The Obama Delusion

So what is your point?

So what"s your point?

After 8 years of being told "NO, you can't" regarding rights that used to exist in the balanced, 3 branch form of government that our country was founded on, such as: Can we see the tapes from interrogations including waterboarding?, Can we see the millions of emails that got "lost" regarding the firing of US Attorneys?, do you blame this country for responding to someone who finally says "Yes, we can!"
No President ever has a term in office that goes exactly as planned, but when you provide a goal, attainable with hard work, planning, and a little of that old American "can do" sense which got us in and out of two world wars, on the road to civil rights, and even to the moon and back, why not listen to someone who encourages us and has the confidence that positive energy provides positive outcomes. I don't know about the rest of the country, but I'm pretty tired of the gloom and doom that has pervaded this country. Hillary offers more of the same. Oh, and if you need any information on Obama's solutions, try taking a more than a cursory glance at his website next time.

This Obama hit piece loses all of its credibility with just one small quote: "Political candidates routinely indulge in exaggeration, pandering, inconsistency and self-serving obscuration. Clinton and McCain do." With that concession, what exactly is the author complaining about when it comes to Obama? That he "holds himself to a higher standard"? And so, we the American people should punish ourselves by rejecting Obama in favor of a candidate who holds himself or herself to a LOWER standard? This really makes logical sense to you, Mr Newsweek?

Wow. Your article is strickly your own opinion which you've pulled out of your...uhhh...ear. You honestly believe that Barack's supporters are a bunch of mystified and naive people? Look, he and Hillary have similar plans...plans that are a stark CHANGE from Bush republicans. Barack is far more likely to work with different types of politicians to get results becuause of his personality, his honesty and his leadership abilities. Therefore, as president, Americans would be in a much better position to improve the economy, end the war in Iraq responsibly, and collectively improve the environment, etc.. Please stop writing such biased and dishonest articles. This post comes from an person who has traveled to Iowa and Wisconsin and made several phone calls to voters because I'm looking forward to bringing our troops home and really improving our country with a president that we can trust and be proud of. That's the CHANGE we are excitied about.

HERE'S yOUR pROOF HALLOW. I AM VERy GLAD yOU ASKED THIS QUESTION.
THIS pROVES THAT OBAMA IS THE REAL DEAL SON.

Obama proved persuasive enough that the bill passed both houses of the legislature, the Senate by an incredible 35 to 0. Then he talked Blagojevich into signing the bill, making Illinois the first state to require such videotaping.

Obama didn't stop there. He played a major role in passing many other bills, including the state's first earned-income tax credit to help the working poor and the first ethics and campaign finance law in 25 years (a law a Post story said made Illinois "one of the best in the nation on campaign finance disclosure"). Obama's commitment to ethics continued in the U.S. Senate, where he co-authored the new lobbying reform law that, among its hard-to-sell provisions, requires lawmakers to disclose the names of lobbyists who "bundle" contributions for them.

Taken together, these accomplishments demonstrate that Obama has what Dillard, the Republican state senator, calls a "unique" ability "to deal with extremely complex issues, to reach across the aisle and to deal with diverse people." In other words, Obama's campaign claim that he can persuade us to rise above what divides us is not just rhetoric.

Avian flu: Obama was one of the first Senators to speak out on avian flu, back in the spring of 2005, when it was a quintessentially wonky issue, not the subject of breathless news reports. There's a list of Democratic efforts on avian flu here; Obama shows up early and often. He has sponsored legislation, including what I think is the first bill dedicated to pandemic flu preparedness. It's a good bill, providing not just for vaccine research and antiviral stockpiles, but for the kinds of state and local planning and preparedness that will be crucial if a pandemic occurs. (I was also very interested to note that it requires the Secretary of HHS to contract with the Institute of Medicine for a study of "the legal, ethical, and social implications of, with respect to pandemic influenza". This is actually very important, and not everyone would have thought of it.)
"We recommend that this administration work with Congress, public health officials, the pharmaceutical industry, foreign governments and international organizations to create a permanent framework for curtailing the spread of future infectious diseases.

There were death penalty abolitionists, some of whom worried that Obama's bill, by preventing the execution of innocents, would deprive them of their best argument. Vigorous opposition came from the police, too many of whom had become accustomed to using muscle to "solve" crimes. And the incoming governor, Rod Blagojevich, announced that he was against it.

THIS IS A pERFECT EXAMpLE OF WHAT OBAMA CAN DO AND HAS ALREADy DONE, BRING DIFFERENT FACTIONS TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE A COMMON GOAL.

T dough - there might be some supporters who say such things - but it would be as false to tar all supporters as acting cultish as it would be to tar all muslims as terrorists or all Germans as Nazis. Each person has their perspective on Obama, that person's is influenced by their personal beliefs. Besides, given that the Clinton campaign has been behind encouraging the 'Obama followers as cultish' line (see Times Online), one cannot be certain that the person who left that message was not in fact a Clinton supporter wishing to reinforce this propaganda.

Further, just because not everything is on the table at present that pertain to some of the underlying issues you are talking about, does not mean to say that they cannot be absorbed during the process of governance. Did Bush campaign that he was going to go into Afghanistan and Iraq? Would the candidates be campaigning about home foreclosures if it was not a current issue? The world and the issues do not remain static - any reasonable appraisal would realize that. Is the lens through which you are deciding you were mistaken really as clear as it could be? Or as fair as it could be?

