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BS: Popular Views on Obama
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 01 Sep 08 - 06:12 PM Mister Sawzall, Knowzall, Esquire has seen fit to indirectly and covertly take me to task for telling a fellow-poster to shut the fuck up. It seems out character for me to get quite that blunt. But it is only fair to say to anyone who gives a fish's fart that I did indeed say those very words on a thread once. Mea Culp[a. However, I plead extenuating circumstances. Circumstance, I hasten to add, which Mister Sawzal saw fit to leave out of his wily accusations in the interest of making his accusation seem as egregious as possible. I do not know why he took it on himself to go trawling through ancient discussions to catch me off base, or why he felt it necessary to so alter the context of my statement while trumpeting the literal truth of it. Perhaps nuance and context are anathema to his cranial circuitry, I don't know. But in the interest of total honesty, here is what I said, and when: Subject: RE: World Trade Center-Unreal Disaster From: GUEST,X-Ed - PM Date: 11 Sep 01 - 11:55 AM Main squeeze of guinnesschik! You sad excuses of America need to go join the the holy war for the ragheads! There is a time for vengence. Now. Think of the brave firemen of NY, swepted up in middleeast bullshit. Think those fuckers care about them. NUK'EM TO THE STONE AGE WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE! Subject: RE: World Trade Center-Unreal Disaster From: Amos - PM Date: 11 Sep 01 - 11:57 AM X-Ed, shut the fuck up. Posters -- Please go to Part Two for new posts. A. Please note the date and time. And the emotional expression from Ed which I was being rude about. Perhaps Mister Sawzall would like to offer a reasoned defense for the strategy that Mister Ed was recommending? A |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: GUEST,Jack the Sailor Date: 01 Sep 08 - 08:34 PM Maybe Sawz should just shut the fuck up? :-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 01 Sep 08 - 10:39 PM Well, yeah, but, ya know, that's not for me to say! ;>)... A |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 02 Sep 08 - 02:37 AM Hell, Sawz, I'm not trying to control what you say. I'm just arguin' agin it. Say what you like. A |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: GUEST,Jack The Sailor Date: 02 Sep 08 - 03:59 AM Sawz, A real fascist would be able to shoot you and bury you in a mass grave if you crossed him. The worst Amos can do it tell you to shut the fuck up. And even then you don't have to listen. You need to chill out bro. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: GUEST,Amos Date: 02 Sep 08 - 09:05 AM "Looks like Sawz' Bile is on the fly once again" "just your personal well of hatred overflowing once again." A very scholarly Ad Hominem attack. And if GWB is a fascist as Amos claims, Amos would have been shot and buried in a mass grave. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 02 Sep 08 - 10:20 AM Well, maybe we have a problem in conflicting metaphors or something, Sawz. If you post something that looks hateful to me and I say so, you argue I am being a controlling a-hole. Maybe it is the case that (a) you didn't mean to sound hateful and thought you sounded normal, or funny, or something or (b) you want unilateral priveleges of being hateful. It makes sense to me you would not see yourself as hateful so I can also understand why it might upset you if someone else says you are. I can see that, and I did not take it into account in our earlier little contretemps. At the same time, you would be well served to ask why your posts seem to others more hateful than you mean them to be, if that is the case. If you are trying to communicate a point of view, there is a question of how to do it so you get understood instead of misunderestimated. A |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Wesley S Date: 02 Sep 08 - 11:07 AM Posted on a sign just outside a Baptist church near my house: "Abortion is an Obama nation" I'm wondering if that should mess up their tax free status. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 02 Sep 08 - 11:29 AM Amos - I think they [MoveOn.org] think they are working for the good of the country, but in reality, I think they see themselves as citizens of the world first. I further think that this is why Obama appeals to them. Frankly, I think being a citizen of the world is a very important thing. The problem is, some parts of the world are not ready to make this transition. I think you need another Teddy Roosevelt or two, before you can surrender you sovereignty completely. I think Obama would do it now. I would wait until third world nations and places under the control of religious zealots brought their population growth under contol first. Rig: My apologies. I got distracted by a shitstorm and failed to notice your interesting and original remarks here. I appreciate their thoughtfulness. I assume by "another Teddy Roosevelt" you mean a strong-hearted all-American leader who embodies the democratic and traditional American ideals and virtues, and not someone who will attack Cuba. Your estimation of the necessary sequence--that nations free themselves of zealotry before becoming family to other nations -- is a good argument, one I agree with. Globalism is a good ideal, but we have to be very smart about what Friedman calls the flattening process, so that the reduction of inefficiencies in markets does not become an excuse for swamping local virtue. However, although Obama believes in dialogue before the resort to force, and does not embrace the lone cowboy hero image so dramatized by his predecessor, I believe President Obama's convictions call for dialogue from strength, compassion from strength, and intelligent use of systems toward an improved scene within the nation and between the