Obama Loses His Teflon Sheen
A trifecta of gaffes has Obama taking heat even from some of his biggest fans. A McCain opportunity?
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Barack Obama is endangering his status as the media darling of the 2008 presidential campaign. In fact, he has been the villain in the campaign story over the last few days. Two decisions — one small and one large — showed the dangers he faces. And a third showed that the post-racial candidate is no longer in evidence. It is no secret that the media has been openly rooting for Obama for months. His gaffes would have felled other candidates, his relationship with hate-mongering preachers would have disqualified mere mortal candidates and, of course, his lack of any national record of accomplishment might have prevented all much the most ego-inflated from even mounting a White House run. But it was hanging together fairly well until last week.
The trigger for the downward slide was his decision to abandon public financing. The decision made cold political sense given his likely enormous advantage over the McCain camp but there were two complicating factors: he had shaped his career as a “reformer” and he specifically promised that he would take public financing and the rules that go along with it.
To make matters worse he concocted a false and misleading, indeed an “operatic” explanation that those mean Republicans forced him to take private money.
Not unexpectedly, the McCain camp went nuclear, accusing Obama of all manner of dishonesty and making the connection between this reversal flip-flops on other substantive issues.
Moreover, many of his good government, liberal allies were distressed. What’s more, they went public with their distress.
And for once, the media joined in the Obama-bashing and perhaps was even harsher. It was the “low point” according to a usually sympathetic David Brooks. Clearly, the press, which had sheltered Obama from virtually every dicey incident to date, had had enough. The criticism was sharp and virtually uniform. When added to his decision to duck town hall meetings with McCain –which Obama had also said he would do, before he thought better of it — the dean of the mainstream media, David Broder was forced to admit that Obama’s “motives” might be open to question.
And the self-serving explanation was too much even for mainstream media outlets like the Washington Post. The negative reception suggested that the mainstream press may be re-evaluating their subservient behavior. At the very least, when an issue is near and dear to them, as “the corruption of money in politics” is, they appeared ready now to call foul when Obama goes a step too far.
Now ordinarily, campaign finance reform does not register high with the general public. This is a quintessential inside-the-Beltway issue. However, given the firestorm from the media and the effort by the McCain camp to expose a pattern of hypocrisy or at least cynical position-shifting by Obama, the risk for Obama is that he will lose the underlying rationale for his candidacy: the harbinger of the New Politics, a leader unlike any we have ever seen.
In short, the campaign finance move exposed the Great and Powerful Oz as an ordinary man behind that curtain.
Jennifer Rubin is PJM's Washington, D.C. editor. She also blogs at Commentary’s Contentions.
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75 Comments
Uche:Find something weighty to accuse the man of. This means absolutely nothing. Obama is not perfect and these issues being raised mean absolutely nothing. So what if his logo or whatever is reminiscent of the national one? Don’t candidates try to portray themselves in a presidential light? And if you were running for office and you were to choose between two funding systems, wouldn’t you choose the one that benefits you the most? Isn’t that what the average person will do? How is that a crime? Which living human being hasn’t changed his mind before? This obervations are nonsensical. If you want to hang the man, find something worthwhile with which to do it. Americans put George Bush in the white house twice as imperfect as he is, inspite of the fact that the man cannot seem to do anything right. And he is still the president!!!!!!
Jun 23, 2008 - 2:13 am Ed Wallis:Jennifer Rubin: “…a candidate falsely wearing the clothes of a game-changing reformer who is merely a bare-knuckle pol, and a not very experienced or knowledgeable one at that.”
BINGO. Oh, and…
“Uche”: “Find something weighty to accuse the man of.”
FIND?!? The Obamboozler hands it to Americans almost every time he opens his mouth, especilly these days. But, let’s look back a bit. Associating with domestic terrorists (Ayers, Dohrn). Choosing a 20-year “mentoring” relationship with an anti-American and racist (Wright). His own personal residence deal with criminals (Rezko). But they all probably “weren’t the people he knew” for so long. Heh.
Then you’ve got his naive policies (talks with terrorist states without preconditions)…his Socialist policies (insert endless list of proposed welfare programs here). Enoough “weight”?!
Did we get to his flip-flops yet? His “just gaffes” which would imperil the security of the United States of America?!
“Just words?” My posterior.
Jun 23, 2008 - 2:39 am Andrew Ian Dodge:And the whingeing when someone points a gaffe out is just pathetic. The man is seriously in throes of believing his own press. His arrogance is just breathtaking.
Jun 23, 2008 - 3:50 am vb:Uche: How about announcing what he would get NATO to do in Afghanistan, although he hadn’t called a single meeting of the subcomittee on Europe, which he chairs? His excuse was that he was campaigning. He has zero experience in foreign affairs and he has a less than impressive group of advisors. It is Obama’s job to convince me of his experience, accomplishments, and qualifications. It is my job to be sceptical.
Jun 23, 2008 - 3:58 am Broadsword:Who you callin’ whitey! Oh, eh,…weighty. There is nothing weighty ’bout t’Bama.
