A Speech Obama Could Have Given...

Damocles

Damocles

Accedo!
Staff member
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/03/a_speech_obama_could_have_give.html

By Victor Davis Hanson

Had Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., just said the following words last week in his speech on race in America, his problems with his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, would probably now be over:

"You have all heard the racist and anti-American outbursts of my pastor Rev. Wright. They are all inexcusable. His speeches have forced me to re-examine my long association with Trinity United Church of Christ. And so it is with regret that I must now leave that church.

"I had heard similar extremist language of Rev. Wright in the past, and now apologize that I did not earlier end my attendance and contributions. Had I long ago expressed my strong objections to Rev. Wright's views, such opposition might have suggested to him a more moderate path.

"But any good that now might come by remaining steadfast to Rev. Wright in consideration of our long past friendship is outweighed by the damage that would accrue from the sanction of his extremism that my continued attendance at his church might convey.

"I have loyalty aplenty, but it is to the truth, my country and universal tolerance, not to any one friend, however long and close our association.

More at link...
 
I'll hold Obama to that one as soon as McCain declares his disgust with and dissavowal of James Dobson and FoF. Until such time, though, Obama gets a pass.
 
OrnotBitwise said:
I'll hold Obama to that one as soon as McCain declares his disgust with and dissavowal of James Dobson and FoF. Until such time, though, Obama gets a pass.
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LOL.

I guess there might be a few "garlic nosed Italians" that think a bit differently.

Did you bother reading the article before announcing your absolution?

Seriously though. I think it may be "the death of a thousand cuts".

None of them will be deadly of themselves, but as new stuff comes out about the Right Rev. Wright Jr, it will just turn a bit more off that might have voted for him.
 
Had Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., just said the following words last week in his speech on race in America, his problems with his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, would probably now be over:

"You have all heard the racist and anti-American outbursts of my pastor Rev. Wright. They are all inexcusable. His speeches have forced me to re-examine my long association with Trinity United Church of Christ.

LOL. Yeah, Obama needs advice from noted NeoCon, Victor David Hansen. There's not a person on this board who really thinks the wingnuts would drop this issue, no matter what Obama did. Exploiting skin color and stereotypes of african americans is the GOPs holy grail to winning the white house. They aint' winning on the economy or on Iraq.

Second, before prominent Bush voter and war cheerleader Victor Hansen demands any apologies, he needs to profer one for voting to put the most incompetent president in american history in the oval office, and for cheering and enabling the unneccessary deaths of one million people. And the squandering of three trillion taxpayer dollars.
 
He has rebounded in the polls.

Anyone who will not vote for him strictly on this issue and its weak bullshit would not have voted for him anyway.

Now when you consider how screwed up the country is I really dont know why any con would want to elect McSame anyway.

Vote Obama and he will either fix everything or you have achance to pass the blame to him. Vote for McSame and you know he will just be Bush's third term and will really fuck us up good and your party will be dead.
 
LOLLOLLOLLOL

Damo - are you familiar with Hanson? This guy is on RCP every other day with his newest anti-Obama rant. He was one of the columnists who said a day after Obama's race speech that it was a miserable failure and that his poll #'s would dive even lower as a result. If you check the comments for this particular article that you inexplicably posted, he is roundly & thorougly ridiculed, as he should be.

He is a hack's hack. He has not a shred of objectivity when it comes to Obama. I can't believe you posted this.

Oh, I know - this is exactly the speech the right-wingers wanted to hear. Problem is, they aren't voting for Obama regardless. Obama gave a speech that was light-years ahead of Hanson's hackery.
 
The Article Victor David Hansen Should have Written:


My fellow americans: I'm am a PhD educated Stanford professor, and as a highly educated man, I should have known that Al Gore was far more capable than George Bush to assume the leadership of this nation in 2000. In retrospect, my vote for George Bush was the most foolish decision I have ever made. Well....except for that pre-nuptial agreement I signed with my fifth wife.

I should have known that the dubious and ever-changing reasons for invading and occupying Iraq were all an elaborate ruse to give the United States a strategic foothold in the middle of the worlds largest oil resources. I should have known that invading and occupying an Arab country that hadn't attacked us could leave us bogged down for years in a bitterly hostile land.