US and other nations. None of this smacks of giving away the store, which seems to sum up your apprehensions. I am curious to know what specifics, if any, have lead you to this perspective about him, because my own take on his character is quite different. A |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 02 Sep 08 - 12:04 PM Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention pulled in a bigger US TV audience than the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, this year's American Idol final and Oscars coverage. Latest Nielsen ratings figures show that Thursday night's speech, in which Obama accepted the Democrat presidential nomination, pulled in a total of 38.4 million viewers in the key 10pm hour across various channels that covered the event live. Cable network CNN was the best performing of any of the channels covering it, beating the main broadcast networks. By comparison, last month's Olympics opening ceremony attracted 34.2 million, the American Idol final in May pulled in 21.7 million and the February Oscars broadcast to 31.6 million. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 02 Sep 08 - 12:25 PM TUESDAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP....Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * The latest national poll from CBS News shows Obama leading McCain by eight, 48% to 40%. * The latest national poll from USA Today/Gallup shows Obama leading McCain by seven, 50% to 43%. * The latest national poll from Diageo/Hotline shows Obama leading McCain by nine, 48% to 39%. * Giuliani is out as McCain's keynote speaker; Lieberman and Fred Thompson will replace him tonight. Giuliani will speak tomorrow or Thursday instead. * Obama delivered an unusually good speech last night in Milwaukee on Hurricane Gustav and the "quiet storms" families face nationwide every day. Time's Jay Newton-Small, who's covered Obama for 19 months, said he was "as good as I've ever heard him." * About two-thirds of the country is worried that a McCain presidency would be too similar to the last eight years. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Riginslinger Date: 02 Sep 08 - 07:42 PM Invading Cuba isn't such a bad idea, as long as all you're going to do is charge up a hill as a publicity stunt! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 02 Sep 08 - 10:30 PM The Conservative Case for Barack Obama (American Conservative) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 02 Sep 08 - 10:53 PM Obama content to stay local and low-key |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 02 Sep 08 - 11:13 PM Ya know, you're right, Sawz. I would only say it when confronted by really loud stupidity or obnoxious hatefulness, myself. And, actually, pal, on reflection I do not believe you, yourself are hateful, in fact I know you are not. Some of your posts have come across that way. Maybe it's the emotion of the moment, and maybe it's different metaphors. I haven't gone back through everything you ever posted looking for out-of-context remarks to bring forward and throw in your face. In that regard, I kinda think I've done you a favor. But hell, let's bury the hatchet and not say hateful things anymore, how about that? A |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 03 Sep 08 - 12:31 PM "Barack Obama met the 50 percent threshold for the first time Tuesday in the Gallup daily tracking poll, a symbolic hurdle that until now had eluded the Democratic nominee. The Gallup daily tracking poll has found that since the conclusion of the Democratic convention, Obama has risen 5 percentage points in the polls and now leads John McCain 50 percent to 42 percent. That represents a positive turn for Obama, after a couple of days in which he appeared to have peaked at the 49 percent mark while McCain was showing slight improvements. The survey indicates that Obama's overall post-Democratic National Convention bounce now appears to be roughly at par with the norm of past conventions. Though smaller than several of the sizable bounces of recent decades, the new polling suggests that perhaps the Democratic convention bounce has yet to subside. While an improvement from 49 percent to 50 percent is statistically insignificant, the 50 percent mark holds significance for a party seeking to win its first majority since 1976, when Jimmy Carter won with 50.1 percent. Polling will likely remain in flux until early next week, after the conclusion of the Republican National Convention. On Saturday, Gallup reported Obama was ahead by 8 percentage points. By Monday, that lead had shrunk to 5 points. Today it returned to 8. " (9-2-08) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 03 Sep 08 - 01:06 PM Obama Likes ResearchBy Janet RaloffWeb edition : Saturday, August 30th, 2008 (Science News) Kudos to the Science Debate 2008 team for relentlessly dogging the candidates to weigh in with details about where they stand on issues affecting and affected by research. After roughly the gestation of a human baby, the Obama campaign — and John McCain's — agreed to answer questions, if only in writing. To date, Obama's is the only one to respond. It turned in its responses on Thursday evening, as the the Democratic Convention wrapped up in Denver. This afternoon, the Science Debate organizers shared those answers. And those responses offer some reassuring words. They indicate Obama would make heavy use of research in decision-making. Another promising sign, the candidate brags that he has "established an impressive team of science advisors, including several Nobel Laureates, who are helping me to shape a robust science agenda for my administration." He doesn't identify who this brain trust consists of, but I'm hoping the names emerge prior to the elections. If he makes it to the White House, Obama plans to surround himself with appointees — senior management in his administration — that