Friends in High Places

Obama has more experience than his opponants give him credit for. He's been in elected office longer than Hillary Clinton and has received great reviews from his colleagues from both the GOP and Dems in Illinois for his abilities as someone who can get legislation written and passed that no one thought had a chance. He's learned about the needs of real people through his work as a community organizer. He is a constitutional law professor and while in law school at Harvard he was the editor of the Harvard Law Review. He has more expertise on the Constitution than any other candidate in the race in either party. That expertise was on display during the Senate debate on the issue of detainees being held at Guantanimo Bay.

Obama has worked on two of the most momentous issues of the day in the Senate - halting nuclear proliferation and congressional ethics reform. He was instrumental in writing the ethics reform bill and shepherding it through congress to see it passed into law. He has risen to a leadership role in the Senate faster than any other Senator in memory.

As everyone is finding out, Obama has the raw talent and charisma to inspire millions of people like no one since JFK. He also has the experience and vision to channel that energy into an effective force pushing a program of policies that will bring relief to middle class Americans, create a more equitable economy and increase opportunity for all.

Obama offers hope plus something else. He offers a vision of all Americans coming together behind the original values that this nation was founded on. He realizes and articulates as no other candidate in this race does, that the best way to counter the suffocating dominance of the powerful special interests that have so much say in our government right now is to awaken the American people and bring them together into their own holistic, broad-based interest group that draws its power not from money to buy exposure and thereby attract votes, but through the direct wielding of their votes.

With so much hopelessness among average people in the nation who don't believe that the politicians listen to them, Obama is essentially saying: "I hear you - you want to get things done. If you elect me, I will conduct the good faith negotiations necessary to get programs passed." That is why Obama is attracting so many independants, regardless of how supposedly liberal his policy positions are. It is a kind of populism, but it is not an angry populism. It is a practical and healing populism.

If he succeeds, Obama's powerful coalition of average Americans will elect those that will turn away from the narrow and uncompromising positions of the special interest groups and instead listen first to the needs of the people and be willing to smash gridlock by engaging in the compromising and negotiating needed to pass meaningful legislation that will make everyone's lives better.

Carthage, your negativity is overwhelming. I think everyone admires a candidate that says all the right things, but if they're just going to be a puppet of the machine, we'll have another disaster on our hands for the next four years.

Voters want to make money. If the economy has a negative affect on citizens wallets , then there is no confusion. THE VOTER will make time to vote for an alternative.

"Voters are too busy, distracted and ideologically confused to make fateful political decisions on their own."

This may be the most frightening statement I have ever heard from a respected member of the press. That it was offered as fact with absolutely no evidence is appallingly arrogant.

Oh my God!

I have great respect for Senatros Leahy, Kerry and Kennedy for "breaking rank" and joining others from the former Clinton team like Reich in standing up for the future of the party they deeply care about. The scorched-earth campaign of the Clintons (brining Rove/Atwater tactics within their own party), and the use of NOW, Emily's List and pro-choice groups in NH against an "opponent" (who happens to be on the same side of most issues) in their personal power grab is deplorable. To turn away the wave of new voters coming into the party and to try to use every possible division is deeply damaging to the party in Novemebr and beyond. I hope the Clinton supporters pause and take stock - we deserve better than to bring the circus back in town. HRC has ZERO cross-over appeal and independents break heavily for Mccain - we do not need Rove to tell us that no general election can be won without independents, esp. if you turn away a substantil numbers of democrats, like the Clintons are doing, by their shameless distortions and divisive actions.

Endorsements by Ted Kennedy (or anyone else) is importgant only to talking heads like yourself. People respond to many different forces in their decisions - some of them noble and some of them sleaszy. But if you like to think that endorsements really work (even thought they never really have before) go on and have fun. But don't bet the farm.

Right, elmwood. IN 2000, the pundits couldn't stop talking about "Clinton fatigue." What voter used such language? And still, despite being charmed by W's hollow words (ending partisanship, compassionate conservatism) while ignoring his cavalier disregard of the issues important to Americans at the time, The overwhelmingly negative interpretation of anything involving Hillary Clinton is disturbing. Fortunately, the pundits misread the electorate in 2000 when Gore won the popular vote and proved the pollsters wrong. But how can they ignore those same pollsters now when Clinton leads in the vast majority of Super Tuesday states and nationally less than a week before the country goes to the polls. I guess reporting the facts instead of creating them would not fill a 24-hour news cable channel. Oh, how I long for the days of Walter Cronkite.

