Does anyone get the feeling that Obama looks at all of the Democrats and says to himself...

[BlooInBloo]

"I have no idea what the fuck your folks' problem is - campaigning and getting elected isn't THAT hard."

:rofl:

(Just saw the response to Bush/McCain "appeasement" accusations.)


Yes, I'm perfectly aware the GE isn't a done deal by a long shot. But the without-even-hardly-thinking-about-it aplomb with which he eviscerated bush and mccain... Amazing.


EDIT: Small typo.

[madaboutharry]

1. I think it boils down to one fact:

Obama is smarter than the rest.

[weezy2736]

22. So was Carter.

-sigh- If any president ever deserved more...

[theboss]

25. Carter was smart but had poor people skills

He pretty much always let you know that he was smarter than you, knew he was smarter than you, and can't believe that you can be so goddamn stupid. He also didn't trust anyone but himself to do anything.

I don't see any of these faults in Obama.

[weezy2736]

28. Maybe the best way to describe the presidency is Intelligence vrs. People Skills

With Obama landing in my happy medium. I've enjoyed reading Carter's books, but then again, I enjoy listening much more than most, I guess I can see that in Carter, now that I think about it. Also, being a child of the late 80's clouds the judgment. I'm sure opinions change quickly with time.

[theboss]

31. Carter's problem is that the Dems in Congress and even his own Cabinet hated working with him

Tip O'Neil had a far more cordial relationship with Reagan than Carter. And everyone knows what Ted Kennedy did to him in '80.

[blonndee]

47. Really? I never knew people thought that about Carter.

Of course, I was only a year and a half when he was elected and so I barely remember seeing him on TV as a toddler, but I'd never heard that about Carter in all the years since. He sure doesn't come across that way now.

[ClassWarrior]

2. I'm hoping that many will come to realize the validity of that old saw...

..."The truth will set you free."

NGU.

[NewHampshireDem]

3. The difference between an amateur and a true craftsperson

An amateur's work makes the easy look difficult; a true craftperson's work makes the difficult look easy. :)

[speedoo]

4. And I think he deliberately waited for McCain to chime in.

As he knew he would. Then he smacked them both down at the same time.

Presto. McCain and Bush are now linked together even more.

[BlooInBloo]

5. Good point.

[ej510]

6. I believe that he may be the most intelligent canidate in a long time.

[NotThisTime]

7. I don't doubt for one second, he's one of the smartest politician's in decades

[BlooInBloo]

8. That's a retrospective assessment, to be made afterwards....

But he's got it within him to turn the trick, no doubt.

[Blue_In_AK]

11. I agree with you there.

I'm withholding judgment until I see him in office for a while. Campaigning is one thing, leading a nation that's in as much trouble as ours is quite another.

[Tarheel_Dem]

9. Am I the only one who thinks this is why Bill despises Obama so much?

Obama is Bill's equal, maybe even his superior, when it comes to articulating a message in terms that everyone can understand. I think Obama will replace Bill & Reagan as the Great Communicator, and this has Bill in a real tizz.

[BlooInBloo]

10. "The skinny dawg"?

:rofl:

[Tarheel_Dem]

42. LMAO....

:rofl:

[roseBudd]

50. I think Bill is jealous of Obama

[Labors of Hercules]

53. I KNOW Hillary is...

:shrug:

[caledesi]

17. Obama is WAY ahead of these freaks..he knows their "game." NT

[roseBudd]

49. Obama has the instincts of a boxer

[HuffleClaw]

12. i sure isn't hard when the media is doing all your work for you

bush is a fine example of that and so is obama

of course now that they've all but guaranteed him the nomination it is time for them to tear him down.

[beachmom]

14. So I guess you didn't have the TV on when it was Wright 24/7?

[BlooInBloo]

16. Truth isn't exactly a hi-pri item for Clinton supporters.

[HuffleClaw]

46. i don't support clinton any more than i support obama

they both suck

[Labors of Hercules]

54. so, um... why are you posting here?

just wondering.

