Barack Obama

[Moooooo]

And the hype begins...

[Keystone Phil]

I love when the media does this. There are tons of State Senators, Representatives, City Council members, small town Mayors, etc. that are just like Obama in terms of speaking, debating, energy, etc. Now all we need is for those people to run for the U.S. Senate, have the media find their new darlings and end this Obama obsession.

[WalterMitty]

a horribly overrated politician.

[Conan]

a horribly overrated politician.

Definitely. He thinks hes moderate too but he isnt. He wouldnt have been elected if he had a challenger.

[Colin]

a horribly overrated politician.

Definitely. He thinks hes moderate too but he isnt. He wouldnt have been elected if he had a challenger.

I have to agree with both of you.

Defeating Alan Keyes doesn't take much. I'm sure 85% of the people on this board could defeat Alan Keyes.

[adam]

Is it just me or has Time Magazine's bias completely shifted? They went from naming Bush the man of the year to hyping Barack Obama as the next president of the United States.

[Colin]

Is it just me or has Time Magazine's bias completely shifted? They went from naming Bush the man of the year to hyping Barack Obama as the next president of the United States.

Time magazine is completely commercial. It has no stance beyond what it believes its readers want to hear.

[Boris]

I can say with 95% confidence that Barack Obama will not be the next President of the United States. He may be President someday (and I hope he will be), but it won't be on January 20, 2009.

[Nym90]

Is it just me or has Time Magazine's bias completely shifted? They went from naming Bush the man of the year to hyping Barack Obama as the next president of the United States.

Time magazine is completely commercial. It has no stance beyond what it believes its readers want to hear.

Absolutely, and the same is true for the rest of the media, too.

[Lincoln Republican]

I'm sure at one time that Time Magazine was saying the exact thing about Andrew Young, civil rights activist, mayor of Atlanta, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N.

They may have even said the same thing about Julian Bond, civil rights activist, member of the Georgia house and the Georgia Senate.

Obama is VERY liberal.

[WalterMitty]

Obama is VERY liberal.

correct.  and completely unacceptable to mainstream america.

if illinois had a republican party, he wouldnt be in the senate today.

[Keystone Phil]

Obama is VERY liberal.

correct.  and completely unacceptable to mainstream america.

if illinois had a republican party, he wouldnt be in the senate today.

Yep. I think Jack Ryan would have given him a very good run if his wasn't surrounded by scandal.

I remember thinking Obama was very liberal two years ago but if you say the same thing today, people will laugh at you. Everyone thinks he is a moderate just as they think John Edwards is, too.

[Nym90]

Obama is VERY liberal.

correct.  and completely unacceptable to mainstream america.

if illinois had a republican party, he wouldnt be in the senate today.

Yep. I think Jack Ryan would have given him a very good run if his wasn't surrounded by scandal.

I remember thinking Obama was very liberal two years ago but if you say the same thing today, people will laugh at you. Everyone thinks he is a moderate just as they think John Edwards is, too.

The thing is though that in politics perception is reality.

It doesn't matter whether Obama is liberal or not, the only thing that matters is what people think he is. Someone who is charismatic and personable can make themsevles seem more moderate than they really are (look at Ronald Reagan as the best example of that).

Hillary Clinton has the opposite problem, in that she is perceived as being far to the left when in reality she isn't. But again, it doesn't matter, she's still just as unelectable.

[Keystone Phil]

The thing is though that in politics perception is reality.

I understand that. 

[nini2287]

I think Obama would have won against a credible challenger, but I've been very unimpressed by his Senate resume.

He doesn't do anything that doesn't play well in the media.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Obama would've beaten Ryan fairly easily. There was really no question once he won the primary he was Illinois' next Senator.

But he's not the next President. Too inexperienced. He's got plenty of time though.

[Alcon]

I think Obama would have won against a credible challenger, but I've been very unimpressed by his Senate resume.

He doesn't do anything that doesn't play well in the media.

How did he manage to become so popular?

[nini2287]

I think Obama would have won against a credible challenger, but I've been very unimpressed by his Senate resume.

He doesn't do anything that doesn't play well in the media.

How did he manage to become so popular?

