom I think is the best man for my country. Needless to say, I'll be monitoring this situation closely in the upcoming months. Hopefully nothing will come out of the shadows to derail his progress.

 

[adonis]

Tonight's the night.

Let's see how this shakes down, but it's obvious what I want to see when the dust settles.

Here's to hoping that tonight's only the first night on Obama's way to the white house

 

[cstu]

My simple question is this, can he win?

I saw his speach at the DNC during the last race for President and the talking heads seemed to think at the time that he'd be a good candidate at some point in the future but that 2008 would be too soon and he wouldn't have the experience needed. I'm a republican but at first glance I'm thinking this guy may get my vote if he wins the Democratic nomination. I haven't see a Republican candidate yet that I like more than Obama.

Man, there are lots of good thought provoking posts in here and excellent work done by adonis.I think this post is the most telling, perhaps, of Obama's draw. And after reading through some of the data in this thread it seems as if he's good at uniting sides for the good of the whole...which to me, would be a breath of fresh air after the last 8 years under GWB. I think GWB polarized the nation...you either loved him or you hated him. Now we have a likable, educated, minority(?) running for presidency and I think he has the characteristics to unite the fronts. A lot of people that voted for GWB have turned on him and are looking for change. I sense that with Obama...change may be on the horizon...for the better.

I do have a couple of issues with some of the things said about him. His wife says he is a "black man"...isn't his mom white? Wouldn't that make him mulatto? Half white and half black? So does he not acknowledge his white mother? From what I've read on similar topics to this, mulattos are often outcasts from both races. Why claim one or the other? Why not just say "I'm mulatto?"

Also, on his drug use...I really don't have a problem with that if it was during his youth. Who here hasn't experimented with some type of vice during our younger years? We try it, and if we don't like it, we don't do it anymore. To me, this gives him a real, humanistic side that shows that he was willing to experiment. did he back down from these accusations or did he attack it head on with the truth? From what I remember, GWB denied any involvement with drugs and alcohol during his college years...and I think we all know better than that.

He just seems more in touch with the common man. A good leader. I'd say that so far, he is the person I'll be voting for. I'm an independent and don't claim allegiance to any side accept to whom I think is the best man for my country. Needless to say, I'll be monitoring this situation closely in the upcoming months. Hopefully nothing will come out of the shadows to derail his progress.

Because it's an offensive word that means "mule". Historically a person who is part black has had to deal with the same problems as 100% black people (not sure how many there really are anyway).

 

[urbanhack]

My simple question is this, can he win?

I saw his speach at the DNC during the last race for President and the talking heads seemed to think at the time that he'd be a good candidate at some point in the future but that 2008 would be too soon and he wouldn't have the experience needed. I'm a republican but at first glance I'm thinking this guy may get my vote if he wins the Democratic nomination. I haven't see a Republican candidate yet that I like more than Obama.

Man, there are lots of good thought provoking posts in here and excellent work done by adonis.I think this post is the most telling, perhaps, of Obama's draw. And after reading through some of the data in this thread it seems as if he's good at uniting sides for the good of the whole...which to me, would be a breath of fresh air after the last 8 years under GWB. I think GWB polarized the nation...you either loved him or you hated him. Now we have a likable, educated, minority(?) running for presidency and I think he has the characteristics to unite the fronts. A lot of people that voted for GWB have turned on him and are looking for change. I sense that with Obama...change may be on the horizon...for the better.

I do have a couple of issues with some of the things said about him. His wife says he is a "black man"...isn't his mom white? Wouldn't that make him mulatto? Half white and half black? So does he not acknowledge his white mother? From what I've read on similar topics to this, mulattos are often outcasts from both races. Why claim one or the other? Why not just say "I'm mulatto?"