Jun 23, 2008 - 4:02 am SAF:There is no way the press won’t prop up Obama’s candidacy in the long run. I’m sure this has spurred them on to find more dirt on McCain. We know from the last presidential election people like Dan Rather would stand by false documents and get fired rather than admit they lied about Bush’s National Guard record.
Fasten your seat belts, we are in for four years of President Obama and a democratically controlled congress. With the press in his pocket and the money he is raising and using it is guaranteed.
Jun 23, 2008 - 4:31 am David Thomson:“…and a not very experienced or knowledgeable one at that.”
Barack “Barry” Obama merely has a law degree from Harvard University. This simply means he can pass a law exam and provide legal assistance to a client. It does not indicate that he is particularly knowledgeable regarding economic or national defense issues. As matter of fact, Obama is a poorly read man who focussed on learning how to manipulate guilt tripped white liberals. He is the proverbial empty suit.
Jun 23, 2008 - 4:32 am Mike:Obama can do and say what he wishes. This little spat with the media will quickly pass and all will be forgotten. Obama is black and therefore endemnified in the eyes of the media from any and all wrongdoing. He is protected by his race.
Jun 23, 2008 - 5:02 am ~Paules:The Democrats swept the 2006 elections on a pledge to end the war in Iraq. They had every opportunity to do so by using the power of the purse to cut off funding. They never made the effort and today the congressional approval rating sits at 15%! The Democrats have proved themselves inept at every turn. The bottom line is that the scramble for personal power is more important than ideology. That goes double for the Democratic presidential candidate. The Republicans threw away their majority when they revealed themselves as corrupt. It appears the Democrats want to return the favor. So much for the “new” politics. Both the electorate and the media have become cynical. I think for good reason.
Jun 23, 2008 - 5:42 am Chris:Uche,
“And if you were running for office and you were to choose between two funding systems, wouldn’t you choose the one that benefits you the most?”
Not necessarily. If you authored the McCain-Feingold bill (a terrible piece of legislation but another story) for instance, you’d be expected to take the public funding route. Also, if you’re running against politics as usual and the corrupting influence of money in the system, and if you vowed publicly to do so, you’d think a candidate would take the public option.
Conservatives generally don’t care that Obama has taken the private funding route. In fact, many of us applaud that. What we do have a problem with is advocating one standard for everyone else and exempting himself from those same standards. Do you think there are other issues where BO might do the same? I certainly do.
Jun 23, 2008 - 5:44 am Ed Wallis:A funny article with a very OT point (If McCain were to say “Obama can walk on water,” the media would interpret it say him saying that most blacks can’t swim…racist!):
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YTNmNjdmMTk3ZjNkYzQ2MjhmZDA3OGE2MDQyZmI3MmY=
Jun 23, 2008 - 5:46 am Jabba the Tutt:“At the very least, when an issue is near and dear to them, as “the corruption of money in politics” is, they appeared ready now to call foul when Obama goes a step too far.”
I’m a bit more cynical than Jennifer Rubin. It’s not the “issue” of campaign finance reform that is near and dear to their hearts, it’s the power baby. By limiting the campaign spending of candidates, the MSM ensures that candidates and parties must turn to the MSM to get their message to the American people. By limiting speech (campaign spending) the MSM makes their own speech, their own messages more valuable and makes the message field less crowded.
For the MSM, Campaign Finance Reform was always about maintaining and increasing their own power. With Obama dissing the MSM by telling them, “I’m not going to depend on you”, means that Obama is not going to be the puppet of the MSM (he’s going the be the puppet of Axelrod and Soros, but that’s another story).
This is why the media has criticized Obama on his campaign financing. Is this a one time slap for the Obamessiah? Probably.
Jun 23, 2008 - 5:59 am John the Bitter:When Senator Obama won primaries it was IN SPITE of white racism. When he lost it was BECAUSE of white racism.
I am so very tired of being pointed to as the oppressive white man, and based on what?! I have legit concerns and criticisms of Senator Obama. Somehow this makes me a racist.
If I am guilty regardless of my true heart then I say you leave me no room to be myself. call me a racist out loud and I will become what you say I am.
The truth is that Senator Obama is only half black. Which means, if I only dislike him for his blackness, I can only be half a racist. Being half a racist puts me on par with a large majority I would think. And would make me far less of a racist than Senator Obama’s minister of 20 years.
Jun 23, 2008 - 6:14 am The Wizard:Obama is a sham; a self-serving, hubris individual with no credentials, and a left-wing, liberal political agenda. If elected he will take this country to the depths of depression! Your 401K will be worth nothing, your home will be gone. He will continue to rob Social Security. Think 1930’s. The Democrats have had their chance, and all they have done is stall, stall, stall! The open appointments in government are appalling! It is crippling our country. Wake up, America, Obama is dangerous and destructive.
Jun 23, 2008 - 6:22 am Reynolds Butler:Uche wrote: “Americans put George Bush in the white house twice as imperfect as he is, inspite of the fact that the man cannot seem to do anything right.”
Nothing right?
Jun 23, 2008 - 6:56 am Sandra M:We haven’t been attacked since 9/11. Bush had the guts to do what was necessary to fight terrorism, unlike his predecessor (who was too preoccupied with getting laid and renting out the Lincoln Bedroom . . . and who, by the way, campaigned as the candidate of “change”).
