Obama vs. McCain: The Gloves Come Off
This will all be settled in the near future. Last night was the kickoff of the fall campaign. The fact that it happened three weeks before the official start of summer tells us something about the excruciating length that the process has now achieved. But both McCain’s and Obama’s speeches – after obligatory nods to the good hearts and patriotism of their opponent – showed how rough the coming battle will be.
McCain’s speech – poorly delivered before a lackluster audience – nevertheless laid into Obama, highlighting his inexperience, his naiveté, and his lack of a tangible record:
“Both Sen. Obama and I promise we will end Washington’s stagnant, unproductive partisanship. But one of us has a record of working to do that and one of us doesn’t,” McCain said. “Americans have seen me put aside partisan and personal interests to move this country forward. They haven’t seen Sen. Obama do the same. For all his fine words and all his promise, he has never taken the hard but right course of risking his own interests for yours; of standing against the partisan rancor on his side to stand up for our country. He is an impressive man, who makes a great first impression. But he hasn’t been willing to make the tough calls; to challenge his party; to risk criticism from his supporters to bring real change to Washington. I have.”
That crack about “first impressions” is telling. McCain will seek to define Obama as a man of pretty words but a frightening far left agenda. He will be helped in this by his surrogates constantly alluding to the radicals that dot Obama’s past. Jeremiah Wright, Father Pfleger, William Ayers and others will become very familiar to Americans before election day. Whether these problematic associations will drag Obama down to defeat will depend on how well the candidate can close the obvious gap between what his radical friends say about America and his own soothing “post partisan” rhetoric.
And it will also depend on how well Obama can make his case against McCain. That brief will be simple and brutal; electing McCain will be like electing Bush to a third term.
Because while John McCain can legitimately tout moments of independence from his party in the past, such independence has not been the hallmark of his presidential campaign.
It’s not change when John McCain decided to stand with George Bush 95 percent of the time, as he did in the Senate last year.
It’s not change when he offers four more years of Bush economic policies that have failed to create well-paying jobs, or insure our workers, or help Americans afford the skyrocketing cost of college—policies that have lowered the real incomes of the average American family, widened the gap between Wall Street and Main Street, and left our children with a mountain of debt.
And it’s not change when he promises to continue a policy in Iraq that asks everything of our brave men and women in uniform and nothing of Iraqi politicians—a policy where all we look for are reasons to stay in Iraq, while we spend billions of dollars a month on a war that isn’t making the American people any safer.
So I’ll say this—there are many words to describe John McCain’s attempt to pass off his embrace of George Bush’s policies as bipartisan and new. But change is not one of them.
These are criticisms that will resonate with an awful lot of voters. And it highlights McCain’s major headache in this campaign; he can’t run very far from President George Bush and expect to hold on to his base. A president with a 30% approval rating will be a huge drag on the candidate as the Democrats will take every opportunity to try and make Bush and McCain interchangeable parts to the same machine. And with an astonishing 82% of Americans thinking that machine is on the wrong track, McCain will be forced to walk a tightrope between acknowledging and criticizing Bush mistakes while not throwing the president under the bus entirely.
Two candidates who feature compelling personal histories. One candidate youthful, suave, urbane, and whose rhetoric sets off sparks of brilliance on the stump. Another candidate older, wiser, more experienced and in many ways as comfortable as an old shoe. One candidate a virtual unknown. The other has been in the forefront of every major foreign policy and defense issue for the last generation. And always in the background, the knowledge that one candidate is white and the other is black. What role race will play in this campaign will not be obvious until after the fact.
But given American history, it is almost certain to be a significant part of what is to come.
Very nice!
McCain will have to focus especially on the Dem elites — and run against big spenders in Congress, and against the media, as well as against Obama’s policies.
Obama will have to put more detailed meat on his promises of hope — if the rich corporations and the rich in general are taxed more, how is that going to result in better jobs? It ain’t. That’s the heart of the Dem economic problem.
Obama “talking” for good effect is going to fail when he’s had 20 years to talk to Wright, who still hates whites.
“the victory of this talented, passionate, brilliant man”
Somebody is obviously a guilt tripped white man. There is little evidence to support the argument that Barack “Barry” Obama is brilliant. On the contrary, he is obviously a poorly read man who has mastered the art of race hustling. Can anyone point out even one “brilliant” thing that Obama has ever said? Just one would be nice. The man has displayed gross ignorance regarding the issues of the day. Obama doesn’t even begin to possess a half way decent understanding of either economic matters or international affairs. Let’s be blunt: Obama is an an affirmative action presidential candidate. Someone with his extremely weak resume would never be remotely considered for the highest office in the land were he complete white.
HE, BARACK OBAMA, WILL WIN
GOD BLESS HIM AND THE GREAT AMERICAN NATION.
HE WILL HELP AFRICAN IN GETTING FREE FROM THE MUGABES THAT INFECT, SPOIL AND KEEP AFRICA IN SUCH STATE.
OBAMA WILL BE THE PRESIDENT OF TWO CONTINENT, THAT IS THE HOPE OF AFRICANS. UNITE OUR TWO CONTINENT AND WIPE AWAY THE RACE FENCE.
There is nothing more frightening than ignorance in action.
Who, besides the ignorant, would even consider voting for this lying, conniving, candidate?
Obama’s “NOT EXACTLY’S”: This person is more dangerous than any candidate in recent years….
1.) ‘Selma Got Me Born ‘ – NOT EXACTLY, your parents felt safe
enough to have you in 1961 – Selma had no effect on your birth, as
Selma was in 1965. (Google’Obama Selma’ for his full March 4,
2007 speech and articles about its various untruths.)
2.) Father Was A Goat Herder – NOT EXACTLY, he was a
privileged, well educated youth, who went on to work with the Kenyan
Government.
3.) Father Was A Proud Freedom Fighter – NOT EXACTLY, he
was part of one of the most corrupt and violent governments Kenya has
Ever had.