Also, on his drug use...I really don't have a problem with that if it was during his youth. Who here hasn't experimented with some type of vice during our younger years? We try it, and if we don't like it, we don't do it anymore. To me, this gives him a real, humanistic side that shows that he was willing to experiment. did he back down from these accusations or did he attack it head on with the truth? From what I remember, GWB denied any involvement with drugs and alcohol during his college years...and I think we all know better than that.

He just seems more in touch with the common man. A good leader. I'd say that so far, he is the person I'll be voting for. I'm an independent and don't claim allegiance to any side accept to whom I think is the best man for my country. Needless to say, I'll be monitoring this situation closely in the upcoming months. Hopefully nothing will come out of the shadows to derail his progress.

Because it's an offensive word that means "mule". Historically a person who is part black has had to deal with the same problems as 100% black people (not sure how many there really are anyway).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-drop_rule

 

[adonis]

Comming from the Right side I am very happy to see him as a possible canidate for the left.He has a 0% chance of winning. Jeb Bush could run and win vs him so any other Republican canidate will run away with it.

He might as well quit now. Billy Ball Thorton says he has a 0% shot. I'll send your prediction to him right away. Expect his withdrawl from consideration within the next week or two.

 

[cstu]

My simple question is this, can he win?

I saw his speach at the DNC during the last race for President and the talking heads seemed to think at the time that he'd be a good candidate at some point in the future but that 2008 would be too soon and he wouldn't have the experience needed. I'm a republican but at first glance I'm thinking this guy may get my vote if he wins the Democratic nomination. I haven't see a Republican candidate yet that I like more than Obama.

Man, there are lots of good thought provoking posts in here and excellent work done by adonis.I think this post is the most telling, perhaps, of Obama's draw. And after reading through some of the data in this thread it seems as if he's good at uniting sides for the good of the whole...which to me, would be a breath of fresh air after the last 8 years under GWB. I think GWB polarized the nation...you either loved him or you hated him. Now we have a likable, educated, minority(?) running for presidency and I think he has the characteristics to unite the fronts. A lot of people that voted for GWB have turned on him and are looking for change. I sense that with Obama...change may be on the horizon...for the better.

I do have a couple of issues with some of the things said about him. His wife says he is a "black man"...isn't his mom white? Wouldn't that make him mulatto? Half white and half black? So does he not acknowledge his white mother? From what I've read on similar topics to this, mulattos are often outcasts from both races. Why claim one or the other? Why not just say "I'm mulatto?"

Also, on his drug use...I really don't have a problem with that if it was during his youth. Who here hasn't experimented with some type of vice during our younger years? We try it, and if we don't like it, we don't do it anymore. To me, this gives him a real, humanistic side that shows that he was willing to experiment. did he back down from these accusations or did he attack it head on with the truth? From what I remember, GWB denied any involvement with drugs and alcohol during his college years...and I think we all know better than that.

He just seems more in touch with the common man. A good leader. I'd say that so far, he is the person I'll be voting for. I'm an independent and don't claim allegiance to any side accept to whom I think is the best man for my country. Needless to say, I'll be monitoring this situation closely in the upcoming months. Hopefully nothing will come out of the shadows to derail his progress.

Because it's an offensive word that means "mule". Historically a person who is part black has had to deal with the same problems as 100% black people (not sure how many there really are anyway).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-drop_rule

As the 2008 U.S. presidential election approaches, Orlando Patterson acknowledged the change in a Time magazine essay on potential candidate Barack Obama's "black" identity:

This is the infamous one-drop rule, invented and imposed by white racists until the middle of the 20th century. As with so many other areas of ethno-racial relations, African Americans turned this racist doctrine to their own ends. What to racist whites was a stain of impurity became a badge of pride. More significantly, what for whites was a means of exclusion was transformed by blacks into a glorious principle of inclusion. The absurdity of defining someone as black who to all appearances was white was turned on its head by blacks who used the one-drop rule to enlarge both the black group and its leadership with light-skinned persons who, elsewhere in the Americas, would never dream of identifying with blacks.[9]

 

[Chadstroma]

Big win for you guys. Congrats.

