All Things Probama

[BigSqwert]

So much for this being the probama thread.

[BigSqwert]

HALPERIN’S TAKE: What John McCain Underestimates

 

1. The astonishing enthusiasm that Obama inspires in his supporters — and how much it contrasts with the respect, but not passion, McCain enjoys from his own backers. (And the size of Obama’s crowds…)

 

2. The “Major League vs Little League” difference between Obama’s infrastructure and his own.

 

3. The inherent difficulty/sensitivity of running against two figures at once. McCain will have to 1) explicitly criticize a sitting Republican president before Republican audiences and 2) prevent the historic event of electing the nation’s first African-American president that many in the country (and the media) desire.

 

4. The ever-present danger on the trail that he might evoke Bob Dole with a Bob Dole-like misstep (fall off a stage, sound like a Washington fossil, seem angry and out of touch).

 

5. How little most Americans care about foreign policy (beyond the Iraq War) when the economy is in the tank.

 

6. How many voters (even Republican stalwarts) dread the idea of a virtual third Bush term.

 

7. How many members of the media dread the idea of covering a virtual third Bush term (and how much they buy Obama’s argument that McCain is an extension of Bush-Cheney).

 

8. The extent to which McCain’s lack of an economic message could make Obama (who also is challenged in adequately addressing the economy) seem like Bob Rubin, Bill Clinton, and Lou Dobbs all rolled into one.

 

9. That many of his party’s wiseguys and wisegals see polling data suggesting his chances of winning are no more than 30% (and how much it infects their cable TV appearances).

 

10. That in modern America, perception is often reality and style often beats substance.

 

11. That age is only a number unless it’s a really high number — then it’s a liability.

 

12. How old he looks when he is acting “presidential” on the stump – and how incongruous it makes his message of change appear.

 

13. How powerful debates might be when the allegedly inexperienced Obama of allegedly questionable judgment goes toe-to-toe with McCain, even on national security, and is therefore deemed of sufficient strength and stature to be president by many.

 

14. How valuable Obama makes voters feel (”we are the change we have been waiting for”) – while McCain’s campaign instructs and lectures voters.

 

15. How forcefully Obama will now move to the center as a mainstream, optimistic candidate celebrating both change and America’s greatness.

[BigSqwert]

OK forget lobbyist.

 

Like I said, the details are where you guys are making your arguement, instead of the big picture. NO ONE has actually addressed the big picture conflict of what Obama is saying and what he is actually doing at all. To me THAT is more telling than anything. Keep looking at the details, ignore what is going on behind the scenes. This was done for eight years with the Clintons, and look at the monster that built. I know I won't get anywhere with you all, and that's fine. I really didn't think anyone sold on Obama would have an open enough mind to understand what I was trying to say anyway. Turns out I was right.

Just because he stated he would not take federal lobbyist money doesn't mean he would never hire someone with experience in Washington to be a part of his campaign. I think there's a distinction. Is he supposed to build his entire team with recent college grads with no work experience?

[NorthSideSox72]

So much for this being the probama thread.

Discussion is fine.

 

[southsider2k5]

Oh come on now. First, Obama hasn't even begun showing us his cabinet yet - and that will be a real indicator of what his administration would be like. Second, I don't think anyone is saying that Obama will be some entirely new kind of President. If they are, that's ridiculous. Third, the details ARE important! For example, if you have a team of people doing energy policy, is there a difference between having some oil-type people, and mostly or entirely oil-type people? I think the answer is unequivocally YES. I haven't heard anyone, even Obama, say he won't include some big corporate types in his adminsitration. I am sure he will.

 

And by the way, as far as how to build an administration, I'll take a Clinton monster over a Bush monster every day and twice on Sunday. At least Clinton had the brains to know you shouldn't surround yourself entirely with people who all think exactly the same way as you do. But, that said, I think Obama's administration (if he even wins) will probably have a broader variety of views than either of those monsters. Just my opinion, but, that seems to be his way of thinking. We'll see if I'm wrong.

 

Those last two sentences in your post really irk me. Just because people are saying this particular individual in the VP committee isn't an indicator of much, you think that means that all people currently backing Obama are too closed-minded to understand what you are saying? Isn't that a bit over the top?

 

Its probably over the line to say, but I have yet to talk to a serious Obama supporter who could see fault in him. I am 100% serious. I don't think it is that the are to closeminded to understand, I think it is they don't want to believe the guy they have hitched their wagons to is the exact same person they have been railing against for eight years. He is a politician who will say or do anything to get himself elected. Sure his speeches sound nicer, but his actions speak way louder to me.

