A New Vision

Obama's speech reflected his zeal to remake America's image in the eyes of the world

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  • Posted By: thinksandthinks @ 01/20/2009 5:51:53 PM

    I dont have a problem with Obama being president but the one thing that I do have a problem with is that everyone that reports or has any type of public comments always states is always commenting on us having a black president. Come on people the man is half black and half white. Why cant it be that we have a great man in office instead of focusing on a black man. I was not happy about the last preacher who made the cutsy comment he made at the end of his speech. Each and every race in history has been a slave to something. Not just one race, mind you, has been the master so lets just get over it and let A MAN be a great president.

    • Posted By: bbbreathless @ 04/29/2009 11:49:31 PM

      wow thinksandthinks (blast from the past) I see your still thinking!! lol I hope all is well with you!

  • Posted By: mister man @ 01/20/2009 6:18:28 PM

    Some of this conversation really points to the ills of our society. It is SICK and STUPID. Instead of trying to tear down everything because something didn't go your way. you need to get right with GOD. YES, I said get right with GOD.

    It takes a lot of work to be miserable and spread misery. If we don't start replacing hate with love, intolerance with tolerance and stupidity with logic, we will perish as FOOLS. One of these days, ALL of us will have to stand before GOD and make a case for salvation. For some of us. this is going to be an exerccise in futility. The President of the United States of America is Barack Obama. Irrespective of some people's refusal to accept reality, the truth is reality.

    If this stuff continues to stain your hearts and minds, HELL will be your final resting place.

    • Posted By: Prince Harming @ 01/29/2009 12:07:54 PM

      what if the Truth IS misery?? Im supposing that to comment upon and try to right wrongs would be considered "negative" then, and you want no part of it? Thanks be unto God that Dr. Jonas Salk didn't just stop when things got 'negative' ...

  • Posted By: Prince Harming @ 01/20/2009 6:37:06 PM

    All of the well-wishes...and all of the king's horses and all of the king???s men....will not put this American Humpty Dumpty together again - unless we stop with the symbolism and return to the substance.

    Until we return this country to its roots of liberty, and a Constitutional form of government rather than a mob-rule democracy, we will never survive. It is the right of the individual and NOT the crush of the mob that makes our form of government sacred.

    Until we begin to hold people accountable for their actions - the financial wizards who stole billions from investors and retirees, and determine that monies spent on enforcing crimes which have NO victims -i.e. pot users, 'crimes' between two consensual parties: prostitution, we will never survive.

    Until we begin to educate in our schools rather than indoctrinate - we will never survive.

    Until the American people are able to re-unite themselves with the concept that government collects taxes NOT for the sake of modifying the behavior of the citizens, but for the Funding of Legitimate Functions of Government, we will never survive.

    Until the citizens learn that health care is NOT a right ??? and that you do not have a right to ANYthing which deprives another citizen of their life, liberty or property through force or fraud, we will never survive.

    Tough love....but that's the way the Founding Fathers intended - and it seems to have worked fairly well for about the first 200 years. God help us all.

    • Posted By: Uncle Charlie @ 01/20/2009 6:46:28 PM

      Yes for the first 200 years on SLAVE BACKS

      • Posted By: Prince Harming @ 01/29/2009 12:03:47 PM

        Yes.. the first two hundred years of success is all due to the fact that some (not most, but some) Americans held slaves. The will and leadership of people like General Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alex Hamilton, et al, had Nothing to do with purchasing the liberties (even for blacks) which we enjoy today. They were strange times my friend, and people were backward about a lot of things (Surgeons didn't see the need to wash their hands before operating until about 100 years ago) and even now, we are still developing - it's an ongoing process and we have learned a lot from (some of) our mistakes. But you cannot say that we are where we are as a nation simply because of the black mark of slavery. It is the free market and the protection of the rights of the INDIVIDUAL which has kept us in the enviable spot of Number One. Even before the black population, the Asian population, Hispanic culture and any other minority you care to name - the SMALLEST minority is the INDIVIDUAL.. and if you cannot honor that then you can not scream about the rights of any other minority. It is the Sacredness of the Individual which (used to) which has caused us put us at the top.