Well, I would say that Obama certainly hasn't stolen policies from Hillary. They always said and it has always been known that much of their policies are similar and I guess that is because they are both Democrats, from the same party. I think Hillary's accusations came about more for the fact that he started to discuss his policies in greater detail in speeches, when she had previously tried to cast him as all inspiration no specifics - when you stand back from her current purpose that does not hold up. It also does not strictly follow that removing income tax on seniors earning less = higher costs on the young - what has it been offset against? Probably higher taxes on the very rich.

One of the commentaries had this statement:
You are the one who is DELUSIONED, Obama by wisdom endowed by God has illuminated the eyes of understanding of the American people.

I detect a personality cult in the making, or is it already made?

Hillary states she has been tested, but at what? Privledged life, gauranteed top education, governors wife for 10 years and 1st lady for 8. What reality of mine does she live in? Does she even know the cost of a gallon of milk or bread? School lunches? How long since she was one of the people? I, like many, want someone fresh, new and untainted from decades of back room deals and political wrangling? I would like to be governed by a person not a figure. As retired military i watched as Bill gave us 1.2 percent pay raises and made most soldiers go on food stamps! Never again. I have always voted democrat but this year it will be obama or mccain because i wll never vote her in!

By the tone of your article i was expecting an intellectual truth, but once again '' the unrivaled truth" that Barack Obama personifies has triumphed over cynics like you. Barack has opened the eyes of Americans to understand one truth about the job of the President which in your whole career you will never be able to accomplish. He has empowered Americans home and abroad to know that the job of the President is to organise the best that America has to accomplish a common purpose to perpetuate the greatness of America over the rest of the world. As clear as his candidacy is, cynics like will forever be blinded by the status quo and i really feel sorry for you; and you know what , the last time i checked Obama has the best organisational ability in the American political arena and i believe Americans are no fools like you think they are. You are the one who is DELUSIONED, Obama by wisdom endowed by God has illuminated the eyes of understanding of the American people.

So, McCain and Clinton would be better Presidents because they are "known" quantities?! You hold Barack Obama to a higher standard than the others, and find him lacking. That is your choice. But a few questions for you. Is he still not up to your bar set for the other candidates? Do his negatives match up with the other two? Do you know of his relationships and legislative work in Illinois? Have you talked with others he has worked with in the state and U.S. Senate? For you to say that the public is simply delusional for supporting Obama seriously discounts the many of us who have done our research in backing a candidate. I have done mine, since supporting Obama in 2002 when he was running for the Senate. The question is, have you done yours Mr. Samuelson?

Absolute B.S. Pure and simple. The Dems have a choice this election year...nominate the most politically divisive figure since George Bush and, assuming she can even beat McCain, watch 4 years of partisan gridlock and stalled hopes for progress, or they can nominate someone who not only hast the best shot at beating McCain in the general election, but also is capable of setting a tone of bi-partisanship to achieve the kind of progress America desperately needs.
America needs inspirational leadership...not the small comfort of "the devil you know" that the author of the piece above seems to have found in Clinton and McCain.

Absolute B.S. Pure and simple. The Dems have a choice this election year...nominate the most politically divisive figure since George Bush and, assuming she can even beat McCain, watch 4 years of partisan gridlock and stalled hopes for progress, or they can nominate someone who not only hast the best shot at beating McCain in the general election, but also is capable of setting a tone of bi-partisanship to achieve the kind of progress America desperately needs.
America needs inspirational leadership...not the small comfort of "the devil you know" that the author of the piece above seems content with.
And o

Furthermore, all of the Obama nay-sayers have yet to produce any concrete evidence that Sen. Obama is ill-equipped for the office of President. Even more, most Clinton supporters choose to simply ignore her record of underachievement in the U.S. Senate or her record of bad judgment concerning the Iraq War and other issues. Why is this? Could Sen. Obama's supporters say that YOU'RE DELUSIONAL????

Robert - judging by your picture, you fall right into Hillary Clinton's age group, and that's not YOUR fault. With age comes "wisdom" - let's be completely honest, no politician without a majority of congress is going to be able to pass every bit of legislation they desire. But why not bring up the discussion and see what we can do? Obama, with no problems of crossing the aisle has the best chance of uniting this country and working together with Republicans - hands down. But ya know what? I'm sick of the washington game! Bush has ruined this country so badly that I would rather take a chance on an outsider, than deal with politics as usual.

What's funny is - my grandmother is basically saying the same thing as you are. But - I don't hear it from anyone under the age 55... sometimes you have to take a chance.

Robert - judging by your picture, you fall right into Hillary Clinton's age group, and that's not YOUR fault. With age comes "wisdom" - let's be completely honest, no politician without a majority of congress is going to be able to pass every bit of legislation they desire. But why not bring up the discussion and see what we can do? Obama, with no problems of crossing the aisle has the best chance of uniting this country and working together with Republicans - hands down. But ya know what? I'm sick of the washington game! Bush has ruined this country so badly that I would rather take a chance on an outsider, than deal with politics as usual.

What's funny is - my grandmother is basically saying the same thing as you are. But - I don't hear it from anyone under the age 55... sometimes you have to take a chance.

Robert - judging by your picture, you fall right into Hillary Clinton's age group, and that's not YOUR fault. With age comes "wisdom" - let's be completely honest, no politician without a majority of congress is going to be able to pass every bit of legislation they desire. But why not bring up the discussion and see what we can do? Obama, with no problems of crossing the aisle has the best chance of uniting this country and working together with Republicans - hands down. But ya know what? I'm sick of the washington game! Bush has ruined this country so badly that I would rather take a chance on an outsider, than deal with politics as usual.

What's funny is - my grandmother is basically saying the same thing as you are. But - I don't hear it from anyone under the age 55... sometimes you have to take a chance.