I am encouraged by conversations with two life-long Democrats who aren’t buying Obama’s Kool-aid.
One woman, from the “blissed-out” 70’s listens to CNN on her computer and has already caught on to Obama’s trick of listening to people’s problems, then repeating the problem and promising change but not something specific. Unlike Hillary, who had plans for everything, plans she admitted the American people couldn’t afford, Obama is merely offering us the most self-absorbed couple of narcisisists we wouldn’t hope for. Prince Daintyfingers and Princess Ticked-off, as someone on National Review dubbed them.
A PR job on Michelle might have worked in an earlier era but those initial video clips are still around and they still rankle. Everytime those two open their mouths it’s always about them. That no PR person can erase.
I think Republicans are way too pessimistic. The public is dragging both parties into doing something about energy independence. McCain may just visit Anwar and decide drilling there would be OK. Environmentalists are being shown as the power-grabbing watermelons they are: green on the outside, red on the inside. Last night’s 60 Minutes story on the fortune spent to save the salmon, was tragic and hilarious in showing government idiocy. It seems poetic justice that these idiots have to go through bird shit (they brought in birds that prey on salmon as a bird refuge) to retrieve the microchips they implanted in the baby salmon. FUBAR, and the story of another fortune spent on television beamed to the mideast makes one think, if one ever doubted it, that government should do as little as possible, because what they do, they inevitably screw up.
The war in Iraq is going much better and CBS’s NCIS and David Mamet’s THE UNIT (based on Inside Delta Force) both shows dealing with our current conflict led the line-up Saturday night. CAIR may have persuaded 24 to do “other” terrorists, the always reliable Germans, but local TV stations show the seasons with Islamic terrorists. TV is about ratings and if war stories are being shown it’s because people ar watching them, and that is much more accurate a reflection of what people think than polls which are so often wrong.
I think McCain, even outspent 3 to 1, will win in November, and the Democrats may do much worse in the House and Senate than they think. The war’s no longer a winning issue for the Democrats. Their foot-dragging on energy is pissing a lot of people off. Where are their winning issues? Republican corruption. They’ve shown that corruption is something they do far better than the Republicans. (Dodd, Conrad, Wm. Jefferson).
Jun 23, 2008 - 7:10 am RE:What’s most disturbing is the number of people who do not WANT to see through the deceit, deception, and fraud.
The Biblical quote ‘There are none so blind as those who will not see’ is very much in play. Obama is making the most of it.
Jun 23, 2008 - 7:25 am AJ:“Find something weighty to accuse the man of.”
Uh, this is a 1500 word article with about 25 links to facts, mostly from Obama’s media. What more do you want? The hate filled left can ignore all they want, but any sane person knows an Obama presidency will be a disaster for America and the world. But the left seldom thinks w/ their brains, and often acts like little children with emotion over logic—hence, a man less qualified than your neighbor is one step from the highest office in the world.
Oh to be a multi ethnic Marxist with the ability to read from a teleprompter…
Jun 23, 2008 - 7:38 am Ditto:Mike,
You said “…Obama is black and therefore endemnified in the eyes of the media from any and all wrongdoing. He is protected by his race….”
I thought we were all about getting beyond race in this election? I know you’re saying this tongue in cheek but it’s sadly true. The funniest part is, unless he can produce a birth certificate to the contrary, he’s about as black as my grandfather was Sioux, which is to say about 27% - not enough to appear on the registry of tribes.
BHO is mostly white, secondarily Arab by all accounts I’ve seen. Do we have an update on this? I mean, now that he’s played the race card, let’s examine his race.
What a joke.
Jun 23, 2008 - 8:09 am Edmund Jenks (MAXINE):True believers are “lovestruck” and their minds do not work.
We should be grateful this socialist/marxist junior Senator from Illinois is an “empty suit” for the fact that at least HE has … some clothes on!
The Republican Party led by McCain are lambs for the slaughter against a Soros led Democrat Party. The push-back will have to be totally Grassroots.
Jun 23, 2008 - 8:10 am Dave II:“Sometimes a political opponent does to himself what others cannot even attempt to do. It would have been virtually impossible for the McCain camp without provocation to attack Obama as a fraud and an arrogant one to boot….But here Obama has done what weeks, if not months, of McCain ads and speeches could not: scuff up almost beyond recognition the veneer of superior political virtue which Obama heretofore enjoyed.”
Jennifer hits the proverbial nail again! The campaign has REALLY not even started for the RNC. They are simply waiting right now…and letting Obama goof and gaffe his way to a loss in November.
Just you wait, after the August convention (which will be a hoot in itself!) after Obama is the OFFICIAL nominee..the gloves will come off!
But in the meantime, Obama is doing to himself what the RNC could NEVER imagine doing! That, and what the DNC did to Hillary supporters is just eating away at Obama’s support.
