Less than two weeks before the vote, Senator Obama is leaving the campaign trail for two full days to visit his ailing white grandmother in Hawaii. He has cancelled crucial meetings in two swing states, Wisconsin and Iowa.
This kind of interruption of a national campaign so close to the end, is unprecedented. Naturally it has set the blogs and the commentators trying to measure how this trip will effect Obama’s election chances.
Some feel this will give McCain and Palin two full days to rampage over critical states without any real opposition. For instance, this development might help McCain win Pennsylvania. And Penn. could give him the presidency.
Other observers take a different view. Andrew Sullivan points out that this trip will give greater exposure to the fact that Obama’s mother and grandparents, the people who raised him are all white and this will make it easier for many to vote for him.
Stephen Hess of the Brookings Institute points out that many say Obama is too cool, too mechanical. “Yet here he does something terribly human. It’s an awful thing to say but it’s a political plus.?”
Will this trip help Obama politically or hurt him?
Some folks claim they want to know who Barack Obama is. He is a man who puts ambition aside to be at the bedside of a seriously ailing grandmother who brought him up. It will help him. He is like the better part of all of us.
I can’t see it hurting him… it might not help, but I surely won’t hurt.
So cool Barack is human after all, how could this be held against him? I appreciate the guy even more after this show of humanity and gratitude toward a woman who contributed mightily to make him what he is even if she had reservations about his paternal heritage.
“Will this trip help Obama politically or hurt him?”
I don’t think he cares whether it will help or hurt. She’s his grandmother, she’s old, she’s ill, and he loves her enough to go see her. What does it matter if she’s across the continent or across the street?
And why does everyone else care?
And what’s the deal with the emphasis on her “whiteness?”
Chimera: Like it or not race may prevent many americans from voting for him. They may not admit it, but will not be able to vote for him when the time comes.
The fact he was raised by whites may placate some of these people… it’s sad but reality.
I must agree with Joe on this one.
I would think that a racist would not show up to vote.
People vote out of a sense of duty and are keen on one party or another.
Everyone is a little racist and yet it would take a hateful racist to take the time and energy to vote against someone just because of race.
That type would rather shoot there mouth off to anyone who agrees with them.
They would be to cowardly to bring up the subject in the line waiting to vote.
“hateful racist” isn’t that redundant, Peter? Have you seen the videos made at Palin rallies? These folks will vote, I’m pretty sure. They are not at all afraid of expressing themselves on the subject either.
In Canada, I have observed that racism certainly exists, but people consider it too rude, I suppose, to express their opinions in public. It is definitely practiced in job hiring and other closer to home decisions.
One can have racially-biased views, but one can learn to balance them with other observations.
“Like it or not race may prevent many americans from voting for him.”
I wasn’t talking about them — I was talking about us.
“Everyone is a little racist…”
No.
I dunno – Penn is a Quaker state. They are heavy duty family. Do they vote?
Barbara, your comments have made me understand U.S. policies a little more. Thanks. “Videos made at Palin rallies” I saw the one where a few people were trying to mock Obama and his supposodly Muslim leanings. It didn,t take long before they were afraid when chased away by McCain real Muslims.
Racists are brave when in a group, but standing in line, alone for an hour or more to vote is a different story. Thats why I think most of them will stay at home.
Racist Canadians,”consider it to rude to express their opinions in public”
I am sure you will agree there have been many racist Canadians in demonstrations against Native Peoples all over Canada, in a group they don,t mind being rude.
Chimera, Everyone is a little racist, except you.
“Racists are brave when in a group, but standing in line, alone for an hour or more to vote is a different story. Thats why I think most of them will stay at home.”
I disagree… voting is private.
If they’re chickens as you suggest (and I don’t doubt) then they will be silent while waiting to vote. They could even lie and say they’re voting for Obama if a chat comes up – but then vote for McCain in the privacy of the booth.