 

[adonis]

Big win for you guys. Congrats.

Thanks, but maybe we see it as a big win for America.A candidate who won without taking money from lobbyists, who runs a clean campaign, who attempts to unite america without compromising values, won the Democratic Iowa caucus. Like Obama said, it's really a victory for all americans against politics as usual, against cyncicism, against division.

He beat Edwards and Clinton, entrenched politicians, and did it in style. He didn't pull punches, he came from relative obscurity to do it. He did it with the help of hundreds of thousands of americans and without a huge political machine. He really does represent the people, and our hope that we can rise above the way politics has been for the past few decades, and inspire us to a new direction, a new vision, and possibly a newer, better america.

Let's just hope this is the start of his march to the white house, where he'll represent america well in the world, reach out to all americans and unite us as a country once again.

 

[NorvilleBarnes]

 

[LHUCKS]

Big win for you guys. Congrats.

Thanks, but maybe we see it as a big win for America.

Exactly

 

[tommyGunZ]

Too early to start dancing in my skimpies, but this win will go a LONG way toward an Obama Presidency.

Big win for America tonight. Obama's victory is great for both Repubs and Democrats.

 

[adonis]

Big win for you guys. Congrats.

Thanks, but maybe we see it as a big win for America.

Exactly

It sounds kinda cheesy, but for a nearly all-white state to vote for an african american candidate, over a white female and a white male, means a lot to america, regardless of whether or not he wins (of course, i hope he does).But still, it says a lot about where our country is, and where it is headed, and how far it has come. We can get behind someone who not much more than 50 years ago would've had to drink from a seperate fountain from us. How awesome is that?

 

[Pai Mei]

Big win for you guys. Congrats.

Thanks, but maybe we see it as a big win for America.

Exactly

It sounds kinda cheesy, but for a nearly all-white state to vote for an african american candidate, over a white female and a white male, means a lot to america, regardless of whether or not he wins (of course, i hope he does).But still, it says a lot about where our country is, and where it is headed, and how far it has come. We can get behind someone who not much more than 50 years ago would've had to drink from a seperate fountain from us. How awesome is that?

Not really that awesome. Colin Powell would have clobbered Bill Clinton in 1996 had he run for the Presidency.http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EP...v95/ai_17459252

A Time/CNN poll shows that, if Gen. Powell were to run today as a Republican, he would beat President Clinton by 51 percent of the vote to 41 percent.

And that was back in 1995.

 

[adonis]

Big win for you guys. Congrats.

Thanks, but maybe we see it as a big win for America.

Exactly

It sounds kinda cheesy, but for a nearly all-white state to vote for an african american candidate, over a white female and a white male, means a lot to america, regardless of whether or not he wins (of course, i hope he does).But still, it says a lot about where our country is, and where it is headed, and how far it has come. We can get behind someone who not much more than 50 years ago would've had to drink from a seperate fountain from us. How awesome is that?

Not really that awesome. Colin Powell would have clobbered Bill Clinton in 1996 had he run for the Presidency.http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EP...v95/ai_17459252

A Time/CNN poll shows that, if Gen. Powell were to run today as a Republican, he would beat President Clinton by 51 percent of the vote to 41 percent.

And that was back in 1995.

In the battle between hypothetical victories and realistic victories, I'm much more impressed with the real ones. This was real. Powell didn't go through any campaign rigors, didn't have to do this for a year, be attacked by people, and come out sterling. Maybe he would've maybe not, but we know that Obama did it, and the people of Iowa supported him.

It's not that often these days that things americans do make me proud, but those who voted for Obama in Iowa today made me proud to be an american. Again, it's about what it symbolizes. About our ability to move beyond our history and embrace a future of freedom, of equality, and in this case, hope.

Downplay this moment all you want, but it's historic, and it's meaningful.

 

[Pai Mei]

Big win for you guys. Congrats.

