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Exactly.I specifically slipped in the "quite likely" partReally, who knows how many elections that the Republicans will lose before they figure out what they need to do.Besides, when Obama runs for re-election in 2012 he'll be 51
But I saw the "quite likely." That's what the odds are for. Do you think it's likely enough for 100-1 odds? How about 10,000-1?
Hillary's campaign was pretty good. She raised record amounts of money, went to many states, and by most past accounts, she did more than enough to ensure victory. She just wasn't playing by the new rules of the country, and that is that every state, every county matters. Obama and his team played by those rules, and effectively won it on Super Tuesday. The remaining months were simply playing out an already foregone conclusion.Her campaign was a good one, and only an amazing campaign could beat her. Obama had that campaign, and he harnessed all the tools available in this new age and used them amazingly well to build a great organization and campaign.Just look at her fundraising totals over the months, she was setting records left and right...it's just that Obama was eclipsing her. It's not so much that a surprise candidate is needed, as that a candidate with good support effectively uses the tools of the 21st century to reach as many people as possible, in as an effective a manner as possible. Obama did this. Future campaigns will do this.Obama's a great candidate, but it has been his campaign organization that has propelled him to the nomination, and it's that campaign organization that will be copied in all political campaigns going forward.
Not sure I'd have a problem with a bunch of candidates with Obama's resume running in the future.
I'm an educated man, but I will admit that the bulk of my support comes from this very reason. I know that I can go on his website and read all about his plans--but how much do campaign promises really mean, ever? Reagan is the last one that springs to mind, cutting government and all that. GWB told me all about how "we are not in the businesses of state-building". Then the #### hit the fan. And here we are.I wouldn't underestimate the power of the "I believe that he is smart and capable enough to handle the most important job in the world" argument. It's an effective one, IMO--and it might just make good sense.
You obama opponents want to make the supporters out to be rabid ideologues brainwashed into support.He's not on the list, because he's not the president. We'll have to wait to see how he does to get any realistic indication of where his legacy will rank. Even Bush's legacy can still be changed by how Iraq turns out.My support of Obama, while it seems over the top to many, is founded simply on my belief that he's the best candidate for the presidency. Not because I think he's the most amazing person ever in american history. Not because I think he's the messiah of politics, or even a reincarnation of bobby kennedy. I support Obama, and I defend him here, because I think he's the best candidate, period. I believe that he's the best candidate because I agree with many of his positions, many of his policies, and a lot of his subtance.But that will go in one eye and out the other of many of you opponents, because you'd just like to think of people like me as obama worshipers, when in fact, we just strongly feel he's the best candidate. It starts and stops there.
adonis said:
Oh, and top three!The REPUBLICANS are making him out to be the all time best. Everytime they speak they use words like messiah and chosen one.phthalatemagic said:
Stop stallingadonis said:
But not his last!
Interesting.The more I read, the more it doesn't seem like speculation is the problem, but rather the scapegoat. Thanks for posting these.
Whoa thereAren't you the guy that made that ######ed joke about having a mortar in the gun control thread?
He's an UBER, elitist-nerd.In other words, a footballguy.Seriously, the efforts to paint him as John Kerry with a tan will not work. He may have plenty of exploitable shortcomings, but his attitude, his background, and his approach to governing are nothing at all like John Kerry.Has anyone seen the clips of the Access Hollywood interview with the whole family? Very endearing piece. And, for all of the talk of Obama as an elitist, he comes off as kind of a nerd.
Has anyone seen the clips of the Access Hollywood interview with the whole family? Very endearing piece. And, for all of the talk of Obama as an elitist, he comes off as kind of a nerd.
I watched that interview. It was great...
When I find out they want to take more of my moneyHow can you not justthe Obama family?
You make more than $250K a year? Congratulations.When I find out they want to take more of my moneyHow can you not justthe Obama family?
To be fair, Obama's tax plan would take more cash away from earners over 70k, when compared to McCain's tax plan.You make more than $250K a year? Congratulations.When I find out they want to take more of my moneyHow can you not justthe Obama family?
Statorama, I honestly think we are witnessing "The Perfect Storm" of politics. I could be wrong, but I think we are witnessing a pretty significant marker in our political history. I just happen to think Obama and McCain are the beneficiaries of the light GWB has shown on the political landscape. For me GWB pretty much reeks of the political characature we think of when we here the word politician. When our President fits that mold perfectly, it shines a light on our government and it's a lot brighter than any of them want it to be. I know there are a lot of people like me who are tired of the way the government has been running in our lifetimes. We are tired of the "seasoned" politicians with "experinece" because that "experience" does nothing but screws the rest of us to their benefit. I have never been one to weigh "experience" as very important because I see how it affects us first hand. No Thanks.