4.) “My Family Has Strong Ties To African Freedom” – NOT EXACTLY,
your cousin Raila Odinga has created mass violence in attempting
to overturn a legitimate election in 2007, in Kenya. It is the first
widespread violence in decades. The current government is pro-American
but Odinga wants to overthrow it and establish Muslim Sharia law. Your
half-brother, Abongo Obama, is Odinga’s follower. You interrupted your
New Hampshire campaigning to speak to Odinga on the phone. Check out
the following link for verification of that….and for more.
Obama’s cousin Odinga in Kenya ran for president and
tried to get Sharia Muslim law in place there. When Odinga lost the
elections, his followers have burned Christians’ homes and then burned
men, women and children alive in a Christian church where they took
shelter.. Obama SUPPORTED his cousin before the election process here
started. Google Obama and Odinga and see what you get. No one wants to know the truth.
5.) “My Grandmother Has Always Been A Christian” – NOT EXACTLY,
she does her daily Salat prayers at 5am according to her own
interviews. Not to mention, Christianity wouldn’t allow her to have been
one of 14 wives to 1 man.
6.) “My Name is African Swahili” – NOT EXACTLY, your name is
Arabic and ‘Baraka’ (from which Barack came) means
‘blessed’ in that language. Hussein is also Arabic and so is Obama.
Barack Hussein Obama is not half black. If elected, he
would be the first Arab-American President, not the first black
President. Barack Hussein Obama is 50% Caucasian from his mother’s side and 43.75% Arabic and 6.25% African Negro from his father’s side. While Barack Hussein Obama’s father was from Kenya, his father’s family
was mainly Arabs.. Barack Hussein Obama’s father was only 12.5% African
Negro and 87.5% Arab (his father’s birth certificate even states
he’s Arab, not African Negro). From….and for more….go to…..
http://www.arcadeathome.com/newsboy.phtml?Barack_Hussein_Obama_-_Arab-Americ
7.) “I Never Practiced Islam” – NOT EXACTLY, you practiced it
daily at school, where you were registered as a Muslim and kept that
faith for 31 years, until your wife made you change, so you could run
for office. 4-3-08 Article “Obama was! ‘quite religious in Islam”
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=60559
8.) “My School In Indonesia Was Christian” – NOT EXACTLY, you
were registered as Muslim there and got in trouble in Koranic
wtudies for making faces (check your own book).
February 28, 2008. Kristoff from the New York Times a
year ago: Mr. Obama recalled the opening lines of the Arabic call to
prayer, reciting them with a first-rate accent. In a remark that seemed
delightfully uncalculated (it’ll give Alabama voters heart attacks),
Mr. Obama described the call to prayer as “one of the prettiest
sounds on Earth at sunset.” This is just one example of what Pamela
is talking about when she says “Obama’s narrative is being altered,
enhanced and manipulated to whitewash troubling facts.”
9.) “I Was fluent In Indonesian” – NOT EXACTLY, not one
teacher says you could speak the language.
10.) “Because I Lived In Indonesia, I Have More Foreign
Experience” – NOT EXACTLY, you were there from the ages of 6 to 10, and
couldn’t even speak the language. What did you learn, how to study the
Koran and watch cartoons.
11.) “I Am Stronger On Foreign Affairs” – NOT EXACTLY, except
for Africa (surprise) and the Middle East (bigger surprise), you have
never been anywhere else on the planet and thus have NO experience
with our closest allies.
12.) “I Blame My Early Drug Use On Ethnic Confusion” – NOT EXACTLY,
you were quite content in high school to be Barry Obama, no
mention of Kenya and no mention of struggle to identify – your
classmates said you were just fine.
13.) “An Ebony Article Moved Me To Run For Office” – NOT EXACTLY,
Ebony has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It
doesn’t, and never did, exist.
14.) “A Life Magazine Article Changed My Outlook On Life” -
NOT EXACTLY, Life has yet to find the article you mention in your
book. It doesn’t, and never did, exist.
15.) “I Won’t Run On A National Ticket In ’08″ – NOT EXACTLY,
here you are, despite saying, live on TV, that you would not have
enough experience by then, and you are all about having experience first.
16.) Voting “Present” is Common In Illinois
Senate – NOT EXACTLY, they are common for YOU,
but not many others have 130 NO VOTES.
17.) Oops, I Misvoted – NOT EXACTLY, only when caught by
church groups and Democrats, did you beg to change your misvote.
18.) “I Was A Professor Of Law” – NOT EXACTLY, you were a
senior lecturer ON LEAVE.
19.) “I Was A Constitutional Lawyer” – NOT EXACTLY, you were
a senior lecturer ON LEAVE.
20.) “Without Me, There Would Be No Ethics Bill” – NOT EXACTLY,
you didn’t write it, introduce it, change it, or create it.
21.) “The Ethics Bill Was Hard To Pass” – NOT EXACTLY, it
took just 14 days from start to finish.
22.) “I Wrote A Tough Nuclear Bill” – NOT EXACTLY, your bill
was rejected by your own party for its pandering and lack of all
regulation – mainly because of your Nuclear donor, Exelon, from which
David Axelrod came.
23.) “I Have Released My State Records” – NOT EXACTLY, as of
March, 2008, state bills you sponsored or voted for have yet to be
released, exposing all the special interests pork hidden within.
24.) “I Took On The Asbestos Altgeld Gardens Mess” – NOT EXACTLY,
you were part of a large group of people who remedied Altgeld
Gardens. You failed to mention anyone else but yourself, in your books.
25.) “My Economics Bill Will Help America” – NOT EXACTLY,
your 111 economic policies were just combined into a proposal which
lost 99-0, and even YOU voted against your own bill.
26.) “I Have Been A Bold Leader In Illinois” – NOT EXACTLY,
even your own supporters claim to have not seen BOLD action on your part.
27.) “I Passed 26 Of My Own Bills In One Year” – NOT EXACTLY,
they were not YOUR bills, but rather handed to you, after their
creation by a fellow Senator, to assist you in a future bid for higher
office.
28.) “No One on my campaign contacted Canada about NAFTA” -
NOT EXACTLY, the Canadian Government issued the names and a memo of the conversation your campaign had with them.