Thanks, but maybe we see it as a big win for America.

Exactly

It sounds kinda cheesy, but for a nearly all-white state to vote for an african american candidate, over a white female and a white male, means a lot to america, regardless of whether or not he wins (of course, i hope he does).But still, it says a lot about where our country is, and where it is headed, and how far it has come. We can get behind someone who not much more than 50 years ago would've had to drink from a seperate fountain from us. How awesome is that?

Not really that awesome. Colin Powell would have clobbered Bill Clinton in 1996 had he run for the Presidency.http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EP...v95/ai_17459252

A Time/CNN poll shows that, if Gen. Powell were to run today as a Republican, he would beat President Clinton by 51 percent of the vote to 41 percent.

And that was back in 1995.

In the battle between hypothetical victories and realistic victories, I'm much more impressed with the real ones. This was real. Powell didn't go through any campaign rigors, didn't have to do this for a year, be attacked by people, and come out sterling. Maybe he would've maybe not, but we know that Obama did it, and the people of Iowa supported him.

It's not that often these days that things americans do make me proud, but those who voted for Obama in Iowa today made me proud to be an american. Again, it's about what it symbolizes. About our ability to move beyond our history and embrace a future of freedom, of equality, and in this case, hope.

Downplay this moment all you want, but it's historic, and it's meaningful.

I think its far more impressive that Colin Powell has been in the public eye since Desert Storm in 1991 and maintained such high popularity that runs through to 2007.

 

[adonis]

Big win for you guys. Congrats.

Thanks, but maybe we see it as a big win for America.

Exactly

It sounds kinda cheesy, but for a nearly all-white state to vote for an african american candidate, over a white female and a white male, means a lot to america, regardless of whether or not he wins (of course, i hope he does).But still, it says a lot about where our country is, and where it is headed, and how far it has come. We can get behind someone who not much more than 50 years ago would've had to drink from a seperate fountain from us. How awesome is that?

Not really that awesome. Colin Powell would have clobbered Bill Clinton in 1996 had he run for the Presidency.http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EP...v95/ai_17459252

A Time/CNN poll shows that, if Gen. Powell were to run today as a Republican, he would beat President Clinton by 51 percent of the vote to 41 percent.

And that was back in 1995.

In the battle between hypothetical victories and realistic victories, I'm much more impressed with the real ones. This was real. Powell didn't go through any campaign rigors, didn't have to do this for a year, be attacked by people, and come out sterling. Maybe he would've maybe not, but we know that Obama did it, and the people of Iowa supported him.

It's not that often these days that things americans do make me proud, but those who voted for Obama in Iowa today made me proud to be an american. Again, it's about what it symbolizes. About our ability to move beyond our history and embrace a future of freedom, of equality, and in this case, hope.

Downplay this moment all you want, but it's historic, and it's meaningful.

I think its far more impressive that Colin Powell has been in the public eye since Desert Storm in 1991 and maintained such high popularity that runs through to 2007.

Can't help you with that, but you can be impressed with Colin Powell and also appreciate what's happening here. Powell's largely out of the public eye now, whereas Obama is in it, and has been for a while now. It's tough, and he won tonight, it's a good moment, even for those who believe Colin Powell would do better.

 

[Pai Mei]

Big win for you guys. Congrats.

Thanks, but maybe we see it as a big win for America.

Exactly

It sounds kinda cheesy, but for a nearly all-white state to vote for an african american candidate, over a white female and a white male, means a lot to america, regardless of whether or not he wins (of course, i hope he does).But still, it says a lot about where our country is, and where it is headed, and how far it has come. We can get behind someone who not much more than 50 years ago would've had to drink from a seperate fountain from us. How awesome is that?

Not really that awesome. Colin Powell would have clobbered Bill Clinton in 1996 had he run for the Presidency.http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EP...v95/ai_17459252

A Time/CNN poll shows that, if Gen. Powell were to run today as a Republican, he would beat President Clinton by 51 percent of the vote to 41 percent.

