At a time when America’s image abroad is at rock bottom, Barack Obama’s nomination victory is generating excitement in many foreign countries and even admiration for the United States.
“The primaries showed that the U.S. is actually the nation we had believed it to be, a place that is open-minded enough to have a woman or an African-American as its president,†said a Japanese political analyst.
“Obama is the exciting image of what we always hoped America was,†echoed an Englishman.
In Kenya, which was home to Obama’s father, people are ecstatic.
Not everyone is enamored — some Israelis worry that Obama won’t be tough enough on their Arab enemies. Russians just aren’t following the race.
Still, it’s a glimpse of the good will that an Obama presidency could generate.
50 Comments
Let’s just hope the sore Clinton losers (the ones who say they will vote for McCain because Clinton lost the Democratic nominee) will wise up and do the right thing. Let’s give pur nominee a chance to make this a better UNITED States of America! We already know what we will get with McCain, I mean McBush.
In a world at large white is a minority in fact in our own country white is the minority if you simply go by white verses non-white. The rest of the world see that and this is a step as the Briton pointed out “what we always hoped America was,”
That aside, Obama illuminates thoughtfulness rather then “Cowboy diplomacy”. When the person is the biggest one on the play ground you want them to be a big brother and not a school yard bully. Its beating a dead horse, G.W. Bush had the chance to be that big Brother and threw it away, I feel sorry for that miss chance to go down in the history of the country and the world. This country deserved better…
brsutton, why take such a cheap shot? you speak to the Clinton supporter like a relative.
But do not have that relationship as of yet, you can get way with calling your brother unwise but not someone not blood. For now you are not blood with the Clinton supporters. You should be but it has not reach that point, to phrase it the way you did insures that you will not. Was that your intent?
OH God, I wonder what this “good will” is gonna cost me.
#
generaston
Posted June 8, 2008 at 10:13 am | Permalink
OH God, I wonder what this “good will” is gonna cost me.
Gene, you’re worried about the cost of goodwill. Do you worry about what the war is costing you? Does it bother you at all that we’re printing billions of dollars of worthless currency? Does the cost to the taxpayer in the form of corporate welfare bother you?
They have been excited world wide by the run of Hillary Clinton as well.
Outside the 23% of Americans blind because they will not see, the whole of humanity is excited to soon be rid of george bush and dick cheney.
I agree BlueJay – the world would be excited by either Obama or Clinton. But I agree even more with you that “the whole of humanity is excited to soon be rid of george bush and dick cheney” which is why I hope that you and the rest of my Clinton-supporting friends jon with me and making it that way.
It’s the honeymoon effect. I suspect it will be short lived if and when obama proves he’s owned by the same people who ALWAYS own our elected officials.
http://israel-palestine.janineroberts.com/farmseizure.html
KFG,
I’m not replying to rile you, so don’t take offense, please. I answer only in the context of who owns who.
Considering whose money went into Senator Clinton’s election fund and whose went into Senator Obama’s fund, which of the two would appear to be owned by corps, etc.?
Which is not to say that Clinton didn’t have the support of average people or that Obama didn’t have support from corps. But there was a huge difference in who and where donations came from.
Obama’s weakness is his “newness”. It’s been the one thing that worried me. But it’s also his strength, because there hasn’t been time for him to become jaded and bought off, nearly as much as it has with the more “expreienced” of most of the politicians.
As I’ve said before, my hope is that he will surround himself with intelligent people to counsel him, people who have an eye to what’s good for the country, not for the corporations and mega-wealthy.
Nobody can be all that we want in all ways.
That should have been “who owns whom”, but I never can keep that straight. :)
And, yes, as Ben said, I think the world was behind either Clinton or Obama.
I also know what the reactions of the cons(ervatives) will be here. “Who cares what the world thinks!” Well, we ought to care. All we have to do is take a look at the mess we’re in with Iraq and count up just how many countries backed us in it and still do.
The U.S. has always been a powerful force in the world. But power has gone to the heads of some, who think they can run the world alone. Didn’t Rome have that same thought?
Hmm.
My right click button seems to have failed or I have otherwise lost my capacity to cut and paste.
I don’t wish to interrupt the subject, though it doesn’t seem to have much of a place to go.
And this is not an attack on Obama. It’s an honest search for information.
I KNOW a lot of Obama’s money came from little people. I also know there was corporate money in Hillary’s campaign.
But this is after the ball is rolling. I want to know what got Obama into the running and got that big ball rolling in the first place. We know of the Rezko thing with his house. I want to know what forces began construction on candidate Obama.
