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Obama: Not just a pretty face?
werehippy
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
theclam wrote:I've glanced at a little of his proposed legislation and he's got some pretty damn good ideas. He's not just a charismatic speaker.werehippy wrote:Thanatos wrote:If you listen to some of his speeches, you'll know why people like him so much.werehippy wrote:Ok, this is definitely not relevant to this thread, but I think I need to do some background research on him and get a feel for exactly why Obama is loved so much. All I really know is that he's got a kind of wunderkin vibe going on.mcc wrote:Absolutely. There is no doubt of that.werehippy wrote:Obama has a lot of buzz, but do you really think he could stand up to the inevitable Kennedy comparisons? In other words, he talks a good game, but does he actually have enough gusto to run for President?
The question is, does he have any of the things besides gusto that you need to run for President?
Maybe in the next day or two I'll pop up a thread here or in H/A and try and find videos or text of his more important speeches and interviews.
This is what I'm hoping. I really, REALLY, want there to be some charismatic, intelligent dark horse that can come out of fucking nowhere and lead the Dems to glorious and nonretarded victory, I'm just worried that it's one of those "I want to believe" things, where the will to see something overpowers what's actually there.
Ok, after the giddy talk of winning the House and the Senate started to wind down, the topic naturally shifted to how this is going to lead into the '08 election, and the one name that seems to come up over and over, in extremely hopeful tones is Barack Obama.
I've been somewhat out of touch with politics since the crushing clusterfuck that was Kerry '04, so all I really know about is that people who study up on him seem to love him.
So, I'm coming to the D&D political guru's with a humble request. Where exactly should I be looking if I too want to know the glory that is Obama? Basically, can anyone point me and everyone else in the direction of speeches (text or video) or proposed legislation that'll help give us a feel for who Obama is and why people seem to like him so much?
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The Connecticut speech was the one I watched. It was nice.
The Golden source.
I didn't realize you were going to use my phrase
Anyway, I think the main reason a lot of people on the left like Obama is that, well, he's pretty far to the left, and he actually seems to have some integrity.
1. He gave this speech at the 2004 Democratic convention. Really, this one speech is it, though he gave some other speeches later which had the same effect. The reason these speeches are such a big deal is that he managed to convey a sense of vision, a sense of humanity, and a sense of actually having ideas and having a clear idea of how to implement them.
And this in an environment where these are exactly the things lacking from every other Democrat at that same convention.
2. He has the same "unscripted" quality as Dean, that when he opens his mouth to speak he's saying what he really thinks and feels and not just a prepackaged sound bite. Yet unlike Dean, when he opens his mouth to speak, interesting and witty things come out, not uncomfortable and embarrassing things.
3. He's not Hillary Clinton
People don't really care that much what Obama is. People just know Obama is everything that the Democrats of the last couple decades aren't
Sounds a lot like Kennedy.
That's exactly why I thought we could use a thread like this. Starting tomorrow, both parties are going to be gearing up for 08, and I think Obama is going to be a name we hear a lot, and one that a lot of people don't really know much about beyond the fact people seem to like him.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/10/23/barack-obama-is-thinking-about-running-for-president/
Is for campaign reform and fiscally sound spending (google government act) even if he might be willing to spend more than libs and Jeffe's might like. Environmentally pro and somewhat inventive there. His idea for bailing out the big 3 in Detroit is pretty inventive considering the options available. Not too much else that he's actively done beyond that since he's a 2 year old freshman senator in an opposition party.
And this is really the most interesting thing about Obama, if you think about it. He's figured out how to aim at the center without aiming right.
God, we're fucked.
That said, he certainly seems to be a lot farther to the left than most Democrats.
his entire fucking future in the Senate.
4. He's not white. He won't win. The US won't vote in a non-white president at this point. Sad truth.
If he managed to win without carrying a single southern state, all the better.
Seriously. It has to start somewhere. Nobody is gonna go ahead and say, "alright folks, we're ready for a black president now."
Fucking Tennessee.
It's a goddamn shame what they threw at Harold Ford Jr. I can't agree with all of the man's politics, but every interview i've seen from him was outstanding. He woulda done good man.
Why do you want the Republicans to win the next presidential election?
Unless Hilary Clinton magicaly turned black
"We're realistic"
He's not African-American in the traditional sense. He isn't descended from American slaves, but from an African-born father and a White, country mother. If ANYONE can bust down the color barrier it'll be this guy. I don't think he's gotten enough experience yet, but in 2 years we'll see. I, much like a lot of people, just have an instinctual, almost intuitive good-feeling about Barrack. Something just seems right about him, his integrity and his relate-ability.
He is electable. I wish him the best.
Just not Hillary Democrats, for the love of GOD.
Being black myself, I long for the day that we see a afro-american president, but now is just not the time. Too much hangs on that delicate "Liberal/Conservative" balance to throw the election away on day 1 by nominating someone who won't win, just to make some kind of statement on the affairs of race relations in the US.
Seriously, come back in 2012, it's not a good time to be playing such political games.
I think he should absolutely run in the primary, just to see how he shakes out. If he gets walloped, it's not an especially huge issue, but he might well end up being a serious candidate, either as a candidate himself or on the bottom of a solid Dem ticket.
I think Powell would have made a far better president than Bush has.
As for Obama, electing him in '08 would result in the rest of the world issuing a collective "Huh? They did what?". A lot of anti-Americans would start to rethink their positions.
Him in person: He can be intense at times but it is always quiet intensity. There will be no Howard Dean moments (though that was blown massively out of proportion) in an Obama campaign, but I assure you that crowds will go INSANE for him. He can and will engage with people one on one. Listening is one of his strengths and his responses convey his understanding of your concerns and insights.
I know that I'm gushing a bit but the man is the real deal. He's definitely NOT just a pretty face and having met him in person a short time ago, I became convinced that he should be the next president. I think he can win. I think that in the past, he would not be a viable candidate, but things have come together in a way that SCREAMS about how important his election should be. An Obama campaign wouldn't be "I'm not Bush so vote for me!" like Kerry's campaign was. It will be about ideas, it will be about progress, and it will be about making America stronger, safer, and better.
What is french for KKK? Racist bastards!!!
FN (front national)
Obama, as he currently stands, is nothing but a poster child that the democrats want to showcase. He's young (in political terms), black, and a good speaker. I'm sorry, I want more in a candidate besides a nice photo face.
And what will be a real shame is that anyone who opposes him running on the grounds that he has relatively small experience will be labeled racist in an attempt to quiet those who don't support him.
Give him another twelve years and actually have merits to stand on, then we'll see.
For a bush supporter (from what I can tell) you blatantly ignore the fact that Bush had even LESS experience when he ran for president.
You realize that his lack of experience is also an advantage, right? I mean, normally, it's nice for candidates to have experience so that you can look back and see if they are the real deal, i.e. to see if they actually hold the values they say they hold. With Obama that's not the case. I mean, the guy is the real deal.
Besides, Kennedy had 14 years of experience when he was elected. Barack will have 12 by 2008.