 

Barack Obama himself is the one promoting himself as the candidate of "change", not me. If he doesn't intend to, that is fine. But it bugs me to have him saying one thing, and ALREADY doing another. It bothers me even more that it is somehow OK for him to keep pulling the same doubletalk that this administration has been crucified more, and no one seems to care, nee, are excusing it. I don't like getting preached to about how evil the Bush and then McCain adminstrations would be when Barack Obama is going to be doing the exact same things. Hiring Washington insiders such as Kennedy's and heads of equity capital groups to conduct your VP isn't change, and it isn't getting rid of corporate influence. Its the exact samething we have been doing for decades.

 

You want details, here are details. There are plenty of Lobbyists working for Obama

 

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/lobbyi...2007-12-20.html

 

“The days of corporate lobbyists setting the agenda in Washington are over,” Obama said at a rally

 

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1207/7462.html

 

http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php...13&Itemid=1

 

Obama's Money Cartel: How Barack Obama Fronted for the Most Vicious Predators on Wall Street

 

Wednesday, 07 May 2008

 

by Pam Martens

 

The candidate that claims to be the only presidential contender who doesn't take money from lobbyists is in fact the biggest recipient of lobby-related contributions. Barack Obama rakes in millions from law firms serving the interests of Wall Street, including the financial institutions that gave us the subprime lending crisis. Lawyers that work for firms that earn hundreds of millions of dollars for lobbying may technically not be lobbyists, but they share in their colleagues' earnings as influencers of Congress - a legal loophole that allows Obama to claim his hands are clean of lobby loot. "The top contributors to the Obama campaign are the very Wall Street firms whose shady mortgage lenders buried the elderly and the poor and minority under predatory loans."

 

The Center for Responsive Politics website allows one to pull up the filings made by lobbyists, registering under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 with the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and secretary of the U.S. Senate. These top five contributors to the Obama campaign have filed as registered lobbyists: Sidley Austin LLP; Skadden, Arps, et al; Jenner & Block; Kirkland & Ellis; Wilmerhale, aka Wilmer Cutler Pickering.

 

 

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Its probably over the line to say, but I have yet to talk to a serious Obama supporter who could see fault in him. I am 100% serious. I don't think it is that the are to closeminded to understand, I think it is they don't want to believe the guy they have hitched their wagons to is the exact same person they have been railing against for eight years. He is a politician who will say or do anything to get himself elected. Sure his speeches sound nicer, but his actions speak way louder to me.

 

Well, now you have. I am not 100% sold on Obama yet for the general, but currently, he's my choice.

 

Barack Obama himself is the one promoting himself as the candidate of "change", not me. If he doesn't intend to, that is fine. But it bugs me to have him saying one thing, and ALREADY doing another. It bothers me even more that it is somehow OK for him to keep pulling the same doubletalk that this administration has been crucified more, and no one seems to care, nee, are excusing it. I don't like getting preached to about how evil the Bush and then McCain adminstrations would be when Barack Obama is going to be doing the exact same things. Hiring Washington insiders such as Kennedy's and heads of equity capital groups to conduct your VP isn't change, and it isn't getting rid of corporate influence. Its the exact samething we have been doing for decades.

 

You want details, here are details. There are plenty of Lobbyists working for Obama

 

Doesn't surprise me. I just don't get how it is that you take his "change" agenda (which, by the way, McCain is now also promoting in his own campaign), and make the leap to a point where you expect him to change EVERYTHING. He won't. He can't. No one should expect him to. But honestly, if he can make some small but important changes, then he's accomplished something. Its NOT exactly the same - its SOME of the same, and some new stuff too. And heck, I think McCain would be able to say the same thing, to at least some extent. Its just not that black and white.

 

 

[BigSqwert]

The huge money advantage:

 

With Hillary Clinton’s campaign coming to an end this weekend, Barack Obama’s rise as the Democratic nominee brings serious bad news to a new group — John McCain’s finance team.

 

A review of campaign finance data offers not one ounce of good news and barely any hope for the McCain campaign’s ability to compete with Obama’s fundraising prowess.

 

To make matters worse, Obama’s campaign, which raised $272 million through April for the primary, now is reaching out to Clinton’s fundraisers, who raised another $200 million through April, in an effort to unite forces and bury the historically deep-pocketed Republicans.

 

Take a look at some of the numbers:

 

• If each of Obama’s donors gave him a modest $250, he’d have $375 million to spend during the two-month general election sprint. That’s $186 million a month; $47 million a week.

 

• During the same September to Nov. 4th period, McCain will have about $85 million to spend since he has decided to take taxpayer money to help finance his campaign activities.

 

• The Republican National Committee, which is charged with closing the gap between McCain and Obama, has $40 million in cash. Obama raised almost as much — $31 million – from just his small donors in the month of February. His total for the month, $57 million, exceeded the RNC’s cash balance.

 

• Obama has more than 1.5 million donors; McCain has a few hundred thousand. If just a million of Obama’s donors sent him the maximum donation, $2,300, he could raise $2.3 billion.

 

Ok, that’s not going to happen. But campaign finance experts and Democratic fundraisers say a conservative estimate of Obama’s general election fundraising potential hovers around or above $300 million.