We know bush was a construct. I want to know if Obama is and who for. This skyrocket rise of his from a speech and some sunshine blown up his shirt about it to stand where he does now….
It just doesn’t feel…well it just makes me uneasy.
I know he is the presumptive nominee and I’m not here to trash him. It’s just I think we should work hard to find any dirt on him that the cons could use later. You can bet THEY are digging. And they will hold any fire they have now until the fall.
Hey Randy, I have a GREAT idea. Let’s make Jerry Lewis the VP and send the French into ecstacy!!!
Blue jay – you know the Republicans probably already have thousands of volunteers trying to find any dirt on Obama and all they have come up with is?
I’m sure even Hillary had her people looking into Obama to find anything. Again, she had a few things but where did it go?
As far as politicians getting deals on their houses, how do you know the Clintons didn’t get a special deal on their house? Or any other politician?
Rezko was convicted last week of his own dealings, and none of those dealings were linked with Obama. Don’t you think there were people looking to find even a shred of evidence to tie Obama to Rezko during that trial? Of course there was.
If you are waiting for some politician to be perfect, then you will be waiting a long time. Hillary Clinton had her own baggage coming into this primary – remember her 8 years as First Lady and her own Whitewater property deal?
I seem to remember a little known governor from
Arkansas that rose to national politics rather quickly and was president for 8 years. By your logic, where did he get his money?
“generaston
Posted June 8, 2008 at 10:13 am | Permalink
OH God, I wonder what this “good will” is gonna cost me.”
According to the Bush administration our current ‘bad will’ is costing us a bundle as other countries refuse to support our unilateral wars of choice.
How much did the ‘coalition of the billing’ cost us?
maybe generaston is one of those profiting from the war? After all, this is a war for profit – look at the no-bid contracts and the 8 billion dollars unaccounted for and no one is that concerned to track down.
After 6 years of failed Bush policies, what harm will it do to have someone in the White House that can generate some goodwill for the US?
I dunno mom, Senator Feinstein’s husband is profiting big time from the war. All that new construction, several billion in contracts. Why don’t you write a letter to the good Democratic Senator about profiteering. :)
Obama’s weakness is his “newness”. It’s been the one thing that worried me. But it’s also his strength, because there hasn’t been time for him to become jaded and bought off, nearly as much as it has with the more “expreienced” of most of the politicians.
Don’t Worry; Obama doesn’t need any experience, He will do everything the Special Interest Groups that fund him tell him to. The Presidency is as good as bought. The Masses are mesmerized in political correctness.
Finally someone that actually cares about diplomacy and our relationship with the other 199 countries that exist on this earth. Hopefully the dark days of America saying “F**k the rest of the world, we’ll do as we please” is over.
I give a rat’s ass what Kenya (among others) thinks why, exactly?
Actually, “Obama’s weakness” is that Obama is a radical Marxist, with radical Islamic ties.
Obama will NOT be the “First Black President” even if he is elected:
The truth is that Obama will be our first ARAB President, if he is elected!
The following is making the rounds. I was sure I could find at least a few errors in it, but it is actually more accurate than the average New York Times piece:
—–
“Obama’s “Not Exactly’s”:
This person is more dangerous than any candidate in recent years….
1.) Selma Got Me Born – NOT EXACTLY, your parents felt safe enough to have you in 1961 – Selma had no effect on your birth, as Selma was in 1965. (Google’Obama Selma’ for his full March 4, 2007 speech and articles about its various untruths.)
2.) Father Was A Goat Herder – NOT EXACTLY, he was a privileged, well educated youth, who went on to work with the Kenyan Government.
3.) Father Was A Proud Freedom Fighter – NOT EXACTLY, he was part of one of the most corrupt and violent governments Kenya has ever had.
4.) My Family Has Strong Ties To African Freedom – NOT EXACTLY, your cousin Raila Odinga has created mass violence in attempting to overturn a legitimate election in 2007, in Kenya. It is the first widespread violence in decades. The current government is pro-American but Odinga wants to overthrow it and establish Muslim Sharia law. Your half-brother, Abongo Obama, is Odinga’s follower. You interrupted your New Hampshire campaigning to speak to Odinga on the phone. Check out the following link for verification of that….and for more. Obama’s cousin Odinga in Kenya ran for president and tried to get Sharia muslim law in place there. When Odinga lost the
elections, his followers have burned Christians’ homes and then burned men, women and children alive in a Christian church where they took shelter.. Obama SUPPORTED his cousin before the election process here started. Google Obama and Odinga and see what you get. No one wants to know the truth.