[HuffleClaw]

56. i'd have far preferred kucinich or edwards n/t

[redqueen]

24. Is it not just incredible that so many manage to gloss RIGHT the fuck over

the biggest M$M dem-bashing-fest so far in this election cycle?

:wow:

[HuffleClaw]

45. that was the 'shot across the bows'

and it worked like a charm

[anigbrowl]

51. Right...and the government is run by a secret UFO cult

Only -YOU- are able to see through the conspiracy, while the rest of us are blind sheep without a single opinion of our own.

[HuffleClaw]

57. i'm hardly the only one who has pointed this out n/t

[beachmom]

13. This is going to be a tough slog. And Obama knows that more than anyone else.

He did a good job today, but a presidential campaign is like a marathon, so let's not count our chickens before they hatch.

[BlooInBloo]

15. I thought I was clear on that. My bad.

[LisaM]

18. His campaign manager is the main reason.

Of course, he's been good at getting people elected (Dennis Archer, Deval Patrick, Eliot Spitzer), though they haven't always lived up to the promise of the campaign. I truly fear this could be a problem for Obama.

I'm not saying everyone Axelrod has helped get elected has been terrible or even bad, or that the jury isn't still out on some of them. But campaigning and governing are not the same thing and there WILL be some letdown if Obama is elected.

[BlooInBloo]

20. Your concern is noted.

[last1standing]

23. Dennis Archer is responsible for Detroit's turnaround after the Coleman Young years.

I always love telling the story about he and I hogging the catfish nuggets and talking about campaigns at Fishbones while the results of the casinos proposal came in. :)

I'm a complete nobody, but he had no problem taking the time to just shoot the breeze with me instead of rubbing elbows with the other power brokers in the room. He's a tremendous guy and I hope to be able to call him Governor one day.

[LisaM]

37. Well, someone had to pull the "D" out of the Coleman Young years

but I wouldn't call his administration an unqualified success. Of course, the current mayor has his own problems, but didn't all the casinos go up under Archer's watch? Among other things, the casinos completely dried up all ground transportation from Metro to places like Ann Arbor, and it costs me at least three times as much to get to AA from the airport now (or more, if you make the mistake of getting a town car).

[last1standing]

40. Archer was against the casinos until Detroit had a referendum on it.

When the referendum passed Archer stated that he was still against it but would do the best job he could for the city. Which he did. Good contracts were negotiated and the casinos have provided much needed jobs to the city. There's also a revival of local tourism to Detroit because of them - more restaurants and shops have opened. Remember, Archer also oversaw the new football and baseball stadiums and got the Pistons back in the city - no small feats. Let's not forget coaxing GM into moving into the RenCen.

As for transportation, the casinos did take quite a bit, but that just means more opportunities for either Metro Cars to expand or an upstart (I've seen several) to jump in to provide the services. The casinos also may also help bring in some real mass transit as they start generating more tax base and the auto companies less. And for additional costs, I think some of that can be attributed to rising gas prices.

Archer really did about the best job anyone could do with a city that was as broken as Detroit. I don't know if you've been here recently, but there are finally signs of life after 30 years of nothing.

Sadly, it looks like Kilpatrick intends to dismantle all the good his predecessor accomplished. I still can't believe he beat Hendrix. :(

[LisaM]

41. The Pistons actually are still in Auburn Hills. It's the Lions that came back.

I know that the casinos aren't all Archer's fault, but I really don't like them.

Archer was also helped by Clinton's block grant.

I will be there in a month.

I did read a really sad article today in the Freep about how the national sports media is about to come for the Stanley Cup (if the Wings make it) but that there are homeless people gathered all over and people have been hurling concrete blocks through the bar windows. One guy has plywood all over his windows and says he can't afford to replace them.