As such, I apologize to Al Gore, to France, to the UN, and to the dirty hippies who protested the war and warned me of its consequences.

I should never have made fun of the anti-war protestors or the dirty hippies. They were right.

I shouldn't have gotten out my high school cheerleading skirt and pom poms, and cheered George Bush onto war.

I apologize for presuming to lecture anyone on foreign policy, war, or their choice of their pastor.

Do not ever take advice from me again. I'm not worthing of proffering advice. I am responsible to enabling the deaths of one million human beings, and the collapse of american moral authority.


Regards,

Victor David Hansen.



p.s.: JOHN MCCAIN 2008!!!
 
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Onceler said:
LOLLOLLOLLOL

Damo - are you familiar with Hanson? This guy is on RCP every other day with his newest anti-Obama rant. He was one of the columnists who said a day after Obama's race speech that it was a miserable failure and that his poll #'s would dive even lower as a result. If you check the comments for this particular article that you inexplicably posted, he is roundly & thorougly ridiculed, as he should be.

He is a hack's hack. He has not a shred of objectivity when it comes to Obama. I can't believe you posted this.

Oh, I know - this is exactly the speech the right-wingers wanted to hear. Problem is, they aren't voting for Obama regardless. Obama gave a speech that was light-years ahead of Hanson's hackery.
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No. I just posted a link to an article I heard about on the radio.

I read the articles you guys post from Kos and other places. Often different opinions can give a different angle on something that I may not have thought of. I'm sorry that I didn't post a link from the leftist blogsite of your choice so that you would feel more comfortable reading it.
 
Damocles said:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/03/a_speech_obama_could_have_give.html

By Victor Davis Hanson

Had Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., just said the following words last week in his speech on race in America, his problems with his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, would probably now be over:

"You have all heard the racist and anti-American outbursts of my pastor Rev. Wright. They are all inexcusable. His speeches have forced me to re-examine my long association with Trinity United Church of Christ. And so it is with regret that I must now leave that church.

"I had heard similar extremist language of Rev. Wright in the past, and now apologize that I did not earlier end my attendance and contributions. Had I long ago expressed my strong objections to Rev. Wright's views, such opposition might have suggested to him a more moderate path.

"But any good that now might come by remaining steadfast to Rev. Wright in consideration of our long past friendship is outweighed by the damage that would accrue from the sanction of his extremism that my continued attendance at his church might convey.

"I have loyalty aplenty, but it is to the truth, my country and universal tolerance, not to any one friend, however long and close our association.

More at link...
Click to expand...

PANDERER! HE EVEN CHANGES HIS CHURCH BECAUSE OF HIS PANDERING, WHAT A BITCH!
 
Damocles said:
No. I just posted a link to an article I heard about on the radio.

I read the articles you guys post from Kos and other places. Often different opinions can give a different angle on something that I may not have thought of. I'm sorry that I didn't post a link from the leftist blogsite of your choice so that you would feel more comfortable reading it.
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Thanks - much appreciated.

Loved the "death by a thousand cuts" comment, too. Obama's already back up over McCain in the polls, after what many characterized as a "death blow" right after the Wright story broke.

I think it's clear as day that the right WAY overestimated the impact of this story, particularly with people who might actually vote for Obama.
 
Onceler said:
Thanks - much appreciated.

Loved the "death by a thousand cuts" comment, too. Obama's already back up over McCain in the polls, after what many characterized as a "death blow" right after the Wright story broke.

I think it's clear as day that the right WAY overestimated the impact of this story, particularly with people who might actually vote for Obama.
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Obama is back over McCain in one poll, while in others the gap actually got larger since I first noticed the loss.

I do believe that this will hound him until the end and the death by a thousand cuts is something that I think may happen, especially considering that in the one poll where he started a comeback when digging deeper into the poll, suggested that 50% of those responding still didn't know about Wright. I think that this is something that isn't going to die. That as people learn about it, it's going to keep hurting. Hence my description.

None of the "cuts" will be fatal, but when it finally all comes down it will be.
 
You just hope it doesn't die. You're already wrong; there have been 3 polls in the past week showing Obama back in either a dead heat or above McCain, and he is back to leading Hillary, as well.

