Obama Watch

[glossyp]

Re: Obama Watch

It must have been a really slow news day, because all the major cable channels devoted a LOT of time to covering this story this morning.

Anything that stops the Anna Nicole Smith barrage makes me happy! BTW, the SB profile did make Slate's Obama Messiah Watch. The "sign" of possible deity came from his discovery of jazz in junior high school.

[tutusue]

Re: Obama Watch

[...]The "sign" of possible deity came from his discovery of jazz in junior high school.

His discovery of and interest in jazz is mentioned in his book. That certainly ramped him up a notch in my book!

I wonder if he and I were ever at Trappers on the same night!!!

[WindwardOahuRN]

Re: Obama Watch

Okay, this has absolutely nothing to do with intelligent discussion but---hey, aren't his teeth enormous?

http://www.matthewklam.com/nonfiction/obama.jpg

He'll make a stunning subject for political cartoonists.

Time will tell if he will be as glowing a candidate as wishful thinking would have us believe.

[Keanu]

Re: Obama Watch

Okay, this has absolutely nothing to do with intelligent discussion but---hey, aren't his teeth enormous?

http://www.matthewklam.com/nonfiction/obama.jpg

He'll make a stunning subject for political cartoonists.

Time will tell if he will be as glowing a candidate as wishful thinking would have us believe.

That's a very unflattering picture of him. That pic makes him looks like a horse.

[tutusue]

Re: Obama Watch

[...]Time will tell if he will be as glowing a candidate as wishful thinking would have us believe.

Very, very true!

[WindwardOahuRN]

Re: Obama Watch

That's a very unflattering picture of him. That pic makes him looks like a horse.

Giddyup, Barry! <---note the resemblance...

[glossyp]

Re: Obama Watch

I heard a news report that Obama is going to try to quit smoking during the campaign because his team fears that the other candidates will use his smoking against him. Now that's guaranteed to multiply the stress!

[tutusue]

Re: Obama Watch

I heard a news report that Obama is going to try to quit smoking during the campaign because his team fears that the other candidates will use his smoking against him. Now that's guaranteed to multiply the stress!

Last I heard cessation has begun! And, if smoking is all the other candidates can find to taunt him about...good on him!

[Miulang]

Re: Obama Watch

Geez...sometimes you can't win for losing...

According to this story, some prominent African American individuals are concerned that Barack Obama isn't "black" enough to represent them as a viable candidate for President!

Some insist he is not African American and is unsuited to be a black candidate, because he is not a direct descendant of slaves and hasn't had what they see as an authentic African American experience.

Obama, who will speak in San Francisco tonight at a fundraiser for Sen. Barbara Boxer, identifies as black. But he doesn't fit the stereotype of a black leader, a church-based fighter for civil rights.

He was president of the Harvard Law Review. He is the son of a Kenyan immigrant, his father, and a white Kansas native, his mother. He has many white supporters. And he is running to win, not just to fix black America.

"He touches on hot-button issues among African Americans," said Kevin Johnson, a professor of law and Chicano studies at UC Davis.

...A personal connection to slavery and Jim Crow laws is still a common measure of who is and who isn't African American, said Melinda Chateauvert, an assistant professor of African American studies at the University of Maryland.

...Some African American leaders came out against Obama because he announced his candidacy Feb. 10, the same day as the State of the Black Union, an annual event organized by Tavis Smiley to gather prominent African Americans. It drew 10,000 people and would have been a perfect venue, those leaders said.

Author and Princeton University Professor Cornel West said Obama's decision to announce in Illinois instead shows he "speaks to white folks and holds us at arm's length."

The Rev. Al Sharpton of New York, who ran for president in 2004, was also upset.

"We cannot put our people's aspirations on hold for anybody's career, black or white," said Sharpton. "Just because you are our color doesn't make you our kind."

Miulang

[Miulang]

Barack tries to set good example

In their efforts to get Sen. Obama to quit smoking, his wife, Michelle, wants anyone who either sees him taking a puff or smells smoke on his clothing needs to report this to Mrs. Obama, who will give the Sen. "hell".

Miulang

[glossyp]

Re: Barack tries to set good example

In their efforts to get Sen. Obama to quit smoking, his wife, Michelle, wants anyone who either sees him taking a puff or smells smoke on his clothing needs to report this to Mrs. Obama, who will give the Sen. "hell".

Miulang

Yeah, that'll work. I honestly can't believe we've gotten to the point where a candidate smoking is such a big deal. It's hard enough to quit, much less when he's under the stress of what must be one of, if not the most stressful things he's ever done.

[Lei Liko]

Re: Obama Watch

Anyone watching live coverage of the Iowa Caucus right now?

Obama and Huckabee are the projected winners. Clinton and Edwards are at a dead heat for 2nd place.

For those unfamiliar with the process, here's a first-hand account from a friend of mine in Des Moines (reposted with her permission):

Wow...everyone should enjoy the fun at least once in their life...

Iowa Caucus!

If you aren't familiar with the Iowa Caucus process, it is fairly easy to explain.
Everyone comes in and all the voters are counted once. Out of this total the number is calculated to determine "viability" of a candidate.

Our precinct had a record 451 voters turn out! Amazing. so it took 68 to be a viable candidate.

So after that point, it is time to align with your preference group. Which means..."you all go sit with your team and count yourselves and let the chair know".

So everyone gets up, moves and then starts counting. After the first alignment is reported, the viable groups are announced.

In our precinct the only initially viable groups were Obama, Edwards and Clinton. Almost viable was Richardson. Next largest but non-viable was Biden. Poor Dodd and Kucinich had 4 people each. No one showed up for Gravel.

THEN the fun begins, for the next 30 minutes, the non-viable groups are courted, sweet-talked and enticed to join the others. The Dodd and Kucinich groups joined in with the Richardson group immediately. It took some talking and a number of Biden supports moved over to Richardson. But the Richardson group stalled at 61. Not viable. More talking etc.

At the 15 minute mark, it becomes apparent that if the Richardson group can not get viablility those voters will have to align themselves with the other three. At this point, a number of Obama supports come over and sit with the Richardson group to make it viable. This tactic keeps the Richardson from being non-viable and the supporters perhaps going to the Edwards or Clinton groups. Should that happen, potentially Edwards or Clinton would beat Obama. Such backslapping politics at its best.

It ended up in my precinct Obama 172, Edwards 115, Clinton 95, Richardson 69.

The rest of the caucus is boring stuff...delegate elections, central committee elections etc etc etc.

I'm curious as to what kind of coaxing and what kind of speeches went on to convince those to come over to their camp. Hopefully she'll be able to enlighten me some more.

ETA: Oops...posted in the wrong thread. Mods, please move this when you can!

[Vanguard]

Re: Obama Watch

O'Bama won Iowa? Erin Go Bragh

[glossyp]

Re: Obama Watch

Here's an interesting take on the woman and circumstances that may have made it all possible for Obama to be where he is today. Bonus hot photo of Jeri Ryan for those who care.

[infinitypro]

Re: Obama Watch

Tho' he didn't win NH, he's got my mind chanting: YES WE CAN!