5.) My Grandmother Has Always Been A Christian – NOT EXACTLY, she does her daily Salat prayers at 5am according to her own interviews. Not to mention, Christianity wouldn’t allow her to have been one of 14 wives to 1 man.
6.) My Name is African Swahili – NOT EXACTLY, your name is Arabic and ‘Baraka’ (from which Barack came) means ‘blessed’ in that language. Hussein is also Arabic and so is Obama.
Barack Hussein Obama is! not half black. If elected, he would be the first Arab-American President, not the first black President. Barack Hussein Obama is 50% Caucasian from his mother’s side
and 43.75% Arabic and 6.25% African Negro from his father’s side. While Barack Hussein Obama’s father was from Kenya, his father’s family was mainly Arabs.. Barack Hussein Obama’s father was only 12.5% African Negro and 87.5% Arab (his father’s birth certificate even states he’s Arab, not African Negro….
and for more goto:
http://www.arcadeathome.com/newsboy.phtml?Barack_Hussein_Obama_-_Arab-American,_only_6.25%25_African
> 7.) I Never Practiced Islam – NOT EXACTLY, you practiced it daily at school, where you were registered as a Muslim and kept that faith for 31 years, until your wife made you change, so you could run for office. 4-3-08 Article “Obama was! ‘quite religious in islam’”
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=60559
8.) My School In Indonesia Was Christian – NOT EXACTLY, you were registered as Muslim there and got in trouble in Koranic Studies for making faces (check your own book).
February 28, 2008. Kristoff from the New York Times a year ago: Mr. Obama recalled the opening lines of the Arabic call to prayer, reciting them with a first-rate accent. In a remark that seemed
delightfully uncalculated (it’ll give Alabama voters heart attacks), Mr. Obama described the call to prayer as “one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset.” This is just one example of what Pamela
is talking about when she says “Obama’s narrative is being altered, enhanced and manipulated to whitewash troubling facts.”
9.) I Was Fluent In Indonesian – NOT EXACTLY, not one teacher says you could speak the language.
10.) Because I Lived In Indonesia, I Have More Foreign Experience – NOT EXACTLY, you were there from the ages of 6 to 10, and couldn’t even speak the language. What did you learn, how to study the Koran and watch cartoons.
11.) I Am Stronger On Foreign Affairs – NOT EXACTLY, except for Africa (surprise) and the Middle East (bigger surprise), you have never been anywhere else on the planet and thus have NO experience with our closest allies.
12.) I Blame My Early Drug Use On Ethnic Confusion – NOT EXACTLY, you were quite content in high school to be Barry Obama, no mention of Kenya and no mention of struggle to identify – your
classmates said you were just fine.
13.)An Ebony Article Moved Me To Run For Office – NOT EXACTLY, Ebony has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn’t, and never did, exist.
14.) A Life Magazine Article Changed My Outlook On Life – NOT EXACTLY, Life has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn’t, and never did, exist.
15.) I Won’t Run On A National Ticket In ‘08 – NOT EXACTLY, here you are, despite saying, live on TV, that you would not have enough experience by then, and you are all about having experience first.
16.) Voting “Present” is Common In Illinois Senate – NOT EXACTLY, they are common for YOU, but not many others have 130 NO VOTES.
17.) Oops, I Misvoted – NOT EXACTLY, only when caught by church groups and Democrats, did you beg to change your misvote.
18.) I Was A Professor Of Law – NOT EXACTLY, you were a senior lecturer ON LEAVE.
19.) I Was A Constitutional Lawyer – NOT EXACTLY, you were a senior lecturer ON LEAVE.
20.) Without Me, There Would Be No Ethics Bill – NOT EXACTLY, you didn’t write it, introduce it, change it, or create it.
21.) The Ethics Bill Was Hard To Pass – NOT EXACTLY, it took just 14 days from start to finish.
22.) I Wrote A Tough Nuclear Bill – NOT EXACTLY, your bill was rejected by your own party for its pandering and lack of all regulation – mainly because of your Nuclear donor, Exelon, from which
David Axelrod came.
23.) I Have Released My State Records – NOT EXACTLY, as of March, 2008, state bills you sponsored or voted for have yet to be released, exposing all the special interests pork hidden within.
