Obama in Orbit The New York Times Michael Ignatieff, the deputy leader of Canada's opposition Liberal Party, said: "Outsiders know it's your choice. Still, they are following this election with passionate interest. And it's clear Barack Obama would be the first globalized American leader, the first leader in whom internationalism would not be a credo, it would be in his veins." ..... Jorge Castañeda, a former foreign minister. .... "My sense is the symbolism in Mexico of a dark-skinned American president would be enormous. We've got female leaders now in Latin America - in Chile, in Argentina. But the idea of a U.S. leader who looks the way the world looks as seen from Mexico is revolutionary." ..... Among Republicans, only John McCain - admired in Europe - seems to offer real bridge-building capacity. ....... Obama, while saying he might attack "high value terrorist targets" in Pakistan, has been most forthright in sketching a globalized community - "the security of the American people is inextricably linked to the security of all people" - and pushing hope over fear. ....... I see nobody else who would represent such a Kennedy-like restorative charge at a time when America often seems out of sync with the world. ..... the United States remained the most important nation, but ....... a Pakistani Muslim seeing on television a man "who attended a majority-Muslim school" and is "now the alleged enemy." ..... "If you wanted the crudest but most effective weapon against the demonization of America that fuels Islamist ideology, Obama's face gets close." ..... The world isn't voting. America is. But the candidate who most mirrors the 21st-century world seems clear enough.
Clinton Takes Aggressive Tack Against Her Leading Rivals New York Times Clinton swings back at rivals in Democratic debateBoston Globe The New York senator's pointed criticisms of her opponents -- unusual for a front-runner seeking to remain above the fray -- came after two shaky weeks for her campaign. She had been forced to defend herself against charges that she has changed positions on key issues, that she had played the gender card and that her staff planted friendly questions at campaign events. .... 10th Democratic debate since April .... But Obama and Edwards both were booed when they criticized her personally, and after some sharp personal exchanges in the early minutes, the debate shifted back into discussions of key issues. ....... ``I don't think that the problem with the American people is that they are not being forced to get health care. The problem is they can't afford it,'' Obama said. ........ Obama hit back hard, however, when Clinton accused him of backing a $1 trillion tax hike to buttress Social Security. ....... only six percent of wage-earners earn more than $97,500 a year ...... Obama insisted the choice between human rights abroad and security at home was a false one. ...... he said ``yes' when asked if undocumented immigrants should get licenses. ..... ``Undocumented workers are not coming here to drive,'' but to get jobs, Obama said. Iowa Union Endorsement For Obama Washington Post Obama On The RiseCBS News After the first Democratic debate, at the end of April, when Hillary Clinton made her main rivals seems small and insignificant, I expected that Barack Obama would fade from contention even before the Iowa Caucus...... Based purely on opinion polls - and some scattered interviewing - I still see Clinton as the favorite for the nomination, but I can now envision a scenario in which Obama could surpass her. ..... on September 26, she voted for the Kyl-Lieberman amendment on Iran, which designated Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. It also committed the United States to structuring its forces in Iraq "with regard to the capability of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to pose a threat to the security of the region, the prospects for democracy for the people of the region, and the health of the global economy." The Kyl-Lieberman amendment was merely a "sense of the Senate" resolution. It did not bind the Bush administration to doing anything. But the resolution seemed to affirm the administration's bellicose posture toward Iran and could, perhaps, be used as a justification for a military attack. ..... she was shifting from "primary mode, when she needs to guard against critics from the left, to general election mode, when she must guard against critics from the right." Clinton, the article said, was also "solidifying crucial support from the pro-Israel lobby." ...... during the October 30 Democratic debate, when she equivocated on New York Governor Eliot Spitzer's plan to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. ..... ppearing to block access to her papers from the Clinton administration. ..... Edwards' attacks may not help his own standing with voters, but they are likely to wound Clinton, just as Dick Gephardt's attacks wounded front-runner Howard Dean before the 2004 Iowa Caucus. ..... The prime beneficiary of Edwards' ads, and potentially of Edwards' flagging support, is Obama, who has pulled statistically even with Clinton in the latest Iowa poll. In the past Clinton was able to argue that there was no significant political difference between herself and Obama, and that due to her superior experience, she was more likely to accomplish what they both advocated. But Clinton's equivocation and transparent calculation raised questions about whether she was sufficiently committed to carry out their common objectives. ..... Obama's speech at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner advanced the argument for his own candidacy. None of the other Democratic or Republican candidates can match his sheer rhetorical brilliance: his ability to be at once cool and passionate, cerebral and emotional. ..... The speech Obama gave that evening was the best I've seen during this campaign. ....... Americans don't want "the same old Washington textbook campaigns." They don't want "triangulating and poll-driven positions." They want to be led "not by polls, but by principle; not by calculation, but by conviction." They don't want Democrats who think "the only way to look tough on national security is by talking, and acting, and voting like George Bush Republicans." They "don't want to spend the next year or the next four years re-fighting the same fights that we had in the 1990s." ...... a 21st century version of Abraham Lincoln ...... Lincoln needed a civil war to unify the nation. Obama promises to do so through political inspiration. ..... Still, there now seems to be a path by which Obama could gain the nomination. Aided by Edwards' votes and, perhaps, by further Clinton missteps, he could win Iowa and New Hampshire. He would then have established sufficient credibility with South Carolina's black voters to win that state's primary. On Super Tuesday, February 5, he would have to win California, a few Southern states, and one or two Midwestern states in addition to Illinois to be competitive for the long haul. Obama would still not be home free, but he would certainly be in position to challenge Clinton well into the spring. After Rough Few Weeks, Hillary Clinton Gives Strong Debate PerformanceABC News a new aggressive game plan and appeared to successfully get her campaign ship back on course. ..... "this pantsuit, it's asbestos tonight" ....... Early on in the evening, she delivered what was clearly a planned hit on Sen. Obama's healthcare plan ...... His plan would leave 15 million Americans out. That's about the population of Nevada, Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire ....... Edwards, whose presence didn't seem to dominate this debate as it did the last one ...... Clinton responded with a sly and knowing, "Campbell. . . " She then went on to say, "Well, it is clear, I think, from women's experiences that from time to time, there may be some impediments." ...... This 16 day period of Sen. Clinton playing defense and struggling to get a handle on all the attacks coming from her opponents has come to a close. Sen. Obama and Sen. Edwards will now have to look for another opportunity to grab a foothold to drive the narrative as cleanly as they were able to do over the last couple of weeks. After two weeks, can Clinton stop the slide? Los Angeles Times she holds a 51% to 23% to 11% edge over Obama and Edwards in Nevada. ...... So it's been a tough two weeks off-message for the senator. And it's shown in the polls, with Clinton's once mammoth lead dwindling like a Slim-Fast diet, despite her fat bank account and bounteous endorsements. ...... the last seven weeks before the Iowa caucuses. Hillary's consistent non-answers (updated)MSNBC At debate, Clinton seeks rebound Reuters Ahead of the debate, the Clinton campaign belittled her challengers for "shifting to a negative attack strategy" ..... fevered speculation that the seemingly invincible Clinton might not be the inevitable Democratic nominee as her campaign would like Americans to believe. ...... "Tonight you are going to see Senator Edwards continue to answer questions openly and honestly. You are also going to see Senator Clinton look confused when she gets a global warming question from (CNN anchor) Wolf Blitzer instead of a college student," said Edwards spokeswoman Colleen Murray. .......... Before the debate, New York's Democratic governor, Eliot Spitzer, gave Clinton what amounted to a gift, taking off the table the issue of whether illegal immigrants should be allowed to have driver's licenses. Hold off on the Clinton coronationBoston Globe This may be the last time New Hampshire enjoys special status. Too many other states, with more delegates, more diversity, and more contributors are demanding to go earlier. Already, Nevada's caucuses sit between Iowa and New Hampshire. Both political parties have lost control of their primary calendars. And the tsunami of primaries on Feb. 5 foreshadows big changes in the calendar next time. ....... Hillary's lead is shrinking. Because Bill is the Clinton who Democrats love, her campaign sent him out to spank her primary opponents. He went overboard, warning that they were making Democrats "vulnerable to a Swift-boat kind of ad." If the shrinkage continues, Bill might get medieval on her critics. He does, after all, owe her. ....... he's finally criticizing Hillary Clinton by name. ...... "His oratory was moving and he successfully contrasted himself with the others, especially Clinton, without being snide or nasty about it." ......... The man who brags about his executive experience may be the worst judge of character in the presidential field. Rudy ......Then there's the accused child molester, Monsignor Alan Placa, who admitted that he was implicated in a 2003 grand jury child abuse report but denied molesting children. The statute of limitations had expired. Placa was removed from his parish by the church. He now works at Giuliani Partners in New York. Placa was best man at Giuliani's first wedding, helped Rudy get that marriage annulled, then married Rudy and his second wife - the one Rudy dumped at a press conference. The accused pedophile priest baptized both of Giuliani's children......... At least six neocons are advising Rudy, one of whom urged the president to launch a preemptive strike on Iran. The bombing begins in five minutes. ..... If Hillary has another bad night, what happens in Vegas won't stay in Vegas. Obama wins UAW endorsement that includes IowaBaltimore Sun Obama pitches youth, technology at Google, SF events San Francisco Chronicle Obama, at Google, calls for national CTOComputerworld
I think it would be historic for America to get a woman president. But it would be more historic for America to get a black president. A white woman has to be 90 to remember a time when she not vote. A black person - man or woman - only has to be 50.
