FOX News Focus Group - Obama's Accomplishments

[Keystone Phil]

There is really nothing on TV right now so I turned on HANNITYand Colmes. Frank Luntz was doing his usual bit. He asked the group to name one major accomplishment by Senator Obama. One man said he votes as a Senator. Another said he "gave an excellent speech against the war." One woman passed. So Luntz asks, "Does anyone know an accomplishment?" A young man raises his hand. "He's the only African American Senator."  "So being an African American in the Senate is an accomplishment," asked Luntz. "Yes," the young man responds, "because he's the only one."

Now I know there are plenty of intelligent people here who support Obama and have good reason to do so but it makes you wonder about the average voter. Why do they like this guy? They know next to nothing about him. It's just like the JFK obsession that no one can understand. "He was young. He was the first Catholic President. He was killed." There is so little substance when it comes to JFK and I think it's safe to say the same with Obama.

[Alcon]

People vote on stupid things.

Obama voters are among them.

It's oftentimes personality over politics, followed by ideology, with competence ranked last.

What are we talking about, here?  Is this just another generic "defend Obama again" topic?

[Keystone Phil]

Yes, yes, people vote on stupid things.

Obama voters are among them.

It's oftentimes personality over politics, followed by ideology, with competence ranked last.

Yeah, I understand people vote on stupid things when it comes to all types of candidates but my point is that it is very common with this guy. It's all based on his speaking, his charisma and HOPE, CHANGE, etc.

[gmo]

Yeah, I understand people vote on stupid things when it comes to all types of candidates but my point is that it is very common with this guy. It's all based on his speaking, his charisma and HOPE, CHANGE, etc.

People are going for what they think he will do rather than what he has already done.  Agree with it or not, I do not see what makes that unusual in the presidential voting decision process.

[Alcon]

Yeah, I understand people vote on stupid things when it comes to all types of candidates but my point is that it is very common with this guy. It's all based on his speaking, his charisma and HOPE, CHANGE, etc.

I don't think that this phenomenon is unusually limited to Obama supporters.  I think people vote for Clinton because they like her persona, and McCain because they think he's electable and is a war hero.

But I can't prove it, and you can't either, so I don't get why we have to have so many topics about it.  Why?

[Gabu]

Barack Obama absolutely has stances on the issues.  It's just that, until recently, that hasn't been the focal point in his campaign; the focal point was instead on the general overview of what his campaign is all about, and on how his ultimate goal is bridging and healing partisan divides and changing the fundamental tone in Washington.  He also has Senate accomplishments that are there for people wanting to look it up.

Really, I find it rather funny when people say that Obama has no substance and that his supporters are just blindly following what he says.  I find that those claiming as such often are just as guilty, if not more so, of blindly following what someone else said without looking anything up.

[Lief 🗽]

Um... I'm sure you'd see the same thing if you put any group of supporters in a room. I can't think of any substantial that Clinton has does (except for authorize the deaths of thousands of people, vote against the constitution, etc.). Certainly nothing good.

[Thomas Jackson]

OK, so Name one Hillary! accomplishment. (Hannity has tried this one before on his show as well, and no one can name a specific Hillary! accomplishment, they use the "First Lady" line and the "Powerful Woman in the Senate." Everything you said about Obama can be applied to Hillary!.

The Republican Establishment is scared to death of Obama. At first they focused on attacking Hillary! because they were sure that she would be the nominee. Now all of the sudden that is looking increasingly unlikely, so they are slowly starting to shift their focus.

I am amazed at how fast this Hannity Focus group has spread on the internet. Hillary!ites are trying to run with it. I guess this is her new plan of attack. Pretty pathetic if you ask me.

Reality is, Obama's legislative Record surpasses Hillary!'s.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/03/AR2008010303303.html

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Why?

Because bashing the other side is fun.

[J. J.]

People vote on stupid things.

Obama voters are among them.

It's oftentimes personality over politics, followed by ideology, with competence ranked last.

What are we talking about, here?  Is this just another generic "defend Obama again" topic?

First, I think some of it is, and will be personality.  Some of it will be a compelling personal story.  Some of it will be accomplishments, and being Senator from Illinois really President Stephen A. Douglas!

Some of it, and the deal closer, will be policy.  It is there that, so far, where Obama has been lacking.

[MODU]

There is something to be said for voting for the unknown.  Faith plays a lot into people's behavior, including things like voting. 

[Keystone Phil]

Barack Obama absolutely has stances on the issues.

I'm unaware of anyone that said he didn't have stances on the issues. This is about his accomplishments and my point is that even if he has them, people don't know a thing about them.

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His campaign isn't based on much substance and I've found some of his serious followers in agreement. The other day, I was doing group work in one of my classes - four liberal Democrats who support Obama vs. me.  They had something to respond with everytime I made a statement except when it came to Obama's substance (and why people obsess over JFK). They just sat there, one of them seeming pretty pissed. Why not correct me? If Obama has these accomplishments and wants to run based on the issues, let's see and hear it, people. Sorry but the HOPE and CHANGE banners don't solve problems in the White House.