24.) I Took On The Asbestos Altgeld Gardens Mess – NOT EXACTLY, you were part of a large group of people who remedied Altgeld Gardens. You failed to mention anyone else but yourself, in your books
25.) My Economics Bill Will Help America – NOT EXACTLY, your 111 economic policies were just combined into a proposal which lost 99-0, and even YOU voted against your own bill.
26.) I Have Been A Bold Leader In Illinois – NOT EXACTLY, even your own supporters claim to have not seen BOLD action on your part.
27.) I Passed 26 Of My Own Bills In One Year – NOT EXACTLY, they were not YOUR bills, but rather handed to you, after their creation by a fellow Senator, to assist you in a future bid for higher
office.
28.) No One on my campaign contacted Canada about NAFTA – NOT EXACTLY, the Candian Government issued the names and a memo of the conversation your campaign had with them.
29.) I Am Tough On Terrorism – NOT EXACTLY, you missed the Iran Resolution vote on terrorism and your good friend Ali Abunimah supports the destruction off Israel.
30.) I Want All Votes To Count – NOT EXACTLY, you said let the delegates decide.
31.) I Want Americans To Decide – NOT EXACTLY, you prefer caucuses that limit the vote, confuse the voters, force a public vote, and only operate during small windows of time.
32.) I passed 900 Bills in the State Senate – NOT EXACTLY, you passed 26, most of which you didn’t write yourself.
33.) I Believe In Fairness, Not Tactics – NOT EXACTLY, you used tactics to eliminate Alice Palmer from running against you.
34.) I Don’t Take PAC! Money – NOT EXACTLY, you take loads of it.
35.) I don’t Have Lobbysists – NOT EXACTLY, you have over 47 lobbyists, and counting.
36.) My Campaign Had Nothing To Do With The 1984 Ad – NOT EXACTLY, your own campaign worker made the ad on his Apple in one afternoon.
37.) I Have Always Been Against Iraq – NOT EXACTLY, you weren’t in office to vote against it AND you have voted to fund it every single time.
38.) I Have Always Supported Universal Health Care – NOT EXACTLY, your plan leaves us all to pay for the 15,000,000 who don’t have to buy it
Subject: Obama’s “Not Exactly’s” IF YOU ARE GOING TO VOTE, PLEASE READ THIS. PEOPLE WANTS A CHANGE, I AM SURE HE WILL GIVE US A CHANGE, BUT IS IT WHAT WE WANT.
Obama’s “Not Exactly’s”: This person is more dangerous than any candidate in recent years….to have not seen BOLD action on your part.
We have had 5 Presidents, in the past, with a higher percentage of African heritage than Obama:
http://www.geocities.com/cureworks1/5blkpres.htm
Obama’s relatives are fighting a bloody war in Kenya. Obama’s relatives are on the side of radical Islam, in Africa!
Rossell, as usual, you dreg the bottom of the pit and toss up a load of bullshit.
You have sunk to Grobnic, Fleetwood, Parkay and Ian Santiago levels.
In other words, strictly scroll over territory.
But thanks for joining us – the comedy that you put out is just HILARIOUS.
Loser.
By the way, have you reconciled “turn the other cheek” with “Jesus was not a pacifist?”
WS
Jesus NEVER told us to turn the cheeks of our children.
Jesus NEVER told us to turn the cheeks of other people.
Instead, Jesus said that “You ARE your Brother’s keeper” — meaning we should protect and defend other people.
Most of the times, in my life, when I have resorted to violence, it has been in defense of others. It is far more justified to defend those who can not defend themselves, than it is to strike out in anger.
This is what Jesus meant.
You, however, are too much of a simpleton to understand.
I am convinced that John McCain will run a horrible campaign.
I am guessing, however, that Obama can’t possibly overcome his radical past.
Obama just isn’t that smart, and he does not know how to handle any of his problems.
By the way, WS, try to DISPROVE something that I have posted, with FACTS, would you?
“You, however, are too much of a simpleton to understand.”
Well thank you, Rossell, and might I say that you are an idiot?
If you don’t like Obama (and obviously you don’t like anyone to the left of Attilla the Hun) DON”T vote for him.
Thanks.
Come on libs, FACT CHECK my posts for me, so that we can get rid of the weaker stuff BEFORE we cut the TV and Internet ads, would you please????
For a friend?
Pretty please?
(By the way, I got the above “Not Exactly” stuff from some Angry Clinton Democrat Women in Pennsylvania!!!)
“For a friend?”
You certainly are not my friend, Rossell.
“FACT CHECK my posts for me.”
No, do your own fact checking – I have better things to do with my life than to spend hours doing research just to prove what I already know – you are a right wing bullshit slinging idiot.
