Letters to the Editor
ljwalker53
Published Letters: 559 Editor's Choice: 9
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@ Xrandadu Hutman: New Comments Here And A Few Pages Earlier
[Read the article: Was Obama's speech enough?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Hutman --
There are and have been several things about Obama that I find disingenuous and politically calculating. His speech yesterday is just the latest example. I personally find the way that he misused his grandmother very questionable.
First: his Illinois State Senate voting record ("Present"), which I have been tracking through various sources. It isn't comforting to me that his peers in the State Senate have said this is a way of ducking controversy; little to show that Obama was able to "unify" state senators/legislature and work toward a different kind of politics. His own peers have talked about him THERE in terms like "hiding out in the bathroom" when it came time to vote on 'hot' issues.
Second: his ties to Antoin Rezko. You know, the "boneheaded" move...
Third: the news last week that he got more money from Rezko than he told us he did.
Fourth: his community organizing experience and his legal work for Rezko's management company, yet he ignored the living conditions of thousands of residents in these South Side Chicago apartments.
Fifth: his U.S. Senate record -- weak, at best. Sure, he has a couple of successes there; nothing earth-shattering. And he has done nothing to protest the Iraq War; he has done nothing to show that he can "unify" the body to work together toward a "different kind of politics." Plus, he's been there just a little over 3 years. Finally, his U.S. Senate peers have referred to him as "dilettante." Can't match "dilettante". They have also said he has held more interest in running for POTUS than being a U.S. Senator.
Sixth: his own campaign's racial smears against the Clintons. I bought it for awhile that Bill and Hillary Clinton started this, but then I did some digging and discovered they did not start the "race-baiting." Obama's campaign did. I believe it was politically motivated to do so.
Seventh: his unprincipled flip-flops on Iraq, Energy, Consumer Rights, to name just three.
Eighth: his deliberate smear campaign in Ohio and Texas of Clinton's NAFTA record and health care proposals.
Nine: his economic advisor goes to Canada and makes comments about NAFTA being essentially "just politics so pay no attention" and Obama lies about it until it becomes obvious he can't lie about it anymore.
Ten: he BORROWS (let's just say STEALS) Clinton's entire economic plan, almost word-for-word, and calls it his own and gives a press conference announcing it! That IS chutzpah.
Eleven: he has lied consistently about his relationship with Rev. Wright (knowing damned well that the sermons were incendiary and were going to cause problems), but weasels his way out of it with some over-the-top speech that fails to take responsibility for his 20-year association with this dingbat.
Twelve: he gets up and talks about healing the "racial divide" in our country at the same time he tosses his grandmother out the window, in order to what? Think he was doing something noble? By comparing her to his pastor? And thereby ducking the real question of his association?
Thirteen: he lied about his grandmother's "racist remarks." I read the passages in "Dreams From My Father." She never uttered a racist word to him and the "confiding" was about ONE.SPECIFIC.INCIDENT.
I have tried my best on Salon to post accurate information about Hillary Clinton, her record, her experience, her positions. I have also done my best to point out specifics about Obama. I have admitted that I do not agree with every vote HRC has ever cast or everything she has done or will do. She is much more moderate than I am and I have noted that.
But I swear, Obama's followers absolutely REFUSE to deal in reality about this guy. They act like we're all lying about this, that we've made it up. Then, when that doesn't suit them, or it doesn't fit their godly visions of him, we're called every name in the book and accused of consorting with the devil by supporting Clinton.
I really don't know what else I can say to 'splain this any better. You (apparently) and the rest of the followers just.don't.get.it. The sad thing is that as a result I see our chances in November slipping away. You just don't understand average voters and why this Wright business (and what Obama did in his speech yesterday) turns off these voters.
No need to explain it anymore. The polls are already telling the story:
Clinton - 49, Obama - 42 (Dem. voters)
http://www.gallup.com/poll/105205/Gallup-Daily-Clinton-Moves-Into-Lead-Over-Obama.aspx
Clinton = 56; Obama 42 (PA)
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08078/866068-100.stm
Obama's unfavorables = 49; Clinton = 52 (Rasmussen).
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/overall_favorable_ratings_for_presidential_candidates
Obama's unfavorables are going up by the day (CBS News) and are highest among Republicans and Independents.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/18/opinion/polls/main3948010.shtml
http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/mar08-wright.pdf
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@ tom payne: Your Confederate Colors Are Showing
[Read the article: Was Obama's speech enough?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]WOW! A little angry? A little bitter? Somebody hurt Obama's god-like status? You show your absolute ignorance every time you open your mouth. Go ahead and accuse me of being a bigot. I'm okay with my beliefs and actions because I've actually done something for civil rights, women's rights, GLBT rights, Latino rights, worker's rights. You apparently aren't okay with yours or you wouldn't pronounce everybody who disagrees with your holier-than-thou b.s. as a racist or a bigot.
Gotta love Confederates. They never change.