Has Obama "earned" the right? Did GOVERNOR BUSH "earn" the right?

[Human Torch]

Listening to Countdown and the speculation over Obama '08.

He earned the right to be a candidate just as much as that frat boy, silver spoon, Oedipal, substance abusing, fake-ass "born again Christian," fake-ass "Texan" motherf**king POS Governor George W. Bush from Texas "EARNED" the right.

:grr:

[beaconess]

1. THANK you!

And no one ever asked whether the country was ready for a spoiled, incurious, consistent failure to be president.

Talk about different strokes for different folks.

[YDogg]

2. Everything bush has ever touched has turned to shizzit.

[aquart]

3. Golly, there's a recommendation.

Are you telling me Obama has the same qualifications as Bush?

Try again.

[Human Torch]

7. No, I'm saying Bush set the bar...

...and Obama has the ability to shove the bar up Bush's ass.

Try reading my post.

[DURHAM D]

4. Let me say this about Obama - when everyone says he doesn't

have any international experience (although he has traveled extensively and roots in Africa) just remind them that George finally took his junior trip abroad during the first term of his Presidency. Prior to that he had traveled to Japan one time (where Dad threw up at the head table) and across the border towns while drunk.

[beaconess]

6. If "experience" were the deciding factor - Chelsea could have beaten Bush

Even as a teen, she had a better education, was better traveled and had infinitely more home training than the current WH occupant.

[NEOBuckeye]

5. The Texas Governorship is one of the weakest in the nation

It's more of a ceremonial "Head of State" role. The Lieutenant Governor in Texas actually wields more executive power.

In that sense, at least Bush was well prepared for the Cheney-Rove setup.

But I'll agree that if Obama is ready, let him run for the Presidency.

[hedgehog]

8. Claims like that remind me of why Bob Dole ran

"It's my turn!"


Obama deserves the post when and if a majority of Americans say he does.

[beaconess]

9. Agreed - and that means he has every right to campaign for the job

without being disqualified in advance because "America's not ready for a Black president."

[Kahuna]

17. Exactly!!!!!

If the people don't want him, he won't win. So all the naysayers should just relax. :shrug:

[Bitwit1234]

10. Enough Money

The thing is - the people who have the most money and backing are pushed forward to be president. A person who is really qualified probably never gets the chance. Obamama has as much right to run for president as any damn republican...Look at all the crooks lined up.

Romney, Rudi, Newt, Frist, Sessions, McCain and on and on and on.

[Imagevision]

23. Obama Enough Money? - I believe Oprah would spread the word

and money I doubt seriously will be an issue. Kiddin, Oprah easily could be deciding factor in a win for Obama. Combined with the fact that Barack is an extremely intelligent competant candidate for the presidency only makes the choice a sensible one.

I can just see Obama debating McCain, Juliani, Rice or whoever they throw at him, done deal!

[Ellis Wyatt]

11. He's obviously compelling

But just because W got into office with, to put it mildly, poor credentials as an executive, doesn't mean that Obama should get in with limited credentials as an executive.

He's really had no "real world" experience at all. He's an academic for the most part. He's either been in school (teaching or obtaining degrees) or as an elected official his whole life.

Aside from Law School, he's not been in a role long enough to really show excellence. He was only a teacher for a spell, a state senator for a spell, and now a US senator for a spell.

I understand the thought that if he doesn't run now, he can't run for 8 years (assuming the democrats win), and unless he's named VP, he could also be behind the sitting VP in 2016, and potentially lose his shot....but I still think there may be some holes in his campaign given how limited is his experience.

[beaconess]

12. The "no executive experience" bar would knock out most of the Dem pack

And most public figures with executive experience are then tarred with the "no national security" experience.

I think both sets of experiences are overrated as sole predictors of potential success - as evidenced by the abysmal presidents who had such experience in spades and the exemplary presidents who didn't.

Certainly these things are factors to be considered, but I would never judge a candidate solely on the basis of whether they had one or the other type of jobs on their resume.

You're also mischaracterizing his career. He wasn't a state senator for "a spell" - he was in the State Senate for 7 years - hardly just "a spell." By 2008, he will have been in the state or U.S. Senate for more than 10 years. This, in addition to his experience as a constitutional law professor (more than "just" a "teacher" - he is an expert on the very area of law that the President of the United States most needs to know). He was also a community organizer, perhaps not a typical resume item for a president, but certainly a valuable experience.

It's interesting that you're saying he has either been in school, teaching or an elected official his whole life. But then you criticize him for being in elective office for only "a spell." It sounds to me like there's little he could have done in the past 20 years that would have satisfied you.

The bottom line is that there is really no job that anyone can have that is comparable to being President of the United States, except perhaps Vice President of the United States. But all kinds of different experiences can help prepare people for the role - these experiences don't replicate the presidency but they do help develop them as thinkers, leaders, and statesmen. In today's America, it is foolhearty to disqualify someone because the type of experience they have doesn't fit into a traditional trajectory originally developed as the roadmap for the entitled classes.

[pnwmom]

20. Bush had real world experience. Where did that get us?

And since when does experience as an elected official not count?

[Radical Activist]

13. He earned the right by being a major bad-ass mofo

That's all the earning he needs to do.

Obama to Countdown:

[hedgehog]

14. Hastert is third in line in the Presidency now, and his experience

is as a high school history teacher and wrestling coach!

[madfloridian]

15. It's a matter of doing this two weeks before a vital election.

I ask myself why. Maybe the talking heads would talk about our candidates who are running for office now instead of someone running for president.

[beaconess]

18. They have been talking about these candidates for months

and they still are.

This is not a zero sum game. Talking about Obama does not mean they're not covering the 2006 race. It's wall-to-wall coverage.

[Mass]

16. By being a citizen of the US eligible to run as president, he has earned

this right. This is as simple as that!

After that, it should be to the voters, first Democrats, then if he is the nominee, all the voters, to decide further.

The rest is BS.

[pnwmom]

21. Bravo!

Best answer yet.

[Imagevision]

19. Obama is a much needed breath of fresh air with intelligence, O happy days...

[Rick Myers]

22. George didn't earn anything, ever. He's a thief...

[Withywindle]

24. Hell yes.

And it's still sadly true to too much of this country that a black man or a woman of any color has to be twice as smart and work twice as hard to be thought half as good.

Obama may be a little green, but you sure as hell can't call him a slacker.

Not necessarily backing him in '08. Not necessarily backing anyone yet, though I've got my favorites like everyone else. But I think anybody who wants to run should run, and may the best person win. I think we've got a damn deep talent pool and we should be proud of it! I can think of at least 10 possible Dem contenders who would be excellent Presidents. Who've the Pubs got? Bushlicker McCain, who rolled over for racist insults against his own family? Rudy "Look at meeeeeee!" Giuliani? Cat Killer?