If this election is about making history, let's nominate and elect Barack.
But Barack is more than Black, he is a package deal. He is also Asian, and Third World. He is African, of course. The dude actually has a grandmother who lives in a hut with no electricity or running water. He has another grandmother who lives in the same apartment where she raised him.
When the white woman could not vote in America, Kenya was a British colony. Much of Asia was colonized. So, yes, let's make history. Let's nominate and elect someone who is linked to former colonies by blood. Let's make history.
Curiously Barack is also white. He is Dick Cheney's cousin. How much whiter than that can you get? That is Wyoming white. They only have white people in that state. I think.
Barack is not a woman, but you can't use that against him. He was raised by a woman. He is outnumbered by women in his family, three to one. But the whole ying yang philosophy is that there is a woman inside every man, and a man inside every woman. When Hillary laughs, that is the man part. When Barack blushes, that is the woman part.
Hillary went to an all white high school. How boring is that? Barack attended school on a few different continents.
America was always meant to be multiracial, the idea it was founded on was not white-specific. It was not meant to be white-specific, although the country even today struggles to live that dream.
It is that multi-racial DNA of America that tells me it will continue to be the leading country also in this century. Japan and China are too one ethnicity. Europe is not open enough to immigrants.
But America always has had only white guy presidents. That leads me to the claim that Barack Obama is going to be America's first president. In a way. I think that would be a great way for America to start this century. By electing Barack.
I think Hillary's name recognition and the poll numbers that name recognition has given her has prevented her from doing the hard work of substance on gender. She is hung up on the symbolism.
All the big South Asian countries have had women heads of states. But South Asia is so very sexist. The sexism did not budge much, if at all. A woman head of state is not enough for women's liberation. The only way to gender equality is the grassroots way.
I think it is such a waste that a talented, smart, hard working woman like Hillary who is the first serious woman candidate for president is not talking up the substance of gender. What a waste!
John Edwards Is Going To Have To Endorse Barack
Edwards and Barack are so alike in terms of where they stand on the message of change, on ethics reform, on getting money out of politics. Hillary, on the other hand, shamelessly flaunts her ties to lobbyists.
Barack and Edwards might look good together.
After Edwards drops out of the race, I think he will have no option but to endorse Barack. They are carbon copies of each other on the key issues. Edwards is Barack minus the money, the support and the charisma. But the man is right on the issues. And he sure has the fighting spirit.
And what I like particularly is he portrays the new face of the South. He is a white guy who lived segregation in his native South, was repulsed by it, and is, as a result, very progressive on race.
Denis
I think he did well in the Nevada debate. He really got his message across. He did best among the minor candidates.
Put race and gender aside. Put aside the fact that Barack and Hillary are both very smart people. Put aside the fact that both have been raising a lot of money and have real support all across the country.
If you look at their policy positions, there are some very real differences.
Iraq, Iran, Social Security, Ethics Reform. Hillary might change her position on driving licenses for undocumented immigrants, but she does not have the option to change her position on these big issues. She is stuck with where she stands on these big issues.
Hillary's cavalier attitude towards immigration I find personally offensive.
Rudy
This would be the Obama staffer who runs Obama 2008's downtown Manhattan office. Towards the end of the debate he mentioned Barack's sister Maya will be in the office from three to four in the afternoon.
That news was so emotional to me. I mean, heck. I can't even vote. I am not a citizen. My support for Barack is deeply, deeply personal. It is almost not political, although that it is.
The way I put it is, I lost something in 1989. I stand to regain that through Barack's elevation to the White House. That personal.
It was Maya who gave voice to why I like Barack so much. And I am quite a wordy person myself. But it was Maya who finally gave me these four words. I was not able to get to them myself on my own. I am going to meet her and I am going to thank her for those four words.
I pride myself in my political instincts. My support for Barack is deeply personal. But my political instincts tell me Barack has the potential to become the greatest president America ever had. Now that is not personal. That is me being as objective as I can be. That is me staking my political reputation on the statement.
Barack sure is ready for America. Is America ready for Barack?
Americans stand to do themselves a huge favor by putting this dude into the White House.
Barack will bring together the best qualities of three presidents, Lincoln, FDR and JFK. He will liberate America from racism like Lincoln liberated America from slavery. He will bring universal health care and give a new life to Social Security. That is FDR. And he will bring JFK's charisma, youthfulness and "viguh" to the office as well as his ability to reach all corners of the earth.
