Obama '08?

Obama talks about health care in New Hampshire

Quote:

The Illinois senator did not offer new details on how he would provide universal health insurance, repeating past assurances that he would unveil a plan within the next few months.

Instead, he made a broad appeal to the public for ideas on fixing the health care system.
[...]
Obama has recently come in for some criticism on the lack of specifics he has offered on health care. At a candidate forum in Las Vegas last month sponsored by the politically influential Service Employees International Union, one questioner chided him for providing insufficient information on reforming the health care system. Many candidates expect health-care reform to be a leading issue in the 2008 campaign.

Obama has pledged that, if elected, all Americans would have health care coverage by the end of his first term. He has said he is reluctant to switch to a "single-payer" national health insurance system because of the difficulty in making a quick transition from the current employer-based private insurance system.

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Here's a tally on what those against Obama have "on him" so far, according to a blog in the Chicago Sun-Times by Lynn Sweet:

Marking the anniversary of the March 1965 "Bloody Sunday" in Selma, Ala., Obama, speaking at a church, said his parents got together "because of what happened in Selma." Obama was born in 1961.

Obama told Larry King on CNN -- asked about that anti-Hillary Rodham Clinton YouTube ad, a doctored version of a spot created for Apple computers -- "We don't have the technical capacity to create something like that."

Obama did not know what he was talking about. Any professional media consultant can manipulate images on video. Turns out the creator -- unmasked last week as a political operative who worked for a firm overseeing the technical side of Obama's Web site -- made it at home on a Mac.

Obama, asked if homosexuality was immoral, in the wake of comments by Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Peter Pace, sidestepped the question. After pressure from gay groups, Obama issued a statement stating he did not agree with Pace "that homosexuality is immoral."

Cynicism is like terrorism?
One of Obama's stump lines is that the biggest obstacle he fights is not any of his rivals, it is cynicism. He used a variation of it during a reception he hosted at a conference here sponsored by AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Displaying a tin ear, Obama said that one of the enemies is not "just terrorists" or "just Hezbollah" or "just Hamas" -- "it's also cynicism."

The Tribune dug this up: Obama, in his memoir, Dreams of My Father, writes of a story in Life magazine that influenced him -- about a black man trying to bleach his skin white. No such article could be found in Life or Ebony.

Insider or outsider?
Another Obama stump line -- he said it again Tuesday morning to the Communications Workers of America here -- is that "I've been long enough in Washington to know that Washington needs to change." He is running against Washington yet his campaign is populated with political professionals who are Washington insiders.

Obama's embrace of some rhetoric used by rival John Edwards is getting attention. Edwards, in a 2003 speech made for his first presidential run said, "I've spent enough time in Washington to know how much we need to change Washington."

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2007/03/sweet_column_item_obamas_gaffe.html

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So, Obama's major problems are that he doesn't know much about Computers and his memory of his childhood isn't perfect. Whoopee.

From his campaign today:

Quote:

Over 100,000 People Donate to Obama Campaign in First Quarter

Campaign Raises At Least $25 Million, At Least $23.5 Million for Primary

Chicago, IL- The Obama for America campaign today announced that it will report raising at least $25 million from more than 100,000 people in the first quarter of 2007, with at least $23.5 million eligible to be spent in the Democratic primary.

"This overwhelming response, in only a few short weeks, shows the hunger for a different kind of politics in this country and a belief at the grassroots level that Barack Obama can bring out the best in America to solve our problems," said Obama for America Finance Chair Penny Pritzker.

The Obama campaign raised $6.9 million over the Internet from more than 50,000 donors.

100k donors, wow! And 50k internet donors. Obama is the Netroots candidate for '08. And his star is still rising.

Cycloptichorn

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Here's something else that seems painfully obvious to me, but doesn't seem to be getting noticed much...

Obama is getting whatever negative press that's getting stirred up, of the three front runners (I've seen Edwards taking some of it too). Hillary is being left basically untouched by the GOP machine.

I know it isn't because they like her better than when they took weekly jabs at her and Bill, and I know it isn't because there aren't people busily gathering every bit of slime they think can stick to her.

I think its just that they want her in as the dem candidate, then they can unleash hell on her - they figure she's the easiest one to beat.

No?

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Seems logical enough to me, Snood... though I'm not convinced the G.O.P machine's even been started yet this season.

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Yeah, when they start slinging, its usually pretty intense (think swift boaters for truth).

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Right now, the top Dem contenders are cannibalizing one another.

It happens.

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Lash wrote:

Right now, the top Dem contenders are cannibalizing one another.

It happens.

Yeah, right. Cannibalizing. They hardly engage each other at all, so it seems you have an odd definition of cannibalizing.

Even if that is true, they are all miles ahead of the Republican candidates - none of which has a clear and real shot of winning! They all have major problems in one way or another, which is going to split your party come vote time.

Cycloptichorn

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Cycloptichorn wrote:

Lash wrote:
Right now, the top Dem contenders are cannibalizing one another.