Voting is a VERY private affair. If it wasn’t private I could see your point – the chickens wouldn’t bother to vote, but since their vote is private I don’t think it’s a valid point.
Oh – and like Chimera I am not racist. Not in the least…… I don’t understand the logic behind racism.
Joe, I said a little racist, everyone, except you and Chimera.
Wikepedia, says its simplest reason is superiority over another race. Thats racism. A little racism may occurr when a person living near someone whose race and culture are different and spicy food smells and unfamiliar music is annoying. One example.
Peter writes:
“A little racism may occurr when a person living near someone whose race and culture are different and spicy food smells and unfamiliar music is annoying.”
What if the food smells and unfamiliar music is annoying but they’re coming from my own culture?
Isn’t that just “being annoyed”?
And why can’t I be annoyed by another culture’s or race’s music and food smells without it being because I am a racist (little or otherwise)?
I don’t trust Wikipedia. Anyone can put almost anything on it. Unless confirmed by another source I never use quotations from Wiki. In the case of racism, my suspicion is fully warranted.
And I claim the right to be annoyed without being suspected of racism.
For instance I have a profound dislike for the smell of frying eel whomever may be frying it.
I’ve come across what I think is the best line of the presidential campaign. It sums up Barack Obama’s candidacy quite nicely, I think:
“I’ll have no truck with the phony case ginned up to rationalize voting
for the most liberal and inexperienced presidential nominee in living
memory.”
From Charles Krauthammer at http://tinyurl.com/6gbc5r
Paul writes:
I don’t trust Wikipedia. Anyone can put almost anything on it. Unless confirmed by another source I never use quotations from Wiki.
I pretty much agree with you on this, Paul.
However, that doesn’t stop me from using and taking advantage of Wiki…as long as one is diligent about confirming the fact(s) from other sources, as you say.
But that proviso should, I think, apply to any resource we use, especially biased sources such as The New York Times which used to be considered the newspaper of record but is now quickly becoming just another hack partisan rag.
Good morrow, Tony!
“…the most liberal and inexperienced presidential nominee…”
Experience? Dubya’s experience, before becoming governor of Texas, was to run three profitable oil companies right into the dirt. Then, he ran Texas, and took a substantial surplus and channelled that into his friends’ pockets, leaving the taxpayers of Texas with debt that will take years to pay off. All this, before 9/11, before Iraq, before the deficits, before the Wall Street meltdown, all on his watch.
Experience? McCain came in third from the BOTTOM of his graduating class at Annapolis. He crashed five planes before being shot down, and putting in time at the Hanoi Hilton. He cheated on his first wife with his current aristocrat trophy. He supported Dubya in all things (some maverick, eh?), got his endorsement, then turned on him, like the scorpion on the frog (et tu, Brute? Judas, must you betray me with a kiss?)
Is that the kind of experience you admire and support? What exactly kept your mother from drowning you at birth, anyway?
The kind of experience that got North America into its current troubles will not get us out. Henry Ford did not know everything he needed to know, to run his business. He knew enough to hire those who did.
Experience? Those who will not learn from the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them. Let us all learn from our experience, shall we? Or am I merely digressing? – CTZen
Joe, Tony and Paul, a little racism could have different interpretations. I would think, most people know what I meant.
Joe logic is not a function that operates in isolation, unless you are Spock, half human and half something else?
Example, I would suspect that everyone is a little homophobic, based purely on logic.
CTZen writes:
Experience? Dubya’s experience, before becoming governor of Texas, was to run three profitable oil companies right into the dirt.
I’m not a fan of either McCain or Bush but this comment needs addressing: the type of oil business Bush was involved in was of a highly speculative nature; I think it was oil wildcatting or some such thing. All new business ventures of any sort have a 90% failure rate within the first 6 months. The rate was even higher for the business Bush was in. At least he tried — and failed — which a lot better than never trying at all.
As for your What exactly kept your mother from drowning you at birth, anyway? comment, I have no idea what you meant by it, so I think I’ll ignore it.
