The Obama Delusion

Dear Author,
I guess being a journalist gives you a right to write and critique other people. But as readers of your works, how do we know that you are objective in you writing. When you present facts and not fictions. Can you not read the handwriting on the wall.
Can you please translate the hard data the you have right before you...........if you do not know what I am reffering to ................ consider the classical case of planning and execution of the current Democratic presidential candididate race. This is a lucid example of an opportunity to demonstrate competence. Clinton who supposedly has the better experience is in a fix because she rested on her oars....... it is not enough to have or to claim to have experience, but to actually demonstrate it in whatever we find ourselves doing. I hope you realize that the United States is not if it were only Ohio and Texas (call them the big states).
Good luck with you writing, but a word of advice.......better is silence than the noise from a sounding clang.
CMF

As a legitimate economist you may want to examine the rhetoric of Senators Clinton and McCain. Most of their rhetoric is nothing but voodoo economics. Senator McCain cannot even articulate the basic problems related to the economic impact of the investments based on subprime mortgages. At least Senator is honest, he does not profess to know economics. And why would he? He graduated from the USNA in the bottom !% of his class. However, intellectual capability and capacity have never been an essential qualification for the Presidency of the United States.

This is a poorly written piece on every level and unfortunately displays a lazy form of journalism that tarnishes Newsweek's reputation.

If you're truly interested in knowing what Obama stands for, visit his website at http://www.barackobama.com/issues/ and download his proposal papers. They are voluminous and have been posted long before Hillary Clinton posted her information. In fact, she still will not give specifics regarding her Social Security plan. Instead of putting out hard figures like Obama has done, she states that she would defer it to a commission.

As we've seen from the Iraq Study Group, commissions are beauty pageants for the politically weak-minded and weak-willed. They allow you to put the blame elsewhere and move on as if you've actually done something with your time.

Again, go to http://www.barackobama.com/issues/ if you're truly interested in educating yourself.

Then, armed with that factual information, you can write a good piece of journalism. If you still find fault, then so be it. But you will not be able to make the impression that Obama is an empty suit.

He sounds like he's got a seat in the Clinton "War Room". I think this article is a million times less substantive than the writer claims Barack Obama is.... Part of the way through I found myself wonder.... OOOOKAYYY....What's your point?

It sounds as if his point is that Obama has set some lofty goals, that can't be achieved and has bedazzled us with his rhetoric... But his and Sen. Clinton's plans are very similar... Why is it that her similar plan is, somehow more worthy and more doable and more of a reality check than Sen. Obamas?... I guess his point is that, Sen. Clinton doesn't try to "get our hopes up" with her plan and Sen. Obamas rhetoric seeks to want to move us to a point where "we the people" are setting the public agenda instead of corporations, politicians and political-windbag pundents like the one who wrote this propaganda piece for Clinton or McCain.... Or perhaps he just wants to get a rise out of the people, who never read any of his work before this.

Obama has ideas,the right ideas.The people are not fools and do not need to read your column to realize the disparity between political ideas and practical possibilities.People are choosing him over the rival who has a track record of having made wrong choices and not willing to admit so. Obama has an open mind.Has he borrowed ideas from others? Of course,he belongs to the same party as Hillary and share common ideals.It is not a sin to borrow ideas and he presents them in an attractive way.Just think about the past presidents.How much did JFK accomplish before he became the President? How much the combined expereince of the Bush regime was able to achieve? When would the journalists stop thinking the millions who suppotr Obama are idiots and they are the only wise guys.If only you guys have spent a little time in the Bush's prep for the war we could have averted the most shameful and devastating war in our life time.It just amazes me the media still plays the wise guy after such a monumental blunder which has devastated not just one country , but the whole world politically,morally and economically and it is the reason for all the ill will and continued support for terrorism is going to linger forever!

Just to add a thought to my previous comment, what exactly does "unite the country" mean? are we all going to be pro-choice, are we all going to be anti-guns and is the country suddenly going to welcome gay marriage? if Obama can achieve that then he certainly deserves to be known not only as the second Messiah but also as the Amazing Barak.