I knew this story was nothing. You know who cares & who is going to talk about it until November? Right-wing voters, who never would have considered Obama, anyway. Guys like Hanson. Obama still beats Hillary, and McCain doesn't have a prayer in a year of recession when he openly admits he is clueless about the economy.

For once, voters seem to have their priorities worked out, at least according to polls.
 
Onceler said:
You just hope it doesn't die. You're already wrong; there have been 3 polls in the past week showing Obama back in either a dead heat or above McCain, and he is back to leading Hillary, as well.

I knew this story was nothing. You know who cares & who is going to talk about it until November? Right-wing voters, who never would have considered Obama, anyway. Guys like Hanson. Obama still beats Hillary, and McCain doesn't have a prayer in a year of recession when he openly admits he is clueless about the economy.

For once, voters seem to have their priorities worked out, at least according to polls.
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We'll see. I believe that was just the first sting of what will repeatedly hound him, and make what should have been an easy D victory into either a close win or loss. I mean, McCain? He's the Bob Dole of the current R Party. They were throwing him to the wolves.

The 527s won't let it die. And if you think that those are the only remarks you will see from him, I think you are being naive.
 
Damocles said:
We'll see. I believe that was just the first sting of what will repeatedly hound him, and make what should have been an easy D victory into either a close win or loss. I mean, McCain? He's the Bob Dole of the current R Party. They were throwing him to the wolves.

The 527s won't let it die. And if you think that those are the only remarks you will see from him, I think you are being naive.
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Oh, they'll show it. Do you think they will ever achieve the round the clock coverage & initial "shock value" of the first week? Not a chance, and we've already seen the results of that. Sorry, but it didn't mortally wound him; he actually turned it into a positive, imo, and voters saw that. He is back in the polls. It actually wouldn't surprise me a bit if PA turned out to be close.

Have at it. The 527's can do what they please, and try their very bestest to achieve the kind of repetitive shock value we saw in that first week, and it still won't matter; it will resonate like hell with the hardcore GOP voters, but who cares? Maybe it will help with turnout. It won't make an iota of difference for Obama going forward.

I was right. You & Rick Santorum were wrong.
 
Onceler said:
Oh, they'll show it. Do you think they will ever achieve the round the clock coverage & initial "shock value" of the first week? Not a chance, and we've already seen the results of that. Sorry, but it didn't mortally wound him; he actually turned it into a positive, imo, and voters saw that. He is back in the polls. It actually wouldn't surprise me a bit if PA turned out to be close.

Have at it. The 527's can do what they please, and try their very bestest to achieve the kind of repetitive shock value we saw in that first week, and it still won't matter; it will resonate like hell with the hardcore GOP voters, but who cares? Maybe it will help with turnout. It won't make an iota of difference for Obama going forward.

I was right. You & Rick Santorum were wrong.
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Again, many of the respondents do not yet know about it even with "round the clock coverage". Hence my statement that it will cut again, none will be fatal in themselves.

As I said, we will see how it goes. Claiming "victory" before the election is held and still this early and when 50% of the respondents are still clueless? Come on. You are more honest than that. First you said that the story was already over when it wasn't before, you are making the same mistake again.
 
Onceler said:
Thanks - much appreciated.

Loved the "death by a thousand cuts" comment, too. Obama's already back up over McCain in the polls, after what many characterized as a "death blow" right after the Wright story broke.

I think it's clear as day that the right WAY overestimated the impact of this story, particularly with people who might actually vote for Obama.
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Well, I guess we are going to find out if there are enough racists left in America to keep Obama out of office. I think it’s a close call, but what’s interesting is that the hit Damo “just felt” Obama was going to take, appears to have completely rebounded, and almost immediately.

The death of the old guard racists means the death of the republican party. They might have one or two more elections left in them – we’ll find out, but they’re going down in the long run. And I know that Republicans like to deny and call “rubbish” the idea that they have risen to power on the power of racism, but I don’t care. It’s always been transparent. I just smile when they deny it. The only thing that matters is how many of these bastards are left now?
 