Calling this race “competitive” is an understatement. McCain is looking more “Presidential” everyday, and Obama is looking like the arrogant, inexperienced baffoon he is…
Jun 23, 2008 - 8:46 am Bill Perron:Why does Obama run from McCain? He runs from debating him in a man to man town hall style question and answer debate. Is Obama all show and no go? Is he in reality a bit of an elitist wimp? Why does Obama preach class envy?When he says he wants to “tax the rich” he is really taxing just hard working people. Why does he refuse to learn from the lessons of the past? Lower taxes increases productivity and in turn increases tax revenues. I am no genius and yet I can see the errors of the Democrats and their socialistic ways, how come those Democrats that seem to think tey are so amart can’t see what I see?
Jun 23, 2008 - 8:51 am Nahanni:“Why does Obama run from McCain? He runs from debating him in a man to man town hall style question and answer debate.”
There are no teleprompters at a town hall meeting.
Doing townhall meetings with McCain would shine a spotlight on just how big of an empty suit Obama truly is. Remember the debate where Charlie Gibson asked him about capital gains taxes and then had to school him on them? That would be Obama in a townhall meeting.
Jun 23, 2008 - 9:00 am Roark:The tragedy of all of this is that after all his gaffes, flip flops, criminal associations, and vocal support of socialism, etc. HE WILL STILL BE ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE USA IN NOVEMBER!!! America is f***ed.
Jun 23, 2008 - 9:04 am cfbleachers:Hypocrisy. It really is fascinating to watch it unveil itself in real time.
1) “I am a post-racial candidate”
But “those Republicans”…we all “know” how “they” are. They cling to guns and religion…those Republicans out there in flyover country, in Middle America.
They will try to run a campaign based upon scaring you…those Republicans.
“They will try to point at my race…those Republicans. Did I mention they were white?”
2)”I will speak openly and offer a friendly hand to any enemy, no matter how brutal, how dangerous, how murderous, how evil…because you have to get to know people and engage them in dialogue. It is not helpful to say bad things about Iran and Ahmadinejad, Kim Il Sung, or the rest. We have to try to understand them and approach them with love in our hearts, talk openly, not hide our intents…we need open, candid and frank discussions to help heal the divide.”
However, we are not going to talk openly with “those Republicans”. According to our spiritual advisor for two decsdes, they invented AIDS to kill people of color. They are the reason to not be proud of our country. We don’t want Town Hall open discussions within our country…but it is a fine idea with those folks who want to push Israel into the sea.
3)”I believe that campaign financing is something that requires stricter controls and I will pledge to limit contributions if my opponent does”
I never put my hand over my heart for any pledge…I had my fingers crossed…so it didn’t count. I only want rules to apply when they favor me, not when they don’t. These are not principles of convenience,….but “those Republicans” will make you believe that because “we all know how THEY are”…and they will try to “scare you”…because that’s how they act.”
4) I have made my own seal, the new currency will have my face on it, and I have a funny name. My name is Idi Amin Dada….and I am running for President for Life. You are now free to be proud of your country. In fact, it is commanded.
Jun 23, 2008 - 9:29 am edw:It’s a sad thing that not having experience and a record to run on, and an unwillingness to debate in an open forum actually helps a candidate. I don’t care about his associations and his flip flopping so much. What bothers me about Obama is the utter lack of accountability for anything he’s done, the fact he won’t take it, and the fact the press won’t demand it. No, I don’t think any of these flip flops will hurt him too much. The race baiting, though, could be very dangerous for him. His success so far has been in no small part attributable to his desire to stay away from racial politics. If he starts to make his race an issue in the campaign without actual incidents from the McCain campaign to provoke it, he risks becoming Jesse Jackson, which he’s quite close to in all ways but perception.
Jun 23, 2008 - 9:32 am Jbl:Obama true-believers are not just looking at a candidate, they’re looking at a savior and a messiah, so it really doesn’t matter what he says or does, they’ll find ways to excuse it. What I read, often, on internet forums is, “Barack didn’t even like that seal; Axelrod forced it on him,” and “Barack didn’t want to say that but they made him,” remarks.
Either he’s his own man, or he’s not. Either he is in charge of what happens on his campaign (that’s the standard for every other candidate) or he’s a puppet being put in place as a mere figurehead.
The guy seems increasingly like an empty suit, to me, and I was excited about him at first. Now he’s just like any other politician. He’ll say anything, do anything, throw over any priniciple to win. And we’re all supposed to just ignore it all, and not think about the fact that he’s got no executive experience, hardly any legislative experience, no management experience, no military experience, or we’re mean.
Obama has changed. He’s not the guy he first seemed to be.
Jun 23, 2008 - 9:33 am Roark:The candidates who win elections and the judges who are appointed/elected to the various courts reflects the politics/philosophy of the majority of the American public. That is why Obama’s popularity is so frightening, it is true a reflection of a political philosophical line of thought that is the majority. There is an article here on critical thinking by Elizabeth Scalia. It can be said with certainty that critical thinking and reason have been relegated to subjectivist whim worshipers, else how could you explain the rise of a leftist America. I mean, you know that things are in entropy for liberty when John McCain is the best the GOP oppostion can do.
Jun 23, 2008 - 9:39 am Moultrie:very true that Obama along with the moron media are doing what the RNC could NEVER imagine doing! That, and what the DNC did to Hillary supporters is just eating away at Obama’s support….the genie is out of the bottle.
