"Yup helen, it's going to be real close. I just wonder if McCain continues to act dotty and forgetful how much that will impact him. He's too old and it's starting to show. If the campaign wears on him as much as it seems to be, I can't imagine what the presidency would do to him.
I believe Obama can beat him, assuming he can get past this preacher nonsense. I have doubts Hillary can. My hope is that the bounce she has received in the polls is momentary reaction to all the hoo-haw about his former pastor and will fade away.
I have horse business in his zipcode this weekend. It will be interesting to see what the locals there are talking about. It's a heavily Rep. area like most of the state, but many where I am are unhappy with what they describe as his "liberal" positions. I keep telling them not to worry, if he's president NOTHING will change."
posted on March 20, 2008 02:39:55 PM new
Here is where his speech failed:
"I just think Obama missed a unique commander-in-chief opportunity. He squarely addressed his minister's racism. That was a no-brainer. But he didn't strongly address his anti-patriotism. You can't explain that away when you're one of three vying to become president. Assaults on the flag should be met with brass knuckles, not Harvard debate team soliloquies.
"Yes, the clergyman led Obama to Jesus. But when the same clergyman used his pulpit to say, 'God damn America,' Obama had the obligation to send him back to Jesus.
"He had to throw him under the bus."
Over and over again on the Internet in the newspapers people are saying "nice civil rights speech", "he needed to defend America". What we need is not another Martin Luther King. We need someone who is going to defend America without trampling people under his feet like the current administration has done. I believe Obama has the latter part of that sentence down. He just failed in defending his minister's anti-American rants. I think that is going to hurt him greatly. Hillary has now taken a large lead in the polls.
posted on March 20, 2008 07:48:22 PM new
I am a naturalised citizen,I dont always vote,I figure the country runs on its own,a 4 years term does not make that much difference(it makes some difference,it gives all of us something to talk about,kind of like walk into a local watering hole and where do you hang your hat?Hang it on so and so in Whitehouse,gives us all something to talk about in a diner,a coffee shop or a bar.
Democracy is not perfect,to get the votes,one must please as many constituents and it is not possible to end the war,defend the country,balance the budget,provide affordable healthcare,create good paying jobs , hold down on inflation and provide everyone with a comfortable retirement lifestyle and affordable good education for our young,spread democracy overseas and bring in the bacon .Oh,send someone to MARS and dont let the Russians beat us to it!
It was not too long ago our politicians are praising how wonderful it is that housing is so affordable and many poor and not so affluent can afford a house and now they are talking about creating a special body to oversee the financial institutions to make sure this financial debacle will not happen again!(Have we not seen this mess before,the S&L crisis?Deja Vu ??)
Why waste your precious time debating who is better-Hilary or Obama or McCain?4-8 years they will be out !Besides we all know being a president of the United States is not like being elected Czar for life,during his/her tenure there is this Congress and that Senate to contend with ,it is not like the president has absolute power.
I am going to make one last statement and I will turn in- in peacetime you see mediocre politicians ,any one can become a politician,only in tough time,the strong one comes forward like the Ghandi,the Golda Meir,Lennin,Churchill,they are cut from a different cloth like Armand Hammer once said of M Gorbachev !
US presidents come and go,how many can you count on one hand who is truly outstanding?None,not Kennedy,not Reagon,the only one I am impressed with is Bill Clinton,he is damn smart and he sees a situation,he can explain what it is,how it gets there and offer you a remedy,a remedy which is both pragmatic and workable.
Just remember,presidents come and go but the country will always be here.
Good Night!
*
Lets all stop whining !
posted on March 21, 2008 06:39:27 AM new
And it just keeps getting better:
During an interview on a Philadelphia radio station, Obama was asked about his candid remarks about his white maternal grandmother during an address on race relations Tuesday. In that speech, he said his grandmother confessed "her fear of black men who passed her by on the street."
"The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn't," Obama told WIP Sports Radio.
"But she is a typical white person who, if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know, there's a reaction that's been bred into our experiences that don't go away, and that sometimes come out in the wrong way, and that's just the nature of race in our society."
This is the line that angers me: "Typical white person". What the he#@ is that supposed to mean? All whites are racist? I really don't think that comment helped his case any and maybe it's being taken out of context here. Or, maybe it's a comment on how he really feels without a typed script to read from. I, for one, don't react to anyone on the street I don't know either positively or negatively. I'm more apt to say good morning or good evening than to cross the street. That is, unless they look threatening. And that has nothing to do with race. That has to do with self preservation. I have crossed the street when a threatening looking white male has been walking down the street.
I was changing my mind on who to really get behind. Think I'll stick with Hillary for now. That, too, is subject to change.
Cheryl
[ edited by cblev65252 on Mar 21, 2008 06:39 AM ]
posted on March 21, 2008 07:54:00 AM new
I agree that it was absolutely the wrong thing for Obama to say. Having said that, anyone of the candidates could and have said inappropriate things due to the constant attention and questioning. The reasons for these inappropriate statements range from error, insensitivity, mis-speaking, ignorance,racism, etc. Just this week, John McCain made erroneous statements about Iran training Al Qada for Iraq, 4 different times, until he was corrected by Sen. Lieberman. It was Sunni extremists being trained. An error due to fatigue? An error due to ignorance of the facts? A purposeful error? Who knows?