[Iosif is a COTHO]

If you asked an average person what Hillary's and McCain's 'accomplishments' are, they'd probably have just as hard a time answering.

[Ebowed]

If you asked an average person what Hillary's and McCain's 'accomplishments' are, they'd probably have just as hard a time answering.

Don't be silly.  McCain was tortured in Vietnam and Hillary served as President for eight years.

[MODU]

If you asked an average person what Hillary's and McCain's 'accomplishments' are, they'd probably have just as hard a time answering.

... and Hillary served as President for eight years.

That would be funny if it wasn't so scary that some believe that.

[Jake]

Yeah, this is true. It's one reason why I think people are deluding themselves when they think Obama can deliver on all his promises. He just doesn't have a track record. Now, I understand he's had only a few years to make a name for himself, but all I can remember is he won a Senate race that was notable only because Alan Keyes was destroyed, he gave an inspiring speech at the convention, he voted in lock step with Democrats in the Senate, and then suddenly he was running for President. Now, maybe it's good he doesn't have a record; supposedly that makes him "clean" of Washington's dirt.

Then again, expecting people to know much about candidates may be too much to ask. Actual research into candidates is something far too few people actually engage in these days.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I have friends who work on his campaign, and even they can't tell me what he has accomplished or really why the support him except that he speaks well. How frustrating. We could elect this guy President and no one knows what he would/could do. His supporters get so defensive when people say he hasn't done anything, but then they say "well what has McCain/Hillary done?"

At least Hillary has a platform, was in the White House for eight years, and has been a leading Senator from NY for six years.

McCain has been around forever, led the largest squadron in the US military in Vietnam, sponsored many bills, and has been one of the most active and influential senators in the US senate.

Obama has been a two year senator who has missed important votes, hardly ever sponsored any legislation, and votes "present" when he doesn't want to make a decision on the issues.

It's beyond me that this guy could be voted in President because he can rile up a crowd with his sermon like speeches about the empty term of HOPE and CHANGE. He's nothing more than an empty suit and no one can even give me a reason to believe otherwise. People on this forum haven't said anything, either. They just attack the others or accuse one of being racist.

[Beet]

Uh oh, the attacks begin.

Soon the starry-eyed Obama cultists will realize that what they thought was the vaunted 'Clinton attack machine' was really a kitty kat terrified in the face of a hostile media and pumped up by the GOP to look big and bad; while they begin to taste what real political warfare means.

Now, we start to see what Obama is made of.

[TheresNoMoney]

Um... I'm sure you'd see the same thing if you put any group of supporters in a room.

Exactly! Put 25 McCain supporters in a room and ask them to name one major McCain legislative accomplishment. You'd get just as much stuttering and blank stares, probably more.

[Flying Dog]

All candidates have accomplishments. Voters, even Hillary voters don't know anything she accomplished. Neither do McCain voters or Huckabee voters for that matter.

[bgwah]

Yeah---I mean, where is the corruption? Where are the extramarital affairs? Why didn't he support Bush's deadly, unwarranted, and criminal war in Iraq?

What a boring candidate!

[Democratic Hawk]

McCain has been around forever , led the largest squadron in the US military in Vietnam, sponsored many bills, and has been one of the most active and influential senators in the US senate.

Exactly. So much so, he'd be 8 years too late. Yesterday's man if ever there was one

Dave

[Thereisnospoon]

This is being brought up mainly because of his relative inexperience versus the other candidates. It turns into a game of playing on the other person's (the potential voter) ignorance; they can't name a major piece of legislation Candidate A sponsored so Candidate A must never have done anything meaningful in his career. While Obama doesn't have much of a track record at the moment, it doesn't mean he's never done anything or that he suddenly lacks the capacity to do so.

Correct me if I'm wrong (and I certainly might be), but didn't Perot once say that the most international experience Clinton had was going to IHOP? I also recall people questioning about how meaningful Bush's time as the governor of Texas was. This is nothing new.

You could ask Clinton or McCain supporters and I'm sure some of them, if not many of them, will say they're voting for that candidate based mainly on superficial reasons and that many of them are not totally informed about their candidate's views. Furthermore, those two have had longer periods of national exposure compared to Obama, meaning they'll build up a reputation based on certain issues.

[Saxwsylvania]

McCain has been around forever , led the largest squadron in the US military in Vietnam, sponsored many bills, and has been one of the most active and influential senators in the US senate.

Exactly. So much so, he'd be 8 years too late. Yesterday's man if ever there was one

Dave

I guess you would have said the same thing about Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Um... I'm sure you'd see the same thing if you put any group of supporters in a room.

Exactly! Put 25 McCain supporters in a room and ask them to name one major McCain legislative accomplishment. You'd get just as much stuttering and blank stares, probably more.

This argument doesn't work. Even angry conservatives can rattle off McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy, Gang of 14 etc...


But it doesn't matter really what uninformed or informed voters can say. It is the fact that Obama has done nothing of note. Even the most informed people know that. McCain has some accomplishments, albeit controversial ones.