The Obama Delusion

Oh, and Nebraska and Minnesota. Not the heartland, either, I guess.

The likes of R. Samuelson should learn from Bill Clinton's example. He came and dazzled us with rhetorics and not only did his policies lifted America's economic properity, but also ensured peace in the world. Obama seems to me a recreation of the Bill clinton democratic era. Of the three lots of MacCain, Hillary and Obama himself. I feel as a good journalist R. Samuelson shold stop being naive but tell any ill about these presidential hopefulls that may help us seperate the men from the boys.

Hillary has won 8 of the 9 biggest states and does not have supporters how can St. Obama win the presidency if he can not win in the electoral heartland?

This writer is so typical of the jaded, cynical and decadent punditocracy: keep repeating the meme that Obama is all rhetoric and no plan, but when he presents specific ideas, spear him for violating some imaginary oath they think he took not to put out plans. This is why the public doesn't buy these rags anymore.

Hillary will continue to elaborate specific solutions to specific issues in the next debate. She has thought these things through and has an agenda for solutions. Not a vague promis of "change" and "hope" that Obama dribbles on about with nothing to hang a hat on for specifics.

Finally, someone in the media who is not blinded by the messianic fervor surrounding Obama. All politicians tend to tell people what they want to hear, it is, unfortunately, the nature of the beast. Obama, however, to me is more dangerous than most. He is whipping up the electorate into a frenzy and igniting unrealistic hopes that cannot possibly be realized. And if he is elected, when all these young people who have been energized to get involved in the political process look around and see few if any of the things he promised actually come to fruition, how does anyone ever get them engaged again.

Hillary is the last person who should talk about plagiarism ; she borrows form the other candidates liberally and jumps from one platform to the other hoping to stand out. On the Senate floor where it matters her proposals are softer, less often co sponsored and less successful than Obama's. and as a reporter who is discussing substance you should be able to talk about each candidate's legislative record rather than like Chris MAthews picking on people who are not informed,Chris MAthews juping all over . If your job is to inform the public , and not just spew opinions about rhetoric when candidates talk about the future, then you should be providing the public with valid information about a candidates real history. And I don't just mean what ever marginal or scandalous instances you can dredge up. Obama is a relatively unknown quantity for the general public, but you should speak to that as you should be more up to the task of delineating the candidates legislative record than the average citizen. Obama record in the Senate can help to inform the American public especially as it compares to Hillary's who seems not to garner much support for the bills she proposes even in fairness when they are good bills. His record shows that his focus is not any more narrow on the ground floor of the Senate than it is in his speeches. Please, as someone who I imagine aspired to become a journalist for more than the desk job do more than listen to yourself talk. Do more than dredge up the dirty details of a candidates personal life. Do more than flame the fires of a desperate woman who has compromised herself too much for her ambitions and who does not have the personal skills to garner the support of the people who can help to make important change happen. Tell people what they need to hear...the truth that's not apparent to the average reader/listener. In other words, do your job.

Obama " I (would voted) against the war before I voted for it. He has supported every funding resolution. The repuplicans will use this mercilessly

let me inform you that what you said about social secutiy play is right on the money. understand that most people making over 102,000 dollars do not pay into it after they reach that point. But don't you think that if everyone payed into it no matter what you make that will not increase ss going broke,because it helps everyone. If you would open your mind to understand that it will genarate millions of dollars because people making miions of dollars and collecting ss also is causing us baby boomers and ss to run into trouble but if the upper class were made to pay into ss like we poorer people pay into it there would be more money to cover more people. Instead they pay nothing after the first 102 thousand dollars.no matter how early they hit that number. So think before you write you would have come to understand what he is telling you

Like sheep, the cult will follow blindly, similiar to Bush in 2000. Anyone who expects change from any of these candidates is either dillusional, ignorant or naive - or all of the above. They all originate from Congress, the ROOT of our problems.

You can have "old system guys" making up you politics, and picking a bit here and there.....but a debate, and the way you carefully answer, will show the insight and details you have in the case, when challenged. And, your record of achievements, will show whether you can DO or not - and for how long you can and will endure, with the passion and stamina this job takes. Mr. Samuelsen is showing the other side - that most people, when "their Hero is attacked", "the popular guy" (sometimes feels like you`re being attacked yourself, if to identified) - will close their eyes to, reject and defend. Something to think about.......

Judging a candidate solely by his campaign speeches, ignoring his record of action in behalf of causes he believes in, is a weak way to decide who would be a better leader. What impresses me most about Mr. Obama is that he entered the system without the backing of the Democratic establishment. He succeeded largely on the basis of relationships he built, starting at the community level, and on the basis of how fairly he treated people and how much they believed in him and continued to believe in him. That's an achievement any leader, political or otherwise, would be proud of; we as Americans should be proud of it, too, for it demonstrates the openness and meritocratic way our system works, at least part of the time. Perhaps he inspires because he comes across and really IS authentically what he claims to be. No amount of posturing can substitute for the real thing. He has laid out ambitious programs. We have big problems that need **good** government, not conflicted government or small government.

RE: The Clinton attack machine is calling in all thier favors from their sychophants in the media in a win at all cost effort. Robert Samuelson has exposed himself as a Clinton sychophant. Pathetic.

I couldn't agree more. Most analysts say there is not much difference between Obama and Clinton's policies. So that [should] make Clinton's platform as useless as Obama's. Samuelson began by dispelling his slant on race but has shown he's swayed by race more than any thing else. If Obama and Clinton are 95% identical in their election promises as 90% of analysts are saying, then both Clinton and Obama should be equally assailed. You did a very a pathetic hit job. Most Americans are not fooled.

RE: The Clinton attack machine is calling in all thier favors from their sychophants in the media in a win at all cost effort. Robert Samuelson has exposed himself as a Clinton sychophant. Pathetic.

I couldn't agree more. Most analysts say there is not much difference between Obama and Clinton's policies. So that [should] make Clinton's platform as useless as Obama's. Samuelson began by dispelling his slant on race but has shown he's swayed by race more than any thing else. If Obama and Clinton are 95% identical in their election promises as 90% of analysts are saying, then both Clinton and Obama should be equally assailed. You did a very a pathetic hit job. Most Americans are not fooled.

Whatever,??? I dismiss Mr Samuelson like he dismisses Mr Obama. How shortsighted and biased.
Is this journalism or ever so subtle character assasination?

Whatever,??? I dismiss you like you dismiss Mr Obama. You shortsighted cynic and a Republican or Hillary supporter I bet.