The Clintons KNOW the inner workings of the Washington machine. Bill balanced the budget, surrounded himself with competent people in his Cabinet, and actually had a solid foreign policy. Obama doesn't have the experience or the knowledge required to hold the highest office in the nation. Let him get his feet wet for 8 years and he'll be ready, but now is not the time to elect someone into office because of his charisma and catchpharses.

SORRY for the quadruple post. It was totally unintentional.

In Florida, the day after Ted and Caroline Kennedy endorsed Senator Obama to great national media coverage, Obama was thoroughly beaten. Even those Florida voters who made up their minds the day of the election went for Clinton. It may be that endorsements matter, but history doesn't support this. Ted Kennedy's endorsement matters hugely to folks who were already for Obama. Not much help there. Outside of a relatively small group, Kennedy is simply not well liked. And anyone who imagines that Kennedy will help much with Hispanics is delusional. To find out why, read the op-ed in the 1/30/08 LA Times titled "Why Clinton can count on Latinos." After you read it, look at the credentials of the authors. Kennedy's endorsement does help Obama in one respect: as a super delegate, Kennedy can cast his one vote for Obama.

So Obama got endorsed by Kennedy, so what. Who needs the backing of a drunk that got away with murder!
Hilary is better off with out him. Obama claims to be the candidate for change, but I say he's just another suit in the whitehouse, regardless of the color of the cloth. Let's get some real change in there, press that party dress Hilary it's time to dance.

I am an ardent Obama supporter. I think the Ted and Caroline Kennedy endorsement was HUGE!! The 'passing of the torch' to Obama will be remembered, in my opinion, as a pivotal moment in this campaign. I have seen new polls coming out in California that show the race tightening substantially. This endorsement will have a ripple effect. Other Democratic pols who were reluctant to sign on with Obama will now feel that the Kennedys have given them permission to do so without worry of repercusions. The older voters in the Democratic Party - Hillary's main base - may have second thoughts and swing Obama's way. Union people and Latinos who revere the Kennedys will be influenced to consider switching to Obama. And these Caroline - and I assume Ted - ads will reach many who are just now becoming engaged. Then there is the actual campaigning in the flesh by Caroline today in Denver - and Ted in subsequent days - which will be shown in the states' local media, as well as on the cable channels. Again, THIS IS A HUGE DEAL!! Now, I just WISH JOHN EDWARDS, BILL RICHARDSON, JOE BIDEN, CHRIS DODD, and AL GORE WOULD JOIN IN! John Edwards' endorsement would be so wonderful as he and Obama have truly been in sync in their messages during this campaign. Joe Trippi gallantly came to Obama's defense on "Hardball" against the 'king of smear' for Hillary, Mark Penn. I can't believe Trippi would want Edwards to endorse Hillary. And Bill Richardson could be such a help with the Latino community in his own state, as well as elsewhere. Joe Biden and Chris Dodd too seemed to favor Obama over Hillary during the debates. And Al Gore's help would be phenomenal. I don't work for Obama - but I am one of those "small contributors" who has sent in a grand total of $100, divided into four $25 donations. I really BELIEVE in BARACK OBAMA!! I think he could effect REAL CHANGE FOR THE COMMON GOOD. I don't want to go back to the Clintons' 1990s - could NEVER vote for Hillary. (too sleazy of a campaign).I want Barack Obama to be our next president. And I really feel these prominent endorsements have - and will - help in reaching that end!

http://boards.msn.com/MSNBCboards/thread.aspx?threadid=541402

speak your mind about the media!!!!

the best thing about all this we each have one vote.

The long ridiculous posts that are cut and pasted here...no one reads...that guy has one vote. UNO

So, Barack Obama is "poised to take the lead?" Where do you guys get this stuff from. Last I checked Clinton had a 12% to 15% point lead nationwide less than one week before Super Tuesday. Does that mean you are saying that Hillary Clinton is now poised to lose the nomination. So much for impartiality, something the press has surely not shown in the Democratic race for the nomination. STOP IT!

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So, Barack Obama is "poised to take the lead?" Where do you guys get this stuff from. Last I checked Clinton had a 12% to 15% point lead nationwide less than one week before Super Tuesday. Does that mean you are saying that Hillary Clinton is now poised to lose the nomination. So much for impartiality, something the press has surely not shown in the Democratic race for the nomination. STOP IT!

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Great minds embrace the same and are ever aflame with hope! Hopeful minds work together to transform....