Jun 23, 2008 - 9:55 am KMJ:I agree with Roark - I think we will lose this election and the future of our country will be in serious trouble.
Jun 23, 2008 - 9:58 am bill-tb:From listening to Dems in my office and on radio I have come to the realization that they will not process anything remotely negative about Obama or they will process it exactly like Uch does above. I am occasionally buoyed by listening to conservative talk radio and visiting these types of sites but none of these conversations make it out to the main stream media…. I am very afraid.
Comrade Obama needs a compliant press to cover his lies — But he still loses. America doesn’t vote for Marxists, even if they are black.
Jun 23, 2008 - 10:51 am Hawkins:Can someone please photoshop “Mission Accomplished” on the Great Seal of Obama
Jun 23, 2008 - 11:02 am Flashlighter:Only if the first sign of “losing one’s teflon” is opening up a 15 point lead.
Jun 23, 2008 - 11:02 am Dave II:One MORE supreme example of Obama’s incompetance, naivity, and his lack of judgement:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06232008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/anti_terror_oops_116762.htm
And, gee…even the NY media acknowledges it this time!
Folks, (like Roark and KMJ)…have a little faith in the American people! This is only JUNE 23rd! We have 4+ months before the general election…
Obama is BARELY out of the gate as a “nominee” and look at all the mistakes he’s making! Plus, you need to go to some “Hillary supporter” sites and read all the comments from Democrats who will be voting for McCain this year…and NEVER Obama. It is an eye-opener:
http://www.hcsfjm.com (Click on the comments section)
http://noquarterusa.net/blog/
If all you listen to is the MSM, or even look at sites like RealClearPolitics…you’d think Obama was running away with this election…but far from it! The “grassroots” is out there, and they are turning away from this fraud daily….
Jun 23, 2008 - 11:03 am Mwalimu Daudi:If the ever-growing list of goofs and gaffes by the Messiah does not fell His campaign, nothing will. In a knife fight Democrats usually bring a gun while Republicans usually bring a KICK ME sign. The lovers’ spate between the Messiah and the MSM will pass quickly.
There will not be a 57-state landslide in November. But He Whose Middle Name Must Not Be Mentioned will still be crowned President by a wide margin anyway. The GOP continues to soil its armor Sir Robin-style, and that is not a winning formula.
Jun 23, 2008 - 11:12 am Assistant Village Idiot:As with most Democratic presidential candidates, what matters is not what he is, but what people want him to be. The press may think the bloom is off the rose and some may criticise, but that will not affect many Obama supporters. Conservatives overestimate the MSM power to move votes. Half its power derives from the picture and soundbyte/headline nature of their medium. This is more easily exploited by liberal political slants, but that aspect is not automatically good for progressives and bad for conservatives.(Ask any progressive trying to make a complicated point in the MSM). Obama can use them even when they’re against him.
Jun 23, 2008 - 11:18 am ChknLtL:Can anyone remember a single substantive statement Obama has not clarified, qualified, ignored or reneged on?
Jun 23, 2008 - 11:28 am David P:It doesn’t matter, most Americans have already made up their simple minds, it could surface that Obama was behind 9/11 and they’d still blindly support him.
Jun 23, 2008 - 1:09 pm sjc-tx:“”"If all you listen to is the MSM, or even look at sites like RealClearPolitics…you’d think Obama was running away with this election…but far from it! The “grassroots” is out there, and they are turning away from this fraud daily…”"”
Amen to that brother! 4 months is a long time for Barky to keep his foot out of his mouth… and re Meeeeshell… welll… you know what they say about putting lipstick on a pig… you still can’t stop them from oiching!
Jun 23, 2008 - 1:15 pm cfbleachers:“….merely has a law degree from Harvard University. This simply means he can pass a law exam and provide legal assistance to a client.”
Well, a license to provide assistance and the experience necessary to do so should be more separate and distinct than they are in today’s world…(as I’m sure you agree, David…I’m just using your quote as a launching point…with your assumed permission)
And providing post-racial healing and bringing people together, requires a mindset that doesn’t have as a starting point the inflammatory and erroneous stereotyping of all Republicans, or anyone who doesn’t agree with a narrow extreme leftist worldview.
To weave together my point…one having a license to practice law does not render one capable of handling the advising of others on all legal issues. It simply restricts those who do not have such license from even trying…at least legally…to do so.
By merely announcing that one is post-racial…is akin to applying for the license to be so. The expertise comes in performing the tasks expertly…not in announcing the intention and hanging out a shingle that says “Post-Racial Advice and Bloviations” and charging a nickel to Charlie Brown.
The “healer persona” would seem much less disingenuous if Sen. Obama was equally willing to appear on Fox News regularly and with as much enthusiasm for understanding the viewpoint of the “other” side…as he is to appear on Al Jazeera to do the same thing.
Then again, I suspect in Sen. Obama’s inner circle…the fans of al Jazeera are probably less the “enemy” than the fans of Fox are.
Moreover,
Jun 23, 2008 - 1:24 pm BL:No, Obama is done. It’s already over. And the bright blue seal is your “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED/DUKAKIS IN A TANK” moment. Nice work, Axelrod.
