The Obama Delusion

Although I generally prefer Obama's positive message to Clinton's consistently negative one, I just don't think Obama is the person to lead this country. His message is uplifting and in theory is great but in reality I wonder how much of what he says is possible. For example, whether you agree or not with the war in Iraq, the fact remains that we are there and since the surge some positive changes have been made since the surge. To say he will pull out troops immediately after he is sworn in is a great sound bite for all of the anti-war people but the reality will not be nearly so simple. It seems as though he is leading people to a fool's paradise. My vote is for McCain. I may not agree with all of his positions but he makes the decisions he feels is right and it that endears him to the Dems. so be it; and the same with Republicans. Wish he was harder of the Immigration issue but I think his ideas and policies are the ones that are most rooted in bi-partisanship and have a realistic chance of doing good for our Country.

Although I generally prefer Obama's positive message to Clinton's consistently negative one, I just don't think Obama is the person to lead this country. His message is uplifting and in theory is great but in reality I wonder how much of what he says is possible. For example, whether you agree or not with the war in Iraq, the fact remains that we are there and since the surge some positive changes have been made since the surge. To say he will pull out troops immediately after he is sworn in is a great sound bite for all of the anti-war people but the reality will not be nearly so simple. It seems as though he is leading people to a fool's paradise. My vote is for McCain. I may not agree with all of his positions but he makes the decisions he feels is right and it that endears him to the Dems. so be it; and the same with Republicans. Wish he was harder of the Immigration issue but I think his ideas and policies are the ones that are most rooted in bi-partisanship and have a realistic chance of doing good for our Country.

Admitted insider Robert Samuelson admits he is more comfortable with either insider candidate Clinton or McCain, due to a reality gap regarding the rhetoric of Obama. A majority of the rest of us in the country have been experiencing a decades-long reality gap between the combined rhetoric of our talking-head-insider-leaders and the reality that we experience in the world. Hillary & McCain will lose in '08!

I find it interesting that Obama is targetting the majority of his efforts at creating a movement in the young, those who were too young to remember the Bill Clinton campaign. Why? Because Obama is running the exact same campaign - promise to fix what the polls reflect, without any real plan to do so. Appeal to their emotions. As long as they FEEL good about you, they will vote for you. Hence the creation of the phrase, 'symbolism over substance'.

Finally, someone in the press has the cajones to point out that the Emperor has no clothes! Obama is no better than any other politician, as he tells the public what they want to hear, and still makes the backroom deals with big money to keep his campaign going. Obama is an empty promise, a colorful phrase, a "present" vote in the legislature, and, if nominated, be the brunt of the worst defeat in presedential politics. The Republicans won;t have to play nice and will tear down his flowery prose and plaigerized slogans and turns them into little Barack shreds. I hop you SHEEP willbe happy when this happens ... all the FOOLS who would rather wish upon a star and hope Obama gives them milk and cookies after elected! All the Obamaphiles make me ashamed to be a registered Democrat. If Obama is the candidate, I'll vote for McCain ... someon who has actually accomplished things in his life, and doesn't compare himself to MLK and JFK!

Finally someone that is astute enough to see through the rhetoric and the media hype.
Americans are so anxious to wash away the sins of Slavery that they are willing to elect a psuedo African-American to the highest office in our land. I have no problem with that prospect, but this is the wrong African-American and by the way the wrong Woman to elect, just for the sake of making history. Other than being a state legislator and a member of Congress, the man has no experience leading any organization the size of our Federal Government. He has no military experience from which to direct our armed forces. He has not traveled to Latin America and does not even know who the leaders are and what they stand for. I could go on forever, but the main issue is no experience.

everything said in this article could easilty be about either Clinton or Obama

I do not mind that you are looking at Obama in a objective way but to call a person a delusion before he has had the time or opportunity to do anything is, in my view, a bit too harsh.

Politicians are viewed with great skepticism because maybe 1 or 2 inspirational leaders show up in each generation. We are in a crucial point in History, where people from all over the world require a leader that can show them that USA is ready to lead the way and get us in the correct path.