“He will be helped in this by his surrogates constantly alluding to the radicals that dot Obama’s past. Jeremiah Wright, Father Pfleger, William Ayers and others will become very familiar to Americans before election day.”
His past? Are you kidding me? Could you please define your view of time.
Let’s face it. The McCain campaign can only win by running against McCain’s own institution – Congress. It, after all, has a lower approval rating with the American people than does Bush!
So, in addition to running against Obama’s obvious elitism, etc., he absolutely must run against the Democratic led House and Senate, specifically against Reid, Boxer, Feinstein, Pelosi, Hoyer, and so on.
He has to run for energy independence, against the religion of climate change [that's going to be tough, but it has to be done], and against earmarks, i.e., for economic independence for the American people.
Good luck!
I too fail to see brilliance.
Obama, the white guilt candidate we can believe in……..Uuuuugggghhhh
Bravo David Thomson. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the author of this piece saying “talented, passionate, brilliant man.” I guess guilt tripped white man is a good explanation. I also wish conservatives would stop saying Clinton is a “brilliant campaigner.” Everyone knows he only got elected because Ross Perot ran as an independent. Can’t people remember these things? When was the last time any democrat called any republican brilliant? Republicans and conservatives need to learn that this is an important battle to win, not some polite conversation at a cocktail party. Stop with the compliments! It accomplishes nothing.
Obama is the product of the post-baby boom education establishment. No matter how intelligent he is, and make no mistake about it Barak Obama is highly intelligent, Obama is incredibly ignorant. As such he is the archetypical “highly educated voter.” He is long on commitment and short on his facts. His ignorance leads him to support ideas and concepts that have been historical failures. He is a Socialist simply because he does not know that wherever socialism has been tried misery and failure have followed. Ignorance of the facts allows both domestic supporters and foreign leaders to exploit and manipulate him. He will be elected because a majority of voters are a product of the same educational system that eschews facts and promotes feelings. He will be a disaster from the first day in office until he leaves office on January 20, 2012. Will he leave behind a wrecked healthcare system, an economy strangled by an energy shortage or the Middle East in nuclear ruins when he tries to throw Israel under the bus? All that lies ahead in the Yawning Heights of a Radiant Future.
Summing up a person to others, using the term, they’re one of us, goes to the point of a persons character. Which of these two candidates is one of us? Who relates to Americans better? Who do we want to lead us? Political genius, Harvard grad lawyer, with radical associations and plans to expand government, therefore raising taxes or Navy grad war hero, who plans to shrink wasteful government, therefore cutting taxes. I’m one of those white people who never felt Obama’s race mattered. To me it still doesn’t and never will. Are they one of us goes much deeper than race or gender. Who’s one of us? An ultra liberal or middle of the road conservative? By a black man becoming the nominee, speaks volumes how far we’ve come. I’m proud that hurdle’s been jumped. Now it comes down to who relates better and can be trusted by the majority of Americans. That will never change or should. It’s who we are and who’s one of us. I’m confident we’ll get it right and McCain will win.
As Bill Bradley says, very nice. Very evenhanded. Statesmanlike, even. Rick Moran is as neutral as a referee announcing a a major fight between two evenly matched contenders.
Reality is very different. At least in this voter’s universe. The difference between the candidates is substance vs lack thereof. Performance vs promises.
One candidate presents the voter with an accurately recorded history of his accomplishments. The other presents an admittedly factional autobiography of his emotional and political development.
One candidate brings references from well known national figures on both sides of the aisle. Friend and foe praise him alike.
The other grudgingly disassociates himself from intimate, long-standing political and spiritual entanglements with America-hating terrorists and racists. Gracious to a fault, he has no enemies.
But neither character nor issues will determine this election. The the stage has been set by the Democratic primary. Identity rules.
Which candidate do you identify with more, is the question voters will be asking themselves this November. Are you white or black? Old or young? Male or female? Urban, burban or rural?
Cosmetics and telegenics will count as they have not since Kennedy vs Nixon.
The old white guy from the American West has what Tom Wolfe calls the “the right stuff” and he has it in spades. But he’s old and white and a guy to boot.
The young black guy without a portfolio from nowhere looks and sounds much more promising and presidential. If the Republicans don’t address graphics, cosmetics and event planning better than was demonstrated last night, he’s shoo-in
Look how scared conservatives are of Obama. What a great candidate. Obama has the republican establishment shaking in their boots. You guys must spend 10x the effort trying to push this marxist, affirmative action, Muslim rhetoric than you do helping prop up your own weak, old candidate. And guess what? your made up talking points are not sticking. Your wishful thinking is not going to change what you know will happen. Obama will be the next president, you may start your complaining now, your put downs, name calling and falsehoods only bring a smile to my face. You guys had your chance to run the class and earned a solid grade F. Good luck in summer school losers.
“”"Putting politics aside for one moment, the victory of this talented, passionate, brilliant man whose life story is perhaps even more incredible than his singular achievement in winning the nomination should be a source of enormous pride for all Americans.”"”
This is sarcastic right?!
To TomGrey—-
“if the rich corporations and the rich in general are taxed more, how is that going to result in better jobs? It ain’t. That’s the heart of the Dem economic problem.”
But, but they are no longer providing those good jobs for the American people. The corporations are taking th money and running…. That’s the problem with the so called conservative thinking… what is happening in America is that the rich have gotten incredibly richer and the middle class is gone and the poor are poorer. A democracy cannot exist if all of the people cannot participate and buy the products that the corporations make…
“There is little evidence to support the argument that Barack “Barry” Obama is brilliant.
You know Thomson, you’re right.
Why would I think some one who graduates Summa from Harvard Law school, becomes president of the law review, and defeats one of the most monstrously effective and frightening political machines of the 20th century “brilliant.”
You’re absolutely correct. My bad.
Rick
You just described someone who is well educated, not necessarily brilliant. My business partner graduated from Univ of Arkansas
but he can run circles around Obama regarding economics, finance, & foreign affairs.
