Letters to the Editor
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Obama Has Specifics
Some people are still saying that Obama inspires them, but they still want to hear more specifics. The specifics are there, but I think people have been so overwhelmed by his charisma (and the media's apt attention to his speeches) that they tend to overlook his specifics.
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What is inspiring about inflated rhetoric?
* 'Maybe we don't need crumbling schools stealing the future of black children.'
I live in Seattle and TONS of dollars have been spent since the'60s on improving the education for African-American children. This statement of Obama's reeks of empty rhetoric. It's a cliche that is simply NOT true, a pandering to liberal white guilt. This is supposed to be inspiring (?).
* "Jesse Jackson was there, too, acknowledging that Obama has created a rainbow coalition."
That's why, I suppose, in California, Obama won about 33% of Latinos and 25% of Asian-Americans.
* Suspiciously, everything Obama says is reminiscent of Reagan's "New morning in America."
Where's the beef? (Please don't tell me to go his web-site, EVERY candidate has one that lists his policy positions).
I just don't think Obama is really very policy-focused. Charisma and inspiration only go so far.
Dennis
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@Denny1700
It may seem nitpicky, but forgive me if I point out Seattle is not the national standard for schools (although maybe it ought to be), nor is it a prime example of what many black children in this country have to contend with every school day. In fact, the example seems either naive or disingenuos. Visit our Nation's Capitol any time, and I'll be happy to personally escort you through some of the crumbling schools. It only gets worse as you travel to other cities and other states. Of course then comes the Blame the Victim speech, most often. Still, the invitation stands.
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the blog itself
wow this stuff is amazing in its crudeness and hostility based upon pretty much nothing. where is the content about any of the candidates? this is not an election for class president. right? or am i on the wrong page, literally? i do not have time to sift through the drek for the gems.
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Who is the establishment candidate / underdog now?
L.A. Times today:
Obama won among those making $200,000 or more (52%-46%), while Clinton won among those making less than $50,000.
As of today,Obama has $32 million left in his coffers, HRC $12.5 million to spend on the upcoming round of primaries.
How does this fit in with the assertion that "Clinton is the establishment candidate"?
Do Obama supporters really believe that he will be able to take on the pro-Israel lobby in the U.S.? Take on corporations any more than HRC would do?
I get the uncomfortable feeling that many Obama supporters are into "a cult of personality" as the NY Times declared today:
"Having run on the idea of broad participation across society’s divisions, Mr. Obama’s campaign often seems to teeter on becoming a cult of personality — a feeling that the candidate and those around him do nothing to dispel."
No doubt, however, either that Obama's and HRC's positions are very close to each other, in fact.
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@ AJCalhoun
Seattle is not the one exception.
And African-Americans here constantly complain about racism here even though the Seattle School Board has gone out of its way to pour money and resources into the public schools to try to make up for the "achievement gap" between blacks and whites.
I just think Obama's sentence smacked of a pretty shop-worn cliche (from the '60s) that does not correspond to the reality in much, if not most, of the country today.
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re: A. Calhoun, "Blame the Victim" speech
re: "Blame the Victim speech"
I see it as a philsophy of self-victimization," not white people blaming black people for where they [the latter] find themselves.
It used to be African-Americans blaming and pointing white people for their problems, then Jews, Arabs, homos, Korean-Americans, now it's Latinos, who are doin' to us.
Unfortunately neither I nor anyone else can take their tests for them, make them hard work if they don't want, persuade them that not all "successful" people made it because they were white = privileged and didn't have to work their butts off and make sacrifices.
It goes on and on, a la Schnitzler's "La Ronde"...
(I'm a minority myself).
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@anonymous
Wait, I'm confused now...which is it? 35 years of experience or the anti-establishment candidate?
Which one is it? Methinks it can't be both now can it? Are you conceding the "35 years of experience" line?
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denny1700--more nitpicking
You shouldn't base your assumption on Seattle schools. The South side of Chicago has plenty of crumbling schools (in addition to school shutdowns). It is mean-spirited of you to deny that challenges exsist in educational systems across the country because you advocate for Hillary Clinton. Shame on you!
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Electability
Vote for Hillary = Vote for McCain...
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080206/NATION/476091143/1001
Frankly, that would be an issue to me if they were equally good candidates, but that is not my judgment. As regards substance, Hillary's plan to suspend foreclosures for five years is the most naive, counter-productive and clearly pandering plan put forward in this election cycle, bar none including Huckabee's God forsaken consupmtion tax. It would DEVASTATE an already reeling housing market and financial sector, and plunge this country into systemic meltdown and crisis. That this is so obvious, proves the bone head idea would never see the light of day, (although, it will make her seem like the 'candidate for the economy' during the cycle. belch). Frankly, if this is the rancid beef, I'll stick with the bun.
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Jesse, don't diminish his returns.
If Jesse Jackson really wants to help Obama win, I hope he'll quietly go stuff some envelopes at volunteer headquarters.
There's a reason the phrase "silence is golden" exists, not that people who find the need to insert themselves into every interaction realize it.
I'm a Chicagoan, so I'm allowed to say this: Go, Jesse, go. Seriously. Go.
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Wouldn't it be nice if both groups would stop spinning?
Simple truth #1--Last night Obama won more delegates and states than could have been predicted two weeks ago. Clearly his popularity is growing. Simple truth #2--Last night, HRC won the biggest prizes and did so quite comfortably, clearly her candidacy has a lot of life in it. Simple truth #3--if 3 weeks ago you had told Obama he would win 13 states and split the delegates evenly with HRC on super tuesday he would have laughed it off as impossible. In HRC's worst nightmare's three weeks ago she didn't think Obama would have this kind of night. Simple truth #4--She is still in the lead and the super delegates are much more likely to go her direction. Please, enough disingenuous talk of Hillary as the new underdog. She still owns the biggest operation and is quite literally the most famous woman in the world. Obama has a lot of work left to do if he is going to win--momentum is not going to carry home--no matter how much David Axelrod tries to make it so.