have "strong science and technology backgrounds and unquestioned reputations for integrity and objectivity." He vowed that these positions would be filled promptly and on a non-partisan basis. In addition, he would strengthen the role of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). He doesn't explain what "strengthen" means — i.e. acquire advisors that are more knowledgeable or simply employ their expertise more widely to inform federal decision-making. But in light of recent reports of muzzled scientists — and their findings — Obama's statement on restoring scientific integrity and transparency to federal decision-making is probably even more welcome. True, it should have been a given that scientists could report data and expect that it would be respected, especially by regulators. Unfortunately, it hasn't been in a number of agencies, especially EPA. Obama now pledges he would issue an Executive Order "establishing clear guidelines for the review and release of government publications, guaranteeing that results are released in a timely manner and not distorted by the ideological biases of political appointees." He also promises to strengthen protection for whistle blowers who report efforts to subvert this policy. The Democratic candidate also has welcome words about increasing the cadre of U.S. workers who are science literate, even science experts. First step: Get good teachers. Higher education has not been prized by the Bush Administration, at least to the extent of offering support and good incentives — carrots, if you will — to recruit and motivate science and math teachers. Sen. Barack Obama told the Science Debate team that: "My administration will work to guarantee to students access to strong science curriculum at all grade levels so they graduate knowing how science works [emphasis added] using hands-on, IT-enhanced education." ... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 03 Sep 08 - 02:55 PM CHICAGO - As Barack Obama prepares to resume campaigning today, polls show that he has made inroads with former Hillary Rodham Clinton backers and hit the 50 percent support mark among registered voters for the first time. It's a typical post-convention bounce that Obama will be looking to sustain as he travels to Ohio today and Pennsylvania tomorrow. According to a Gallup daily tracking poll released yesterday, 81 percent of Clinton supporters say they will back Obama, up from 70 percent before the convention. Sixty-five percent of those voters are certain they will vote for the Illinois senator, up from 47 percent. And 12 percent of former Clinton voters said they planned to vote for John McCain, a 4 percent drop. Obama also saw gains in voter confidence on handling terrorism and Iraq, and being a strong and decisive leader. The shift in support among Clinton voters comes after the junior senator from New York and her husband played key roles at the Democratic National Convention, rousing the faithful with prime-time speeches that left the Obama campaign with clips that could be used in commercials, aides said. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 03 Sep 08 - 03:46 PM ABC News reports: "John McCain's campaign manager said that this election is not going to be about the issues, it's going to be about personalities," Obama said at a town hall meeting aimed at women and economic issues. "That's a quote. He said its not going to be about – it's not going to be about the issues, its going to be about personalities, which probably explains why last night when they were speaking, all these speakers came up – you did not hear a single word about the economy." "Think about it," Obama continued, standing in the blazing sun at Kent State University's Tuscarawas campus. "Not once did people mention the hardships that folks are going though, not once did they mention what are we going to do about keeping jobs here in Ohio, not once did they mention what are we doing about all these retirees that are losing their pensions, not once did they mention how are we going to make sure Social Security is there for the next generation, not once did they mention how are we going to make college more affordable so that young people aren't taking out 40 or 50 thousand dollars in debt, not once did they mention how are we going to make sure people can stay in their homes." Obama said, "I guess I don't blame them. Because if you don't have any issues to run on I guess you want it all to be on personality. And if you've got George Bush's track record and John McCain voting 90% of the time in agreement with George Bush then you probably don't want to talk about the issues either." "I don't know what John McCain's thinking," Obama concluded, "but I'm going to be talking a whole lot about issues....John McCain's campaign manger is wrong, it's not about personality, it's about the issues that you are facing in your day to day lives." ... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Riginslinger Date: 03 Sep 08 - 03:57 PM "Higher education has not been prized by the Bush Administration..." Neither was K-12. Hopefully McCain will change that! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 03 Sep 08 - 03:58 PM ...as the Senator from Arizona, the Education State? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: GUEST,beardedbruce Date: 03 Sep 08 - 04:10 PM And from the WSJ- http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122039919493892941.