The fact is that none of us is perfect, including Sen. Obama. I believe he did not mean to make his point in such an insensitive way, but that's just my opinion. Racial stereotypes, both black and white, are deeply ingrained, which he acknowledged in his great speech this week. This only illustrates that point.
posted on March 21, 2008 09:49:33 AM new
I'm sorry Obama used "typical" in his statement--but there's a great deal of truth in what he says.
A study was done a few years ago of the behavior of white women. The results included this: If a white woman is on the sidewalk and more than one black man is walking toward her (two or more, that is), she is afraid. If she sees a group of black men coming far enough ahead, she'll either duck into a store, cross the street, or brave it in fear.
This was the large percentage of white women. I'm sure the location would play a factor in this, as would the time of day or night. But some black leader in recent years saw this study and said HE'D feel the same thing and do the same thing. Groups of black men made him nervously aware.
It's a shame. Now please don't beat me up and call me a racist.
_____________________
posted on March 21, 2008 09:52:15 AM new
coach - You are right, of course. Racism is not just a white-thing. Plenty of blacks are racist as well and it's about time that that is acknowledged. I had a dear friend named Roosevelt (Rosie for short). I met him in 1999 when I started working with HIV/AIDS infected persons. He and I hit it off right off the bat. He died from an AIDS related illness in 2006. Rosie was black and his wake and funeral were held in a black neighborhood. I still went. Nothing was going to keep me away. I got a taste of what it felt to be "the only one in the room" and it wasn't comfortable. However, no one made an effort to make me try to feel comfortable even through we were all there for the same thing - the love of Rosie. Some went out of their way to make me feel even more uncomfortable including the minister. Would I do it again? You bet. Sometimes the love you have for your friends goes further than race and feeling comfortable. Maybe that's in part why Obama can't toss the friendship away that he has with his minister.
He should have, though, blasted his minister/friend for his anti-American comments especially if he expects to be elected president.
posted on March 21, 2008 09:54:46 AM new
Roadsmith - No one is going to blast you. I live in a high crime area where probably 99% of the crimes are committed by black youth, most in gangs. White women, black women, white men and black men tend to walk on the other side of the street if they see someone coming that looks like a thug. It's survival.
Roadsmith wrote," I'm sorry Obama used "typical" in his statement--but there's a great deal of truth in what he says.
A study was done a few years ago of the behavior of white women. The results included this: If a white woman is on the sidewalk and more than one black man is walking toward her (two or more, that is), she is afraid. If she sees a group of black men coming far enough ahead, she'll either duck into a store, cross the street, or brave it in fear.
This was the large percentage of white women. I'm sure the location would play a factor in this, as would the time of day or night. But some black leader in recent years saw this study and said HE'D feel the same thing and do the same thing. Groups of black men made him nervously aware.
It's a shame. Now please don't beat me up and call me a racist."
I agree, Roadsmith! The fact that there was truth in his original speech and truth in this remark is so refreshing. How wonderful to hear someone able to speak the truth even though it might jeopardize his candidacy.
posted on March 21, 2008 09:11:52 PM new
While all this nonsense is going on about Obama, NOBODY seems to be paying any attention to the words of Rick Parsley, who has endorsed McCain and who McCain refers to as his "spiritual guide".
I do not believe our country can truly fulfill its divine purpose until we understand our historical conflict with Islam. I know that this statement sounds extreme, but I do not shrink from its implications. The fact is that America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed.
Divine purpose? Founded with the intention of seeing Islam destroyed? WTF???
posted on March 21, 2008 11:10:43 PM new
WTF is right. I doubt those pilgrims and puritans knew anything about Islam. Good grief. And I challenge anyone to find in Tom Paine's writings or Patrick Henry's speech about the need to destroy Islam.
posted on March 22, 2008 05:39:02 AM new
I thought this country was founded in part so that people were free to choose their religion. I never read anything that said we have to destroy false religion. Now I ask you, who is in charge of judging what religion is false? What a head case Parsley is. Another religious man who seems to think he's been appointed by God to destroy what he himself doesn't believe in.
posted on March 22, 2008 06:37:23 AM new
So why is the media paying NO attention to this? Why is Obama's association with a kook such an issue when this isn't?
I thought the media was being soft on Obama.... Maybe no so much.
posted on March 22, 2008 06:43:46 AM new
Prof - Could it be that, while the newspapers are supposed to be unbiased, they really aren't? I sent the words around to people in my address book. I got this response from one of them that I forgot was a republican. Of course, McCain is denying that he agrees with his advisor. That we're supposed to believe, but Obama's disassociation we're not supposed to believe.
McCain camp disputes Wright-Parsley comparison
by Mosheh Oinounou
Washington, D.C. — John McCain’s campaign is pushing back on recent allegations that controversial Ohio pastor, Rev. Rod Parsley, serves as a “spiritual guide” for the GOP presidential nominee.