  • Posted By: it's about the future @ 01/26/2009 12:49:33 AM

    Zeitz,
    In the 'we will not apologise' part of Obama's speech, i think he was referring to the contrast in cultures between ours and middle eastern....the bikinis, Hollywood, women's diverse public roles, etc.
    Obama is saying that we will respect their way, their culture, which is ancient ~~ literally "the cradle' of civilisation.
    The world's first city was Uruk in the lower TIgris-Euphrates valley! Here, in the 21st century we tend to value fame and fortune and have very different ways of doing things. But this particular issue is about respect, and no need to apologise for the differences in cultural practices.
    I assume you are talking about Iraq in particular, over the last eight years and global warming?
    As Americans we have capitulated to the rhetoric of fossil-fuel corporations for such a long time and as a result, we have a bad reputation for polluting and damaging eco-systems and communities, for example in northern Ecuador.
    Obama is strongly making the case about re-asserting our role in the world as a force for good.

  • Posted By: zietz @ 01/25/2009 4:15:01 PM

    Urgent Howard:

    I find it troubling that Obama will not apologize for our way of life, and instead expects others to change their way of life and adopt ours instead. What arrogance; what swagger; what hubris? We assume that the foundations and goals of our worldview , Western civilization, is the solution to life on this planet. Have we not built up an inpenetrable fortress of intolerance, irresponsibility, unsympathetic legalism, and self-righteousness, leading to global economic turmoil, natural resource devastation, and planetary peril? Where do we go from here, after our refusal to apologize for our way of life? I am waiting! Someone tell me, please!

    The Critical Anarchist
    www.kulturcritic.com
    http://blog.kulturcritic.com

  • Posted By: Anime girl @ 01/21/2009 12:26:15 AM

    I am of the age of sixteen. . . I have read over these comments many times and I am dissapointed, happy, and relieved with some of these comments.

    Now if a sixtten year old white and yes I am white lady can deal with A black male as a president so can you. I am tired of these racial comments. Yes we now have a black president, so learn to deal with it, or the next four years are going to be a living hell for you.

    • Posted By: hamkins1 @ 01/25/2009 3:54:52 PM

      Anime girl: You are witnessing "old school ignorance" at its best. Everyone is entitled to their opinion(s). Once upon a time, folk felt that their (certain) opinion(s) was law. Gone TOO are those days. You keep your head up, young lady. Ignorance is obviously running rampant and always rears its ugly head when there is change, but it does not rule, nor will it ever, again.. We have all won, whether we recognize it or not.

    • Posted By: Mark Thieme @ 01/21/2009 12:56:27 AM

      Anime girl: are you a cartoon or only a caricature?

      Actually you make a great deal of sense in spite of your comedic roots.
      You know, Olive Oyl and Popeye were anime characters and they became rich and famous. OY!

      • Posted By: nimodahooligan @ 01/21/2009 9:19:54 AM

        what an ass you are...nothing but shi*ty rhetoric towards a young woman...you must be republican.

        • Posted By: Mark Thieme @ 01/21/2009 2:25:56 PM

          nice talk in front of a child, eh?

          BTW, never, I say never, diss Popeye or his love interest!

          • Posted By: Mark Thieme @ 01/21/2009 11:29:34 PM

            "Now if a sixtten year old white and yes I am white lady can deal with A black male as a president so can you."

            Assuming this 16 (sixteen) year old young woman is indeed being honest, as she puts it so deftly, "...yes I am white lady," she has accomplished two things here:

            1. She has directly confronted racism in an honorable and challenging statement. So far, so good.

            2. She writes devastatingly poorly. One must follow the bouncing ball to get her gist, as it were.

            So, once again"free speech" is poor grammar and worse spelling. God save the Republic!

            Like so many here, she would have done better to have given her deep thoughts time to develop before she threw them up against the wall, just to see if they would stick.

            Sorry young white lady... you just proved again that Howard Fineman's audience is neither much nor well informed. But my guess is he doesn't let that keep him awake at night.

            On the other hand, I am by nature an arrogant and pompous jerk... let me be the first to make that claim here.

            No kidding.

  • Posted By: hamkins1 @ 01/25/2009 3:13:16 PM

    Scoff60, The trend has already been reversed. Out with the old, in with the new. WE are ONE nation under GOD and that fact has finally been realized. We need to work together instead of against one another. All people are created equal and that will never change whether you accept it or not. The majority has obviously realized this fact. Praise GOD !

  • Posted By: it's about the future @ 01/25/2009 2:15:06 PM

    2.6 million jobs lost in the United States last year, the most in any single years since World War II.
    Unemployment could top 10% before the recession ends.
    One in 10 homeowners at risk of foreclosure.
    Dollar continues to slide.
    Today's news.