And the sickness persists . . . Enter the mischief makers . . . Just like us poor ignorant Obama supporters expected, here comes the liars, fear, and hate mongers to do all they can to draw attention to everything divisive and negative in hopes that voters will not see the true measure of Mr. Obama. You don’t want to focus on the real issues and challenges that face our country. I think that you hope people are emotionally weak and ignorant enough to believe the foolishness you’ve posted.
***”There is nothing more frightening than ignorance in action.
Who, besides the ignorant, would even consider voting for this lying, conniving, candidate?
Obama’s “NOT EXACTLY’S”: This person is more dangerous than any candidate in recent years….”***
How silly and stupid is the above remark? It reminds me of a immature high school student bad mouthing another student who’s genuine popularity they hate. You are a bit craftier than school students so you resort to context shifting, innuendo, and well disguised lies to darken the image of the object of your hate or fear. What makes Mr. Obama “dangerous?” Do you think that the current President and his administration is dangerous?
Furthermore, the practice of “race hustling” is and has always been a weapon used by many whites in the country. White Supremacy is and has been central to European rule and power. Now, you accuse Mr. Obama of a concept fathered by some caucasian people. Where is the proof of your accusation? The denial of the talent and brilliance of Mr. Obama is at least ignorance tinged with racism.
I’m not silly enough to believe that most of the whites in America are ready to accept a black man as President of the United States. Many whites are ready, but most are not. And, many of those that are ready are nervously ready. There is no enemy outside the U.S. that is greater that the social sicknesses and ignorance that’s rotting this nation from the inside out. Can we move to truthful and intelligent dialogue? While many of us are still acting like children we’re sentencing our children to a hellish future as we continue to loose economic, technological, moral, and political standing in the world. The only thing Made In America nowadays is foolishness, fearand WAR.
Quit trippin.
Why do so many think of McCain as strong? Have you ever heard him speak? It is obvious he is out of tourh with what America wants and has been for some time. To discuss brilliance and specific race comments/rumors/lies etc. in the same paragraph shows the lack of “brilliance” here and points to “extreme” ignorance.
Ugh, Rick Obama is the one that has been flashing the race card from day one. And I say that as a black woman.
The man is not brilliant. He only sounds moderately intelligent when there is a teleprompter. At this point in the game most of his speeches sound canned. And he’s absolutely awful in the debates. He can’t answer questions about his own policy proposals or his associations. Did we forget that Bush has a degree in history from Yale. And an MBA from Harvard. I don’t care what school you went to or what grades you got. If you have no common sense, you’re an idiot in my book.
What I see is an insulated person who has never really had to work hard. He has made his way with white guilt and a false sense of kinship with African Americans.
He slaps his name on other people’s bills and shoots to power. He greases the wheels of the old Chicago political machine. He games the losing McGovern nominating system. And is supported by left-wing party elites with an ax to grind. Let’s not even get into the crowds he runs with.
I’m sorry but I’m not impressed. There is no way in hell I’m voting for the guy. And I hope he loses badly.
politicalreacharound-
I love it when you show up here! It always brings a bit of humor and levity to the other poster’s mundane facts and assessments about Obama…
Oh, btw, can you enlighten us on how Obama is going to win, when somewhere between 25% to 33% (depending on who’s counting) of Hillary supporters say they will NOT be voting for Obama in November???
And when Obama has YET to make any inroads or generate enthusiasm in the crucial LATINO vote???
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/10829.html
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=aa52382187eb006e886af5435946566d
I know you probably won’t read those articles, and I’m not putting it past Obama to turn his problems around…but he is a WEAK candidate. He LIMPED to victory in the run for the nomination, LOSING 9 of the last 13 primaries!
He has NOT built momentum in key DEMOCRATIC demographics, or even in his OWN PARTY! And just wait until the Repubs unleash what they have on him….he (and his supporters like you) won’t know what hit them!
Right now, McCain supporters couldn’t be happier… the dems have nominated THE WEAKEST candidate against their nominee, and they (as much as they’ll try to appear their not) are FRACTURED and completely lined up to blow another election!
In response to “jerry”, how could you ever criticize Obama or judge him about leaving the economy in shambles when the person he is running against shares Bush-like views and policies!! If you are a rich person getting richer because of the conservative mindset then good on you but for the rest, socialism won’t seem so bad at all. I hope you wake up from the Bush years before you vote.
“…socialism won’t seem so bad at all.”
The “hope” of the naive and historical ignorant.
Socialism and it’s big brother, communism, have NEVER worked and never will…
To suggest that Sen. Obama is not intelligent, underestimates him and that is not wise or healthy. He is clearly the best motivational speaker, capable of articulating his platform (such as it is) and delivering speeches that move his base.
We have not seen someone do that on the other side of the aisle since Reagan. Bush Sr. was an eloquent and articulate man, but not particularly inspiring. Certainly not in Reagan’s league. Clinton was an effective speaker, but moreso in town hall settings…his big speeches were not galvanizing, in my opinion. The current President Bush…well, public speaking and motivating and galvanizing…articulating ideas, …simply not his long suit.
Nobody ever got anywhere by continuing to underestimate the opposing side. It is unwise to do so. Give Sen. Obama his due. He has an outstanding ability to deliver prepared speeches. He appears natural and unforced. His pacing, style and demeanor are well orchestrated. He chooses powerful words and phrases that motivate and excite his base and he turns a phrase to maximum impact.
Sen. McCain does not. He is second best in terms of style, pacing, natural and/or unforced demeanor and ability to motivate.
Style points are a near lock to go to Sen. Obama throughout this campaign. Underestimating the value of that advantage, is likely to cause an ineffective response to it. That’s a mistake of epic proportions. I like Rick Moran and the attack on him here is not well founded. I don’t agree with all his conclusions, and I will offer up why in a following post…but, I respect what he has to say…and pay attention to it. So should the rest of us, including some of my favorite commenters…who are ordinarily know better.