And that was back in 1995.

In the battle between hypothetical victories and realistic victories, I'm much more impressed with the real ones. This was real. Powell didn't go through any campaign rigors, didn't have to do this for a year, be attacked by people, and come out sterling. Maybe he would've maybe not, but we know that Obama did it, and the people of Iowa supported him.

It's not that often these days that things americans do make me proud, but those who voted for Obama in Iowa today made me proud to be an american. Again, it's about what it symbolizes. About our ability to move beyond our history and embrace a future of freedom, of equality, and in this case, hope.

Downplay this moment all you want, but it's historic, and it's meaningful.

I think its far more impressive that Colin Powell has been in the public eye since Desert Storm in 1991 and maintained such high popularity that runs through to 2007.

Can't help you with that, but you can be impressed with Colin Powell and also appreciate what's happening here. Powell's largely out of the public eye now, whereas Obama is in it, and has been for a while now. It's tough, and he won tonight, it's a good moment, even for those who believe Colin Powell would do better.

Its not that I don't appreciate what Obama is doing, but I think the nation was ready for a black president in 1995, don't you agree?

 

[Chadstroma]

Big win for you guys. Congrats.

Thanks, but maybe we see it as a big win for America.A candidate who won without taking money from lobbyists, who runs a clean campaign, who attempts to unite america without compromising values, won the Democratic Iowa caucus. Like Obama said, it's really a victory for all americans against politics as usual, against cyncicism, against division.

He beat Edwards and Clinton, entrenched politicians, and did it in style. He didn't pull punches, he came from relative obscurity to do it. He did it with the help of hundreds of thousands of americans and without a huge political machine. He really does represent the people, and our hope that we can rise above the way politics has been for the past few decades, and inspire us to a new direction, a new vision, and possibly a newer, better america.

Let's just hope this is the start of his march to the white house, where he'll represent america well in the world, reach out to all americans and unite us as a country once again.

Wow. You should be a campaign worker and make your way up to being a speech writer for him.

I was intrigued by him but then I read his book and was revolted by him. I really do not want him to be President but looking at the silver lining it hopefully will be a 'healing' in America's racial divide to have a President that is African-American... if only half.

 

[LHUCKS]

I would love to see Obama appoint Powell to his administration...big Powell fan here.

 

[Chadstroma]

Big win for you guys. Congrats.

Thanks, but maybe we see it as a big win for America.

Exactly

It sounds kinda cheesy, but for a nearly all-white state to vote for an african american candidate, over a white female and a white male, means a lot to america, regardless of whether or not he wins (of course, i hope he does).But still, it says a lot about where our country is, and where it is headed, and how far it has come. We can get behind someone who not much more than 50 years ago would've had to drink from a seperate fountain from us. How awesome is that?

Not really that awesome. Colin Powell would have clobbered Bill Clinton in 1996 had he run for the Presidency.http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EP...v95/ai_17459252

A Time/CNN poll shows that, if Gen. Powell were to run today as a Republican, he would beat President Clinton by 51 percent of the vote to 41 percent.

And that was back in 1995.

In the battle between hypothetical victories and realistic victories, I'm much more impressed with the real ones. This was real. Powell didn't go through any campaign rigors, didn't have to do this for a year, be attacked by people, and come out sterling. Maybe he would've maybe not, but we know that Obama did it, and the people of Iowa supported him.

It's not that often these days that things americans do make me proud, but those who voted for Obama in Iowa today made me proud to be an american. Again, it's about what it symbolizes. About our ability to move beyond our history and embrace a future of freedom, of equality, and in this case, hope.

Downplay this moment all you want, but it's historic, and it's meaningful.

I think its far more impressive that Colin Powell has been in the public eye since Desert Storm in 1991 and maintained such high popularity that runs through to 2007.