Jun 23, 2008 - 2:19 pm Saint Patton:The Seal is already gone from the Obama website. Sorry you Obamatrons, but his agreeing to appear in front of that laughable prop is going to cost him dearly; it made him appear as a grade-schooler with an art project.
You can fully expect to see the fake seal make some prominent appearances in RNC campaign commercials.
Jun 23, 2008 - 2:44 pm Rich7041:To Flashlighter: The 15% edge was one poll: Newsweek. If you want a more accurate poll, try this: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html
Jun 23, 2008 - 3:21 pm Park Slope Pubby:The average shows BO up by 6.8%, but that drops to 4.75% if you discount the aberrant poll. That is barely beyond the “margin of error.” All that being said, I do fear that BO is going to win. God bless & save the USA.
Words are cheap. I hope all those who so ably criticize Barack are sending donations to McCain. I am a conserviative, and have my problems w/ McCain, but the thought of a BO presidency terrifies me for the country I love. I sucked up my gut last week, and sent McCain a generous donation. One thing about McCain: he CAN win. Let’s make sure it happens. Barack will get endless free media publicity. We can’t also let him outspend McCain on ads.
Jun 23, 2008 - 3:44 pm Joshua:Barack will get endless free media publicity. We can’t also let him outspend McCain on ads.
Fundraising ability is vastly overrated as a campaign strength. Its only real benefit is in getting your message out, and even that’s a double-edged sword because it is just as effective in unwittingly publicizing a candidate’s own flaws. Obama may be raising vast amounts of money, but that won’t do him much net good if he uses it to basically do McCain’s dirty work for him.
Jun 23, 2008 - 4:37 pm huxley:No, Obama is done. It’s already over. And the bright blue seal is your “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED/DUKAKIS IN A TANK” moment. Nice work, Axelrod.
I hope so, but I wouldn’t be too certain. There are some cocksure Obama supporters too.
However, this is one strange race and if the usual rules applied, as Rubin, Obama wouldn’t have even run, much less achieved the nomination. No one knows what will happen in November.
Jun 23, 2008 - 5:11 pm myna:Obama Messiah has already accused everyone racists who attempted to criticize him without even opening their mouth. tsk..tsk…this is going to be a very dangerous election.
Jun 23, 2008 - 7:42 pm John Samford:huxley, he hasn’t achieved the nomination. Neither has McCain. Nominations happen AT THE CONVENTION. It has happened before that a candidate has entered the convention with a lead but no majority and then lost the nomination.
Jun 23, 2008 - 8:09 pm misanthropicus:Ohhhhhh…..BAMA has a tiny (less then a plane load) lead in pledged delegates. Super delegates can change their mind any time they want to, for any reason.
It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see quite a few supers vote present during the first round of the convention.
RE David Thomson: [...] “not very experienced or knowledgeable one at that.” [...] Barack “Barry” Obama merely has a law degree from Harvard University. [...] As matter of fact, Obama is a poorly read man who focussed on learning how to manipulate guilt tripped white liberals. He is the proverbial empty suit. [...]”
Addition to the above remark: At a certain time, one of Glibama’s selling points was that his past (i.e. Indonesia school years) made him better fit than others to handle/transcend (pardon the expression) other cultures, etc.
Jun 23, 2008 - 8:43 pm Reynolds Butler:Yet this man (is he 46?) never had the curiosity to travel abroad, Tijuana, Kiev, Montreal, Hong-Kong, you name them, are all foreign, exotic places for him. Leaving aside that (pretty obscure) Indonesian period, he was only once in Iraq, a couple of years ago and he cut short the trip to fly to Africa for a triumphalist junket - and that’s all.
I find this very well fitting with his (very focused) yet parochial existence in which his world views have been provided by Ayres, Wright or who knows what other “visionaries”. Obama’s intriguing mixture of ignorance, narcissism, naivite and cunningness would be a great liability for this country - if elected.
“Park Slope Pubby,” Are you in Park Slope, Brooklyn? Is it possible there’s a real live conservative in that bastion of kneejerk leftoid moonbats?
If so, Godspeed, my friend, Godspeed. You are not alone . . .
And I agree with what you said: everyone who supports McCain should be donating time and money to his campaign. Handwringing serves no useful purpose whatsoever.
And by the way, for the Chicken Littles out there, let not your hearts be troubled. McCain will win in a landslide. Just you wait . . .
Jun 23, 2008 - 8:49 pm Andrew Zalotocky:To become President, Obama has to overcome two key political problems.
Firstly, if people look too closely at him they won’t see anything special. He’s fundamentally just an ordinary Chicago machine politician with little experience, no major political accomplishments, and a talent for rhetoric.
Secondly, the radicalism of the Democratic Party base means that he has to tack well to the left of mainstream opinion in order to secure the candidacy, and then move back to the centre in time for the election. In the modern media environment it is impossible to do this without publicly contradicting yourself numerous times. Kerry had the same problem in 2004 and didn’t deal with it at all well.