“Joe, Tony and Paul, a little racism could have different interpretations. I would think, most people know what I meant.”
Well, I for have have no bloody idea what you meant. And since you insisted on naming me, specifically, with regards to this appellation, I think you should explain yourself. In detail.
Will all the pseudo-intellectuals who have the strange habit of hijacking the questions please report to the principal. In the meantime please get off the cross we need the wood.
Chimera, I think if you recall, I excluded you,’ grouchy’ with a smile, I don’t know how to do happy a happy face. You old fart your probably as old as I am.
Peter, I might even be older than you are. And I’m not a fart. I’m a reprobate. I got promoted!
I still want you to explain what you mean by labelling “everyone” a “little racist.” Thank you very much.
Happy face like the one I just did: type the colon and then type the closed parentheses above the zero.
Wink-with-a-smile: type the semi-colon and then type the closed parentheses.
Those are the basic tags. They won’t always work with all programs.
Here’s a rather intriguing article about Obama. It touches on this subject.
http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.1555/pub_detail.asp
“According to Berg, Obama – by default – admitted to every charge…”
“By default?” Y’know, if that little qualifier hadn’t been included (and to which the rabid anti-Obamans will pay absolutely no attention, I have no doubt), whoever wrote that tripe could be facing a lawsuit.
If anyone has any proof that Obama is a foreign national, let him provide it and quit pussy-footing and puppy-nosing around. Anything else is just spewing manure of the bovine kind.
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html
It seems they feel it’s a forgery. FC disagrees. I think this should be laid to rest.
Chimera, If my daughter told me she was going to marry person of another race, I would accept her decision and welcome the guy into our family. However I would have preferred she married someone of her own race. For me, thats a little racist.
Good morrow, all!
The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream. Obama appears to be the fulfillment of that dream. Perhaps that is what is frightening the boys (and girls…musn’t discriminate, y’know) in the white hoods. They’re afraid that James Earl Ray shot the uppity preacher too late. Perhaps it’s not because Obama had a black Muslim father from Kenya. Perhaps it’s because he had a white mother from Kansas, who disgraced her race by “going native.”
To quote Bill Maher: Obama appeals to both sides. The liberals, of course, love him. And the conservatives like the idea that some black man will be cleaning up their mess. Which rhymes with digress…CTZen
CTZen writes:
The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream. Obama appears to be the fulfillment of that dream.
I couldn’t disagree more.
Dr. King’s most famous utterance was that a man should be judged by the content of his character, not by the colour of his skin.
Barack Obama is where he is today because of the colour of his skin. If the content of his character was the only characteristic taken into account, he would have been vetted out of the presidential selection process a long, long time ago.
Look, we all want a Black president, me included. And, yes, I suppose that makes me a bit racist, too, because by saying that I am indicating that I’m putting skin colour before character content.
I just don’t think Barack is that man.
Peter, why on earth would you care about something as incidental as “race?” Unless you’re talking about Klingons, that is. And if your daughter brings home a Klingon, my only suggestion is that you lock up the breakables while he’s visiting your house — knick-knacks and dishes and things like that tend to become unguided missiles when a Klingon gets passionate.
If it were someone my daughter was bringing home, I’d be concerned that he or she loved my offspring well enough to make that kind of commitment. I don’t care about anyone’s color, “race,” religion, culture, or favorite ice cream flavor. Those things are only trappings, I care ‘way more about the person inside, and how he or she treats other people and the rest of the world.
“Look, we all want a Black president, me included.”
I don’t want a “black” president. I want a president who’s not going to goad the world into anihilating itself just because he’s got more ego than bloody brains! I want a president who’s not going to force unwilling citizens to submit to neanderthal standards of morality just because his goddamn bible tells him so! I want a president who can stand back and ask himself what’s best for all the people — choice or no choice when it comes to their own lives — and trust the people to make most of those decisions for themselves without interference from the fricking government!
Good morrow, Tony!
