Obama '08?

No more speeches or big rallies?

Speaking of boneheaded goofs, I hear MSNBC's Matthews just made mince meat of one of Obama's surrogates by asking him to name one of Obama's legislative accomplishments and the poor guy flubbed it up and didn't say a thing.

MSNBC and Me

February 20, 2008

So . . . That really happened.

On Tuesday night, after an important and historic victory in the Wisconsin Presidential Primary by Senator Barack Obama, I appeared on the MSNBC post-election program. "Hardball" host Chris Matthews (who is, it turns out, as ferocious as they say), began grilling me on Senator Obama's legislative record.

And my mind went blank. I expected to be asked about the primary that night, or the big one coming up in Texas on March 4, or just about anything else in the news. When the subject changed so emphatically, I reached for information that millions of my fellow Obama supporters could recite by heart, and I couldn't summon it.

My most unfortunate gaffe is not, in any way, a comment on Senator Obama, his substantial record, or the great opportunity we all share to elect him President of the United States.

Had I not lost my mind, here are the accomplishments I would have mentioned:

• Senator Obama's fight for universal children's health care in Illinois.
  
• His success bringing Republicans and Democrats together (a huge selling point for me in general) on bills such as the one in Illinois requiring police interrogations and confessions to be videotaped.
  
• His leadership on ethics reform in Washington (the bill that lobbyists and special interests are complaining about right now has his name on it).
  
• His bill to make the federal budget far more transparent and accessible to Americans via the Internet - we could use that openness in Texas.
  
• And his vital work with Republicans to lock down nuclear weapons around the world.

Of course, it would have helped to remember all of this last night. I encourage anyone who wants to know more (especially Mr. Matthews) to log onto texas.barackobama.com.

In the meantime, let's not lose focus on what's important in this election. It's not my stunning televised defeat in "Stump the Chump." Thankfully, it has nothing at all to do with me.

What's important is the direction our country is headed. What's important are the priorities, methods, and, yes, accomplishments of those seeking the highest office in the country.

Senator Obama has a vision for this nation, and we would be fortunate to fulfill it. He has the commitment to work with everyone from across the political and demographic spectrum to achieve it. And he has the strength to defend us, our security, and our values against all who will challenge them.

But most of all, he has the record to prove that all of this is possible. It's something no one should forget.

. . . Even though I did.

. . . On national television.

Yikes!:

Quote:

Barack Obama's late night rally here was a cross between a mob scene, a pep rally, a rock concert, and a Paris Hilton stakeout.

The Democratic front-runner appeared at the tiny new office of his campaign's Corpus Christi headquarters tonight to fire up the campaign troops in advance of a morning rally tomorrow. Packed far past capacity, they hardly needed firing up. Several people had to be taken by ambulance after fainting from heat while waiting for him to arrive. Staff, and even a few well-meaning members of the press, formed a distribution line for bottled water to keep casualties to a minimum.

The crowd's long wait was rewarded with a speech that clocked in under five minutes, although the adoring crowd didn't much seem to care. But the chaos really began when Obama ventured outside to greet the hoards of supporters who couldn't make it into the steamy former dance hall that housed the speech. A crowd-turned-paraparazzi, brandishing camera phones of all makes and models, mobbed the candidate as he ambled around behind the building, alarmed staff and Secret Servicemen in tow.

Popping flashbulbs were punctuated with hilariously adoring comments from screaming women. (Example: "Ohmigod Barack! You're my new screensaver!") He even gave an impromptu speech to encourage supporters to vote -- twice -- in the March 4th primary.

But the true Bono moment came as Obama reappeared for a brief moment before finally (to the relief of the Service and the press) climbing into the gray Suburban and calling it a night. He was speaking on his cell phone, and as the crowd began to chant and holler at the mere glimpse of the candidate, he held the phone aloft victoriously.

Whoever was listening on the other end might be convinced that Corpus Christi is Obama Country.

Or at least that Obama is a rock star.

[size=7]Some names and identifying details changed. Guess who? http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/[/size]

Finn dAbuzz wrote:

nimh wrote:

Finn dAbuzz wrote:

... and regular columnist for the National Review (thats where this piece was from).

Because there is noone as qualified to tell us what remorse or other sentiments liberals are experiencing right now than a NR columnist.

Of course he is. As if I was trying to hide the fact. This is how the print version copies.

In any case it doesn't seem as if Liberals have any problem telling us what conservatives think or feel.

I found it humorous. Perhaps you did not.I'm sure you're not suggesting that this thread should not be polluted with comments from the "other side."

Course not. Just that when it comes to Reading the Hearts and Minds of Liberals Today, the take of an anonymous columnist in the National Review is as much worth as TP.

Or, if you prefer, as much as the nth liberal on the Bush Supporters thread telling you what conservatives really feel, going on nothing but his own opinion and gut feeling. You obviously consider those takes worthless - no reason why the opposite would suddenly be valuable.

But sure, post whatever you want. Just dont blame us for rolling our eyes if it's stuff like this.

Butrflynet wrote:

Speaking of boneheaded goofs, I hear MSNBC's Matthews just made mince meat of one of Obama's surrogates by asking him to name one of Obama's legislative accomplishments and the poor guy flubbed it up and didn't say a thing.

Hillary used this in the last debate, of course:

"there are differences between our records and our accomplishments. I have to confess I was somewhat amused the other night when on one of the TV shows, one of Senator Obama's supporters was asked to name one accomplishment of Senator Obama, and he couldn't. So I know that there are comparisons and contrasts to be drawn between us, and it's important that voters get that information."