That crack about “first impressions” is telling. McCain will seek to define Obama as a man of pretty words but a frightening far left agenda. He will be helped in this by his surrogates constantly alluding to the radicals that dot Obama’s past. Jeremiah Wright, Father Pfleger, William Ayers and others will become very familiar to Americans before election day. Whether these problematic associations will drag Obama down to defeat will depend on how well the candidate can close the obvious gap between what his radical friends say about America and his own soothing “post partisan” rhetoric.
What I fail to comprehend, is why it should be left to “surrogates constantly alluding to the radicals that DOT Obama’s past”. And why Sen. McCain has to “seek to define” Obama as having a “frightening far left agenda”.
Here is the narrative as I see it, having pieced together the slim pickings that the campaign has allowed to seep out from under its vice-like grip on Sen. Obama’s lifelong attraction to strident and venomous voices of hate for this country, for whites in general and for Jews in specific.
Sen. Obama was brought up in a family that was anything but traditional middle America. His mother held an antipathy toward virtually all traditional middle American values, she was unattached emotionally to organized religion, she was by all signs and signals…somewhere between a coffee house beatnik and a hippie, not falling neatly into either category.
She married a Kenyan whose ancestors were Arabic, he was a non-practicing Muslim. He had a strong attraction to Socialism, with a leaning toward Communism. He was an ardent opponent of capitalism and free market enterprise. He left Sen. Obama’s life early on, and from the title of books and excerpts therefrom, left a void that Sen. Obama sought to close for decades thereafter.
His mother remarried and for a period, Sen. Obama lived in Jakarta, where he enrolled as a Muslim and was taught the Koran.
At some point, he was sent back to live with his maternal grandparents in Hawaii and came across “Frank” Marshall Davis. A Communist Party USA member and a very strident voice against America, especially middle America, the American Dream. “Frank” told Sen. Obama before he was headed off to college to not get sucked into believing the American Dream, and to always remember “his people”.
Sen. Obama set off to college and began a mission to seek out and engage his most radical professors. With virtually all of his in loco parenti voices ringing leftist anti-America whisperings in his ear, those radical left voices must have felt most like home.
Sen. Obama wished to become a “community organizer” and met up with Saul Alinsky in Chicago. A strident voice yet again to mentor him and show him the ropes. But Alinsky’s style of organizing was missing an element of “spark” and Sen. Obama went in search of that spark. He found it in Jeremiah Wright…who, himself…was channeling Louis Farrakhan through the veil of James Cone’s Black Liberation Theology…and masked by a “Christian” front. That church is not about traditional Christian teachings or values. It hides the venom, bile and racism behind it. It is a Marxist inspired and black separationist rage against middle America, white America in general and Jews in specific.
There is not a dust mite’s worth of difference between what “Frank” Marshall Davis was whispering in the college bound ear of Sen. Obama and what Louis Farrakhan and his disciple Jeremiah Wright were screaming from the top of their lungs.
Before going to law school, Sen. Obama took an armful of Jeremiah Wright’s tapes with him to emulate, to study, to bathe himself in that worldview.
When he was in law school, and shortly thereafter…Sen. Obama did a summer internship at Sidley & Austin. This is where he met Michelle. Michelle is a hard core proponent of anti-middle class assimilation by blacks. She sees white Middle America as hostile, angry, mean, slothful, …and always has.
Also working for Sidley & Austin at the time…was Bernardine Dorhn. The wife of William Ayers.
When Sen. Obama returns to Chicago for good…he eventually becomes connected to Ayers and Dorhn through the Woods Foundation where they both sat on the board. But also, and less reported…through the Annenberg group which is spearheaded by Ayers…and for which Sen. Obama was hand picked.
The Ayers/Dorhn connection is not one of a “distant” and “infrequent” nothingness.
And there would not be a dust mite’s bit of difference between the anti-America, tear down the system, destroy capitalism by any means necessary hatred and bile for this country coming out of Ayers and Dorhn…than comes out of “Frank” Marshall Davis, Louis Farrakhan, Jeremiah Wright, Otis Moss, Rev. Meeks, or Father Pfleger. The chief blogger for Sen. Obama is Sam Graham-Felsen, an admirer of Chomsky. He has had two high ranking staffers from the Nation of Islam. This isn’t something that “surrogates” need to “allude to”. The objective media ought to be working through this in the open. Of course, objective media in this day and age is an oxymoron.
The added element to this continuing, lifelong, attraction to hatred of Middle America…is the one that contains an anti-Israel twist. The connections to the late Edward Said, Rashid Khalidi, Ali Abunimah, Tony Rezco…have been intentionally ignored by the “in the bag” media. The tingle they feel down their collective legs, is that streak of yellow leaking from their very weak spines.
The antipathy that Sen. Obama has shown for Israel is also very evident in the selection of his advisory staff on the Middle East. The Jimmy Carter redux is palpable. Brzezinski, Malley, McPeak, Power, Lake and the like have a pretty consistent narrative when it comes to Israel.
All anyone has to do is walk in the footprints that Sen. Obama has made his entire life and one doesn’t have to “allude” to anything. And it certainly shouldn’t be some “hidden agenda” with surrogate operatives talking about this.
I have ZERO interest in Socialism, but I am willing to listen to someone who wants to advocate it in the open. I think the argument against black assimilation is destructive and ill conceived. But, I am willing to listen to someone who wants to discuss it openly, without the racist tinged bile and blame game against all people with white skin.
The “first impressions” argument is right on the money. But, Rick…your response that “surrogates” have to “allude” to what should be examined out in the sunshine…is disappointing. I like your work. I think you are very good and I have defended you as such in the previous post…but this paragraph needs to be reworked.
He is a good actor. Yes I will give him that.
But he is no Martin Luther King. There is no depth or gravity from which he speaks. Maybe in a postmodern era he’s the bees knees. For the rest of us, he’s the political pet rock. Give it some time cfbleachers and the kool-aid’s effects will have worn off.