Can't help you with that, but you can be impressed with Colin Powell and also appreciate what's happening here. Powell's largely out of the public eye now, whereas Obama is in it, and has been for a while now. It's tough, and he won tonight, it's a good moment, even for those who believe Colin Powell would do better.

Its not that I don't appreciate what Obama is doing, but I think the nation was ready for a black president in 1995, don't you agree?

If Powell ran, he would have been President.... not even a doubt.

 

[adonis]

Big win for you guys. Congrats.

Thanks, but maybe we see it as a big win for America.A candidate who won without taking money from lobbyists, who runs a clean campaign, who attempts to unite america without compromising values, won the Democratic Iowa caucus. Like Obama said, it's really a victory for all americans against politics as usual, against cyncicism, against division.

He beat Edwards and Clinton, entrenched politicians, and did it in style. He didn't pull punches, he came from relative obscurity to do it. He did it with the help of hundreds of thousands of americans and without a huge political machine. He really does represent the people, and our hope that we can rise above the way politics has been for the past few decades, and inspire us to a new direction, a new vision, and possibly a newer, better america.

Let's just hope this is the start of his march to the white house, where he'll represent america well in the world, reach out to all americans and unite us as a country once again.

Well, not only is he half black, but he's also half-muslim, so to speak. He has credibility in the black community, something a president could use, and he would also have SOME form of relation to the muslim world, even though he's an "infidel".I mean, he's like the perfect storm of a candidate. I can't help but feel for Hillary having someone like Obama come up against her. Without him there, she'd have a much easier time of this. Put her in either of the last two elections and she would've probably won.

But again, Obama really seems to represent, not only ideologically, but intellectually and through his family background/heritage, what america needs right now to restore our image and power in our country, and in the world.

 

[adonis]

Its not that I don't appreciate what Obama is doing, but I think the nation was ready for a black president in 1995, don't you agree?

I think it's hard to say without actually having seen it. We can speculate that it was a distinct possibility, but without seeing Powell run through the campaign, we can't be sure he would've gotten the support necessary.He never struck me as a particularly charismatic person, capable of going through the campaign process. He would've made a great president I bet, but I'm not sure that he would've been a great candidate. But regardless, his candidacy or run for office is speculation, whereas Obama's victory tonight is a reality. And again, reality has much more substance, and offers us something solid to point to and say that things are getting better.

 

[tommyGunZ]

Its not that I don't appreciate what Obama is doing, but I think the nation was ready for a black president in 1995, don't you agree?

I think it's hard to say without actually having seen it. We can speculate that it was a distinct possibility, but without seeing Powell run through the campaign, we can't be sure he would've gotten the support necessary.He never struck me as a particularly charismatic person, capable of going through the campaign process. He would've made a great president I bet, but I'm not sure that he would've been a great candidate. But regardless, his candidacy or run for office is speculation, whereas Obama's victory tonight is a reality. And again, reality has much more substance, and offers us something solid to point to and say that things are getting better.

Not so sure Powell would have been the great president that so many on the fringe right (BGP) want to make him out to be. Powell's judgment was wrong and he didn't meet the challenge at the point America needed him most. Instead he backed the Bush administration and put his name and credibility on the line in front of the United Nations.

 

[NCCommish]

Its not that I don't appreciate what Obama is doing, but I think the nation was ready for a black president in 1995, don't you agree?

I think it's hard to say without actually having seen it. We can speculate that it was a distinct possibility, but without seeing Powell run through the campaign, we can't be sure he would've gotten the support necessary.He never struck me as a particularly charismatic person, capable of going through the campaign process. He would've made a great president I bet, but I'm not sure that he would've been a great candidate. But regardless, his candidacy or run for office is speculation, whereas Obama's victory tonight is a reality. And again, reality has much more substance, and offers us something solid to point to and say that things are getting better.