So the only way Obama can overcome these two problems is by presenting himself as someone who transcends normal politics and therefore cannot be judged by the same standards as his rivals. The Obama cult of personality is not merely an expression of egotism or hubris. It is a political strategy, and it is one that he is forced to adopt because it is the only strategy that gives him any chance of winning.
Jun 23, 2008 - 10:59 pm Ed Wallis:In a remarkably short period of time, a candidate with minimal experience and paper trail has created his own road to ruin. Two astute observations
as far as Obama
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MzQ4YTY4YjQyMzRjYjA5MGZlNDBiZTkwYmEyODg5NTc=
and the Left
http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/06/the_obama_left.html
are concerned.
Jun 24, 2008 - 4:18 am Believer:That “kick off” to the general election: Obama saying “they’re going to make you afraid — his funny name — did I mention he’s black…” or words to that effect —
Made me think of his “kick off” to the primary race: Michelle and Barack on a sofa in their first televised interview (60 Minutes?) where she said, “And you know Barack’s a black man. He can get shot just going to the gas station.” And Barack just sort of looking like, “Aw shucks, Michelle, I’m sure glad you know how tough it is to be me…”
They’re still writing Michelle’s new script. Barack had to remind us all this time.
Jun 24, 2008 - 2:45 pm 1caligirl:I agree with Andrew Z when he states “if people look too closely at him they won’t see anything special. He’s fundamentally just an ordinary Chicago machine politician with little experience, no major political accomplishments, and a talent for rhetoric.”
Obama is an empty suit with no real political or national security experience, yet he is the best candidate? I can not believe that we are supposed to vote for him simply because he is young and speaks eloquently. Granted, Bush is not very sharp when it comes to making speaches, but would he be considered a better president for our country if he could clearly pronounce the word terrorist? I would have to say no.
In addition, any other candidate would have been run out of the race if they had such close ties with America hating racists as those that Barak Obama has surrounded himself with. Mitt Romney was pretty much laughed out of the race because he is a Mormon, yet we are not supposed to consider Barak Obama’s church since the Rev. Wright issue has errupted? HMMM???
Sometimes our political system sucks. But the “sheeple” just go along with the herd and drink the Obama koolaid and follow the main stream leader. No one seams to question anything he does or says. He is finally getting a bit of negative attention for his own errors, and I am glad to see it. If McCain, or any other presidential candidate for that matter, had said some of the things that Obama has said, their political careers would be over before they could write a resignation letter.
SAY NO TO OBAMA!!
Jun 24, 2008 - 5:22 pm Believer:I hope somebody’s keeping an eye on ACORN. I’m pretty sure O. was its lawyer at one time. And they’ve been involved in fraudulent voter registration this (last?)year.
And I’m remembering, in the primary, those extraordinarily late vote counts in Indiana. The county closest to Chicago. The numbers suddenly showed up on the screen when someone at CNN (amazingly) began talking about it being kind of suspicious they were so late. I think he even mentioned someone asking in another election year, “What’s the count?” And the answer coming back, “How many you need?”
Somewhere I read ACORN’s hired felons and other unsavories to register voters - getting their SS#s - I hope the folks know who they’re giving their info to.
Considering what O. has done, or let others perhaps do for him, in order to get where he is today, I don’t put anything beyond him. Jennifer Rubin — if there’s anything there, you’re the one I’d trust to find it out.
Maybe just talking about it would discourage, or at least limit, much of it. Makes me sick to think it’s come to this.
Jun 24, 2008 - 6:29 pm seeker:John the Bitter: When Senator Obama won primaries it was IN SPITE of white racism. When he lost it was BECAUSE of white racism.
Andrew Zalotocky: Secondly, the radicalism of the Democratic Party base means that he has to tack well to the left of mainstream opinion in order to secure the candidacy, and then move back to the centre in time for the election. In the modern media environment it is impossible to do this without publicly contradicting yourself numerous times. …
THIS IS THE PLOY OF A TRUE SOCIALIST. CHECK THE TRANSFORMATION OF POLICY OF A SOCIALIST IN HISTORY AND YOU WILL SEE THEY TRY TO FIT WITH THE SENTIMENTS OF THE PEOPLE AND USE THOSE SENTIMENTS TO GET THEIR VOTES AND SUPPORT. TOO HARD TO IDENTIFY AND VERY DANGEROUS: OBAMA’S FLIPFLOPS IS NOT ABOUT SPELLING OR WORDS… IT’S ABOUT MAKING ADVANTAGEOUS MOVES.
Believer: I hope somebody’s keeping an eye on ACORN. I’m pretty sure O. was its lawyer at one time. And they’ve been involved in fraudulent voter registration this (last?)year.
ARE MOST REPUBLICANS FOOL? THEY ARE THE MAJOR POWER BEHIND OBAMA. THE GO HOUSE TO HOUSE AND ACORN IS THE MAJOR ARM OF DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS TO DO THAT. CHECK THESE GROUPS: YOUNG DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS, WOMEN’S LIB, WORKING FAMILIES, AFL-CIO, CODEPINK AND MOVEON. EACH OF THESE GROUPS HAVE SPECIFIC AREAS FOR RECRUITMENT AND SOLIDIFICATION OF BASE FOR OBAMA.
