The Next President?

Had never heard the church one, but the thing about Palestinian support and the real estate issue are fairly commonly known.

Clive, while Melanie Phillips is a fine journalist (or at least she was at one point!) her blatant bias on this issue must surely be acknowledged. I must confess my view of her was soured somewhat by her criticism of Jimmy Carter, which was profoundly moronic.

Kerry endorsed Obama today in South Carolina BTW.
 
Not saying anything was new although personally wasn't aware of the real estate thing [but should have been]

Just saying that this is the line of attack that will be taken by the Republicans who apparently wouldn't fear taking Barack on. A fair bit of scaremongering may be required on points 1 and 2 but it could be effective.

I intensely dislike the Republican Party
 
Originally posted by sunybay@Jan 11 2008, 12:14 AM
Jimmy Carter was a pathetic president and nowdays is an stupid muppet.
Click to expand...
Pathetic president I agree, but to call him a "stupid muppet" is harsh.

The comments I was referring to by the way have nothing to do with his presidency.. Melody Phillips is a far cry from the fine journalist she once was at the Guardian and is hardly even worth listening to at all any more..

Must confess I'm not a huge fan of Rolling Stone Gareth, but, as far as I'd heard, the article didn't isolationism specifically (that was new to me).. havn't read the article in full though, so I'm open to correction..
 
Not worth listening because she no longer toes the Guardian line? the line of Seamus Milne and Madeline Bunting? :what:

I think part of what she represents is a growing constitiuency. Those that are fed up with the constant appeasement by the left(see above) of what is the most bigotted far right movement seen since the days of the Nazis.

But thats another subject

I see that Hilary is a certainty in Michigan...and i believe the momentum will be unstoppable now. As the campaign progresses her razor sharp mind and willingness to debate will leave the windbag trailing badly. i doubt whether anyone will need to drag up the Obana's side issues

Kerry's endorsement is neither here not there. Dullard backs lightweight.
 
As the only candidate, she's just as likely to come last in Michigan!!!! They've been a bit naughty and brought forward their primary forward, against party rules, and subsequently Michigan's results won't count in the convention. The last time I knew a stalking horse was standing against her. All candidates removed their names from the ballot (apart from Hillary). The stalking horse could just easily win it, if Hillary insists on turning it into a referendum on herself, she's yet to poll over 50% in a vote. I think she could be on hiding to nothing. Incidentally, I think Florida did the same, although candidates are still standing there?

Not sure what the latest is, but that was my understanding?
 
The Republican primary in Florida will only count for half the delegates than usual. The Democrat primary will count for none.
 
Sorry...

Mixed up a national poll with what i thought was Michigan in the Times today. I will blame them.... :angy:

im not sure it will make any difference...
 
I see that windbags team are now trying to play the race card against Hilary. Desperate stuff and sure to rebound on them. Yet another sign perhaps that OB is simply not up to it

If they start coming across like an OJ Simpson jury, then they have no chance at all....

The danger is that this row will develop and damage the democrats overall chances
 
hes done the right thing (although some damage done i suspect already) but thanks for the source, because his wife put her foot in it didnt she?

In what seems to have been another misjudged remark, Obama's wife, Michelle, campaigning for him in South Carolina, also brought up race. Addressing African-Americans sceptical about his ability to win, she said Iowa, which is predominantly white, voted for Obama. "Ain't no black people in Iowa," she said.

The language could alienate some white voters and the comment is also wrong: there are 75,000 African-Americans in Iowa.
Click to expand...

And this was perfectly put too

How race got into this thing is because Obama said ‘race,’ ” Mr. Rangel said on the NY1 cable channel. “I would challenge anybody to belittle the contribution that Dr. King has made to the world, to our country, to civil rights, and the Voting Rights Act. But for him to suggest that Dr. King could have signed that act is absolutely stupid.”
Click to expand...
 
A bit, but it's pretty obvious she was exaggerating for effect to drive the point home to the people she was addressing (Iowa's population is ~95% white, ~2.5% black).

Hillary's original comment:

“Dr King’s dream began to be realised when President Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It took a president to get it done.”
Click to expand...

We all know what she's trying to say, but she should have tried saying it in her head a few times first.
 
Not so much what OB's wife said as much as the "aint no black people..." manner of saying. Rightly or wrongly, that is going to alienate many voters....

Hilary's comment was a minor gaff too. But as unfair as it possibly is, she's going to be alienating a lot fewer voters than OB's missus
 
Obama seemed to be intent on burying the issue at the Nevada debate last night apparently..

I can see what you mean Clive about the black "colloquialism" (if you can call it that) alienating white voters but, to be honest, the effect has been negligible. Nevertheless, any focus on race, despite the proximity of South Carolina is obviously going to have a damaging effect on Obama, hence his eagerness to bury the hatchett.
 
Dont agree, although can be argued forever about who started it...

The significant point was the reaction to Clinton's somewhat clumsy point about johnson and king. Whether she was deliberately playing a racial element there is very open to question but if it was a gentle baiting of Obama's team, then it worked perfectly

Still it will move on and there will I expect (unless windbag completely blows up) now be gentle hints about the "ability to win the presidency" from the Clinton team.....
 
Originally posted by clivex@Jan 17 2008, 03:29 PM
The significant point was the reaction to Clinton's somewhat clumsy point about johnson and king. Whether she was deliberately playing a racial element there is very open to question but if it was a gentle baiting of Obama's team, then it worked perfectly

Still it will move on and there will I expect (unless windbag completely blows up) now be gentle hints about the "ability to win the presidency" from the Clinton team.....
Click to expand...
Didn't think that was the smartest response either to be honest, Clive.

Obama will of course avoid any issues of race as much as he can, as the minute he becomes the "black candidate" he is finished.

Why do you think he's a windbag?
 
Because its all vague rousing rhetoric (from what ive seen) and he avoids taking direct unscripted questions (unlike Hilary)

I think that after a few years of politics driven by idealism and with perhaps a real economic downturn in progress, the issue of competency will come to the fore. And that will come down to seeing to be on top of the micro issues as much as the ideals

Why wasnt that a wise response? I am saying what i think will happen (although he might be out of the picture anyway...) rather than what i believe should happen

And as for the King issue, the Obama team would have been best advised to ignore it rather than jumping all over it. If they are really about ignoring racial divides then that should have been the tactic. Howver, I dont doubt that it is very difficult for them to turn the other cheek at a slight imagined or otherwise
 
I agree with you to an extent (I personally favour Hillary FWIW) Clive, but behind all the rhetoric with Obama there is a highly competent, if inexperienced, man, who would make a pretty good president IMO. I certainly think dismissing him as a "windbag" merely because he is a great orator is oversimplistic and wrong.

The thing about the campaign goes both ways. I have never seen a campaign as staged as the one Hillary ran her Iowa; to her credit, she learned from that and seemed to make much more of a connection in New Hampshire. The truth is, a campaign is defined as much by those running it than the candidate him/her self.
 
Back
Top