POLITICS

A Liberal’s Lament

To win, Obama must convince the country that he is a man of substance, not just style. History suggests this won't be easy.

By Sean Wilentz | NEWSWEEK
Published Aug 23, 2008
From the magazine issue dated Sep 1, 2008

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  • Posted By: XPolygamistWife @ 10/05/2008 3:58:27 PM

    McCain's DIRTY LITTLE SECRET IN ARIZONA - watch the video:

    http://www.bankingonheaven.com/

  • Posted By: tiredoflies @ 08/29/2008 12:49:03 AM

    Some people are so afraid of future change good or bad. They are the ones who are really scared because they feel safe with the status quo.

    As for saying Obama is like Carter:

    I do NOT believe that any OBJECTIVE journalist who paid attention to the entire speech assessing its comprehensive message could possibly say that. Perhaps CARL (attack whether it is true or not) ROVE has your ear.

    • Posted By: careerdaytrader @ 08/29/2008 10:33:03 AM

      Obama is WORSE than Carter because he BELIEVES his own bullshit! Funny stuff, will laugh so hard on election day when he's defeated and the news shows all the people crying.

      Sorry Barak "Santa Claus" Obama - Not this time, not EVER!

      • Posted By: blackd @ 09/15/2008 12:25:19 PM

        Hey repulicans wake up! You have been running the country for eight years, Look whats happened! Your over all greed, and over inflated egoes are what has put us in the mess that we are in now! Four more years? I dont think so!!!

  • Posted By: deliziosa @ 09/04/2008 10:51:40 PM

    I find reading things like this funny yet sad now. This is almost 2 years down the line of him campaigning and these articles about people needing substance from him, yet after 1 week there are a zillion articles on this site alone praising Palin with topics on everything ranging from the 1 big speech she gave yesterday and how she's a reformer/fighter, to her being a parent of 5 kids and a former beauty queen! Wow.... Palin truly shows one thing: In America ANYONE can make it... with the right color I suppose. Hey, don't even call it the "race card". If everyone can yell sexism, I'm gonna address the real elephant in the room. Everyone has had a problem with Obama's success. The older white voters can't understand how us young people don't mind seeing a black person in office. We don't weigh color with the importance as older voters do. We see the sincerity, and good will in Obama. The others have mocked us and him as Palin did last night with the help of Bush's speech writers. Now they have an Obama of sorts. Everything they used to criticize him for they do now. Big crowds are good, great ratings are good now, chanting is good now, excitement is good, speeches are good, feeling inspiration from listening to a speech is good. The big difference that they miss is that Obama offers a message, motivates us to change our country for the better, to come together as a nation. Palin delivered a message that is simply anti-Obama, but i guess that's all the Obama haters are really looking for anyway.

  • Posted By: kingofbytes @ 09/04/2008 1:37:28 PM

    lol....only took you 18 months to figure this out?

  • Posted By: hamiltonduke @ 08/29/2008 1:04:57 PM

    Why is this Clinton supporter still fighting the primary? He ignores the fact that Georgia attacked South Ossetia first, thereby provoking the Russians and giving them the justification (real or perceived) to invade. Obama had the perfect response. We are in no position to do anything so we might as well not talk tough if we can't act. What happened to Teddy Roosevelt's "talk softly and carry a big stick?"

    A for the Wtight controversy, you

  • Posted By: libertyfirst @ 08/28/2008 4:40:30 PM

    Wow...niche re-write of history. But that's what liberalism depends on. Forget that during Clinton, we had majority Republican control and policies thereof that fostered a tech boom that lifted nearly the entire economy. So spare us the Clinton economic sucess story. But more importantly, will Wilentz or any other proud liberal please argue how and why more taxes on the "wealthy" will somehow make everything better? How does government mandated income re-distribution ultimately play out for the betterment of our country? How is it fair to take from Peter and give to Paul? Why not empower Paul to make his own? Whether its Carter, Clinton, or now, Obama...the Democratic Party will always be substance-challenged because their nanny-state, socialistic policies that seek mandated equality of means, of speech, of our way of life simply do not jive with the ideology of liberty. Sure, they will win plenty of elections...and lose plenty; but their votes will always depend on stirring the emotions of any given mob to take what others (especially those fat white rich guys) have. Good luck bridging that challenge, Mr. Obama. You won't get my wallet without a fight.