Scott:
I am certainly above the median income in this country but I am hardly rich. Your feeble mind has probably forgotten that the Bill Gates economic boom in the 1990s ended in the tech stock bubble of 2000 in part prompted i9n part by the Bill Clinton attack on Microsoft. So the Bush post-911 boom ended in a housing bubble. This may come as shock to you but there is something called a business cycle. Both the post-Clinton recession and the Bush recession were short although it looks like Bush’s recession won’t really be a recession since GDP will probably not go negative.
As far as oil and food prices go the first is the result of the Democratic Party’s twenty year history of obstructionism on energy development and the food crisis is the result of our failure to lock up Al Gore in a home for the mental ill where his ravings on the end of world won’t be taken so seriously.
I can see by your ramblings about socialism that you are one of the ignorant people I speak of. Anybody who knows the history of socialism knows that all it produces is poverty and repression. If you are truly enamored with totalitarianism I suggest you become a devotee of Mussolini or his disciples in China. At least with Fascism you get some economic benefit for living in a police state.
Scott:
The US does not require an intelligence test before allowing people to vote in the general election but you are making a strong case for exactly that.
How bad were the Bush years? The facts: unemployment remains at an historically low 5%, inflation is manageable at less than 3%, and the economy is still growing (slowly). Post 9/11 the United States has not suffered an attack on home soil in six and a half years. Meanwhile, overseas AQ has been largley defeated and Iraq is finally emerging as a legitimate democracy. I know the left has its own narrative about current conditions. Fine. You’re welcome to your own opinions, but not your own facts.
I’ll take McCain and more of the same, thank you. Strong on national defense and fiscally conservative is not a bad start. Change? I’ll vote for two. We need a realistic energy policy that recognizes that reliance on foreign oil is a national security issue. The other is to see the debate on global warming placed in the hands of scientists, not the media. I’m sorry, but the science is NOT in.
God save the Republic!
“Putting politics aside for one moment, the victory of this talented, passionate, brilliant man whose life story is perhaps even more incredible than his singular achievement in winning the nomination should be a source of enormous pride for all Americans.”
Hyperbolize much? This is right up there with Chris Matthews’ take on the Obama Wright speech. “Worthy of Abraham Lincoln.”
When I look at Obama, I don’t see a passionate man, for he stands for nothing – as witnessed by the entire Wright debacle. I don’t see a brilliant man, he’s made far too many newbie mistakes in this campaign. He’s a talented speech giver, if you’re not looking for substance. He’s a master of being a blank canvas so that people can paint their own masterpiece of what he’s about.
Question: Suppose he was a white guy. Would he still be so brilliant and talented?
I’ve said for years that “anything is possible if you lower your standards far enough.”
Both major party candidates prove my assertion is true. Neither of them has the experience to be a good president – Obama has virtually no experience or accomplishments to his name.
Too bad “None of the above” is an option on the ballots.
“He will be a disaster from the first day in office until he leaves office on January 20, 2012.”
**If elected he’d leave office without reelection on January 20, 2013.
**And Rick, I never heard George Bush called brilliant for his Harvard and Yale degrees, ability to fly jet aircraft, and become a governor then a president (twice). I think you’ll often find such pedigrees render morons–have a look at most university faculty members.
cfbleachers-
As always, spot on and a great summary of what is not being explored by the MSM. Thanks!
I’m new to this comments page, so let me give you a quick a bio before we engage. Just so you know where I stand..such as it is. I’m 43 years old US citizen, living and working in London. In investment banking. I’ve earned enough here in the last decade to buy and sell 2 properties. I love my country and vote with an absentee ballot in all major elections. I’m a North Carolinian with parents, grandparents, uncles, 2 aunts and a grandmother who served, and continue to serve in the US Armed Force. Dad: Airforce in Korea and Vietnam. Stepfather and three uncles in the Army. All fought in the Vietnam conflict. Only two returned. 2 Aunts in Army services, 1 for twelve years, recently retired. 1 currently. I love my country… I love my leaders. Even Bush, when he dances! No, just joking. Even as I see him suffering now, bad ratings and negative polls, I still feel a deep sense of protective endearment for him. He’s my president! The least we could do is show him reverence for the office. It hard… BLOODY HARD… to defend him from afar, cause as you know… he’s hated around the world. Particularly in Europe. But I do. I defend him to the core of my being, cause when you’re abroad… all you got is your country! Being an American in Europe has enhanced my success enormously! But I’ve got to say this… no matter what your party affiliations… Obama is the best thing we got going right now. Put him in, and we’ll own the world. Everyone will want to be a part of us.Investment, which we sorely need, will pour through. Goodwill will wash over us like a baptism. 5 years from now we’ll be best friends with Africa (where all the new oil deposits (huge) are. We’ll be greater than ever! Without the bloodshed. Everyone wants to believe in us as the saviors of the world. We’re just too scared to believe in ourselves. As an American living outside the mainland, I’ve a special insight. Everyone thinks we’re sinking. Many are relishing in our supposed demise. I say lets show them. I say… LET’S PUT OUT BEST MAN FORWARD, REGARDLESS OF HIS COLOUR. LET’S CONTROL THE FUTURE WITH OUR OBVIOUSNESS. WHO’S BETTER! WHO’S BEST!
cissy diew,
You make a mistake when you assert that the personality of a president makes a difference. But you’re in good company; Obama believes the same thing. But his charisma will not change the deep antipathy that Iranian theocrats hold toward the U.S.
Nations are run by statesmen who make decisions based on national self-interest. The socialist European press has convinced the populace that President Bush is a monster. But that does not change the relationship between Europe and the U.S. Trade, common defense, and shared traditions bind the West regardless of who happens to be in power at the moment.
Obama fans point out how Lincoln emerged as a great president despite his inexperience, but this isn’t true.
Lincoln was a long time lawyer and a member of the whig party. He participated in a militia formed against the Native Americans. He was more actively involved in politics than OHB. DNC 2008 would never nominte Lincoln. Some of his presidential policies that helped save the country would have modern day liberals vomit in fear.
Obama is a politician from Illinois. That about sums up the similarities between him and Lincoln. He did not build a log cabin with his own hand, walk several miles to return surplus change, suffer the anguish of losing his child, and guide his war torn country to victory.