WS
In other words, you can NOT prove that anything I have said, or quoted, on this thread, is not true!
In other words, Obama is toast, if all of this IS true!
“In other words, you can NOT prove that anything I have said, or quoted, on this thread, is not true!”
This time around, Rossell, we are going to play the same game that the Republicans have played since 1988. Just like Sonny in the Godfather, if you hit us, we’re going to hit you back, twice as hard. For every cheap shot that you folks take at Obama, we’ll take two at McCain. For every shot you take at Michelle, we’ll take two at Cindy.
We ain’t playing like Gore did in 2000 (run from Clinton’s record) or Kerry (roll over for the Swiftboaters.)
If you kick our candidate in the knee, we’re gonna punch yours in the mouth.
For every T Boone Pickens that finances a 527, we’ll pull out a George Soros.
Ya’ wanna play hardball?
Get ready, cuz we ain’t buying into your bullshit this time around.
…………………………………. and the horse you rode in on.
“Franklin” –
Go to http://www.snopes.com and type “Obama” its search function. You’ll get pages upon pages which refute and/or clarify your little cut-and-paste job.
I would like to remind the Republicans that if Swiftboating John Kerry was an acceptable campaign tactic for Republicans, then they should expect the same treatment for John McCain.
Enough is enough – our candidate wants bipartisanship and cooperation – but that will only come after he is elected – not until.
You sons of bitches want to play hardball – let’s get it on.
Obama supported Jihad in Kenya:
http://iperceive.net/barack-obama-kenyan-jihadi/
Monkey,
The fact that a few false things will be said, about every candidate, does NOT prove that everything said about a candidate is false.
Obama is not trusted by Israel.
Obama is not trusted by American Jews.
For very good reason: Obama is an Arab with radical Islamic family and radical Islamic friends.
“Obama supported Jihad in Kenya”
Hardball, Rossell, be prepared for some serious hardball.
I’m going to stick the first fastball right in your ear.
Chump.
By the way, can you defend the 30 propaganda tapes that McCain did for the North Vietnamese?
Did he win an Emmy for them?
How many medals did he get for doing them?
How is that different than Swiftboating John Kerry?
Oh, you’re going to say that Kerry was a traitor and McCain was a hero, right?
How does a hero do propaganda videos for the enemy?
Ya’ wanna play hardball, Rossell?
WS
Was Kerry ever tortured?
More to the point: John McCain got an HONORABLE DISCHARGE — John McCain never trashed his fellow Americans, the way John Kerry trashed everyone in uniform.
John Kerry got a Less than Honorable Discharge, and then John Kerry had his discharge upgraded by Jimmy Carter’s Amnesty Program!
You make stuff up, WS.
I, on the other hand, can back up what I post.
“The fact that a few false things will be said, about every candidate, does NOT prove that everything said about a candidate is false.”
McCain was emotionally scarred by his internment as a POW in Viet Nam and cannot be trusted with the keys to nuclear weapons. He was also unfaithful to his first wife that stood by him while he was a POW and he left her for a bimbo that was an heir to a multi-million dollar fortune. He also sold his soul to special interest groups and is NOT a Christian.
“You make stuff up, WS.”
Prove it.
“John Kerry got a Less than Honorable Discharge, and then John Kerry had his discharge upgraded by Jimmy Carter’s Amnesty Program!”
Start with that lie.
“Franklin” –
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/kenya.asp
“Was Kerry ever tortured?”
Wait! You have defended torture in the past as a means of getting prisoners to tell the truth and NOW you are defending McCain’s video performances because he was TORTURED?
Are you a hypocrite, Rossell, or are you a hypocrite?
Was he telling the truth, Rossell, or is torture an unacceptable method of interrogation?
Eh?
Ya’ can’t have it both ways.
Oh LOOK!
Two Obama supporters…
And a right wing nut job.
SURELY they can find common ground?
Senator Obama is the presumptive nominee of the Democratic party. His rally call has been “Change you can believe in”.
Meaning that some way, partisanship could be overcome and both sides could work together.
Many progressives were not impressed.
Now, he has changed his rally call to “Change that works for you.”
So. Let’s see how WS and Monkeyhawk can achieve a coming together with the EPITOME of the right wing, our own shilly, silly Paul. I wish to see this miraculous change that is gonna work for me before I decide to grudgingly support it.
“SURELY they can find common ground?”
…………………………… and the horse YOU rode in on.
What was his name – Big Brown?