The next president is going to face some horrific issues during his first year in office. The Iran/Israel confilct is already boiling, with Iran testing their long range missle capabilities and ramping up their nuclear weapons programs. Can Israel afford to sit back and watch while a country that has called for the extermination of all Jews pumps billions of dollars of oil money into a nuclear weapons program? Something big is going to happen there, and soon. With their missles being able to reach Saudi oil fields, Iran has the capability to turn this into a global economic Jihad. Is the IndyMac failure an anomoly, or simply the first domino? It isn't hard to envision the potential crisis that looms if people lose confidence in American banks. If the next president makes poor decisions in the financial sector, the results could be disasterous.
I think we generally have the same feeling about each of these guys but we differ on what we allow the past to tell us. For example, I have NO CLUE how McCain will handle the economic pressures. So far, his knee jerk solutions haven't given me the confidence that he knows how to handle the issues we have. I am not willing to apply the way he handled himself while a POW to all the other situations he will face. They are all very different and require very different characteristics.With all that said, I don't think either man has all the answers, so it will be very important to see who they surround themselves with. SO FAR, Obama seems to have a pretty good grasp on who he needs around him to accomplish a goal. I look no further than his run thus far. The machine he's built steamrolled the Clinton monster machine and has no signs of slowing. Meanwhile, McCain has been through all this "rebranding", "change of focus" nonsense and has replaced several people not doing what they need to do. Obama's had to replace a few people, to portray that he's "walking the walk" when it comes to campaign, but I don't remember him firing anyone for not pulling their weight or getting the job done etc. I am still reserving judgment until VP running mates are decided, but it appears to me that while Obama may not necessarily have all the answers, he can surround himself with people who are going to give him great advice/insight where he lacks knowledge. McCain certainly has the same opportunity, but as of right now, I am still questioning his ability to pick those people.
What the government is going to do to fix the problems they have caused??
Your argument is based on three faulty assumptions:1) Anything the government does is bad and will make things worse.2) The government cannot do anything when different parties control Congress and the White House.3) The minority party cannot do anything to stop the majority party if the majority holds both the White House and Congress.As to #1 - I agree with you generally on this one, though government action can be either good or bad. Yes the Republicans blew up the deficit and started an ill-planned war when they had both Congress and the WH. That doesn't mean the Democrats will make equally bad decisions should they have both branches. For #2 - Bush and the Republicans have still managed to keep the Iraq war going over the past year. The White House has been called the world's most powerful bully pulpit. There's a huge amount of discretionary power within the Executive branch.#3 - you seem to be forgetting about the filibuster. The Republicans almost did away with it two years ago (it was saved by McCain) and now they are using it more than any other Congress ever has. Dems need a 60 seat majority in the Senate to ignore the Republicans, and that is all but impossible to occur.
I swear to God, conservatives have really gone off the deep end on some of these issues.Now it is radical and un-american (implied, not said) to suggest we learn Spanish, a language spoken by every country that surrounds us, except Canada, and which millions in our country speak, and which is already taught in every single high school in the country, and has been for years? I mean, kids in Europe are advised to learn at least two or three languages of the surrounding countries, not to mention English. On what planet is this a "radical" idea? Aren't these the same guys that claim there is a Mexican "invasion" going on? Wouldn't it be a good idea to learn the language of the supposed invaders?
Learning is radical!
Maybe because the surge has officially ended and we're now back down to pre-surge levels of troops in Iraq, with plans to bring home more by the end of the year?
I found it odd, and not particularly impressive.
I found it odd. But just a bit.
He was wrong.
I think Obama knows that he isn't going to win on the surge issue. The general perception seems to be that since violence has gone down, the surge must be the reason and therefore was a success. The truth is far more nuanced, of course. The "Awakening" movement, in which the Sunnis turned against AQI, had little to do with the surge and has a more clearly defined causal relationship to reduction in violence levels. However, I don't think most voters are going to look that deeply into it, and suitable primer on Sunni, Shia, and Iraqi political history, doesn't exactly fit into a soundbite. I think he's better off focusing his attention on Afghanistan, as he started doing yesterday.
It's funny. Late in the Democratic Primary process, all of the conservative talking heads were talking about how the drawn out battle with Hillary was going to destroy Obama and that he was falling behind McCain who had a big head start in the general election campaign. Now that Obama has disposed of Hillary and is leading McCain, the same talking heads are saying Obama is in big trouble because he should be way ahead of McCain at this point.
Listening to Hannity hurts my soul.
It's funny. Late in the Democratic Primary process, all of the conservative talking heads were talking about how the drawn out battle with Hillary was going to destroy Obama and that he was falling behind McCain who had a big head start in the general election campaign. Now that Obama has disposed of Hillary and is leading McCain, the same talking heads are saying Obama is in big trouble because he should be way ahead of McCain at this point.
Great minds!