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries Why Obama Can't Close the Sale By AL HUBBARD and NOAM NEUSNER September 3, 2008; Page A23 Even before John McCain shook up the presidential race by tapping Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate, polls weren't showing the late-August lead that Barack Obama (and many Republicans) expected. Why so? It's not because of the brilliance of the McCain campaign. Rather we believe that -- despite the media's best efforts to exempt Mr. Obama's policies from critical examination -- American voters aren't sheep. They pay attention to the candidates and positions and make wise decisions about who should lead the country. True, Mr. Obama enjoys several advantages. Republicans are struggling nationwide in head-to-head contests. Democrats lead in voter registration, and have a well-funded presidential candidate. Yet Americans have not committed to Mr. Obama. Why? .... But here's the thing: It's not that Mr. Obama hasn't been specific enough in his governing plans. To the contrary, he has been very specific about his tax policy, health-care and energy proposals. It's that voters are paying attention and appear not to like what Candidate Obama is saying. Mr. Obama has proposed a massive tax increase on investors, business owners, and the "wealthy." At a time when the American people rate the economy as the central issue of the campaign, a tax hike doesn't make a lot of political sense. Voters know that a tax hike won't help the economy. Moreover, Mr. Obama's tax plans would directly or indirectly harm U.S. investors by raising the capital gains and dividend taxes. More than half of U.S. households are equity owners, so Mr. Obama's proposal risks alienating half the population. Mr. Obama claims to offer a tax cut to moderate-income families, but a significant portion of Mr. Obama's tax plan is a welfare giveaway costing more than $648 billion over 10 years, according to the Tax Policy Center. How so? He would authorize a hodgepodge of refundable tax credits covering everything from education, mortgage payments, child care and other items for people who do not pay income taxes now. About 38% of U.S. households pay no income tax today. Under a President Obama (whose policies would shave 15.3 million households off the tax rolls) that share would grow to nearly half of all American households. We have been repeatedly told that everyone should pay their fair share. So this sounds grossly unfair and like a return of tax-and-spend liberal economics. No wonder there is a lot of doubt about the wisdom of the junior senator from Illinois. .... Again, Americans are wiser than they are given credit. They know that if you restrict supply and tax production, prices go up. .... Mr. Obama is wondering why he can't shake Mr. McCain. His problem isn't his plans for the campaign. It's his plans for governing the country. Americans just aren't buying into them. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 03 Sep 08 - 05:42 PM Well, as of today, over fifty per cent of Americans are, so the WSJ in its typical narrow-sighted way is a little behind the times. They give good snide, though. And their dripping sardonicism is so dry and subtle!! If you weren't paying close attention you would think they were practicing journalism. A |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 03 Sep 08 - 07:59 PM Poll: Obama-Biden leads McCain-Palin in Minnesota, Iowa Last update: September 3, 2008 - 4:15 PM A new poll shows the Democratic ticket of Barack Obama and Joe Biden with a healthy lead over John McCain and Sarah Palin in the battleground states of Minnesota and Iowa. In Minnesota, the Democrats are ahead 53 percent to 41 percent; in Iowa, they're ahead 55 percent to 40 percent. The poll, conducted Sunday through Tuesday for Time Magazine and CNN, is the first to include the running mates of both presidential tickets. It has a margin of sampling error of 3.5 percentage points. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Riginslinger Date: 03 Sep 08 - 09:57 PM "...as the Senator from Arizona, the Education State?" No. They have too many illegal aliens there to make much progress with education. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 08 Sep 08 - 11:44 AM "I work in a hospital and was nearing the end of my shift when I walked in a room to draw labs on a patient. The patient was an 81 year old African American woman, and as I approached her bed I could see that she was crying, and not lightly. I asked what was wrong, but her gentle, muffled sobs made her words pretty difficult to understand. After I determined she wasn't in any medical distress she was finally able to tell me why she was crying. She pointed to the television, which had on Obama, delivering his speech from Denver. She explained that she grew up in the South (Mississippi). She is the granddaughter of a slave, and one of her uncles was lynched. She said 45 years ago when MLK gave his historic speech, she and others were still called niggers to their faces. She also has advanced breast cancer and has months - possibly weeks - to live. She was simply so proud that she is seeing a black man get so close to the presidency. So there I stood, this big 6'5" white guy holding the hand of this frail, little old black lady living out her last days, tears streaming down my face like a child. For me, this will be one of those moments a person tends to remember for a long, long time. We were both laughing by the time I regained my composure. "Honey," she said to me, "just do this old woman a favor - say a little prayer for me and vote for that man." It will be her face I see when I mark Barack Obama on my ballot in November. Her name is Bessie Mae. If you are the praying type, please say a little prayer for her." From here. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Donuel Date: 08 Sep 08 - 03:46 PM Obama has been endorsed by the Statue of Liberty http://usera.imagecave.com/donuel/LadyLiberty.jpg |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: GUEST,Sawzaw Date: 09 Sep 08 - 12:15 AM Though he quickly corrected him self, I think this indicates that Obama considers himself as the President elect with the following statement: "People ask me what are your impressions of America? What have you learned since being president? uh uh no no! Since being a candidate for president." |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Riginslinger Date: 09 Sep 08 - 02:19 PM He's just looking ahead, Sawzall! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 09 Sep 08 - 07:54 PM "...I believe that Bush and Tony Blair, Bush's main international ally with regard to the war in Iraq and against Islamic terrorism, will be redeemed by history. President Harry Truman was reviled when he left office, but is now honored for his courage and vision. Now, once again, I have to make a decision to either endorse the Democratic ticket of Obama and Biden or support the Republican ticket of McCain and Palin. I am 83 years old. If I am lucky, I may yet vote not only in this election, but in the presidential election of 2012 and perhaps, if luckier, even in that of 2016. I believe I must vote my conscience, and that means for the presidential candidate who in my estimation will best protect the U.S. over the next four years. I personally know two of those running: Joe Biden and John McCain. I like and admire them both. John McCain is a genuine war hero and patriot. Joe Biden is a friend well versed in foreign and domestic affairs, who had made judgment calls on domestic and foreign policy and legislation that I agree with. I do not personally really know the Democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama, having spoken to him only once and briefly, or the Republican vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin. One foreign policy issue that particularly concerned me in 2004 was the security of Israel. I thought in 2004 that issue was better left to President George W. Bush, and I believe I was right. President Bush understood the need to support the security of Israel and did so. I did not feel that way about Senator John Kerry. That is not an issue in this election. Both parties and their candidates have made clear, before and during this election campaign their understanding of the need to support Israel and oppose acts of terrorism waged against it by Hamas and other Muslim supporters of terrorism. So the issue for me is who will best protect and defend America. I have concluded that the country is safer in the hands of Barack Obama, leader of the Democratic Party and protector of the philosophy of that party. Protecting and defending the U.S. means more than defending us from foreign attacks. It includes defending the public with respect to their civil rights, civil liberties and other needs, e.g., national health insurance, the right of abortion, the continuation of Social Security, gay rights, other rights of privacy, fair progressive taxation and a host of other needs and rights. If the vice president were ever called on to lead the country, there is no question in my mind that the experience and demonstrated judgment of Joe Biden is superior to that of Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin is a plucky, exciting candidate, but when her record is examined, she fails miserably with respect to her views on the domestic issues that are so important to the people of the U.S., and to me. Frankly, it would scare me if she were to succeed John McCain in the presidency...." (Ed Koch, ex Mayor of New York, writing in RCP) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 09 Sep 08 - 10:48 PM 4 Minnesota business leaders endorse Obama Acknowledging that the Democrat's election could lead to higher taxes for them, they say the money would go to help the middle class, which is essential. By MARK BRUNSWICK, Star Tribune Last update: September 9, 2008 - 7:40 PM Four prominent Minnesota business leaders announced their support for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Tuesday, an effort to counter criticism from Republicans that Obama's tax policies would hurt business and stifle job creation. "We've spent so much time trying to incent those at the very top that we've forgotten about those in the very middle and that makes up the vast majority of the American population," said Robert Pohlad, chairman and chief executive officer of PepsiAmericas, Inc. and president of Pohlad Cos., at a State Capitol news conference announcing the endorsements. Acknowledging that they might find themselves paying higher tax bills if Obama were elected, the business leaders suggested that more government spending, used prudently, would move people up the economic ladder and strengthen the middle class. "Our family believes paying taxes is a privilege. My reality is we can afford to support the many who have too little, and we must do so," said Ed Phillips, chairman and CEO of Phillips Beverage Co. ... Robert Ryan, a retired vice president and CFO of Medtronic, said Obama's health care proposal would benefit the uninsured and underinsured. Lois Quam, a onetime UnitedHealth executive and now managing director of alternative investments for Piper Jaffray, said business leaders should be concerned about McCain's decisionmaking skills, pointing to his selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as a hasty bow to the right wing of the Republican Party. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: GUEST,Sawzaw Date: 09 Sep 08 - 11:52 PM So how many prominent business leaders are there in Minnesota? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 10 Sep 08 - 12:30 AM I have no idea. Why you ask, ____? A |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: GUEST,Sawzaw Date: 10 Sep 08 - 12:45 AM http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/JC04Aa01.html "........Michelle Obama remains at the mercy of the same internal conflict that she reported in her senior thesis. She is too bitter at the hopelessness of lower-class blacks to assimilate, but too attracted to money and privilege to reject white society. She hates the white institutions that made her prosperous, not only because they cannot solve the problems of the black lower class, but even more so because they made her feel guilty about her own success. These internal conflicts help explain Michelle Obama's erratic behavior. Despite her own financial success, Michelle Obama continues to preach austerity and self-sacrifice to others. Speaking before a working-class audience in Ohio on February 29, she urged her listeners to eschew corporate law or hedge-fund management, which was odd, because most of them did not have a high-school diploma, let alone a university degree: We left corporate America, which is a lot of what we're asking young people to do. Don't go into corporate America. You know, become teachers. Work for the community. Be social workers. Be a nurse. Those are the careers that we need, and we're encouraging our young people to do that. But if you make that choice, as we did, to move out of the money-making industry into the helping industry, then your salaries respond ... many of our bright stars are going into corporate law or hedge-fund management [quoted by Byron York in The National Review Online]. But she did not leave corporate America. She did leave the corporate law firm that hired her out of Harvard Law School, but there is no reason to believe that idealism drove that decision. The major law firms make partners out of a fifth of their new hires, who slave for years for the opportunity. Michelle Obama was not partner material for a top firm. She took more than a year to pass the Illinois Bar Examination, a substandard result, and - as her thesis makes clear - lacked the command of written English required for legal success. Her skills were better suited to the hospital position she eventually filled. Not only did she sell out, but she sold out for mediocre results. Michelle Obama remains at the mercy of the same internal conflict that she reported in her senior thesis. She is too bitter at the hopelessness of lower-class blacks to assimilate, but too attracted to money and privilege to reject white society. She hates the white institutions that made her prosperous, not only because they cannot solve the problems of the black lower class, but even more so because they made her feel guilty about her own success. These internal conflicts help explain Michelle Obama's erratic behavior. Despite her own financial success, Michelle Obama continues to preach austerity and self-sacrifice to others. Speaking before a working-class audience in Ohio on February 29, she urged her listeners to eschew corporate law or hedge-fund management, which was odd, because most of them did not have a high-school diploma, let alone a university degree: We left corporate America, which is a lot of what we're asking young people to do. Don't go into corporate America. You know, become teachers. Work for the community. Be social workers. Be a nurse. Those are the careers that we need, and we're encouraging our young people to do that. But if you make that choice, as we did, to move out of the money-making industry into the helping industry, then your salaries respond ... many of our bright stars are going into corporate law or hedge-fund management [quoted by Byron York in The National Review Online]. But she did not leave corporate America. She did leave the corporate law firm that hired her out of Harvard Law School, but there is no reason to believe that idealism drove that decision. The major law firms make partners out of a fifth of their new hires, who slave for years for the opportunity. Michelle Obama was not partner material for a top firm. She took more than a year to pass the Illinois Bar Examination, a substandard result, and - as her thesis makes clear - lacked the command of written English required for legal success. Her skills were better suited to the hospital position she eventually filled. Not only did she sell out, but she sold out for mediocre results. Bitterness over the meager price that the white power structure offered for her soul nags at Michelle Obama. At the Ohio speech cited by NRO's York, she complained, "The salaries don't keep up with the cost of paying off [student loans], so you're in your 40s, still paying off your debt at a time when you have to save for your kids ... Barack and I were in that position. The only reason we're not in that position is that Barack wrote two best-selling books ... It was like Jack and his magic beans. But up until a few years ago, we were struggling to figure out how we would save for our kids." But it was not only Senator Obama's writing income, it was Michelle's $200,000 salary increase and corporate directorships following his election to the US Senate that made the family prosperous. And it wasn't just piano lessons and summer camp, but a mansion in the Chicago suburb that represented an adequate price for Michelle's soul. that the white power structure offered for her soul nags at Michelle Obama. At the Ohio speech cited by NRO's York, she complained, "The salaries don't keep up with the cost of paying off [student loans], so you're in your 40s, still paying off your debt at a time when you have to save for your kids ... Barack and I were in that position. The only reason we're not in that position is that Barack wrote two best-selling books ... It was like Jack and his magic beans. But up until a few years ago, we were struggling to figure out how we would save for our kids." But it was not only Senator Obama's writing income, it was Michelle's $200,000 salary increase and corporate directorships following his election to the US Senate that made the family prosperous. And it wasn't just piano lessons and summer camp, but a mansion in the Chicago suburb that represented an adequate price for Michelle's soul..........." |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 10 Sep 08 - 03:16 AM In his typical timely manner, Sawz has presented an article from the Asia Times from last April. Thanks. We certainly needed it. A |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: GUEST,Sawzaw Date: 10 Sep 08 - 02:15 PM So Amos has provided us with a list of prominent business leaders in Minnesota who have endorsed Obama but he has not provided us a list of those that have not. Could this be construed as Cherry Picking Data? Have any of the facts about Michelle Obama changed since last April? What is your statute of limitations for facts Amos? Have your "facts" about GWB expired yet? Gavel: Bang, Bang. Order in the court. All Rise. His Honor, Amos Jessup presiding. Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Hear Ye. All facts prior to March 5th 2007 are hereby judged as irrelevant, unless they are negative to George W. Bush or positive to president elect, Barack Hussein Obama. Gavel: Bang, Bang. Court dismissed. ;-D |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 10 Sep 08 - 02:24 PM You really are an a-hole, Sawz. I am sorry, but you are. I did not write the article, and I have no idea how many people in Minnesota you would like to refer to as major business leaders, or not. I reported what I learned as I heard it and all you can think to do with it is twist it, make it different, and try to turn it into something bad. This is really a low, low form of thought and communication on your part. I think you ought to reform your evil ways. A |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: beardedbruce Date: 10 Sep 08 - 02:32 PM No, no, Sawzaw, First the hanging, THEN the trial. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Riginslinger Date: 10 Sep 08 - 10:30 PM Obama doesn't seem to make a very good counter puncher. He should have taken lessons from Archie Moore. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Little Hawk Date: 11 Sep 08 - 12:30 AM Or Archie Bunker? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 11 Sep 08 - 11:14 AM A long and interesting conversation betwen Barack Obama and Dave Letterman. SOmebody make this Obama guy President, wouldja? I like his style. A |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Donuel Date: 11 Sep 08 - 11:36 AM In Michigan Obama is being viewed as a lurid pedophile in McCain ads. There are no depths too deep... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Riginslinger Date: 11 Sep 08 - 02:45 PM Who are they saying he philed? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 11 Sep 08 - 03:16 PM At a private lunch with Barack Obama on Thursday, former president Bill Clinton made a prediction about the outcome of the closely fought race for the White House. "I predict that Sen. Obama will win and will pretty handily," he said as he stood with Obama in his Harlem office. In response, Obama, who is scheduled to visit Ground Zero Thursday, Obama said this: "There you go. You can take it from the president of the United States. He knows a little something about politics." The lunch meeting, which lasted about 90 minutes, came at Clinton's request and is the first time the two have had a one-on-one during the campaign. Clinton said he expects to hit the trail near the end of the month. "President Clinton and Senator Obama had a great conversation in Harlem today," a joint statement released by the former president and Democratic presidential nominee said. "They discussed the campaign briefly, but mostly talked about how the world has changed since September 11, 2001." "Sen. Obama praised the work of the Clinton Foundation around the world and President Clinton applauded Sen. Obama's historic campaign which has inspired millions around the country," the statement said. "They also spoke about what the next president can do to help make the economy work for all Americans, as it did under President Clinton, and ensure safety and prosperity far beyond the coming the election. " |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 11 Sep 08 - 03:19 PM Analysis of Obama's POsition on IssuesSo I don't want to hear anymore about "no specifics" or other insidious snarks on the subject. A |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: GUEST,Sawzaw Date: 11 Sep 08 - 11:49 PM I just can't help making fun of your hooting about 4 out of probably thousands of "prominent business leaders" endorsing Obama. So what is my sentence your honor? An I banished to Canuckistan or something? "You can take it from the president of the United States" Obama must be cornfused. Is He or Bush or Clinton the President? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: GUEST,Sawzaw Date: 12 Sep 08 - 12:13 AM PROMINENT DEMOCRATS AND INDEPENDENTS JOIN "CITIZENS FOR MCCAIN" Former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson (Arizona) Former Arizona State Legislator Phil Hubbard (Arizona) Mammoth Mayor Craig Williams (Arizona) Former Arizona LULAC Director Ray Gans (Arizona) Democratic 25th Precinct Chair Silverio "Silver" Salazar (Colorado) Adviser to Democratic Presidential Candidates and Georgetown University Professor Robert Lieber (District of Columbia) Blogger on HillaryClinton.com Renee Slater (Florida) Former Sheriff of Highlands County Howard Godwin (Florida) Jewish Outreach Adviser to Senator Hillary Clinton Rabbi Cheryl Jacobs Georgia Political Director for Gore-Lieberman '00 Joseph O'Farrell Jr. (Georgia) Former Democratic Des Moines County Chair Bruce Shulte (Illinois) Former State Representative Brian Golden (Massachusetts) Commander of Newport Memorial-VFW Post 1119 Francis Harding, Jr. (Maine) Former Palmyra Budget Committee Member Herb Bates (Maine) Former Lt. Governor and State Supreme Court Justice Alexander "Sandy" Keith (Minnesota) Former U.S Representative and 2002 Independence Party gubernatorial candidate Tim Penny (Minnesota) Former State Representative Steve Wenzel (Minnesota) City Clerk Judi May (Mississippi) County Supervisor Gary Dearman (Mississippi) Alderman Bill Mosby (Mississippi) Former State Representative Jim