Maybe his agenda is not that different from Hillary... so ask yourself why do people vote overwhelmingly for this guy? The reason is the same as it was for JFK. People are hungry for a new course and you can only change the status quo by motivating the grass roots and make the politicians from the old guard act due to the power that this guy will have due to the backing the people... this is what democracy is all about...

The USA has been for many years a Plutocracy where money any lobby's speak louder than working people... the fact that it is finally happening in the USA gives me great joy.

I do not mind that you are looking at Obama in a objective way but to call a person a delusion before he has had the time or opportunity to do anything is, in my view, a bit too harsh.

Politicians are viewed with great skepticism because maybe 1 or 2 inspirational leaders show up in each generation. We are in a crucial point in History, where people from all over the world require a leader that can show them that USA is ready to lead the way and get us in the correct path.

Maybe his agenda is not that different from Hillary... so ask yourself why do people vote overwhelmingly for this guy? The reason is the same as it was for JFK. People are hungry for a new course and you can only change the status quo by motivating the grass roots and make the politicians from the old guard act due to the power that this guy will have due to the backing the people... this is what democracy is all about...

The USA has been for many years a Plutocracy where money any lobby's speak louder than working people... the fact that it is finally happening in the USA gives me great joy.

It is interesting that you should be concerned about "hypnosis" of the American people. Why was the same thought not expressed when Bush was reelected and "hypnotized" the natiion to believe that in order to be safe, we must give up all the civil liberties the nation was founded on OR that we further engage in a war that has done nothing to make us safer. It is hypnotic and quite frankly foolish to believe that after doing the same things over and over again, that one day you will get a different result. At least in the case of Obama, he is restoring hope to the nation and if that means giving eloquent and powerful speeches to get us on board, so be it. He is trying a different method. Why should he deserve any less of a chance than all the Washington insiders have been given for the past 50+years? avfrancis

I laugh at the thought of all this "rhetoric" talk and your article is full of it. To argue your point of Obama not being qualified and has no ground to stand on is clearly your misconception of what America wants. They don't want substance, they want something different. Regardless of the countless years Hilary or McCain have served this country, you could ask yourself the same question. What has Hilary done for you, or McCain. I know Bill Clinton did alot and being "happily" married, his wife took the credit and was deemed a strong person just because she stood by her husband when HE made the decisions. She talks about health care health care health care!!! She sure didn't change health care when her own husband was president so why does she deserve a second chance? Now don't get me wrong, I am a strong Bill & Hilary supporter and always will be, but because of her own "background" I choose Obama. The country could not dig itself any deeper and give him a chance because its still a win-win situation. Hilary's not going to stop being Hilary nor is Obama so when the day is over and all is said and done, they still support each other and when rhetoric hits the fan and begins shooting the "$%#*" everywhere, people like you get hit and tell your own story.
As for McCain, labeled the "Maverick", I am an Arizona resident and I know he sure didn't do a damn thing for my people of this state. He went off being the old man he was and dabbled here and there but never far enough because he needed to save face. If such a good leader and good doer, why was he surpassed all these years and never tried to become a "hero" when he was younger? My beliefs, remember they are my beliefs, is that McCain never cared about no one but his own higher class white people. Its been that way for years and will continue being that way and thats the harsh truth and in no way do I want that man as president to jeopardize my country's rights for his own "rhetoric" agenda.

The people are not confused Mr. Samuelson, they know exactly what they want. The only delusion here is your assumption that the American people are unintelligent enough to go for something different.

Well, it's about time journalists start attacking Obama's negatives. He's been given a free-ride by the media up until now. I've grown sick and tired of all the Clinton bashing, while the press has treated Obama like their "golden child". Let's even up the negative attacks here.

Hillary for President

I agree with your editoral 100%... Mr Obama seems to be stuck on the word "Change" .... Isn't every political campaign usually about change??? Come Senator Obama, give us something we can digest or sink our teeth into. We might want to cough it back up, but at least we will have somthing. Your speeches are all about rhetoric, nothing substantial is being said...... Donna in Chantilly....