Obama, Bush, Clinton – None of them should be mentioned with Lincoln in the same sentence, unless its “Obama, Bush and Clinton are sssoooooo not like Lincoln” He was a hallmark of the honest president.
Even the conservatives — real world operatives — laughed you off of New West Notes.
If the right is going to recover in America, it won’t be with this sort of bilge.
>David Thomson:
“the victory of this talented, passionate, brilliant man”
Somebody is obviously a guilt tripped white man. There is little evidence to support the argument that Barack “Barry” Obama is brilliant. On the contrary, he is obviously a poorly read man who has mastered the art of race hustling. Can anyone point out even one “brilliant” thing that Obama has ever said? Just one would be nice. The man has displayed gross ignorance regarding the issues of the day. Obama doesn’t even begin to possess a half way decent understanding of either economic matters or international affairs. Let’s be blunt: Obama is an an affirmative action presidential candidate. Someone with his extremely weak resume would never be remotely considered for the highest office in the land were he complete white.
Jun 4, 2008 – 4:31 am
Clinton crushed Bob Dole. Were it not for term limits, he would be elected president again this year. If he were able to beat Obama.
>Donna Stadler:
Bravo David Thomson. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the author of this piece saying “talented, passionate, brilliant man.” I guess guilt tripped white man is a good explanation. I also wish conservatives would stop saying Clinton is a “brilliant campaigner.” Everyone knows he only got elected because Ross Perot ran as an independent.
OBY Vs McCy ..it is now official.
OBAMA = youth + Freshness + change + BasketBall
McCain= Ageism + experience + Bush + no balls
Fight 1 : Youth Vs. Ageism = Youth. 1 /0
Fight 2 : Freshness Vs. experience = Experienc 0/1 ?
Fight 3 : Change Vs. Bush =change bush = change 1/0
Fight 4 : Basket Ball Vs. No balls (White Men Cant jump) = Basket ball 1/0
—————————-
Result OBy 3 / Mcy 1
or Oby 2/ Mcy 0
—————————-
If Obama is to bring real change, then Hillary MUST NOT
be Vice president nominee. what kind of experience she has ?, dude common, she was in the white house for 8 years and could not control her husband, how is she gonna control the nation ?.
If Oby selects her, then definitily he will loose to McCy
—————————-
and Oh, MCCy….good old McDonalds (McDy) calims to be a relative of yours !!
I like the background first here.
My grandfather, father, three uncles myself and my brother have served or are serving in the military not that gives us any more voice than anyone else. I am married to a dirt hugging tree lover who until this year has never cared about politics. Let me tell you what she said after listening to one Hussien speach “this guy is full of crap” “who the hell would listen to this stuff?” I think that would say enough right there to dissuade anyone from voting for Hussien.
I would not vote for any person woman,black,white, purple with as little experience doing anything as Hussien. When I hire employees I hire them based upon a skill set that I need or other talents that I can fit into the company mold. I approach voting in the same way for instance I have a democratic senator that I will vote for until she is 100 because she does very well and does not dance with the Daily Kos crowd to get popular. Why would I vote for the leader of the free world who is barely a senator long enough to get an office. Pull your guts out this people and use your heads.
The war now begins.
I am scared to death of Obama. His politics are enough to frighten a mouse! And I am serious! Yes, I understand people want an end to the war in Iraq. But the truth is, it is already won. The process now is to contain it, train the Iraqi military, and leave a “presence” there, like in Korea. We have captured basically every top rebel/al-Qaeda/terrorist leader in Iraq that we know of.
The problem isn’t Iraq. It isn’t the new government. It’s three things: Iran, Hezbollah, and the rival between Shiites and Sunnis.
Yes, John McCain is old. So was Ronald Reagan. It doesn’t matter how old somebody is. It shouldn’t matter, anyway. We’re all human with our own goals and aspirations. McCain has a vision: one that will protect the United States and give Americans lower gas prices and be able to afford groceries.
He’s not campaigning for Bush’s 3rd term. He and Bush are “separate.” McCain disagrees with some of the President’s policies. In fact, in today’s speech, he said the war was mishandled. “The surge is working,” he echoes. He was right. IT IS WORKING, and it will continue to work. The war is won.
McCain ’08. Experience is better than no experience at all.
Like an earlier poster said, let’s not fall into the trap of underestimating Obama. That’s what the Dems did in ’00 and ’04 and it cost them dearly.
Last night, when I watched McCain’s and Obama’s speeches I became very depressed. I agreed with most of what McCain said, but his delivery was just godawful. I thought Obama’s speech was pure fluff, but the guy could convince voters that lollipops will fall from the sky and people would believe him.
I doubt very much if McCain is going to get any better at speechifying in a few months. That’s why McCain was wise to challenge Obama to a series of townhall meetings. Obama would be wise to refuse. McCain’s strong point is Obama’s weak one. Obama is much less impressive when he’s speaking off the cuff.
McCain has a chance, but it’s going to be tough, very tough. To all the conservatives who are saying “C’mon, everyone will see right through this empty suit,” I have two words for you: Bill Clinton.
Let the Obama fans be the ones who become complacent. (Many of them already are. My Dem co-workers were acting today like Obama had already been elected.) Let them be the ones who act like it will be a cakewalk.
If they do, and McCain stays on his toes and doesn’t do something incredibly silly – like asking Graham to be his running mate, for instance – maybe the smart money now won’t look so smart in November.
BTW, I wonder if all the harping and snide comments about McCain’s age won’t backfire.
I’m only 2 years older than Obama, but I am finding myself becoming offended by young Dems who breezily call McCain “an old coot” “senile” and so on.
Those young people are forgetting that there are an awful lot of “senile old coots” out there and they vote in larger numbers than the under 25′s do. Yes, this country worships youth, but the truth is we ain’t a nation of spring chickens anymore. An arrogant display of contempt for McCain’s age and experience by cocky brats might seriously begin rubbing seniors the wrong way. If you’re a fit and active 68 year old, do you want to hear that 70 year old McCain is ready for the glue factory?