IF YOU JUST RELY ON THE NEGATIVES IN THE MEDIA, YOU WILL LOSE! MOVE YOUR A** AND TRY TO RECRUIT AND CONVINCE EVERYONE THAT YOU CAN REACH. THAT IS THE REAL GAME OF NOVEMBER 2008 ELECTION.
THE SOCIALISTS ARE JUST KEEPING FOCUSED ON THE INTERNET AND THE MEDIA. BUT THEY ARE COMMUNITY ORGANISING. OBAMA HAS ALREADY LAUNCHED HIS EVIL MACHINES 18 RED STATES AND MAKE APPEARANCES WITH CHURCHES OR CONVINCING ALL THE EVANGELICAL LEADERS AND PASTORS.
WAKE UP!!!!
Jun 24, 2008 - 7:06 pm Jeff Perren:“Find something weighty to accuse the man of…”
I agree, and there’s plenty to choose from, a whole array of socialist-oriented policies begging to be confronted. His suicidal stance on health care, his ruinous opposition to domestic energy production, his outrageous desire to tax, tax, and then tax some more… the list is endless. His philosophy is clear and heinous, and it’s this that should be the focus — not his wife, his pastor, his persona, or any of the other non-essentials.
Jun 24, 2008 - 10:23 pm Javelin:I keep hearing about how Obama is some sort of messiah, saint, can’t do no wrong person, the media favorite from all sorts of people who then proceed to savage him completely.
Jun 25, 2008 - 12:32 pm Javelin:seeker
Jun 25, 2008 - 12:35 pm Tomp:After listening to your hysterical rant, I am more inclined to give Obama the benefit of the doubt.
The country cannot afford oBomba or the Dems. Think we’re broke now? You ain’t seen nothin’ yet. And you’d better buy a horse if you want to go anywhere.
Jun 25, 2008 - 4:58 pm bill force:I saw this bumper sticker last weekend. It treats Senator Obama with such disrespect. The senator and his wife, the lovely Michelle, should be treated with the kind of dignity that befits people of their status and upbringing. Truthfully, this country doesn’t deserve a President with so much intelligence, class, eloquence and elegance.
The highly offensive bumper sticker read:
“Say no to B.O.”
Blue collar, low class people have no right to be so mean-spirited. Have we no “hate laws?”
Jun 26, 2008 - 12:16 am regmaxi:I like all the haters coming out of the woodwork because the black guy is takin it to them … LOL
Jun 26, 2008 - 10:38 am Cletus:The same people who voted in the imbecile we’ve had running the store for the last 7+ years …
Buck up and deal with the inevitable
If Obama does win in November, he will have one term. After that, the Republicans will be voted back into office in a landslide and it will be a long long time before the democrats achieve power again.
Jun 26, 2008 - 3:49 pm fred:regmaxi,
What do you think of people like us (”the haters” as you call us)who would most certainly vote for someone like Dr. Thomas Sowell for POTUS? Bet you don’t know who he is. P.S. He’s a black man who is an economics professor from Stanford U.
This playing the race card is getting tiresome. It’s a meme that needs killin’ because it’s distorting, old, and just plain idiotic.
Jun 26, 2008 - 8:32 pm fred:Obama is the dream happenstance of unbridled ambition mated with Soros and slick marketing. Look under the hood. You’ll find Marxism-Leninism in his mother’s milk and his biological father’s genes. Handed off to Frank Marshall Davis of the CPUSA, from thence to Marxist professors in college. Networked with violent Communists like William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn.
Jun 26, 2008 - 8:36 pm Rachel Peepers:Look, ordinary people shouldn’t even try to understand why Senator Obama does what he does. You have to try and remember that He and the beautiful Michelle are much more intelligent and visionary than the vast majority of Americans, whose biggest mistakes are trying to understand his motives. After all, B.O. and Michelle both went to prestigious law schools and expensive private secondary schools. So their storehouse of knowledge makes the ordinary person’s pale by comparison. He is so high minded that when I hear him speak, he takes my breath away. And the way he pokes a little fun at how McCain tries to portray himself as a war hero,(isn’t it time for John to get over it) I just lose it again. Finally, when that wonderful day comes when the Senator is elected President, and he brings the African American style of Christianity to the White house, and the Reverand Wright speaks at his Inauguation (don’t laugh, that’s the plan) the country will get its first taste of what the Obama administration will be like. The troops will come home. The rich will be taxed. The poor will be rewarded. Millions in reparations to oppressed African Americans will be paid, something which is long overdue. Last but not least, the Fairness Doctrine will be reinstituted. For sure,
Jun 28, 2008 - 10:45 am Gina:Barack Obama is about change, the kind we can all believe in.
I have noticed a distinct pattern from Obama and his supporters towards revisionist history. Whether it’s Pastor Wright, with his radical interpretations of American history, or Pastor Moss’ denigration of Thomas Jefferson, or Obama’s historical distortions, which support his P.R. image building efforts. Their tactic is to discredit, or distort history, in order to pave the way for their new extreme policies. A President of the United States should know, and communicate real historical facts, not fabrications for personal political gain.
Jul 8, 2008 - 1:33 pm