It happens.

Yeah, right. Cannibalizing. They hardly engage each other at all, so it seems you have an odd definition of cannibalizing.

Even if that is true, they are all miles ahead of the Republican candidates - none of which has a clear and real shot of winning! They all have major problems in one way or another, which is going to split your party come vote time.

Cycloptichorn

http://pollingreport.com/wh08gen.htm

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Pulling for Guiliani is akin to pulling for Newt - sounds fun, won't last because of intense and serious personal issues.

Cycloptichorn

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McCain is actually polling better that Giuliani right now. The Laughing

was in response to "Even if that is true, they are all miles ahead of the Republican candidates - none of which has a clear and real shot of winning!" which is utter and COMPLETE nonsense. :wink: Laughing

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I know the left on here is going to immediately attack this statement,but here goes.

If you want to hear what the candidates think,turn on the Sean Hannity radio show on Mondays and Thursdays.

On the last hour of his show,he has what he calls "ask the candidate".
ALL of the candidates for President have a standing invitation to be on the show.
He interviews them fo 15 minutes,then the callers to his show get to ask the candidate questions.
From what I have heard,there doesnt appear to be anything that is off limits to ask,as long as you stick to the issues.
He had Mitt Romney on today,and I was surprised by some of his positions.

So far,and let me stress that this is a TENTATIVE opinion,subject to change as the campaign goes on,I would support either Romney or Guiliani on the Repub side,and Barak Obama on the Dem side.

Once the lower tier candidates are eliminated,and the front runners start to get specific about their positions and plans,then I will be able to narrow down my choice more.

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Omigosh, mysteryman would consider voting for Obama!

Way cool!

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sozobe wrote:

Omigosh, mysteryman would consider voting for Obama!

Way cool!

Why does that surprise you?
I have stated all along that my personal choice for President was Evan Bayh,the Democrat Senator from Indiana.
Unfortunately,he decided not to run.

I have NEVER voted party,I am not a member of either party.
I have always voted for the person,not the party.

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I know you've said that, I'm just happy to see that you're still seriously considering Obama at this stage of the game.

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Okay. I arrived at my parents' house, opened the package containing "The Audacity of Hope", and started reading. I'm now on page 11, so I just finished the prologue.

So far, it's mostly political small talk -- anecdotes from the campaign trail and things like this. Political statements sound vague and somewhat triangulated. It turns out, for example, Obama believes in free enterprise, but also in a government that lends a helping hand if really neccessary. Standard politician talk.

What's above standard, however, is the craft of Obama's writing. His prose is clear, grammatical, and free of rhetorical fluff. He knows how to connect one paragraph to the next. The punchlines of his anecdotes hit their target spot-on, and Obama times them well.

So my first impression, as of page 11, is that I don't anticipate any political revelations from this book, but do expect an interesting read. I'm looking forward to the chapters ahead.

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Thanks for the early version, Thomas!

In truth, I've read it piecemeal so far -- starting with the index and looking for what he thinks about things. Haven't had time to sit down and read cover-to-cover. I'll try to start that now, maybe we'll finish about the same time.

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OCCOM BILL wrote:

McCain is actually polling better that Giuliani right now. The was in response to "Even if that is true, they are all miles ahead of the Republican candidates - none of which has a clear and real shot of winning!" which is utter and COMPLETE nonsense. :wink:

He has no money and half the Republican party hates his guts. I really, really hope that they do nominate him. Really.

Cycloptichorn

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Cycloptichorn wrote:

OCCOM BILL wrote:
McCain is actually polling better that Giuliani right now. The was in response to "Even if that is true, they are all miles ahead of the Republican candidates - none of which has a clear and real shot of winning!" which is utter and COMPLETE nonsense. :wink:

He has no money and half the Republican party hates his guts. I really, really hope that they do nominate him. Really.

Cycloptichorn

If we do, he'll win.

All he has to do is survive the primaries.

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Lash wrote:

Cycloptichorn wrote:
OCCOM BILL wrote:
McCain is actually polling better that Giuliani right now. The was in response to "Even if that is true, they are all miles ahead of the Republican candidates - none of which has a clear and real shot of winning!" which is utter and COMPLETE nonsense. :wink:

He has no money and half the Republican party hates his guts. I really, really hope that they do nominate him. Really.

Cycloptichorn

If we do, he'll win.

All he has to do is survive the primaries.

You are living in a straight-up fantasy world. Seriously.

The Republicans are at a massive disadvantage to begin with, after 8 years of Bush f*cking it up - and you think that a candidate which is barely supported by your party is going to beat Obama - who is going to beat Hillary in the Primary?

Or hell, let's say Hillary does win. You think folks are going to vote another Republican into office? Given the huge shifts that we've seen in party self-identification in the last 6 years? Given that Iraq will be no better, the economy will be no better - what the hell is McCain going to run on?

Fantasy. World.

Cycloptichorn

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