[last1standing]

55. I knew that! :blush:

You can see how much I pay attention to sports, can't you? I meant the Lions but for some reason "Pistons" sounded better. :)

But, yeah. Kilpatrick has gotten some of the credit for things that Archer has turned around, but the truth is that his mismanagement has led the city into more decline. I remember when the superbowl came to Detroit (that was football, right?) and instead of making any real changes that could help the city long term he began a two pronged plan. One, he sent his goons out to every bar and club with live entertainment of any sort and tried to extort a "cabaret fee". This caused one of my favorite Detroit bars to close up. Second, in the downtown area, where the party was held, he ordered that sheets of plywood be put up at the doors and windows of abandoned shops on Woodward St. and had "NEW BUSINESS COMING SOON" painted on them. We're still waiting for those businesses.

Anyway, Archer was helped by the Enterprise Zones that Clinton created, but not as much as you'd think. It was a great program but Detroit needed much, much more than those to get turned around. It needed entertainment options that the other cities couldn't claim to draw people back in who hadn't stepped foot in Detroit in 30 years. Casinos helped with that as did moving the Lions into the city. I just hope that when we have a new Democratic president and a new mayor who's more interested in the city than strippers we'll see more progress.

[madrchsod]

35. true ....yet he has durbin who will be the senate majority leader

and he will have kerry,kenndey, and even clinton to help him. he will be able to choose the best this nation has to offer to be in his administration...of course he will have bad days but it won`t be weeks,months,and years....

[EFerrari]

19. Sprezzatura -- making the difficult look easy.

"Sprezzatura, is a term that originates from Castiglione's The Book of the Courtier. It is defined as “a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it”."

[BlooInBloo]

21. Bless you! (Allergies kicking in?)

:P

[redqueen]

26. Oooh thanks...

I learned a new word today. :hi:

[BlooInBloo]

34. It's a good 'un. :)

[NJSecularist]

27. Kerry and Gore were both worlds smarter than Obama.

Who thinks there are 57 states in our union.

[CakeGrrl]

43. OK...that you actually BELIEVE that was not a misspeak says a lot about you.

I mean, truly no one in their right mind would think this man doesn't know how many states there are and that he got a number blip during one of a gazillion speeches he gives.

I'm sure you've never spoken out of turn reciting a phone number or an address or a dollar figure, perhaps while thinking of something else or with your mind on the next thought.

If you forgot the sarcasm tag, my apologies.

If you didn't,

:wtf:

[AtomicKitten]

29. He not only makes it look easy, he makes it look good!

Go get 'em, Barack. :D

[Life Long Dem]

30. I'd have a hard time listening to McSame.

When McSame gives a speech, it feels like a lecture or he is talking to children or something and it's always this tone of voice that I can't stand - there's just something about... thinking if i had to listen to this for so many years It would drive me nuts. And this is without even listening to what he is saying. :rofl:

There I said it.

[speedoo]

32. He's a terrible speaker.

Maybe worse than Dole. Which would make McCain the worst nominee in terms of speaking ability in many decades.

[DU GrovelBot]

33. ## DON'T DONATE TO DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND! ##

==================
GROVELBOT.EXE v4.1
==================



This week is our second quarter 2008 fund drive. Democratic Underground is
a completely independent website. We depend on donations from our members
to cover our costs. Whatever you do, do not click the link below!

[VotesForWomen]

36. the more arrogant they are, the harder they fall. nt

[Lord Helmet]

38. you should be glad he's so good instead of trying to smack him down

that's really dumb strategy you know

[mrreowwr_kittty]

39. Yep. The Clintons are learning that lesson now. nt

[Darth_Kitten]

44. What has he proven to anybody yet?

:shrug:

[anigbrowl]

52. That he's a political genius?

I was going to write a bunch of stuff defending this opinion, but then I realized what a waste of time it would be. If you don't get it now, maybe you will by next year or the year after. Or maybe never. There's nothing I can do about it.

[BlooInBloo]

58. :)

[blonndee]

48. As evidenced by...

oh well, never mind.