  • Posted By: it's about the future @ 01/25/2009 1:54:10 PM

    scoff66/Tankmech83:

    So in one fell swoop you would recommend the elimination of;
    youth, minorities and 1.6 million who lost their jobs because of our economic quagmire?
    The Consitution?
    Any morality?


  • Posted By: scoff60 @ 01/25/2009 7:33:38 AM

    Liberals listen to Rush too much he has really got a head game going on them, I laugh every time the Pres. mentions his name; I think its great most of neo cons laugh with Rush, and our other talk show neo cons--- yes we lost the election, however we know why--- because we elected some of the most incompetent leaders available, you bet we learned our lesson, next time around we will gain ground, and then reverse this whole trend.

  • Posted By: scoff60 @ 01/25/2009 7:24:49 AM

    What if we returned to the real old school where asif you only could vote if you paid taxes??? Just a thought--- any comments from my liberal friends

  • Posted By: scoff60 @ 01/25/2009 7:20:39 AM

    What's wrong with the old vision, work pay taxes take care of yourself, and not depend on the gverment to supply all yor needs. When you run the numbers it does get scary.

  • Posted By: FATJOEY @ 01/21/2009 11:03:28 AM

    I LIKED IN HIS SPEACH HOW HE WELCOMED AN ATTACK ON AMERICA,PROMISING WE WON'T TORTURE ANYONE,RATHER THAT WE BE NUKED FIRST BEFORE WE STEP ON SOME ARABS "RIGHTS"?! THAT MAKES ME FEEL SECURE!!!

    • Posted By: Omaar @ 01/21/2009 11:38:43 AM

      Your Damn Il-Logic is Pathetic

      You need to Rest with Joseph McCarthy and J. Edgar [Cross Dressing] Hoover...

      Name a Damn Arab Country that can Nuke America...

      Please don't mention [Iran]

      The Only Middle Eastern Country that can Attack America with Nuclear Might is [Israel] Dumb A!! with it's over 250 Illegally Obtained [Nuclear Weapons]

      How many Detainees in [Gitmo] have been Found Guilty of [911]..Hmmm

      Not Many, with All the Infamous Torture and Water Boarding in [Gitmo] in all these Years

      Where was your Concern for Former George W. Bush & George H.W. Bushes Over 25 year Relationship with the Bin Laden Family, a Relationship that still EXIST.

      If you are Against Arabs so Damn much and this Government, why is it that this Country and its People use and buy Arab Oil, Venezuelan Oil, Libyan Oil, United Arab Emirates Oil and so on and so on.

      HYPOCRITES that's why.

      Note: Over 4,000 Americans were Killed in Iraq and Thousands of USA Troops with their Limbs, Arms & Legs Blown Off and the Thousands of USA Troops Killed & Permanently Injured in Afghanistan, where's your outrage on those Deaths & Injuries...

      An over 1 Million Innocent Iraqi's Killed, under a LIE, Killed under false Pretenses [Weapons Of Mass Distruction]

      Your fat has left you with poor Blood Circulation to the Brain

      • Posted By: mooseNY @ 01/21/2009 1:58:27 PM

        Omar, that is an incoherent rant that was factually lacking. On September 12, 2001 100% of our elected officials and world leaders said we would be attacked again in 6 months. It never happened. Blame Bush for whatever you want, but he protected us. You can't argue the effectiveness, you can debate the methods. As a New Yorker who personally witnessed the second plane and the falling towers, I a grateful for what our government has done these past 7 years.

        There is a lot to admire about Barak Obama, and certainly it is a great moment in American History. But it would negate all of his accomplishment if he gets judged on a softer scale. His speech was average at best. So what? It is not easy to have a memorable speech or everyone woudl do it. No harm there, but we should call it what it was, Average. We also have to look at his appointments, No "Change we can Beleive in", It is Clinton 2, he has no appointees that are new. No Lobbyist in his admin, His only appointment to the Defense Department is currently the Top Lobbyist for one of the largest contractors to that agency. Health and Human services, headed by Tom Dascle, who advises (a non registered "lobbyist") for Medical industry. At some point we cannot be blind to what he does, he has reveresed almost every campaign promise made : Lobbyists, Fed Funding, Debates, Change. No other Candidate has ever had that record of EVERY Core Promise changed. We should judge him like any other elected official. To avoid the critical eye, would be a greater injustice by saying he has a different standard.

        • Posted By: Omaar @ 01/21/2009 10:29:05 PM

          NY Moose: Kiss My A!!

          Moose's, Especially NY Moose's can't Read or Write.
          -------------------------

          Your Damn Il-Logic is Pathetic

          You need to Rest with Joseph McCarthy and J. Edgar [Cross Dressing] Hoover...