The poor guy in question was Texas Senator Kirk Watson, and he has put up a very gracious statement that just really makes you feel for him:

Quote:

MSNBC and Me

February 20, 2008

So . . . That really happened.

On Tuesday night, after an important and historic victory in the Wisconsin Presidential Primary by Senator Barack Obama, I appeared on the MSNBC post-election program. "Hardball" host Chris Matthews (who is, it turns out, as ferocious as they say), began grilling me on Senator Obama's legislative record.

And my mind went blank. I expected to be asked about the primary that night, or the big one coming up in Texas on March 4, or just about anything else in the news. When the subject changed so emphatically, I reached for information that millions of my fellow Obama supporters could recite by heart, and I couldn't summon it.

My most unfortunate gaffe is not, in any way, a comment on Senator Obama, his substantial record, or the great opportunity we all share to elect him President of the United States.

Had I not lost my mind, here are the accomplishments I would have mentioned:

• Senator Obama's fight for universal children's health care in Illinois.
  
• His success bringing Republicans and Democrats together (a huge selling point for me in general) on bills such as the one in Illinois requiring police interrogations and confessions to be videotaped.
  
• His leadership on ethics reform in Washington (the bill that lobbyists and special interests are complaining about right now has his name on it).
  
• His bill to make the federal budget far more transparent and accessible to Americans via the Internet - we could use that openness in Texas.
  
• And his vital work with Republicans to lock down nuclear weapons around the world.

Of course, it would have helped to remember all of this last night. I encourage anyone who wants to know more (especially Mr. Matthews) to log onto texas.barackobama.com.

In the meantime, let's not lose focus on what's important in this election. It's not my stunning televised defeat in "Stump the Chump." Thankfully, it has nothing at all to do with me.

What's important is the direction our country is headed. What's important are the priorities, methods, and, yes, accomplishments of those seeking the highest office in the country.

Senator Obama has a vision for this nation, and we would be fortunate to fulfill it. He has the commitment to work with everyone from across the political and demographic spectrum to achieve it. And he has the strength to defend us, our security, and our values against all who will challenge them.

But most of all, he has the record to prove that all of this is possible. It's something no one should forget.

. . . Even though I did.

. . . On national television.

Eye rolling is good for the eyeballs.

mysteryman wrote:

Another Clinton surrogate has gone on the attack against Obama.
But instead of just attacking Obama, he has attacked much of the dem party.

Quote:

"The Barack show is playing to rave reviews sold out at college campus after college campus. [..] Give me a break! I've got news for all the latte-drinking, Prius-driving, Birkenstock-wearing, trust fund babies crowding in to hear him speak. This guy won't last a round against the Republican attack machine. He's a poet, not a fighter!"

Yeah, because nothing says "latte-drinking, Prius-driving, Birkenstock-wearing, trust fund babies" like having the endorsement and boots on the ground of the Teamsters union.

soz's quote describing Mr Obama's gig reminded me of the thing they do in Mecca. The Haj I think it is called. [..]

It's his ears.

In any case, I'm not blaming you for rolling your eyes - roll away. What I did find amusing though was the notion that you might need to reveal the "true source" of this obviously satirical piece.

I'm sure that your liberal confreres appreciate your shining the light of day on my feeble attempt to use a National Review piece to deceive them. It should improve their sense of ideological security to know that the ever-vigilant nimh is always on the job!

Finn dAbuzz wrote:

In any case, I'm not blaming you for rolling your eyes - roll away. What I did find amusing though was the notion that you might need to reveal the "true source" of this obviously satirical piece.

I'm sure that your liberal confreres appreciate your shining the light of day on my feeble attempt to use a National Review piece to deceive them. It should improve their sense of ideological security to know that the ever-vigilant nimh is always on the job!

Wow, that must be the most pompous post describing another poster as pompous that I've seen this month. An ironic affect?

Meanwhile, of course, my point wasnt to "shine the light of day" on your copy/paste in order to "reveal its true source", or anything like that. It was just to observe what I did: that there are few people less qualified to talk of the inner feelings of liberals than an anonymous National Review columnist. Which basically makes the whole column just so much hot air.

If you know a way in which I could have said that without pointing out that the copy/paste was from the National Review, tell me.

Damn, no matter how much I poke, I just can't get these Democrats to get into another food fight with each other. What will it take to create a wedge between these people that I can exploit?

Well nimh says it's pompus and so it must be.

finn wrote:

Quote:

Be honest blatham, you are not suggesting that only I am batty, your are clearly suggesting that anyone who was put off by Mrs Obama's comments is batty - and actually, far worse

.

"Far worse" is your addition. "Batty, as regards this matter," was what I said.

Perhaps you perceive an underlying implication that I think being batty about certain sorts of things (say, the way some japanese are batty about those saucer-eyed anime characters) isn't of much significance to the tenor and well-being of a society, but that being batty about other sorts of things might be rather more significant, well, then you'd be right.

Finn dAbuzz shudda just wrote:

Quote:

Damn, no matter how much I poke, I just can't get these Democrats to get into another food fight with each other. What will it take to create a wedge between these people that I can exploit?

Finn dAbuzz wrote:

Well nimh says it's pompus and so it must be.

Uh no - I say it's pompous, which means that I think it's pompous. Nothing beyond that.

Sometimes there really is nothing there, Finn, no matter how hard you try :wink:

Yes, and nimh doesn't believe himself to be a member of the A2K Aesir.