Monkey
You have information about ONE false internet “letter” ?? so what?
Obama CLAIMS relatives in Kenya.
Kenya has just come out of a bloody political and military mess.
What side were Obama’s relatives on?
Your ball —
WS
I have never defended torture as a routine method of gaining information.
However, Obama and Clinton and McCain ALL say that there might be a “nuclear exception” or a WMD exception.
McCain thinks that any person who tortured in order to stop a nuclear attack would probably deserve a Presidential Pardon.
Hillary Clinton said she would like to write such an “exception” into the law.
Obama? He has waffeled, a bit, like he has on everything. However, I will grant you that Obama seems to be more “anti-torture” than even McCain.
Still, torture that is used to protect lives and save lives is on a different level than “propaganda torture” — propaganda torture is the type of thing done by the Communists in Vietnam — the type of propaganda that John Kerry and Jane Fonda promoted.
Furthermore, “waterboarding” as done by the United States CIA is NOT torture, in my opinion.
Even if it is, it is very, very mild compared to what our enemies have done and will always do to us, regardless of what we do to them.
I am not being inconsistent at all, WS.
If McCain “broke” — he did so long after you would have cried for your mother, you wimp.
John Kerry? John Kerry met with our Communist enemies without the permission of his chain of command. Kerry also gave great propaganda help to the Communists, with his slander of the US Military.
This is probably what earned Kerry his less than honorable discharge. Type “Secretary Claytor John Kerry” into your browser.
Navy Secretary Claytor served under Jimmy Carter.
Kerry served under? LBJ then Nixon I believe.
(Kerry claims he was spent “Christmas in Cambodia” under the order of Nixon, but Nixon had not been sworn in yet, on the date Kerry gave. Kerry later retracted part of his claim)
Then we had President Ford.
Then, President CARTER’s Navy Secretary Discharged the anti-war Kerry?
Ya right.
Kerry got his discharge upgraded. There is no other explaination for Navy Secretary Claytor to be involved in Kerry’s discharge.
Again, I proved my point and you can not even present evidence to even weakly support YOUR point.
“I have never defended torture as a routine method of gaining information.”
Bullshit.
“Kerry got his discharge upgraded. There is no other explaination for Navy Secretary Claytor to be involved in Kerry’s discharge.”
Prove it or STFU.
We ain’t playing the game with you lying Republics this season.
For every attack, you will get two in return.
For every slur, you will get two in return.
If you smack Michael, we will hit Bruno Tattaglia at four o’clock in the morning.
P.S. What to do, besides raise conciousness (while keeping in mind how bad the other guy is)?
Here’s a hint:
Obama was calling because he was bothered that I had written a few blog posts questioning positions he’d taken that appeared to belie his progressive image, most prominently his vote for a corporate-written “reform” of class-action lawsuits, his refusal to frontally challenge the Iraq War after running as an antiwar candidate and his vote to confirm Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State. One by one, Obama methodically answered each criticism. And when the call ended with his telling me he was committed to working with progressives, I was perplexed. Obama certainly talks a great game–but then, so have many false prophets over the years. I requested a formal interview, and to my surprise, Obama readily agreed. By the end of a day in Washington with him, I had the answers to two key questions: What can progressives expect from Barack Obama, and what does he really aspire to be?
A key point of Obama change message is citizen involvement.
Call his bluff.
Oops. Link:
http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/print.cgi?file=/views06/0609-21.htm
P.S. An interesting quote from Sirota’s interview (Common Dreams, above):
Obama has a remarkable ability to convince you that his positions are motivated purely by principles, not tactical considerations. This skill is so subtle and impressive, it resembles Luke Skywalker’s mastery of the Force. It’s a powerful tool for a Democratic Party that often emanates calculation rather than conviction. “I don’t think in ideological terms. I never have,” Obama said, continuing on the healthcare theme. “Everybody who supports single-payer healthcare says, ‘Look at all this money we would be saving from insurance and paperwork.’ That represents 1 million, 2 million, 3 million jobs of people who are working at Blue Cross Blue Shield or Kaiser or other places. What are we doing with them? Where are we employing them?”
I completely favor single-payer, but I acknowledge that is an issue–assuming there’d be layoffs on that scale. I’m not entirely convinced of that.
1) Why do we care what other countries think of our Presidential candidates?
2) Isn’t it great that the rest of the world thinks Obama is great – because he is black?
Just been overseas, and confirmed some Europeans like Obama. Why? I asked for 3 reasons why. Answer – zip.
Because he is black.
Great reason to vote for him.