          Name a Damn Arab Country that can Nuke America...

          Please don't mention [Iran]

          The Only Middle Eastern Country that can Attack America with Nuclear Might is [Israel] Dumb A!!

          Fact: Israel with it's over 250 Illegally Obtained [Nuclear Weapons]

          How many Detainees in [Gitmo] have been Found Guilty of [911]..Hmmm

          Not Many, with All the Infamous Torture and Water Boarding in [Gitmo] in all these Years

          Fact: Where was your Concern for Former George W. Bush & George H.W. Bushes Over 25 year Relationship with the Bin Laden Family, a Relationship that still EXIST.

          If you are Against Arabs so Damn much as well as this Government, is supposed to be ?

          Fact: Why is it that this Country and its People use and buy Arab Oil, as well as Socialist Venezuelan Oil, Libyan Oil, United Arab Emirates Oil and so on and so on.

          HYPOCRITES that's why.

          Note: Over 4,000 Americans were Killed in Iraq and Thousands of USA Troops with their Limbs, Arms & Legs Blown Off and the Thousands of USA Troops Killed & Permanently Injured in Afghanistan, where's your outrage on those Deaths & Injuries...

          An over 1 Million Innocent Iraqi's Killed, under a LIE, Killed under false Pretenses [Weapons Of Mass Distruction]

          Your Fat has left you with poor Blood Circulation to the Brain

          • Posted By: outspoken1 @ 01/25/2009 6:10:21 AM

            Omar,
            There are plenty of reasons for Gitmo and Guantanamo. You complain about the way these people are treated. Guess what TERRORISTS don't get the same treatment as you and I would. If they did they would hopefully be in your back yard and not mine. As far as the soldiers go that have lost their lives, yes they are missed and respected. However, you have to realize when you VOLUNTEER to be a protector of this great nation you know that you may possibly be putting your life on the line. You also know that you may not like the President, but he is your commander and chief and you will obey his orders. Thank God those soldiers are out there dying so you can sit there so self absorbed to not realize who gave and is giving you the freedom to be an AS*!

      • Posted By: FATJOEY @ 01/21/2009 2:13:44 PM

        NAME ONE MIDDLE EAST COUNTRY WHO COULD PROVIDE THE NUKE,BUT NOT IRAN? OK... PAKISTAN! OR MAYBE N'KOREA WOULD BE WILLING TO SELL ONE OF THEIRS?

        • Posted By: Omaar @ 01/21/2009 10:24:11 PM

          OH PRAISE GEORGE W. BUSH.....

          HE SAVED US FROM THE ARAB NATIONS...

          PLEASE

          GIVE ME AND THE FREE WORLD A DAMN BREAK....

          BUSH DID NOTHING.

          IF IT WERE NOT FOR [COMMUNIST SOCIALIST CHINA] FINANCING THESE FARCES CALLED WARS, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ?

          FAT BOY...

          YOU CAN CLAIM VICTORY IN IRAQ UNTIL YOU BECOME A DIABETIC, BUT YOU CAN'T CONVINVE REAL PEOPLE THAT BUSH SAVED US AND KEPT US FROM HARM.

          VIOLENCE CAN OCCUR AT ANYTIME, ANYPLACE, ANYWHERE.

          WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THERE IS NO VIOLENCE VIA TERRORISM IN AMERICA.

          WILL THAT MEAN OBAMA KEPT US SAFE...NOOOO

          BUT JUST BY HAVING OBAMA IN THE WHITE HOUSE, IT MAY MEAN THAT THE ARAB WORLD RESPECTS THE MAN AS A FAIR MAN OF PEACE, WISDOM AND RATIONALITY.

          IT WILL MEAN THAT IT WASN'T THE TIME OR THAT TERRORISM IS SELF DEFEATING AND MEANINGLESS.

          BUSH WAS NO PROTECTOR OF AMERICA...

          HE WAS THE PROTECTOR OF SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS, CAPITALIST, BIG BANKERS AND BIG OIL CORPORATIONS.

          WHAT KIND OF FOOL ARE...YOU

  • Posted By: it's about the future @ 01/24/2009 10:48:21 PM

    Tankmech83:
    So let me get this straight: According to you, there are Authentic Americans and Inauthentic Americans.
    The real Americans, (the ones who live in the Heartland States, for example)
    deserve the right to vote;
    whereas, the other Americans, (the ones who live everywhere else)
    do not deserve to vote.
    Isn't this just blatant bigotry on your part?