“We all want a black President…” No, we all want a SMART president. Since when does having the alpha wave of a carrot qualify you for handling the football? If Obama was trading on his race ONLY, he would have been voted off the island LONG ago. Perhaps that’s what the knuckle-dragging mouthbreathers really fear — a guy you can’t have a beer with, ’cause he don’t drink what passes for (in the Yew Ess, Eh?) beer. He’s too smart for that. A country that bled red ink under the Gipper, Daddy and Dubya couldn’t do much worse, and MUST do a lot better. THAT was King’s dream, that people would look past the skin, and see something that offered hope. Hope that the founding fathers saw in reason and compassion for all. But…I digress…CTZen
Black, white, red or checkered who the hell cares. As long as the guy has a sound judgement, sound values and seems to know what he is doing, what else can we ask of him or her. So far, Obama seems the better of the two and he worked darn hard to get where he is.
I just hope his trip to Hawaii goes well.
Chimera, CTZen, and Paul:
I see a totally different Obama than you do.
I see a talker, not a doer; I see someone with very little legislative accomplishment in his life and even less in the area of his forte, community organizing. I see someone who has flip-flopped on virtually every important issue that brought him the nomination.
But you all seem enamoured with him. Let’s hope that if he wins that he is able to fulfill the aspirations that you obviously have for him.
“I see a totally different Obama than you do.”
Oh, Tony, Tony, Tony…of course you do! That’s why we’re having this arguement. Discussion. Whatever.
Here’s an interesting take on Obama from one of Neil’s favourite people, Howard Galganov:
http://www.galganov.com:80/editorials.asp?id=1050
.
Tony, as long as you will confirm your opinions uniquely through people who, like you, are conservatives, we will differ. Galganov is a red neck, as red as they can get and his arguments, here and elsewhere are in your line, of course.
Tony: “I see a talker, not a doer”
In a way so do I, Tony. The difference is that I perceive the role of the President to be much better suited to a talker which is why I hold out great hope for Obama.
Bush was a doer. Get’er done. Come hell or high water, bring it on.
Obama is much more reflective, much more a consensus builder, a team player, and as such his presence will not always be front and centre, but believe me it’s there. He’s just run one of the best organized and most disciplined primary and Presidential campaigns in modern history. We may not have always seen it, but his stamp was all over it.
Take his handling of the Clintons. Did Obama need the Clintons? Sure he did, but only on his own terms! It’s taken Bill a helluva long time to come around, but it looks like he may finally get there. Someone with lesser resolve than Obama would have caved to the Clintons long ago.
If you think the American people are getting someone who is all talk and no action I think you’re greatly mistaken. The assumption that a talker can’t be a doer may also be misplaced in that it’s a different way of getting things done.
One of my greatest hopes in life is that by the time Nov. 4th is over, Rudy Guiliani will understand exactly what a “community organizer” does. By then, I will have waited exactly two months for Obama to wipe that smirk off Guiliani’s smug little face.
You folks have just had your ass kicked by “a what?” Rudy.
For those who didn’t watch the GOP convention:
Very well said, John. I just read that the Anchorage Daily News supports Obama. His is a different kind of leadership, but a very strong one. The kind the USA needs at this moment. He has the makings of a transformational president and that is a heavy burden.
Chimera, for a non Church person, you certainly make a good preacher.
Preachers don’t always practice what they preach. My comments on race were consistent with my thinking on biblical teaching.
A} We were all made in Gods’ image and likeness, and told we are very good. Our very goodness will never be taken away from us. Sin is based on an injustice of some kind and a little racism is unjust and everyone is a sinner.
C} Redemption, in spite of our bad behaviour has restored our Very Goodness to us once and for all. We are forgiven for our sin, because of who we are “God’s Children”. I am not a Preacher, I am a herald of the Good News and a practising Roman Catholic.