Gamache (Missouri) Presiding Commissioner in New Madrid County, Clyde Hawes (Missouri) Former Concord Mayor Bill Veroneau (New Hampshire) Former Democratic Mayor of Waterford Township George Fallon (New J ersey) Former Democratic Committeeman in Warren Township Jeffrey Golkin (New Jersey) Former State Chair of Environmentalists for Clinton-Gore 1992 Roberta Weisbrod (New York) Former Majority Leader in the State Senate David Carlin (Rhode Island) Former Texas Democratic Party Chairman Roy Orr (Texas) Elected National Delegate for Senator Hillary Clinton Debra Bartoshevich (Wisconsin) Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Philip Frye (West Virginia) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Little Hawk Date: 12 Sep 08 - 01:01 AM Hey, man, being banished to "Canuckistan" is one of the best things that can ever happen to a person. You have no idea. Amos should be so lucky... This place has been a paradise ever since we gave your Yankee bluecoats a bloody nose back in 1812-14. ;-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 12 Sep 08 - 01:26 AM DO)ne, and done. Make it so. And no Internet, either. A |
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Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: beardedbruce Date: 12 Sep 08 - 06:47 AM Obama's Altitude Sickness By Charles Krauthammer Friday, September 12, 2008; Page A15 The Democrats are in a panic. In a presidential race that is impossible to lose, they are behind. Obama devotees are frantically giving advice. Tom Friedman tells him to "start slamming down some phones." Camille Paglia suggests, "be boring!" Meanwhile, a posse of Democratic lawyers, mainstream reporters, lefty bloggers and various other Obamaphiles are scouring the vast tundra of Alaska for something, anything, to bring down Sarah Palin: her daughter's pregnancy, her ex-brother-in-law problem, her $60 per diem, and now her religion. (CNN reports -- news flash! -- that she apparently has never spoken in tongues.) Not since Henry II asked if no one would rid him of his turbulent priest have so many so urgently volunteered for duty. But Palin is not just a problem for Obama. She is also a symptom of what ails him. Before Palin, Obama was the ultimate celebrity candidate. For no presidential nominee in living memory had the gap between adulation and achievement been so great. Which is why McCain's Paris Hilton ads struck such a nerve. Obama's meteoric rise was based not on issues -- there was not a dime's worth of difference between him and Hillary on issues -- but on narrative, on eloquence, on charisma. The unease at the Denver convention, the feeling of buyer's remorse, was the Democrats' realization that the arc of Obama's celebrity had peaked -- and had now entered a period of its steepest decline. That Palin could so instantly steal the celebrity spotlight is a reflection of that decline. It was inevitable. Obama had managed to stay aloft for four full years. But no one can levitate forever. Five speeches map Obama's trajectory. Obama burst into celebrityhood with his brilliant and moving 2004 Democratic convention speech (#1). It turned an obscure state senator into a national figure and legitimate presidential candidate. His next and highest moment (#2) was the night of his Iowa caucus victory when he gave an equally stirring speech of the highest tones that dazzled a national audience just tuning in. The problem is that Obama began believing in his own magical powers -- the chants, the swoons, the "we are the ones" self-infatuation. Like Ronald Reagan, he was leading a movement, but one entirely driven by personality. Reagan's revolution was rooted in concrete political ideas (supply-side economics, welfare-state deregulation, national strength) that transcended one man. For Obama's movement, the man is the transcendence. Which gave the Obama campaign a cult-like tinge. With every primary and every repetition of the high-flown, self-referential rhetoric, the campaign's insubstantiality became clear. By the time it was repeated yet again on the night of the last primary (#3), the tropes were tired and flat. To top himself, Obama had to reach. Hence his triumphal declaration that history would note that night, his victory, his ascension, as "the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal." Clang. But Obama heard only the cheers of the invited crowd. Not yet seeing how the pseudo-messianism was wearing thin, he did Berlin (#4) and finally jumped the shark. That grandiloquent proclamation of universalist puffery popped the bubble. The grandiosity had become bizarre. From there it was but a short step to Paris Hilton. Finally, the Obama people understood. Which is why the next data point (#5) is so different. Obama's Denver acceptance speech was deliberately pedestrian, State-of-the-Union-ish, programmatic and only briefly (that lovely coda recalling the March on Washington) lyrical. The problem, however, was that Obama had announced the Invesco Field setting for the speech during the pre-Berlin flush of hubris. They were stuck with the Greek columns, the circus atmosphere, the rock star fireworks farewell -- as opposed to the warmer, traditional, balloon-filled convention-hall hug-a-thon. The incongruity between text and context was apparent. Obama was trying to make himself ordinary -- and serious -- but could hardly remember how. One star fades, another is born. The very next morning McCain picks Sarah Palin and a new celebrity is launched. And in the celebrity game, novelty is trump. With her narrative, her persona, her charisma carrying the McCain campaign to places it has never been and by all logic has no right to be, she's pulling an Obama. But her job is easier. She only has to remain airborne for seven more weeks. Obama maintained altitude for an astonishing four years. In politics, as in all games, however, it's the finish that counts. |