 

Such a massive financial advantage will allow Obama to compete in more states than McCain and force his rival to defend states that should rightfully be Republican wins.

[HuskyCaucasian]

The huge money advantage:

I thought i heard someone say that Obama plans to run a NATIONAL campaign. Not just a 5 state plan. If that is true, Obam can virtually bankrupt McCain like he did to Clinton.

[southsider2k5]

Well, now you have. I am not 100% sold on Obama yet for the general, but currently, he's my choice.

 

 

 

Doesn't surprise me. I just don't get how it is that you take his "change" agenda (which, by the way, McCain is now also promoting in his own campaign), and make the leap to a point where you expect him to change EVERYTHING. He won't. He can't. No one should expect him to. But honestly, if he can make some small but important changes, then he's accomplished something. Its NOT exactly the same - its SOME of the same, and some new stuff too. And heck, I think McCain would be able to say the same thing, to at least some extent. Its just not that black and white.

 

I am not even starting on everything... trust me.

 

Two of the biggest things he rails against all of the time are corporate influence and lobbyists, yet who is he bringing into his campaign and to help pick his officers? And I know McCain is going to say anything to get elected, I have no doubt about that.

[HuskyCaucasian]

MCain Trying to Pull Himself from YouTube?

Videos of his speech mixed different ways are being removed from the internet. This goes back to the Kos story about Mccain's various Youtube problems. It looks like they have a staff working extra hard now to scrub youtube of any negative videos of Mccain.

 

I would imagin they use the excuse the some of the video footage being used is not allowed via copyright. Which I suppose is true, however there seems to be an extra effort going on now to pull these videos!

[HuskyCaucasian]

DNC: Lobby Money is Banned

In his first order of business as his party's presumed presidential nominee, Barack Obama is instructing the Democratic National Committee to adopt his policy against accepting donations from federal lobbyists or political action committees.

 

The change will make the party and the candidate have a consistent position. Obama often says banning the donations is one way to help keep him free of the influence of Washington insiders.

[FlaSoxxJim]

11. That age is only a number unless it’s a really high number — then it’s a liability.

 

:lolhitting

[southsider2k5]

So much for this being the probama thread.

 

Yeah, sucks don't it?

[lostfan]

Its probably over the line to say, but I have yet to talk to a serious Obama supporter who could see fault in him. I am 100% serious.

Present

 

...this site is divided sharply between red and blue I've noticed. To those on the red side my shade of purple still looks blue.

[HuskyCaucasian]

FYI: McCain said in his speech "I know I have a few more years than Sen. Obama" or something like that. Open season on his age has begun!

[lostfan]

I don't see McCain's age as an issue.

[HuskyCaucasian]

I don't see McCain's age as an issue.

It's really not. Unless he has chronic "senior moments" over the next few months, it's nto an issue. I am More worried about his anger.

[EvilMonkey]

DNC: Lobby Money is Banned

They'll just accept it as small, personal donations from the people that work for lobbyists and PACS, that's all. Just like he says he won't take money from big business! No s***, sherlock, nobody can. But you sure will take a private donation from the CEO, CFO and so on.

[Balta1701]

I don't see McCain's age as an issue.

I think it should if nothing else cause one to pay a lot more attention to the quality of his VP pick than you would otherwise.

[lostfan]

They'll just accept it as small, personal donations from the people that work for lobbyists and PACS, that's all. Just like he says he won't take money from big business! No s***, sherlock, nobody can. But you sure will take a private donation from the CEO, CFO and so on.

That's never going to change - I don't really think that's a big deal anyway. Are people that work for big businesses not supposed to be politically active? That's their right IMO.

[lostfan]

I think it should if nothing else cause one to pay a lot more attention to the quality of his VP pick than you would otherwise.

Meh, the VP is supposed to be qualified anyway. That being said... thank God nothing happened to Bush while he was in office because the alternative makes me cringe.

[bmags]

They'll just accept it as small, personal donations from the people that work for lobbyists and PACS, that's all. Just like he says he won't take money from big business! No s***, sherlock, nobody can. But you sure will take a private donation from the CEO, CFO and so on.

 

a 1000 dollar donation equal to so many other people gives you a lot less interest, no?

[Balta1701]

Fun little bit about Obama's growing fame in Kenya.

Barack Obama is already a Kenyan hero. A school near Alego and at least one bar in Kisumu are named after him.

 

In the coming weeks, as the November general election gets closer, his fame will grow and grow.

 

When he joined the race to win the Democratic presidential nomination, hospitals around Kenya reported lots of new-born babies being named Barack.

[NorthSideSox72]

Fun little bit about Obama's growing fame in Kenya.

The name Barack means "bolt of lightning".

 

[BigSqwert]

The name Barack means "bolt of lightning".

I thought it meant death to America in the name of Allah?