As Barack Obama continues to take heat for anti-American and racially divisive comments made by his longtime pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, some voices on the left are arguing that McCain should be receiving similar scrutiny for provocative remarks made by Parsley.
The Ohio-based religious leader has made a number controversial statements about Muslims, previously calling Islam an “anti-Christ religion” based on “deception.” In a recent book, he also wrote that the prophet Mohammad “received revelations from demons and not from the true God,” adding that “Allah was a demon spirit.”
According to the campaign, McCain met Parsley for the first time three weeks ago, when the pastor served as an introductory speaker at a February 26 rally in Cincinnati.
McCain praised most of the leaders in attendance, saying of Parsley: “I am very honored today to have one of the truly great leaders in America, a moral compass, a spiritual guide…thank you for your leadership and your guidance. I am very grateful you are here.” (Coincidence note: This was the same event of the infamous Bill Cunningham remarks)
A number of blogs and magazines (inc. here, here, and here) are citing the “spiritual guide” line to make the case that Parsley is an important influence for the Arizona Senator. International publications are also picking up on the endorsement–a headline in the Tehran Times this morning screams, “McCain advisor: Destroy Islam.”
A campaign official disputes that argument, adding that any comparison between the Wright and Parsley situations is “totally absurd.” The official notes that Rev. Wright married Obama, baptized his children and has served as his spiritual adviser for 20 years, whereas McCain received Parsley’s endorsement at one event and has never attended his service.
Regarding Parsley’s comments on Islam, campaign officials point to McCain’s denunciation of similar comments made by Rev. John Hagee–noting that the presumptive GOP nominee was not endorsing Parsley by accepting the pastor’s endorsement and does not agree with all of his views. McCain has vowed repeatedly to run a “respectful campaign,” condemned any personal attacks on Obama and Clinton.
Additionally, Campaign Manager Rick Davis circulated a memo this week that called upon supporters to “follow John’s lead and run a respectful campaign focused on the issues.”
posted on March 22, 2008 09:51:42 AM new
The major differences are:
When a Christian kook says something kooky, he is immediately condemned by almost everybody Christian on the planet and McCain has no need to do a "me too". You also have as much chance of Christians going on a "jihad" as growing wheat on Mars, while on the other side ....
On the Obama side you have refutation beginning with "Well.. You have to understand that ....", from a constituency that says a white mugging a black has to be a "special" crime, separate from a black mugging a white.
posted on March 22, 2008 02:16:47 PM new
Helen, it was fun reading why each artist chose to draw the candidates in a certain way. I read all the comments that followed and the caricatures upset many that wrote in.
posted on March 22, 2008 02:28:19 PM newI keep telling them not to worry, if he's president NOTHING will change."
I think McCain has a very good chance of being elected. Who do Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda want in power? They've seen Bush's government for years now trying to handle the threats and wars and how incompetent they've been while Osama and his terrorists gain more power so of course they would like the same kind of leaders and strategies to continue.
Before the election there may be more attacks by Al Qaeda worldwide along with escalated threats that America will be next with the promise it will be bigger than any others. They may not attack America but any attacks elsewhere with more taunts and threats against America may breed more uneasiness and fear in the general population. Osama and Al Qaeda will use this manipulation so Bush and McCain can emphasize over and over that there have been no big attacks since 9/11 so they are the party that keeps America safe and strong. JMHO
posted on March 22, 2008 09:14:31 PM new
I think you're at least partially right Kiara. McCain will have to run another fear campaign the same way Bush did. We'll just have to see if the American people are foolish enough to fall for it twice. In general, I believe we get the president we deserve, and that includes Bush. If we fall for the fear mongering again, so be it.
McCain will be able to weasel out of his association with Rev. Parsley not because he's only just met him, but because he's never professed any faith all that much. He certainly can't point to a 20 year association with a congregation the way Obama can. He listed himself as an Episcopalian prior to the 2000 election, then suddenly became a Baptist. Gee, I wonder why? Going from Episcopalian to Baptist is about as radical as changing from Catholic to Pentecostal.
I couldn't care less what faith a candidate professes. But a profession of faith and association with a congregation is an indication of personal steadfastness and honesty if nothing else. Obama can make that claim and has, McCain can't.
posted on March 23, 2008 08:31:29 PM new
The fear/hate card WILL be played and McbushCain will win....
The last election proved there are enough really stupid Americans to keep the dictator in office(in ANY form, even a dried up old man and let's face it Americans have voted in old white men and nothing else and will continue to do so)
PS: I hope I'm wrong but Americans deserve what they ask for and I'm old and hopefully won't see the worst...oh, don't forget to get that new driver's license with the CHIP IN IT!
posted on March 25, 2008 01:09:50 PM new
Months ago I said the Republicans would PAY to have either of these 2 be the nominee. The whack packers were predicting a landslide. Now, 1 little micro-scandal and you have him losing. What happened to everyone's peepa-enthusiasm???
posted on March 26, 2008 06:03:45 AM new
I never predicted a landslide, and I certainly don't have either of them losing at this point. Like I said a long time ago, it's going to be close, whoever the democrat ends up being. As long as McCain's malignant melanoma doesn't come back of course, wouldn't that be a fine how-de-do.