    • Posted By: jpindenver @ 08/29/2008 10:45:53 AM

      OK- so if the Republican Congress takes credit for the 90's boom, they also get credit for:
      1.The recession of 2000
      2. The growth of the Federal Government from 2000-2006
      3. Stagnant wages despite an aggressive supply-side tax approach that would supposedly 'trickle down' to
      the lower economic classes
      4. The increase of % earmarks in the Federal budget from 3% to over 10%

      So now you're getting bent when Bush's tax breaks that benefited the wealthy aren't going to be extended because they didn't work? (they won't regardless, because McCain will undoubtedly have a Dem Congress to contend with). Call it a tax increase, but assuming you were in that top 5% to begin with, you had a nice long ride; and I hope you saved the 6% more that you were getting in tax breaks while the rest of the brackets got their less-than-1% break.

  • Posted By: al336 @ 08/28/2008 11:41:31 PM

    To say that Obama is most similar to Carter is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard! Carter's failures were due mainly to his lack of charsima and leadership -- something no lacking in Obama. Carter could not inspire those in his own party, much less the nation. If Wilentz thinks that political success is about policy he better stay in his ivory tower and not venture out into the real world.

    • Posted By: careerdaytrader @ 08/29/2008 10:35:53 AM

      Charisma doesn't mean anything compared to GOOD POLICY. Raising taxes during a recession is the dumbest thing you can do. But go ahead and vote for him because you think he's so cute and charismatic ! Morons!

  • Posted By: betsybk56 @ 08/29/2008 12:41:57 AM

    Barack Obama was absolutely wonderful! He gave us hope! No matter whether you compare him to Carter or Kennedy - he is among our finest!

    • Posted By: andromeda @ 08/29/2008 2:13:24 AM

      and what is going to happen to that hope when it isn't delivered?

      • Posted By: ademeyer @ 08/29/2008 6:39:51 AM

        We are a democracy, not a day care. The people are choosing Obama as the leader because he represents what we want, building a stronger middle class instead of growing the wealth of the top 1%. You , andromeda, have obviously come of age under Bush/Cheney, who taught you America is only safe under an authoritarian leader. Grow Up.

        • Posted By: careerdaytrader @ 08/29/2008 10:34:34 AM

          He can NOT build a stronger middle class! All he'll do is SHRINK the middle class more.

          Ever wonder that one of the reasons the middle class is shrinking is that many are moving to the UPPER CLASSES? I'm one of them, had an income around $50k and now close to $500k. Go Bush go, thanks for lowering taxes and allowing business and the economy to flourish.

          6 million new jobs under Bush is NOT negative you total morons!

  • Posted By: indianapolisgirl @ 08/29/2008 12:59:56 AM

    Who is Sean Wilentz? For sure he is not a Democrat. For another he is not smart at all. If you wanted to try and put Sen. Obama , in a negative light by comparing him to President Carter. YOU FAILED big time. Bottom line you are an a** hole, and I will be canceling my neewsweek subscription today.

    • Posted By: careerdaytrader @ 08/29/2008 10:31:16 AM

      Why is Obama NOT like Carter?

      High taxes - Check!
      High Energy Prices with no plan to reduce them - Check!
      Socialist Programs - Check!
      Reward the poor and punish the successful and educated - Check!
      Big Promises with NO Possibility of delivering - Check!

      He seems exactly like Carter who anybody with a brain will tell you is easily the worst President in last 50 years! Obama got his butt kicked in the last semi debate with Mc Cain, he will destroy him the next time so don't worry your jobs are safe, the economy is SAFE in the hands of us Republicans. You had your night of fun, now go back to your drearly lives while WE run this country. It's clearly "Above your pay grade" as Obama likes to say!

    • Posted By: andromeda @ 08/29/2008 2:08:00 AM

      well it's clear you voted for obama with your foul words. i know you're used to hearing ceaseless praise about your messiah but the press is supposed to be neutral. if you cancel your subscription which you don't have or you'd know the writer you won't get your cult following fix. Try to remember that undecided voters are listening in and all they've been seeing is obamabots trashing posters and barry's opponents. makes it clear that barry's message isn't real.