Not so sure Powell would have been the great president that some many on the fringe right (BGP) want to make him out to be. Powell's judgment was wrong and he didn't meet the challenge at the point America needed him most. Instead he backed the Bush administration and put his name and credibility on the line in front of the United Nations.

Yep. Leaders lead, he caved.

 

[tommyGunZ]

Big win for you guys. Congrats.

Thanks, but maybe we see it as a big win for America.

Exactly

It sounds kinda cheesy, but for a nearly all-white state to vote for an african american candidate, over a white female and a white male, means a lot to america, regardless of whether or not he wins (of course, i hope he does).But still, it says a lot about where our country is, and where it is headed, and how far it has come. We can get behind someone who not much more than 50 years ago would've had to drink from a seperate fountain from us. How awesome is that?

Not really that awesome. Colin Powell would have clobbered Bill Clinton in 1996 had he run for the Presidency.http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EP...v95/ai_17459252

A Time/CNN poll shows that, if Gen. Powell were to run today as a Republican, he would beat President Clinton by 51 percent of the vote to 41 percent.

And that was back in 1995.

If Powell was such a shoe in, why didn't you guys run him? Why'd you settle for the clown we have in office now?LOL at Repubs clinging to Colin Powell as the country abandons the conservative movement and moves strongly toward progression and liberalism.

 

[NorvilleBarnes]

I was intrigued by him but then I read his book and was revolted by him.

Which one?

 

[adonis]

Its not that I don't appreciate what Obama is doing, but I think the nation was ready for a black president in 1995, don't you agree?

I think it's hard to say without actually having seen it. We can speculate that it was a distinct possibility, but without seeing Powell run through the campaign, we can't be sure he would've gotten the support necessary.He never struck me as a particularly charismatic person, capable of going through the campaign process. He would've made a great president I bet, but I'm not sure that he would've been a great candidate. But regardless, his candidacy or run for office is speculation, whereas Obama's victory tonight is a reality. And again, reality has much more substance, and offers us something solid to point to and say that things are getting better.

Not so sure Powell would have been the great president that some many on the fringe right (BGP) want to make him out to be. Powell's judgment was wrong and he didn't meet the challenge at the point America needed him most. Instead he backed the Bush administration and put his name and credibility on the line in front of the United Nations.

, again, we'll likely never know. I think it'd have been nearly impossible for him to have turned down speaking before UN. But anyways, my point was that all this is hypothetical, and we'll never know. What we do know is what happened tonight, and that's what is important.

 

[tommyGunZ]

Its not that I don't appreciate what Obama is doing, but I think the nation was ready for a black president in 1995, don't you agree?

I think it's hard to say without actually having seen it. We can speculate that it was a distinct possibility, but without seeing Powell run through the campaign, we can't be sure he would've gotten the support necessary.He never struck me as a particularly charismatic person, capable of going through the campaign process. He would've made a great president I bet, but I'm not sure that he would've been a great candidate. But regardless, his candidacy or run for office is speculation, whereas Obama's victory tonight is a reality. And again, reality has much more substance, and offers us something solid to point to and say that things are getting better.

Not so sure Powell would have been the great president that some many on the fringe right (BGP) want to make him out to be. Powell's judgment was wrong and he didn't meet the challenge at the point America needed him most. Instead he backed the Bush administration and put his name and credibility on the line in front of the United Nations.

, again, we'll likely never know. I think it'd have been nearly impossible for him to have turned down speaking before UN.

Why? If he didn't believe in the Iraqi invasion, he should have resigned instead of being used as a pawn.

But anyways, my point was that all this is hypothetical, and we'll never know. What we do know is what happened tonight, and that's what is important.

Agreed.

 

[NCCommish]

Its not that I don't appreciate what Obama is doing, but I think the nation was ready for a black president in 1995, don't you agree?

I think it's hard to say without actually having seen it. We can speculate that it was a distinct possibility, but without seeing Powell run through the campaign, we can't be sure he would've gotten the support necessary.He never struck me as a particularly charismatic person, capable of going through the campaign process. He would've made a great president I bet, but I'm not sure that he would've been a great candidate.