This guy who wrote the article is another media shill for the Clintons. The reality is he grew up and represents both personally and professionally the cynical and partisan Bush/Clinton era and really doesn't get it that a large American majority is ready to trust someone new who can offer a clear break from the past.

Experience in politics has not proven to be a good measure of presidential success. Historically, even those with great resumes made terrible decisions. Supporters of Obama want someone who can make difficult decisions with the best interest of America's future, not the interest of party constituents. Many non-black minorities like myself are drawn to Obama b/c he has worked alongside common folk for change.

Hmmm....so appreciating Obama and his policies is a "mass delusion" and we're all "hypnotized", eh? Senator Obama is successful not because the American people are deluded and dimwitted, but because they know a good man and gifted leader, who will make a great President, when they see one. I'm sure there are a great many politicians, including Hillary Clinton and John McCain, who wish they could bottle Senator Obama's magic and imbibe it, themselves. In replying to your cranky arguments against Senator Obama's tremendous success, I'm reminded of what President Lincoln said when a few nay-sayers complained about General Grant (despite his many Civil War victories), claiming that Grant drank too much. "Find out what brand of liquor he's drinking," Lincoln said, "and send a case to my other generals."

it has become clear the past few weeks that the American people are simply fed up with the same "old", stodgy Washington politics. Although Mr. Obama may not sufficiently elucidate details regarding his agenda, the American people seem to embrace his enthusiasm and positive message, regardless of the specifics. I think the media needs to take this into consideration. If we examine the last 2 presidential campaigns, which were completely riddled with wedge issues, polarizing ideologies and partisan sleaziness, we now see the very bleak results those tactics have yielded eight years later in the state of our country. I think this is why the Obama approach is so refreshing right now and unfortunately, Mrs. Clinton exudes those same shady characteristics of yesterday. Furthermore, I feel the reason for Senator Clinton's poor performance has a lot to do with her approach and how she talks about the issues. Rather than expressing herself in a hopeful and reassuring manner, she comes off like a nagging mother-figure, which would explain Obama's ability to win the white male vote by such a large margin. I firmly believe that by all intents and purposes America should have a woman for president someday but just not this particular woman. Mr. Obama is clearly able to bring people together from all walks of life and even those of other political affiliations. So let us give this man a chance to bring the American people together, that is what this country so desperately needs right now. We certainly do not need the same, hashed-out Bush/Clinton rhetoric and politics. It is time for a new generation to get in, take the wheel and start driving this country in a positive, uplifting and unselfish direction. Wouldn't that be a refreshing change?

The funny thing about the media is first you guys say that Obama???s core voting block is upscale whites and blacks who go to starbucks and have a college education. The you say they are being deceived and delusion. It could be possible that we all know what were getting and are ok with a guy who inspires comes from a humble background and sees the world the way we would like to have it. Stop trying to figure it out and decide who you are going to support!!!

When you start to hold one person to a diffrent standard from another you are doing what we in the Black community call the "Black Tax" . You have to be TEN times better then your White counterpart even if you do have better ideals,maybe a diffrent approach to problems. So tell me how much do we have to do,to gain that experience that you say is so lacking , that the USA never gave us a chance to get in the first place? My name. shellimo2002@yahoo.com

Oh NOW the media decides to start vetting Obama. HELLO!!!!

For a pundit, Samuelson is woefully uninformed. check out the following if you want to know about specifics. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k-SetojeUE I am not surprised by Samuelson's ignorance. Like all other media pundit lemmings, he wants us to go along with their conventional wisdom. We make up our own minds, Mr. Samuelson. You need to get out of the way and let us judge for ourselves. YES WE CAN!

The funny thing about the media is first you guys say that Obama???s core voting block is upscale whites and blacks who go to starbucks and have a college education. The you say they are being deceived and delusion. It could be possible that we all know what were getting and are ok with a guy who inspires comes from a humble background and sees the world the way we would like to have it. Stop trying to figure it out and decide who you are going to support!!!

The funny thing about the media is first you guys say that Obama???s core voting block is upscale whites and blacks who go to starbucks and have a college education. The you say they are being deceived and delusion. It could be possible that we all know what were getting and are ok with a guy who inspires comes from a humble background and sees the world the way we would like to have it. Stop trying to figure it out and decide who you are going to support!!!