Mainly his convention speech, charisma, race and taking up John McCain-esque issues that look good on paper.

Being a sane Democrat from Illinois, I think even without the convention speech he would have won the race against a normal Republican (albeit not with 70% of the vote).

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Obama is VERY liberal.

correct.  and completely unacceptable to mainstream america.

if illinois had a republican party, he wouldnt be in the senate today.

They have a Republican party. They just lost the race by 43 points.

Anyways, my guess is that Obama won't run in 2008. But I wish him luck if he does.

[HardRCafé]

[if illinois had a republican party, he wouldnt be in the senate today.

You underestimate the filth of the cesspool that is Chicago.

[opebo]

correct.  and completely unacceptable to mainstream america.

Yes, we know he is a black.

[Robespierre's Jaw]

Oprah has endorsed Obama for the presidency in 2008 after she declined to run, after she was asked by one of her supporters.

[Speed of Sound]

correct.  and completely unacceptable to mainstream america.

Yes, we know he is a black.

Hahahahaha. Classic.



Anyway, I think Obama was given just the right breaks to be in perfect position for a race at the Presidency.............eventually. Not in 2008, but eventually. Hes got all the right qualities and, by then, experience to pick up that nice comfy chair in the Oval Office, and all the powers that go with it.

[dazzleman]

Obama is VERY liberal.

correct.  and completely unacceptable to mainstream america.

if illinois had a republican party, he wouldnt be in the senate today.

Yep. I think Jack Ryan would have given him a very good run if his wasn't surrounded by scandal.

I remember thinking Obama was very liberal two years ago but if you say the same thing today, people will laugh at you. Everyone thinks he is a moderate just as they think John Edwards is, too.

The thing is though that in politics perception is reality.

It doesn't matter whether Obama is liberal or not, the only thing that matters is what people think he is. Someone who is charismatic and personable can make themsevles seem more moderate than they really are (look at Ronald Reagan as the best example of that).

Hillary Clinton has the opposite problem, in that she is perceived as being far to the left when in reality she isn't. But again, it doesn't matter, she's still just as unelectable.

People love the idea of Obama, a black (really, half-black) man who can appeal to whites and blacks, and doesn't frighten off whites with the politics of resentment and entitlement that is practiced by most other liberal black politicians.

Before they know better, they therefore give him the benefit of the doubt, and paint him in their own minds the way they want him to be.

Candidates like that are very vulnerable to having their real views exposed, however.  Michael Dukakis was thought of as a moderate until the Bush campaign went after him in 1988.

I think all this early hype is doing Obama a huge disservice.  It's thrusting him out there before he's ready, and it could end up ruining his longer term prospects.  Not that that would bother me, since I think he's way too liberal, but if you really want to see Obama reach the White House, you shouldn't be hyping him up at this early date, when he doesn't even have 2 years in the Senate. 

[elcorazon]

Obama is VERY liberal.

correct.  and completely unacceptable to mainstream america.

if illinois had a republican party, he wouldnt be in the senate today.

Yep. I think Jack Ryan would have given him a very good run if his wasn't surrounded by scandal.

I remember thinking Obama was very liberal two years ago but if you say the same thing today, people will laugh at you. Everyone thinks he is a moderate just as they think John Edwards is, too.

The thing is though that in politics perception is reality.

It doesn't matter whether Obama is liberal or not, the only thing that matters is what people think he is. Someone who is charismatic and personable can make themsevles seem more moderate than they really are (look at Ronald Reagan as the best example of that).

Hillary Clinton has the opposite problem, in that she is perceived as being far to the left when in reality she isn't. But again, it doesn't matter, she's still just as unelectable.

all true.  You people give the voters WAY too much  credit.  Most don't even understand the terms liberal and conservative.  They vote on feel, and Obama is a likable guy.  You are all wrong, pretty much about Obama too.  He's very likable and likely would have beaten any challengers in that senate race.  Admittedly, beating Keyes meant nothing, but running for president isn't something that's based on who has the best resume and who's "ready".  I mean Clinton's resume wasn't the best; neither was Bush, Jr.  Gore's resume was perfect, and he lost.

I think he's going to run; the biggest stumbling block to him running is fear of Hillary, I think.