But regardless, his candidacy or run for office is speculation, whereas Obama's victory tonight is a reality. And again, reality has much more substance, and offers us something solid to point to and say that things are getting better.

Not so sure Powell would have been the great president that some many on the fringe right (BGP) want to make him out to be. Powell's judgment was wrong and he didn't meet the challenge at the point America needed him most. Instead he backed the Bush administration and put his name and credibility on the line in front of the United Nations.

, again, we'll likely never know. I think it'd have been nearly impossible for him to have turned down speaking before UN. But anyways, my point was that all this is hypothetical, and we'll never know. What we do know is what happened tonight, and that's what is important.

No it wouldn't have. He could have resigned and then talked about all the doubts he had. If he does this there is no Iraq war. He was the one guy who could push it over the top or stop it dead. He decided to push even though he had many doubts. About the intel and about how the planning was being done.

 

[adonis]

Its not that I don't appreciate what Obama is doing, but I think the nation was ready for a black president in 1995, don't you agree?

I think it's hard to say without actually having seen it. We can speculate that it was a distinct possibility, but without seeing Powell run through the campaign, we can't be sure he would've gotten the support necessary.He never struck me as a particularly charismatic person, capable of going through the campaign process. He would've made a great president I bet, but I'm not sure that he would've been a great candidate.

But regardless, his candidacy or run for office is speculation, whereas Obama's victory tonight is a reality. And again, reality has much more substance, and offers us something solid to point to and say that things are getting better.

Not so sure Powell would have been the great president that some many on the fringe right (BGP) want to make him out to be. Powell's judgment was wrong and he didn't meet the challenge at the point America needed him most. Instead he backed the Bush administration and put his name and credibility on the line in front of the United Nations.

, again, we'll likely never know. I think it'd have been nearly impossible for him to have turned down speaking before UN. But anyways, my point was that all this is hypothetical, and we'll never know. What we do know is what happened tonight, and that's what is important.

No it wouldn't have. He could have resigned and then talked about all the doubts he had. If he does this there is no Iraq war. He was the one guy who could push it over the top or stop it dead. He decided to push even though he had many doubts. About the intel and about how the planning was being done.

again. I don't know what he knew then, or how much he doubted it, or what access to contrary evidence he had. I don't particularly care whether powell would've made a good president, or a good candidate. My main point is just that regardless of how people think he might've done, what Obama has done is more significant. That's all. Not trying to defend Powell.

 

[bigbottom]

If he wins Iowa and shows well in New Hampshire, all bets are of. He HAS to win Iowa, first and foremost, though. It wouldn't hurt if Edwards made a strong showing in Iowa, too. The thing about it is, if Obama does well in Iowa, all of a sudden he becomes the hot guy that may draw the independents in New Hampshire.I still believe.

 

[Pai Mei]

Not so sure Powell would have been the great president that so many on the fringe right (BGP) want to make him out to be.

LOL at BGP on the fringe right. Especially at the notion of Colin Powell being a good president. I posted a series of polls pitting Colin Powell against every candidate on the board this election cycle, and he beat all but 1 or 2 of them. So its not like "BGP must be on the fringe right if he likes Powell". Or are you suggesting the FFA is on the fringe right?

 

[Pai Mei]

I like how instead of taking a time out to admire the progress of race in this country, let's jump straight to smearing the first african american who showed great strength in election polls. That's why its so hard to make progress in race relations.

 

[djcolts]

I like how instead of taking a time out to admire the progress of race in this country, let's jump straight to smearing the first african american who showed great strength in election polls. That's why its so hard to make progress in race relations.

Let's get back on topic. Congratulations to the Obama supporters on this board. A great night for him last night.

 

[Colin Dowling]

HUGE win for Obama, especially with Hillary finishing 3rd.