“He has the makings of a transformational president”
I agree completely, Barbara. In fact, I believe he has the potential to be a transformative figure on the world stage the likes of which we have seldom seen. Time will tell……
Again on this notion that he’s a talker not a doer. Elections are not won with rhetoric or TV ads or debates etc. etc. they’re won on the ground. In the end, Obama will prevail because he organized and led a superior ground game. One that one Republican campaign official said is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, so impressive that’s “it’s scary.”
John writes:
Obama is much more reflective, much more a consensus builder, a team player…
Yet John also writes:
Take (obama’s) handling of the Clintons and that It’s taken Bill a helluva long time to come around, but it looks like he may finally get there
Within the confines of the same post, John, you have told us that Obama is a consensus builder, a team player yet you praise his “handling” of the Clintons, as evidence to support this contention.
I don’t know what planet you are on but Obama’s handling of Hillary and Bill was one of the most divisive, hate-filled “handling’s” ever seen in American politics.
John it was the polar opposite of what building consensus and team-playing is supposed to be all about.
If your example of the Clintons is meant to demonstrate Obama’s ability to build consensus and be a team player, then we’re living in the Bizarro World where up is down, yes is no, and hello is good-bye.
It is Newspeak from 1984.
You need to do some research. Surf the web and see how many bruised Hillary supporters — all loyal Democrats — are out there. I know, personally, two Hillary supporters who are on the far-left who refuse to vote for Obama (they’ll be voting for McKinney of the Green Party because, obviously, they can’t vote for McCain).
And it is Bill and Hillary Clinton who are “team players” by swallowing their pride and campaigning like the troopers that they are for Obama. The Clintons are folks who have been called racist — and worse — by Team Obama…as the smug, elitist community organiser sat on the sidelines in silence.
It takes, chutzpah, John to invoke an example — as you do with the Clintons — that is evidence of the complete opposite of the point you’re trying to convince us of.
You should be a politician.
“Chimera, for a non Church person, you certainly make a good preacher.”
No need to get insulting, Peter. I was stating my position. I wasn’t trying to tell you what yours should be.
“Sin” is a man-made concept, invented for the sole purpose of infusing the sheeple with guilt for even being alive, and grateful enough for being allowed to remain so to kowtow to those who appoint themselves spokesmen for a diety that doesn’t exist except in fables and myths. “Sin” needs to be relegated to the shadows under the bed with the other bogeymen.
Tony,
my post was in response to your notion that Obama was all talk and no action, that he was a “flip-flopper” who would sway in whatever direction the wind blew him.
My example of the Clintons was to say the opposite. It would have been much easier for Obama to accept their help under their terms, to do as Bill directed, but he didn’t.
Building consensus does not mean accepting the judgment of everyone who has a stake in the discussion. Sometimes it’s the opposite and yes feelings can get hurt (if that’s how folks choose to respond).
I feel badly for the bruised Hillary supporters, and maybe their blaming of Obama for their hurt feelings makes them feel better, but it doesn’t make it right.
Chimera, how dare you to say I insulated you, I would never do such a thing.
My favorite people are atheists.
I have a son who is an atheist.
I prefer atheists to some sniffling Roman Catholics who all they can think of is placing heavy burdens on people by their consistent objective moralizing by using logic as their sole criteria for judging people.
{Theism} in my opinion is what causes {Atheism}. Some sky God pulling strings.
I am not to crazy about religion either unless it recognizes that God is in the {Wino }laying in the gutter, as well as He is in my {Pope}.
I am a practising Roman Catholic, not an Atheist.
John:-
Your right, Bush was a hell bent “doer”. This draft-dodging jackass did it by driving up a one way street the wrong way. He killed, mauled, destroyed, and injured whist on his merry way. We, our children and our grandchildren will be paying for his stupidity for at least the next 50 years. We and they will forever be in his debt (punless)
“Chimera, how dare you to say I insulated you, I would never do such a thing.”
Calling me a “preacher” is getting pretty damned close, doncha think?
I’m not an atheist, either.
Yoo-hoo! Anyone home?