Darla said:
Well, I guess we are going to find out if there are enough racists left in America to keep Obama out of office. I think it’s a close call, but what’s interesting is that the hit Damo “just felt” Obama was going to take, appears to have completely rebounded, and almost immediately.

The death of the old guard racists means the death of the republican party. They might have one or two more elections left in them – we’ll find out, but they’re going down in the long run. And I know that Republicans like to deny and call “rubbish” the idea that they have risen to power on the power of racism, but I don’t care. It’s always been transparent. I just smile when they deny it. The only thing that matters is how many of these bastards are left now?
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I have been very heartened by the polls since the Wright flap. I personally "just felt" (a la Damo) that the whole thing was a tempest in a teacup, and more of a weak attempt at 'guilt by association' than anything else. But the pundits got to me a bit, and I was starting to think that maybe it WAS the death blow.

The 527's aren't going to do better than that 1st week of around the clock cable coverage. Nothing worse is going to come out of this, and I think you're right about the racists; they're still there, but they're dying off. I won't miss them, or their votes.
 
Damocles said:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/03/a_speech_obama_could_have_give.html

By Victor Davis Hanson

Had Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., just said the following words last week in his speech on race in America, his problems with his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, would probably now be over:

"You have all heard the racist and anti-American outbursts of my pastor Rev. Wright. They are all inexcusable. His speeches have forced me to re-examine my long association with Trinity United Church of Christ. And so it is with regret that I must now leave that church.

"I had heard similar extremist language of Rev. Wright in the past, and now apologize that I did not earlier end my attendance and contributions. Had I long ago expressed my strong objections to Rev. Wright's views, such opposition might have suggested to him a more moderate path.

"But any good that now might come by remaining steadfast to Rev. Wright in consideration of our long past friendship is outweighed by the damage that would accrue from the sanction of his extremism that my continued attendance at his church might convey.

"I have loyalty aplenty, but it is to the truth, my country and universal tolerance, not to any one friend, however long and close our association.

More at link...
Click to expand...

You must not have listened to Obama's speech on race. Oh sure he could have just swept the issue under the rug and thrown the right reverand Wright under the bus as you suggest. It probably would have been politicaly epedient, though intellectually dishonest, to just utter empty rhetoric about love of country and walked away from the situation and distance himself from the people of his community. Instead Obama faced the elephant in the room and gave a brilliant and impassioned speech that proves not all rhetoric is empty. Obama won me over with that speech, he is so far ahead of Hilliary or McCain in vision, understanding and leadership and I mean no disprespect to Mrs. Clinton or Mr. McCain, there both great Americans.

Obama is the rare man of vision and ability that comes along at rare moments in history to be the right person at the right time. It is truely the genius of America that in times of need we produce men like Obama.
 
Desh said:
He has rebounded in the polls.

Anyone who will not vote for him strictly on this issue and its weak bullshit would not have voted for him anyway.

Now when you consider how screwed up the country is I really dont know why any con would want to elect McSame anyway.

Vote Obama and he will either fix everything or you have achance to pass the blame to him. Vote for McSame and you know he will just be Bush's third term and will really fuck us up good and your party will be dead.
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That's partisan bullshit Desh. Didn't the flap with Bill Cunningham where McCain personally apologised to Obama show you that he's much of a differant cut then Bush or the neocons and it's incredibly dishonest of you to paint him as such only because he supports some of the Bush agenda. Why do you think so many on the far right have been demoralized by McCains nomination. Win or lose McCain will be remembered as on the most important Republican in history. The one that saved the party from political extinction.
 
Onceler said:
Thanks - much appreciated.

Loved the "death by a thousand cuts" comment, too. Obama's already back up over McCain in the polls, after what many characterized as a "death blow" right after the Wright story broke.

I think it's clear as day that the right WAY overestimated the impact of this story, particularly with people who might actually vote for Obama.
Click to expand...

It could very well have been a death blow. The pundits were certainly right about that and had Obama swept the issue under the rug, as had been suggested, it probably would have been. Obama turned a negative into a positive by tackling the issue head on with one of the most brilliant speeches I have ever heard. I'm telling you. Obama could teach Reagan a thing or two about oratory and communication and that's saying one hell of a lot!
 
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