      • Posted By: andromeda @ 08/29/2008 2:10:50 AM

        ps i am not yet registered to vote and your words aren't inspiring me too. try rereading them.

  • Posted By: Zombiehero @ 08/29/2008 8:00:36 AM

    Obama said exactly what the Dems wanted him to say....attack McCain, try and link him to Bush, Change, Change, Hope....blah blah blah. His speech had little meat to it except an attack which is exactly what the Dems wanted and got.
    Obama will get his bounce, then next week McCain will get his. Then the race can really begin. Expect to see a lot more attacks on free speech by the Obama campaign in it's attempts to silence any and all criticism of Obama past. Expect to hear a lot more of Wright, Rezko, Ayers from McCain. Expect to hear a lot of Bush-McCain and Change from Obama. If it comes down to the issues McCain wins. If it comes down to a referendum against Bush then Obama wins.

  • Posted By: moveleft @ 08/29/2008 3:21:09 AM

    For the folks knocking this opinion piece, remember that it was written BEFORE Obama made his speech. Clearly the content of that speech was not white the writer or the GOP were expecting. Carter who?

  • Posted By: moveleft @ 08/29/2008 3:18:13 AM

    Now that we've actually seen "THE SPEECH" this article seems almost quaint in all of it's assumptions about what Obama would say. If Obama had, all along, been mixing his gift for soaring oration with the toughness and policy details he unleashed in Denver, perhaps I would not have been a Hillary supporter. Now, with this amazing night behind us, not only are we united behind Barack Obama, we are enthusiastic about that support. Tonight I listened to a man who clearly deserves and is, without question, ready to be our next President.

  • Posted By: tomanjeri @ 08/29/2008 2:08:11 AM

    This article was nothing more than the same old contrarian tripe from Newsweek, buying into conservative myths and reciting conservative talking points without questioning the truth or weight.

  • Posted By: indianapolisgirl @ 08/29/2008 1:05:17 AM

    Hey Sean, you can now retire with the money that carl rove paid you on behalf of j. mc cain. Now you will never have to write another stupid column again. Please submit your resignation letter ASAP.

  • Posted By: fv4881 @ 08/29/2008 12:43:49 AM

    McCain was the one who identified Putin as the President of Germany. The same McCain said he didn't know much about the economy. He also keeps identifying the Czech Republic as Czechoslovakia. He also can't even remember how many houses he owns! Nor does he even know how to use a computer, by his own admission. And this man is supposed to be the more experienced leader?? Give me a break! John McCain's so called preparedness to be President is nothing but a fairy tale!

  • Posted By: betsybk56 @ 08/29/2008 12:40:46 AM

    Barack Obama was absolutely wonderful! I loved Jimmy Carter, & I adored Kennedy - so, no matter what anyone says - Barack is being compared to the finest our country has ever had politically!

  • Posted By: fv4881 @ 08/29/2008 12:40:42 AM

    If Obama is like Carter then McCain is like Hoover, only much, much dumber!

  • Posted By: fv4881 @ 08/29/2008 12:40:10 AM

    If Obama is similar to Carter then McCain is similar to Hoover, only much, much dumber.

  • Posted By: bdmnkee21 @ 08/29/2008 12:06:48 AM

    After listening to Obama's speech, I am more convinced than ever "AMERICA IS BEING SET UP FOR BIG TROUBLE" if this guy wins. It's scary to the core. Obama is a SOCIALIST liberal to no end. His to good to be true comments and promises he is sure he will not keep sound more like a 'DICTATOR" right up there with Castro, Chavez and Hitler speeches. It's no wonder he wants to befriend the tryants of the world. To prove it, Obama played the "I had a dream" race card. People buy into his blah blah blah that stands for nothing like they are cheering for their favorate celebrity, it's sickening that they just want to be part of a "FAD". The truth is Obama will ruin this country even further, he is weak and out of touch with reality. He does not have a plan or a clue as to what he is saying or doing, he's just a media puppet. Get real people life is not some TV reality show.

  • Posted By: al336 @ 08/28/2008 11:41:11 PM

    To say that Obama is most similar to Carter is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard! Carter's failures were due mainly to his lack of charsima and leadership -- something no lacking in Obama. Carter could not inspire those in his own party, much less the nation. If Wilentz thinks that political success is about policy he better stay in his ivory tower and not venture out into the real world.

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