  • Posted By: katiec @ 01/22/2009 12:11:28 PM

    What a wonderful day it was. Millions of people standing side by side celebrating a new beginning for our country.
    Was so impressed that with this mass of people there were only minor disturbances. Believe President Barack Obamas ideas for hope, change and the love of mankind are shared by many. He has brought our great nation back.

    • Posted By: Tankmech83 @ 01/24/2009 7:56:11 PM

      Interesting Statistics


      Professor Joseph Olson of Hemline University School of Law, St. Paul,
      Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the Presidential
      election:


      Number of States won by: Democrats: 19 Republicans: 29
      Square miles of land won by: Democrats: 580,000
      Republicans: 2,427,000
      Population of counties won by: Democrats: 127 million
      Republicans: 143 million
      Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by:
      Democrats: 13.2
      Republicans: 2.1

      Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory Republican
      won by Republicans was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens
      of the country.
      Democrat territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in
      government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government
      welfare.


      Professor Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the
      "complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of
      democracy, with some forty percent of the nation's population already
      having reached the "governmental dependency" phase.

      If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal
      invaders called illegal's and they vote, then we can say goodbye to the
      USA in fewer than five years

    • Posted By: slamdunkt @ 01/23/2009 1:39:41 PM

      Back? Didnt know we left.

  • Posted By: jbz7879 @ 01/22/2009 10:51:54 AM

    obama means well
    but the world has learnt a lesson
    america is a double dealing hypocritical cold blooded ,immoral ,corporate run ,imperialistic ,self proclaiming free civilised society which in fact is one of the most unjust places to live on the planet if you are an unfortunate person who is in need of communal support ,
    as for the world americans will not give anyone a sip of water if they were dying by the roadside

    THEY SAY THEMSELVES THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH IN USA -MEANS WE DO NOT BELIEVE IN CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME OR ABROAD ,
    WE JUST WANT EVERYTHING FOR OURSELVES -SEX DRUGS AND DOUGH IN ANY REVERSED ORDER

    america is selfish -self obsessed and will run their own mother down the road if it benefited their bank account ,

    they have neither any character nor morality or any credibility

    obama has all 3 but he is surrounded by the cold blooded snakes

    GOD HELP HIM

    • Posted By: FATJOEY @ 01/23/2009 9:30:51 AM

      YOU WANT A FREE LUNCH FROM THE GOVERNMENT?,GO TO RUSSIA,OR VENEZUELA,OR CUBA,WE'RE NOT COMMUNISTS! AND PLEASE ENJOY! YUMMY!

      • Posted By: Tankmech83 @ 01/24/2009 7:28:48 PM

        There is plenty of people receiveing free lunches in America and free housing. and they are all democrats.

    • Posted By: slamdunkt @ 01/23/2009 1:42:00 PM

      Well jizz sounds like you need top pack your shi*.. bye..

    • Posted By: 40YearR @ 01/22/2009 9:14:10 PM

      So, where ya from? What do we owe you? Please tell me how much more your country has given to the needy?

  • Posted By: rioguy @ 01/24/2009 5:45:55 PM

    Neocon. Please remove your blinders. It wasn't just the crowd at the innauguration or Chris Mathews that were happy to see Bush leave and let it be known. Millions around the world in England, Germany, Spain and Italy as well as Africa and other countries and continents cheered as much for Bush's departure as they did for Obama's arrival. Even the Republican party were happy to see him go because as they acknowledged he had become a drag on their chances for winning in the future. McCain did not even want him at his convention. Of course his fellow Conservatives did not go so far as to boo him. They have constituents to face and they want to get re-elected themselves but even more deafening than the chorus of boos were the millions of silent votes by Republicans for Obama on Nov. 4th.
    So did Bush deserve to have people boo him? Of course he did. Isn't that one of the freedoms that comes with democracy as he always claims? Even better he got his boos the old fashioned, All-American way.
    HE EARNED THEM!!!

  • Posted By: LondonMcgee @ 01/24/2009 3:07:14 PM

    please visit http://www.myspace.com/londonmcgee for photos from inauguration

  • Posted By: it's about the future @ 01/24/2009 2:11:29 PM

    bkirschbaum:
    Please define the following, as per your own comment,: "peace", "defeating", "victory" and
    "peace by defeating your enemies".
    Thanks for your time.

  • Posted By: MrMortgage @ 01/24/2009 1:30:49 PM

    The criminals are still in office and obama is their best buddy.

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