Mccain is an ok speaker, George Bush was certainly worse. Obama is ceraintly more charismatic than Kerry, but we’ve all seen how Clinton used it against him.
Can John Mccain play the more knowldegeable elder whose measured, “boring” reasoning counters Obama’s impassioned rhetoric in the debate?
Rick Moran: “[...] the victory of this talented, passionate, brilliant man whose life story is perhaps even more incredible than his singular achievement in winning the nomination should be a source of enormous pride for all Americans. [...]”
Ricky, I take this as a very subtle irony – otherwise you halucinate and you need medical attention. “Brilliant?” Wow! Hussein’s an empty jacket, my friend – and you had the opportunity to see this during the debates with Hillary. Hope, we’re the ones we’ve been waiting for, change in which we can believe (as opposite to change in which we can’t believe in?)
What else? Even the liberals contend that it’s the time for him to come with something more substantial!
Dean. Thank you for all the background on Obama and his lies. I will send to my online friends and tell them to do likewise.
Soooooo, Obama’s almost half Arab, has an Arab name — not swahili as he says and did study in a madrassa.
How little we know about this man.
20 years. 20 years. And he says he didn’t hear anything too weird, but lately some remarks surprised him? It wasn’t the pastor he knew?
Who the heck did he know? Who the heck is he kidding?
He lied. Barry lied. $20,000 one year, $26,000 the next.
When his mentor was damning my country, Barry was shaking his fist above his head saying, ‘Right on, brother!’. Or maybe he was just thinking it. Or maybe he was just enjoying it.
I think he’s lying.
“McCain will seek to define Obama as a man of pretty words but a frightening far left agenda. He will be helped in this by his surrogates constantly alluding to the radicals that dot Obama’s past. Jeremiah Wright, Father Pfleger, William Ayers and others will become very familiar to Americans before election day.”
No need to “define”. Just point out the facts.
Rick it looks like you swallowed.
Another wanna-be journalist genuflects to the wanna-be President.
So tell me a fable. You being an editor and all. Is PJ media joining the MSM in the tank? Are you all going to be happy little sycophants together, basking in your shared moments of syncope?
I suppose that is only natural, since you and Chris Matthews share the great hair, you should share the leg tingle thingie also.
Dean, in my 16 years surfing the web, I have never read a better post. If there was a Hall of Fame for Bloggers, that post would make you a shoe-in. First ballot candidate.
I’m going to steal it and spread it as far and as wide as I can.
DEAN,like the blog i was undecided but when i read your blog very good info made my choice on who to vote for MCcain
need to spread it around
Cliff Kincaid and his colleagues have accused Frank Marshall Davis (1905-1987) of being a Stalinist, a lifetime member of the Communist Party, and “Obama’s Communist Mentor.” Kincaid heads “Accuracy In Media” (A.I.M.), an organization dedicated to “fairness, balance and accuracy in news reporting.” Kincaid and his colleagues are all honorable men.
Having asked Kincaid to substantiate some of his accusations, and having received no reply, one can only conclude that Kincaid must be preoccupied with more important questions, because Kincaid is an honorable man.
Although the ironically named “Accuracy In Media” has yet to substantiate that Davis actually mentored Obama (among other claims), such a relationship could have provided a bi-racial teenager with the key to success in mainstream America. To minimize criticism and maximize their potential, bi-racial African-Americans must walk a narrow identity path between group expectations. Davis was uniquely qualified to show the way. He may have significantly facilitated Obama’s vision of an inclusive society.
Davis may have advised Obama that to succeed in mainstream America, African-Americans must consider worst-case scenarios without wearing a chip on their shoulders, even though this normally requires judgment borne through actual experience. They must learn to give others (such as Cliff Kincaid) the benefit of the doubt. Success within mainstream America requires that abusive behavior should be attributed to bias only when there is no other plausible explanation.
Davis’ crusty radicalism may have perfectly counterbalanced Hawaii’s laid-back lifestyle for an African-American teenager destined for greatness. He provided coherent insight on African-American history, politics, and culture vis-à-vis mainstream America. Obama’s grandfather may not have recognized the true value of his gift.
Davis recognized the folly of cultural nationalism, including Black Separatist movements, long before meeting Obama. He supported a fully integrated mixed economy, because neither laissez–faire capitalism nor Marxist authoritarianism enable the greatest benefit for the greatest number. He also had a libertarian streak that may have made Ron Paul proud.
As an honorable man, Kincaid must be unaware that by the 1970’s, the twin forces of Hawaiian and hippie cultures had mellowed Davis to the point that “Stalinist” charges are especially absurd. By the early 1970’s, Davis had become a virtual teddy bear, a permanent fixture of the Koa Cottages in the “Waikiki Jungle,” noted for its counterculture residents. Davis was known as a kindly old man, usually sitting on his porch a few steps from Kuhio Avenue, waving at all that passed. Although he had little money, he was always willing to share with those in deeper need.
While he was justifiably bitter over the Jim Crow racism of his youth, recent decades made Davis quite optimistic regarding race relations. He strongly supported the nonviolent strategy of Dr. King, and believed that all mankind should be judged by the content of their character. He rejected militant African-American groups as counterproductive.
Kincaid and his honorable colleagues must also be unaware that although Davis shared King’s opposition to American intervention in Vietnam, he did not oppose his son’s decision to join the Air Force in 1968. His son eventually retired as an Air Force Intelligence Officer after 24 years of service, with full TS/SCI (SI/TK/G/B) access. As an honorable man, this fact alone should mitigate any concerns about “Obama’s Marxist Mentor.”
As an honorable man, Cliff Kincaid must also be unaware that his portrayal of a raving Stalinist could not be further from the truth. Davis deeply loved the United States, despite his occasional flirtation with radical ideology. He recognized, perhaps belatedly, that the United States offers a unique combination of economic opportunity and personal freedom, thus providing sufficient strength and moral authority to champion human rights worldwide. If he HAD been so lucky, Barack Obama could not have found a finer mentor anywhere.